Independence message by The Thusian Institute for Religious Liberty INC. (TIRL)
The Thusian Institute for Religious Liberty Inc. (TIRL) warmly congratulates our people and country on the attainment of thirty seven years of political Independence. TIRL is a human rights education services provider with a special emphasis on liberty of conscience — the supreme, untouchable Right. Join us in appreciating our God-given, inalienable, inviolable and constitutionally protected rights and freedoms which define us as human beings. This is what independence truly means.
We celebrate our God-endowed Right to liberty of conscience, right to life and right to private property and the freedoms through which they are exercised namely Freedom of thought, belief, opinion, conscience, choice, expression, speech and freedom of movement. We are grateful to still have a constitution which protects Freedom of conscience. Section 9, subsection 1 of the constitution of St. Vincent and the Grenadines guarantees freedom of conscience, including thought, religion and freedom to practice (privately and publicly), propagate and to change one’s religion.
Yet worldwide threats against liberty of conscience reveal persecutions of Christians and other conscientious persons for believing according to the dictates of their consciences. Murderous Islamic groups, like ISIS, Boko Haram and the Taliban continue to target Christians and religious and ethnic minorities, with beheadings, suicide bombings, kidnappings and rape. There is also an increase in anti-conscience legislations and rulings such as the one in Belize surrounding the buggery law. These claim to provide so called ‘rights’ to special interest groups while at the same time have the effect of persecuting others for exercising their God- given freedom of conscience. The agenda is to demoralize society and force Christians and other conscientious persons to accept the unnatural and abominable behavior of Sodomy. This year in Iowa, U.S.A, the state seeks to control the content of church sermons and to censor what is said on topics such as homosexuality, same-sex “marriage,” and transgenderism. The church is also forced to make bathroom provisions for trans-genders. Indeed, religious intolerance is growing. The God-inspired values of Republicanism (upholding liberty of conscience) are withering away in the United States of America and globally.
In S.V.G we now have an anti-conscience Cybercrime Act passed on Aug. 12 despite the objections raised by our Institute and those of over 20 regional and international organizations. This law criminalizes the speakers of truth and freedom of conscience.
We urge Vincentians, to know your inalienable rights, value them, respect them, exercise them and defend them by the grace of God. As former president of the U.S.A John F. Kennedy reminds us “The Rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.” Government must not violate our God-given rights and freedoms. They are inalienable, which means they do not come government, legislation, the will of the majority, human dignity nor from any special interest group. They come from God- The Creator, the Great Legislator of the Universe. Long live and rule God-given rights and freedoms! Long live liberty of conscience! God bless you, SVG. Happy 37th anniversary of Independence.
You have a very narrow minded and bigoted definition of liberty based on an irrational hatred of any form of sexual gratification other than heterosexual genital to genital penetration.