Four delegates of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participated in a worldwide conference on religious and cultural dialogue held 10-12 May 2013 in Skopje, Macedonia. The gathering among government officials, religious representatives and scholars was sponsored by the government of the Republic of Macedonia and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Manfred Schütze speaks at the World Conference on Dialogue Among Religions and Civilizations.
The conference focused on three topics: pluralistic societies and religious tolerance, living together by respecting diversity, and the contribution of media to the interreligious and intercultural dialogue.
Church representatives encouraged participants to find common ground with those of different religions and cultures. “We are all the children of God. We are all brothers and sisters,” said Manfred Schütze, the head of the four-member Mormon delegation. Other Church representatives stressed the importance of freedom of worship and fair and accurate news reporting on religion.
The World Conference on Dialogue Among Religions and Civilizations takes place every three years. Representatives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also actively participated in 2007 and 2010. For more, please see the Germany Mormon Newsroom website.
Additional Resources:
An Introduction to Religious Freedom
Respect for Diversity of Faiths
The Mormon Ethic of Civility
What Religious Freedom Requires