Trump First President Ever to Hold UN Summit on Religious Freedom

NEW YORK, NY – President Donald Trump is the first U.S. President to host a United Nations meeting on religious freedom this weekend, stating proudly that, America “stands with believers in every country who ask only for the freedom to live according to the faith that is within their own hearts.”

Religious freedom is a universal message, and notable thread in the fabric of the American idea. The fact that previous U.S. presidents have not found cause to leverage to United Nations to promote such freedoms and address shortcomings is profound, especially considering some of the religious tensions globally over the last half century.

Yet, for all the preaching the Left seems to do on diversity, tolerance, and the like, they exhibit a specific intolerance of their own when it comes to the religious right here in the United States. Trump alludes to that as he addressed world leaders in a call for true diversity and tolerance.

From Life News:

“[…] Joined by Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and various government officials and religious leaders, the president used his remarks to detail his administration’s efforts to promote religious liberty abroad and raise awareness of persecution, as well as highlight the tendency of self-styled “diversity” champions to neglect those trying to live their faith.

“Too often, people in positions of power preach diversity while silencing, shunning, or censoring the faithful,” Trump said. “True tolerance means respecting the right of all people to express their deeply held religious beliefs.”

“The United States is founded on the principle that our rights do not come from government; they come from God,” he noted. “Our Founders understood that no right is more fundamental to a peaceful, prosperous, and virtuous society than the right to follow one’s religious convictions.” Yet the “religious freedom enjoyed by American citizens is rare in the world,” he said, to the point where “approximately 80 percent of the world’s population live in countries where religious liberty is threatened, restricted, or even banned.”

“In 2016, an 85-year-old Catholic priest was viciously killed while celebrating Mass in Normandy, France,” Trump lamented. “In the past year, the United States endured horrifying anti-Semitic attacks against Jewish Americans at synagogues in Pennsylvania and California. In March, Muslims praying with their families were sadistically murdered in New Zealand. On Easter Sunday this year, terrorists bombed Christian churches in Sri Lanka, killing hundreds of faithful worshippers.”

“These evil attacks are a wound on all humanity,” Trump continued. “We must all work together to protect communities of every faith. We’re also urging every nation to increase the prosecution and punishment of crimes against religious communities.”

Within the religious freedom discussion is, inherently, a discussion about one’s right to his or her own life and where those rights come from. The do not come from governments; they are inalienable.

President Trump has arguably been the most Pro-Life and Pro-Religious Freedom president we’ve had in quite some time. He speaks at March for Life events, he “obliterated” the Johnson amendment, and he convenes summits such as this. Social conservative leaders have praised his efforts to defend a basic human right.

Read more about the UN Religious Freedom Summit and reactions here. Watch the full remarks by Vice President Mike Pence and President Donald Trump below.