In 2008, the Australian Human Rights Commission held an inquiry into "Freedom of Religion and Belief in the 21st Century". According to the Commission's website (click here):
This project builds on the Commission’s earlier report Article 18: Freedom of Religion and Belief released in 1998 and the 2004 report Religion, Cultural Diversity and Safeguarding Australia, by the (then) Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. Further details of this study are provided in the Discussion Paper.
This project is designed to work with faith communities and other civil society organisations to record their concerns and proposed solutions to build a more socially cohesive and harmonious society that protects and promotes Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The Rationalist Society of Australia made a submission to this inquiry, focusing on the theme that binds questions raised in the Commission's Discussion Paper: the importance of providing individuals with the right to choose their beliefs as a free act of mind and not imposed by another, whether family unit, established group or organisation. The exercise of choice involving the free exercise of mind empowers and enriches the life of individuals. They can not only better integrate their beliefs into their lives as a whole but they can better empathise and tolerate the different beliefs of others.
Click here to read our submission.