U.S. National Religious Freedom Day and the Tai Ji Men Case
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SAN JOSE, Calif. - Californer -- In the United States, National Religious Freedom Day is the day to observe the passing of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on that date in 1786. The Statute laid the foundation for religious liberty for all Americans. To honor this occasion, the Action Alliance to Redress 1219, the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR) and Human Rights Without Frontiers co-organized a webinar titled "U.S. National Religious Freedom Day and the Tai Ji Men Case" on January 16, 2022.

The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom establishes three fundamental principles:

First, freedom of thought and religion are intrinsic human rights to which no one may be denied.

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Second, government officials shall not interfere with people's freedom of thought and religion.

Third, freedom of expression is critical to the protection of freedom of thought and religion.

The forum was moderated by Prof. Massimo Introvigne, an Italian sociologist and the founder and managing director of CESNUR. He stated that the Taiwanese government has a limited understanding of religious freedom and has failed to grasp how the United Nations and international courts interpret Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), as evidenced by its handling of the Tai Ji Men case.

Dr. Pusin Tali, Taiwan's Ambassador-at-large for Religious Freedom, stated that the power of religion, freedom, democracy, and human rights has made the United States a powerful country. In the Tai Ji Men case, he stressed that Taiwan's Supreme Court's decision should be the only decision, recognized by all. As a country ruled by law, it is very just. When it is very just, he noted, Taiwan's Ministry of Finance has crossed the line of human rights and freedom. If the situation doesn't change, then Tai Ji Men should continue fighting, and its efforts will motivate the Taiwanese government to work harder, helping Taiwan stay on a good path with positive and just energy, added the ambassador.

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Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, Zhang-men-ren (grandmaster) of Tai Ji Men, also stated that the United States has become one of the world's most powerful nations by defending freedom of thought and religion and by embracing cultural diversity. He also discussed what constitutes the highest level of faith: "All things follow the law of nature. Heaven, Earth, and humans are one. If people can follow the example of Heaven and Earth, respect all living creatures, obey the law of nature, do good deeds with gratitude and atonement, and always communicate with their hearts..."

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