Originally published at National Catholic Register
(Editor’s Note: Thomas Farr, the president emeritus of the Religious Freedom Institute, received the 2024 Defender of Religious Freedom Award presented at the RFI’s annual dinner Nov. 13 in Washington. His address upon receiving the award follows.)
I am both honored and humbled to accept this award.
Honored by RFI’s decision to put me in the same company as the remarkable people who have received it.
Humbled by the debt I owe to so many men and women who have been my teachers, many of whom are here tonight. As I looked over the list of attendees, I noticed that many of my teachers are less than half my age! Frankly, the fact that so many young people are here gives me great hope for the future of religious freedom.
Now, for those of you here tonight who are not Christian, or are not believers in the Christian God, let me say first that you are most welcome. Second, I want to tell you in particular why I have emphasized the Christian faith of the RFI founders.
We believe that God creates every one of us in his image and likeness. For that reason, each of us has a dignity
