The major problem with the foreign policy of the United States of America, said Dr. Tom Farr, former director of the Office of International Religious Freedom in the U.S. Department of State, is that "we're not taking religion as seriously as we should."

Farr, the featured speaker at the Washington Coalition for International Religious Freedom's October 27 meeting, spoke on the subject, "Still Missing: Religion and American Foreign Policy" to the 40 representatives that make up the group.

"We still don't have this right," Farr observed, "for religion is still missing from statecraft. Religion is broadening and deepening around the world and we tend to ignore it."

He explained that because of secularism and the idea that religion should be a private matter, policy makers often fail to recognize religion's impact on society and policy both domestically and internationally.

But without understanding underlying religious beliefs it is impossible to understand the way individuals and societies function. As democratic ideas are promoted, it is important to reject the notion that "democracy means you have to check your religion at the door," he concluded.

"Religion informs and motivates much of what occurs in this world," added attorney James Standish, associate director of the Seventh-day Adventist world church's Public Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL) department, and the church's representative on Capitol Hill. "Therefore, failure to delve into the power and diversity of religious thought around the globe results in policies dangerously out of sync with reality on the ground."

Ambassador Robert Seiple, former U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom, chaired the meeting and encouraged participants to "inject some oxygen into the religious freedom issue."

Hosting the event were Dr. John Graz, PARL director of the Adventist world church and Standish.

"These meetings bring a greater awareness to these issues and encourage initiatives that can really make a difference," said Graz.

The Washington Coalition for International Religious Freedom brings together representatives from churches, organizations and government departments. The coalition was formed in 2001 with the intent to address threats to religious freedom. When the organization was first formed, Ambassador. Seiple said it was "important to know our own faith at its deepest and richest best and to know that of our neighbours." [Editor: Jonathan Gallagher for ANN/APD]