The European justice system ruled in favour of the European Parliament (EP) in the judicial battle that Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya President Oriol Junqueras opened to claim his seat as an MEP. On Tuesday, the European Union’s General Court declared inadmissible the appeal lodged by ERC President Oriol Junqueras against the decision of the President of the European Parliament, David Maria Sassoli, to declare his seat vacant after being elected MEP in the last European elections. Junqueras was unable to take up the post because the Spanish authorities did not allow him to leave prison to take office. Once his seat was declared vacant, Jordi Solé took it over in July this year
The Luxembourg-based court upheld the EP’s decision because it does not have the power to contradict decisions that come from Member State authorities, in this case the Supreme Court. In particular, it argues that “the President of the European Parliament did nothing more than transmit to the institution information on a pre-existing legal situation, derived exclusively from the decisions of the Spanish authorities”. He believes that the EP does not have the power to “control” any decision by the authorities of the Member State if it cancels the mandate of an MEP. He pointed out that the EP only receives information “about this vacancy” and argued that it cannot refuse to take into consideration the decision of the national authorities.
Junqueras has opened several fronts before the European justice system to claim his seat as an MEP after the Court of Justice of the European Union itself agreed with him. Luxembourg ruled that Junqueras had parliamentary immunity from the moment the election results were announced and considered that the Supreme Court should have released him so that he could take office. Since then, however, the defence of Esquerra’s leader and former Catalan vice-president has filed several appeals in Luxembourg which, so far, have been rejected.
In early January, the Supreme Court ignored the ruling of the European Court of Justice on Junqueras’ immunity. It informed the Central Electoral Board and the European Parliament that it was not appropriate to annul his sentence or to allow him to take up the post of MEP. In view of this decision Sassoli announced during the plenary session of the European Parliament on 13th January that Junqueras’s seat was vacant. Junqueras then appealed to the EU’s General Court to have this decision annulled and also asked for urgent precautionary measures until everything was settled in Luxembourg.
But the European courts rejected the interim measures, and Junqueras also appealed against this refusal. In October the ‘no’ vote was repeated and this time the European Court ruled on the first appeal, without going into the substance of the matter and simply giving the European Parliament the right to argue that it lacked the power to contradict the Supreme Court. But the judicial journey in Luxembourg does not end there. Junqueras’s defence has opened other fronts in the European justice system, with other appeals on the same issue.
Lashing out at anti-liberation and radical forces, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said the country achieved independence in lieu of the blood of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians, adding that she will never allow any division and anarchy in the name of religion.
“The people of the country will move on towards prosperity, progress and development keeping the religious morale high based on communal harmony,” she said on Tuesday evening. The 50th victory day of Bangladesh will be celebrated on Wednesday.
“I will never allow any division or anarchy in the name of religion in this country. Keeping the religious values high, the people of this country will move forward towards progress, development and progress,” she said.
“The people of Bangladesh are pious, not fanatics. We must not allow the anti-liberation radical forces to make religion as the weapon of politics. Everyone has the right to perform their own religious rituals,” Hasina mentioned.
“Everyone has the right to practice their religion here, country of Fakir Lalon Shah, Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul, Poet Jibanananda Das and also the Sufis – Shah Paran, Shah Makhdum. No radicalism or fundamentalism is allowed in Bangladesh of Bangabandhu… 16.5 crore Bangalis love to live in peace with communal harmony,” she added.
Addressing the country’s youth, she said: “Take a vow that you’ll transform the country into Golden Bengal imbued with the Liberation War spirit of communal harmony.”
In her 18-minute speech, Hasina urged all to take a vow on the eve of the Victory Day not to forget the debt of blood of millions of martyrs.
“We must not let the spirit of communal harmony of the Liberation War fade away. My request to the youth and the new generation is — You must not forget the supreme sacrifices of your predecessors ever, you must not let dishonour the red and green coloured flag that they have gifted us.”
On the eve of the golden jubilee of independence, Bangladesh PM paid homage to Father of the Nation, ‘Bangabandhu’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, four national leaders and martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country.
“Some people who were defeated against Bangladesh in 1971 are trying to confuse the people by telling lies and distortions of history and religion in an attempt to create unrest,” Hasina said.
Dhaka: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday cautioned people against reappearance of fanaticism in the country and said that her government was determined to prevent any attempt to use religion as a “political weapon” to create social unrest.
“Don’t use religion as a political tool…we will not allow anyone to create any anarchy or division in this country in the name of religion,” Hasina said in a televised speech on the eve of the 50th Victory Day.
Hasina said a section of defeated forces of 1971 Liberation War reappeared in the political landscape to mislead ordinary Muslims with concocted and confusing messages to create social unrest to return the country to a situation which the nation overcame 50 years ago.
She said being patronized by a political quarter, these elements even dared to show their red eyes to the government though Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had warned the nation against the use of religion as a political weapon many decades ago.
“The people of Bangladesh are pious, not religious bigots…the people of this country will proceed towards progress, advancement and development upholding the religious values,” she said in an apparent reference to a recently launched move by a quarter against sculpture.
“Let us not trample the Liberation War’s spirit of non-communalism…let us not forget our debt to tens of thousands of martyrs,” she said.
Hasina reminded her countrymen that the country’s independence came in exchange of bloods of the followers of all faiths — Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. Bangladesh still carried the heritage of liberal spirituality, culture and pluralism, she added.
“This Bangladesh is the land of Lalon Shah, Rabindranath, Kazi Nazrul, Jibonanda…This Bangladesh is the Bangladesh of Shahjalal, Shah Paran, Shah Makhdum and Khanjahal Ali; this is a land of 16 and a half crores of Bengalis — this country belongs to all,” Hasina said.
She particularly urged the youths and new generations to uphold this spirit and not forget the “sacrifices of your forefathers”.
Bangladesh won its victory on December 16 in 1971 following a nine-month long Liberation War with Indian support against Pakistan.
Hasina’s warning came as extreme rightwing Muslim groups waged a campaign against sculptures in the wake of the government’s plans to setup statues of Bangabandhu in major cities.
The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.
Dec 15, 2020 (AB Digital via COMTEX) --
Market Overview
The popularity of green tea is estimated to ramp up Tea Industry development in the upcoming period. The food, beverages & nutrition industry reports are designed by Market Research Future, focusing on market prospects for evolution. A 4.47% CAGR is estimated to direct revenues to reach USD 22,669.8 Million by 2025.
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The need to dissipate cell damage caused due to environmental pollution and stress is projected to augment the tea market in the course of the forecast period. The surging obesity levels are likely to encourage the use of green tea to induce healthy weight loss, thus bolstering the global tea market in the upcoming period.
The players operating in Tea Industry are likely to seek revision of supply chains to promote further the development of the market in new segments and demographics. The digital elements of business functioning are estimated to emerge more prominently in the period ahead. The global market’s response to new efficiency levels in the forthcoming period is expected to unleash new and transformative changes. The augmentation of commercial interests in the upcoming period is estimated to create a more advantageous position for the market contenders in the forecast period. In the forecast period, the market is appraised to derive a great deal from the market signals while scrutinizing their consumer base to meet their needs better. The diverse regional markets will see steadfast development due to government backup’s influence in re-energizing the global market. The new growth ventures are foreseen to improve the company’s future goal achievement trajectory and are thus estimated to be essential to growth. The inclusion of social impact goals by the companies in the market is estimated to usher in a new development phase in the market in the upcoming period.
The renowned companies functioning in the Tea Industry are Unilever PLC (UK), McLeod Russel India Ltd. (India), DAVIDS Tea Inc. (Canada), Associated British Foods PLC (UK), Barry’s Tea (Ireland), Tata Global Beverages Limited (India), APEEJAY SURRENDRA Group (India), Bettys & Taylors Group Ltd. (UK), Ito En, Ltd. (Japan), and Tea FORTÉ Inc. (US).
Segment Analysis
The segments created in the Tea Industry to enable better scrutiny are formed on the basis of type, form, category, distribution channel, and region. The distribution channel segment of the tea market consists of store-based, which is subdivided into convenience stores, supermarkets & hypermarkets, and non-store-based. The type segment of the tea market consists of oolong tea, herbal tea, green tea, black tea, and others. The form segment of Tea Industry consists of tea bags, loose leaf, and others. The region segment of the tea market consists of Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, and other notable regional markets. The category segment of the tea market consists of conventional and organic.
Detailed Regional Analysis
The tea market’s regional review includes regions such as Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, and other notable regional markets. The Asia Pacific region’s tea market is anticipated to report the global market’s principal portion throughout the forecast period. The region reported a 39.28% stake of the global market in the year 2020. China is a key supplier to the evolution of the Asia Pacific tea market, being the principal maker and user of tea. The nations such as Vietnam, India, Japan, and Indonesia also support the tea market’s growth substantially in Asia Pacific regional market. The European regional conveyed a substantial segment of the tea market in 2020 with the UK being a chief buyer of tea. Though, the North American region is anticipated to be the speediest mounting regional market for the period of the forecast. The elevated commonness of obesity in the region is likely to fuel green and herbal requirements as they support weight loss.
NOTE: Our Team of Researchers are Studying Covid19 and its Impact on Various Industry Verticals and wherever required we will be considering Covid19 Footprints for Better Analysis of Market and Industries. Cordially get in Touch for More Details.
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… an uncertain future outside the European Union. It is a seismic … . Our project matched thousands across Europe for a video call chat … to see Britain leaving the EU. “It was better that … classic cars. Maria owns an organic fruit farm, but dreams of travelling …
(Photo: Ecumenical News / Peter Kenny)Professor Thomas Schirrmacher of the World Evangelical Alliance speaks to the media at the World Council of Churches 10th Assembly in Busan, South Korea on November 5, 2013.
The biggest crisis facing the evangelical, global church today is the growing lack of biblical literacy worldwide, Thomas Schirrmacher, the newly head of the World Evangelical Alliance says.
“Our biggest problem is that Bible knowledge is fading away,” Schirrmacher told The Christian Post according to the WEA website. “This is the utmost problem we have beyond all theological differences, financial problems, and political questions.”
Schirrmacher studied theology in Switzerland and the United States, and serves as the WEA’s Associate Secretary General for Theological Concerns, although he will become Secretary General next year.
He said that in the Western world “more and more kids that come from evangelical families are not really rooted in the Bible,” and many of them leave the faith.
“In the Western world, the percentage of kids from Christian families who stay in the faith is going down,” Schirrmacher said.
The number of young people leaving the faith in Western countries is “counteracted” by people becoming Christians as young adults in other parts of the world, according to Schirrmacher.
The conservative magazine the National Review carried an article headed “Why American Children Stopped Believing in God,” on Dec. 13.
“The time has come for religious parents to take their children back from the state.
‘RELIGOSITY DETERMINED EARLY’
It said, “It turns out that religiosity is usually determined very early in life. All the data suggest that, by and large, kids brought up in religious households stay religious and kids who aren’t, don’t.
“Consequently, childhood religiosity has been, and remains, the most important indicator of America’s religious trajectory. The story of religious decline in America is not the story of adults consciously rejecting the faith of their forefathers:
“It’s the story of each generation receiving a more secular upbringing than the generation preceding it. What accounts for this secularization of childhood over time? Taxpayer dollars.”
Schirrmacher said that young Christians also lack deep biblical knowledge and “only know about the Bible what they learned from their conversion,” he said. In rural areas, young Christians are often tasked with leading large churches despite their lack of biblical and theological knowledge.
“So many people are becoming believers that the one who has been a believer the longest becomes the leader of the church,” Schirrmacher said.
“That might be three years. Short for us, but long for them. We have such a high conversion rate worldwide, that it’s extremely difficult to follow up with discipling, with teaching, with Bible knowledge.
“The result is that people know much less and are more much more open to secularism and strange things like the ‘health and wealth’ gospel.”
WEA cited the State of the Bible 2020 report released by the Barna Group and the American Bible Society, U.S. adults who say they read the Bible daily dropped from 14% to 9% between early 2019 and 2020.
The study found that the proportion of Americans who read the Bible daily also fell to fewer than one in 10 (9%), the lowest number on record during the 10 years of the State of the Bible research study.
FACE TO FACE: The Photographs of Camilla McGrath, by Camilla McGrath et al. (Knopf, $75.) From the 1950s to the ’90s, the socialite captured casual moments with some of the biggest names in entertainment. More than 600 of her photos are here, with text from the likes of Harrison Ford and Fran Lebowitz.
RALPH STEADMAN: A Life in Ink, by Ralph Steadman. (Chronicle Chroma, $60.) This career retrospective collects a half-century’s worth of ink-splattered illustrations by the British artist and illustrator behind “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” a co-founder of gonzo journalism with Hunter S. Thompson.
BISA BUTLER: Portraits, edited by Erica Warren. (Yale University, $35.) Published to coincide with an exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago, this catalog explores the multimedia artist’s bold compositions, layering bright fabrics, photographs and more together to represent African-American lives.
OBJECTS: U.S.A. 2020, by Glenn Adamson. (The Monacelli Press, $50.) Following a tradition established by the Smithsonian in 1969, this book ushers in a new generation of American craftsmen, pairing each with a corresponding artist from more than 40 years ago.
BOXING: 60 Years of Fights and Fighters, by Neil Leifer. (Taschen, $1,000.) There are only a thousand of these, all signed by Leifer, the veteran sports photographer who’s been up close to the ring at the most important boxing matches of the last 60 years.
What we’re reading:
I often think of the floral designer Amy Merrick’s whimsical arrangements, at times a mix of lilies, wild grasses and colorful blossoms, when creating my own. When I learned she was writing a book last fall I couldn’t wait to buy it, though I didn’t actually get around to reading until after the election. It felt like something that would soothe the spirit after a long year punctuated by loss and isolation. ON FLOWERS: Lessons From An Accidental Florist is far more beautiful than I imagined. It is part journal, part meditation on humble and decadent blooms alike that is filled with soulful photography and illustrations. I think of it whenever I spritz myself with jasmine, linger in front of bodega flowers searching unlikely combinations among the carnations, milk thistles and daisies, and most of all while walking through my neighborhood, where blue-violet Wood’s Purple asters reach out of pavement (and warm my heart).
A 45-year-old Afghanistan refugee has reportedly murdered a young Nigerian man, identified as Henry Onyekachi, in a circumstance which portrays religious intolerance in Lisbon, Portugal.
Onyekachi, 29, arrived the country some months ago as a refugee and was put in the same room with the unnamed Afghan refugee.
According to CM Lisbon, the incident happened on December 8, in Lisbon.
It was gathered that Onyekachi appealed for help from people around the area at that time, but no one responded to rescue him, till he bled to death.
A source said they had a clash over house chores and the fact that the suspect was having a negative influence on the other refugees in the apartment.
Additionally, Onyekachi’s family has called out to rights activists around the world to seek justice for their son in a statement.
“We, the family, need the help of the entire world to seek justice and to put a stop to this hyperactivity because we don’t know who may be the next victim,” a member of his family said.
Onyekachi was from Ngwugwo Ibere community in the Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria.
Nota del editor: Las reporteras ejecutivas de The Daily Universe, Andrea Cabrera y Sydnee Gonzalez, entrevistaron a personas en Utah y Washington, D.C., para averiguar cómo la política y la religión se mezclan en los Estados Unidos.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Durante su niñez, Sam Dearden, miembro de La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimos Días, escuchaba con frecuencia comentarios como, “No puedes ser liberal o demócrata y ser un buen mormón”.
A pesar de que compartía la misma religión con la mayoría de sus compañeros, cuando su familia se mudó de Boston a Utah a sus 11 años, Dearden—quien ahora trabaja para la Agencia de los Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional—no encajaba en su nueva comunidad. Como adulto, se da cuenta de que las diferencias se derivaron en parte por una distinción en la forma en que él abordó la política, en comparación con muchos otros miembros de La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimos Días
“Creo que, para muchos miembros de la Iglesia, quienes suelen tener orígenes conservadores, es algo natural decir a menudo que estas dos identidades van muy bien de la mano”, dijo Dearden. “Creo que eso es bastante inapropiado, teniendo en cuenta que el ser ‘conservador’ y ‘republicano’ no son identidades remotamente importantes como la de ser cristiano”.
(Metraje por Andrea Cabrera y Sydnee Gonzalez. Edición por Andrea Cabrera.)
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p id=”block-d07071c9-9eb2-41a0-874c-1027a05a9481″>En el actual clima político, miembros de todas las religiones tienen que equilibrar sus creencias religiosas con sus puntos de vista políticos—y no es tarea fácil.
El equilibrio entre la política y la religión no es algo nuevo en los Estados Unidos. La separación entre la iglesia y el estado está escrita en sus documentos fundacionales; sin embargo, las ramificaciones filosóficas de esa idea aún se debaten. ¿Dónde está la línea entre los dos? ¿Se encuentra entre un salón de clases y una invocación a lo divino? ¿O se encuentra en algún lugar cerca de las líneas declarativas de “Una nación bajo Dios”?
Los estadounidenses están divididos sobre el asunto. Una encuesta de Pew Research Center en 2019 encontró que, aunque el 63% de los adultos estadounidenses quieren que los grupos religiosos permanezcan fuera de la política, más de la mitad de los estadounidenses opinan que la religión es una fuerza positiva en la sociedad.
Una línea borrosa: Las ideologías políticas y los principios religiosos
Para el senador Mike Lee, la religión es una parte fundamental de sus ideologías políticas. “Mis creencias religiosas forman cada aspecto de mi vida. No hay nada en mi vida que no sea influenciado de una manera u otra por ellas”, declaró el Santo de los Últimos Días a The Daily Universe.
Ryan Griffith, estudiante de UVU que presenta un podcast conservador llamado “Not at the dinner table” (No sobre la mesa del comedor), también utiliza la religión para dar forma a sus posturas políticas. “Siempre lo veo a través de la perspectiva de que las verdades eternas están en juego aquí”, manifestó el presentador. “Asi que cuando trato temas como el aborto, considero la verdad interna del albedrío, pero también tomo en cuenta la elección y la responsabilidad, y el valor eterno de la vida”.
Mo Elinzano, socio de la empresa de organización digital Biden para Presidente, trata de centrarse en la plataforma del partido que mejor representa sus valores religiosos y morales. “Estoy muy apasionada y orgullosa de ser mormona y demócrata”, sostuvo Elinzano. “Si realmente tratamos de emular al Salvador y ser como Él, no creo que el Partido Republicano, especialmente bajo el liderazgo de Trump o el conservadurismo, refleje eso”.
Mezclar los dos no siempre es sencillo. En octubre, Lee recibió críticas extensas por comparar al Presidente Donald Trump con el Capitán Moroni, héroe del Libro de Mormón, durante una concentración política en Arizona. Reconoció que no todos los miembros de su fe estaban de acuerdo con la comparación, pero añadió que no estaba impresionado con la manera en que las personas expresaron su desacuerdo.
“No debemos menospreciar a los demás cuando se basan en un argumento espiritual o escritural en defensa de lo que creen”, dijo Lee. “Decir: ‘No invoques las escrituras,’ ni compares a un ser humano mortal falible con alguien venerado por las escrituras, simplemente no es para mí… Tiene el efecto de esencialmente prohibir el pensamiento y la expresión religiosa de la plaza pública”.
Lauren Lethbridge, escritora de Utah quien tiene una tendencia conservadora, cree que tratar de mantener la religión y la política separadas puede ser agotador y que las personas deben dejar que su moral y sus creencias personales, que a menudo pueden basarse en la religión, guíen sus acciones y decisiones.
Ella recuerda que, desde una temprana edad, la política y la religión se mezclaban y dijo que sus padres a menudo buscaban la guía de los líderes de la Iglesia para determinar sus decisiones u opiniones políticas. Sin embargo, al crecer ella se ha alejado de esa conexión. “Si tengo una visión disidente de la mayoría de la Iglesia, no se refleja en mi posición personal dentro de mi religión ni en mi relación con Dios”, declaró la escritora.
Para Matteo Caulfield, estudiante de Georgetown, no eran sus familiares o amigos los que estaban fusionando las opiniones de los líderes religiosos con las opciones políticas; era su propia iglesia.
“La Iglesia Católica es una organización intrínsecamente política que a menudo da orientación a sus miembros sobre cómo involucrarse con la política pública”, estableció Caulfield. “Estas enseñanzas están tildadas como las enseñanzas católicas de la justicia social”.
Sin embargo, Caulfield señaló que la política de la que se habla desde el púlpito no significa que los católicos estén vinculados a un partido político o al otro. De hecho, el Pew Research Center ha encontrado que los votantes católicos se han dividido por igual entre los dos partidos principales.
Libertad religiosa para todos: La disección de la política de creencias
Bogdan Banu, exalumno de BYU, director de una ONG en Washington, D.C., originario de Rumania y miembro de la Iglesia Ortodoxa (Oriental) Rumana, dijo que la fuerte mezcla entre la política y la religión en la política estadounidense es inusual, especialmente en comparación con la política europea.
“Una persona es más elocuente al presentar su punto si tiene buenos argumentos sobre cuál se basa su punto de vista”, afirmó Banu. “Simplemente decir ‘Creo en algo’ puede funcionar en el contexto religioso, pero si uno quiere traducir eso a una política, debe tener ciertas evidencias para respaldar su punto de vista religioso”.
Arsalan Malik, un abogado no religioso en Washington, D.C., tuvo una formación religiosa que se dividió entre un padre ateo y una madre musulmana. Él está preocupado por lo que percibe como una fusión no auténtica de la política y la religión que viene por parte de los políticos.
“Cuando los políticos mencionan la religión, al menos recientemente, no es con fines altruistas; es por su propio interés en expandir al electorado”, dijo Malik. “La otra cosa que me ha estado preocupando últimamente es que la política se está volviendo más divisiva, y la religión se está convirtiendo en una manera de armarse contra las minorías”.
Como ejemplo, señaló la prohibición musulmana de Trump. Enfatizó el hecho de que mientras los políticos pueden ayudar a proteger la libertad religiosa, hay una distinción fundamental entre mejorar las libertades para todas las religiones y complacer a solo una.
Manifestantes mezclan la política y la religión con sus carteles en Lafayette Square, justo entre la Iglesia Episcopal de San Juan y la Casa Blanca, el martes 3 de noviembre del 2020.
El reverendo Patrick Conroy, quien sirve como capellán de la Cámara de Representantes de los Estados Unidos, hizo eco de los sentimientos de Malik. El clérigo dijo que hay una línea entre si el gobierno protege las prerrogativas religiosas y si protege la libertad religiosa.
“No debemos pedir al gobierno que haga cumplir nuestras posiciones”, estableció el reverendo. “Estamos haciendo un trabajo religiosamente importante y valioso cuando tratamos de trabajar dentro de nuestro sistema en lugar de exigir que nuestro sistema aplique nuestras posiciones que vemos como si fueran en blanco y negro y moralmente veraces, porque esas no se comparten en todos los ámbitos”.
El punto intermedio: Encontrar un equilibrio entre la política y la religión
Conroy cree que la religión tiene una importante presencia en el ambiente político. Ha descubierto que muchos miembros del Congreso valoran tener a alguien entre ellos que pueda recordarles de la gravedad de sus posiciones y el impacto que tienen en los estadounidenses. “Me han dicho que realmente les importa que yo esté presente.”
El ministerio de Conroy sirve como modelo de cómo la religión en la esfera política puede ser unificadora en lugar de divisiva. Aunque es sacerdote jesuita, Conroy se esfuerza por hacer que su ministerio sea inclusivo tanto para individuos de todas las religiones como aquellos que no son religiosos.
“Quiero que esta oficina sea el único lugar donde todos puedan decir amén”, afirmó el eclesiástico. “La única vez, tal vez todo el día o todo el año, que pueden ponerse de acuerdo debería pasar en la Oficina del Capellán”.
Su consejo a las personas que tratan de equilibrar la política y la religión es sopesar el propósito práctico del gobierno en contraposición a la certeza religiosa de una iglesia.
Para algunos, equilibrar la religión y la política es más fácil decirlo que hacerlo. Para Alicia Moulton, Santo de los Últimos Días, el camino hacia el compromiso político no ha sido fácil. “He tenido una relación de amor-odio con la política. Siento que es importante ser un buen ciudadano, pero a menudo he estado decepcionada por la forma en que la gente habla de temas políticos”, declaró Moulton. “Me ha costado mucho”.
Algo que la ha ayudado a poder participar con la política ha sido su fe. “Nuestra creencia que las personas son hijos de Dios y que todos son dignos de respeto puede ser una estrella guía para nosotros—no para dictar nuestras opiniones, sino en ayudarnos a hacerlo de una manera que sea semejante a Cristo”.
La periodista Dianna Douglas, quien actualmente produce un podcast que se llama Zion’s Suffragists (Sufragistas de Sion) que trata la participación política de las mujeres SUD, dijo que los Santos de los Últimos Días tienen un largo legado de participación política.
“Mi fe es la razón por la que estoy involucrada en la política hoy en día”, aseguró la periodista. “Como Santos de los Últimos Días, nuestro deber es tratar de cambiar el país para mejor, tratar de cambiar la sociedad para mejor, trabajar en nuestras comunidades, salvar nuestras comunidades, mejorar nuestras comunidades”.
Un paso clave hacia un sistema político saludable es la diversidad de opiniones y pensamientos. Después de vivir tanto en Utah como en Washington, D.C., Douglas ha visto de primera mano las desventajas de las comunidades de fe que se identifican excesivamente con un solo partido político.
“Tanto la Iglesia como el estado de Utah estarían mucho mejor si hubiera un poco más de equilibrio y diversidad en la política. De la misma manera, también creo que la política de Washington, D.C. sería mejor con un poco más de espacio para más opiniones y más perspectivas”, dijo la productora.
Jeffrey Stark es analista de sistemas de información geográfica para el Servicio Postal de los Estados Unidos (USPS, por sus siglas en inglés). Actualmente con sede en Washington, D.C., también ha experimentado el mormonismo en las costas este y oeste. “Aquí no existe tanto la actitud que ‘el Partido Demócrata es la grande y abominable iglesia,’ como lo que experimentarás en el oeste de los Estados Unidos”, mencionó el analista.
No se ha visto atraído por la política liberal durante su tiempo en Washington, D.C. Al contrario, se ha mantenido como moderado, una identidad a la que ha llegado en parte debido a su fe. Sin embargo, se ha sentido frustrado al ver que unos miembros de la Iglesia menosprecian a otros miembros con puntos de vista religiosos opuestos.
“Tal como lo veo, no todos los elementos de la plataforma republicana o de la plataforma demócrata están totalmente en línea con las enseñanzas del Evangelio”, manifestó Stark. “Cuando se trata de varias políticas, no existe la contienda del camino del Señor o el camino del mundo”.
“Las creencias religiosas tienen un lugar en el punto de vista del público sobre la esfera política”, sostuvo Rugh. Agregó que incluso los miembros de la misma fe pueden terminar respaldando diferentes soluciones. “La religión abarca los valores y los principios; la política tiene que ver con el proceso del compromiso y consenso, la construcción de coaliciones, la aprobación de las leyes y la realización de algo”.
Ben Mack, miembro de los Santos de los Últimos Días quien tiene experiencia en Capitolio y tiene una campaña en el Congreso de los Estados Unidos bajo el brazo, cree que los estadounidenses—y especialmente los Santos de los Últimos Días—tienen la oportunidad para crear puentes en el ambiente político actual.
“(La religión) me ayuda a mí a ver otras personas a mi alrededor de cierta manera. Sin importar qué tan apasionado que me sienta por una cierta postura política, los veo como mis hermanos y hermanas y los veo como hijos de Dios”, dijo Mack. “La camaradería y la hermandad, la uniformidad que tenemos es mucho mayor”.
Para Jared Burton, escritor independiente SUD, la camaradería de la Iglesia lo ha sostenido durante una crisis de identidad política. Aunque se crió en una familia republicana conservadora en Colorado, sintió que la política había cambiado después de regresar de servir una misión SUD en Brasil.
“Ha sido genial experimentar esto, ya que tengo este cambio de identidad política que me está pasando, tengo un sentido de pertenencia en la Iglesia. No tengo que preocuparme por pertenecer a un partido (político) específico”, declaró Burton.
The U.S. Department of Education alongside eight other federal agencies on Monday announced changes to protect the religious liberty of faith-based groups that participate in government-sponsored programs and make sure they don’t face more barriers or burdens than secular groups. Under the changes, for example, private religious schools would not be disqualified from participating in grants for federally fundedUpward Bound programs that help low-income, homeless, disabled, and otherwise disadvantaged high school students prepare for successful college application and performance.
The joint rule follows other protections for religious people and organizations flowing from an executive order President Donald Trump issued in May 2018.
Last week, the Department of Labor announced a rule giving faith-based government contractors the right to make employment decisions based on their religious beliefs. The change clarified that religious employers can hire only people who adhere to the tenets of their faith. It also extends religious liberty protections for churches to also cover “a corporation, association, educational institution, society, school, college, university, or institution of learning” that is “organized for a religious purpose.” That means it could protect for-profit entities like a small store or a hospital as long it is upfront about its religious purpose.
While groups like the American Civil Liberties Union have called the rule a “license to discriminate,”religious liberty advocates praised the agency for protecting faith-based organizations’ ability to carry out their goals.
“When a religious group hires people of the same religion to carry out their mission, it’s not ‘discrimination,’ it’s common sense,” Becket Senior Counsel Luke Goodrich told Catholic News Service. “And when the government refuses to work with religious groups that do the best job of caring for the needy, it’s not ‘equality,’ it’s nonsense.”
Critics predict that President-elect Joe Biden’s administration will take steps to roll back these protections, but that’s not done at the flick of a pen. “Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program,” quipped economist Milton Friedman, hinting at the difficulty of change. That may work to liberty’s advantage this time.
