He cited two evidences for the worsening situation and more authoritarian forms of religion or authoritarian treatment of it. First, it’s happening in some of the world’s most populous countries, such as China, where the Falun Gong movement, Tibetan Buddhist, Uyghur Muslims, and unregistered Christian groups face serious persecution. A second factor that contributes to worsening religious persecution, said Marshall, is increasing religious conflict in Kashmir, Chechnya, and other areas where religion has been complicit with nationalism in generating conflict.

Marshall, who was formerly with the Center for Religious Freedom at Freedom House and who is now affiliated with the Hudson Institute, indicated that, to be fair, there is some good news on religious freedom. Latin America, Eastern Europe, and parts of Africa south of the Sahara are becoming increasingly tolerant of religious diversity.

After providing this overview, Marshall then examined in detail four major patterns that lie behind the worsening situation for religious freedom. He noted, to no one’s surprise, that radical Islam is a serious problem in much of the world. In addition, there is the lingering influence of the countries that are still Communist-controlled, as well as religious-ethnic nationalism (such as the radical Hindu movement in India), and, finally, inter-religious conflict in places like Western Europe where “secular irrational hostility” is directed toward many religious groups.

In offering his perspective on how to address these serious problems of religious persecution, all of which bear a very human face, Dr. Marshall’s advice was simple: “To take religious freedom seriously, we need to take religion seriously.” His challenge was addressed, as he openly indicated, to the press, the academy, and the "chattering classes" who are guilty of a “secular myopia” which does not recognize the centrality of religious freedom and which explains societal problems on every other basis than the obvious role of religion. He cited, for example, the US government’s Central Intelligence Agency, which was caught completely off-guard by the Iranian Islamic Revolution of 1979, and literally had no idea of the power of Shiite imams in arousing a populace long under the control of a secular shah supported by the US. “There must be,” urged Marshall, “an a priori methodological commitment to treat religion seriously” in global affairs, a point recently made by former US Secretary of State Madeline Albright in her new book The Mighty and the Almighty.

Dr. Marshall’s address was followed by two panelists who spoke of their experience with religious persecution: Xin Chen of the Falun Gong movement and Joseph Lual, a Sudanese Christian.

The lecture and panel discussion was also sponsored by Mars Hill Students and the University’s Program in Human Rights and Health, and received funding support from the Lanners Foundation, the U’s Administrative Grants program, and Intercollegiate Studies Institute.