Religious freedom matters more than economic freedom. It is a matter of human dignity and the soul of liberty based on Christian understanding. In many (non-Western) countries, this fundamental freedom is highly disrespected.
The international organization Open Doors presented the annual index of persecution of Christians on May 24, 2025, in Hotel Dubrovnik in Zagreb, in cooperation with the Croatian Protestant Conference, the Rhema Foundation, the Euroliber publishing house, and the Bonofest spiritual music festival.
The speakers were
- Marijana Petir, Member of the Croatian Parliament,
- Daniel Hinšt, Political Scientist from the Centre for Public Policy and Economic Analysis,
- Franz Rathmair, Open Doors Austria, and
- Vatroslav Župančić, Evangelical Methodist pastor and the President of the Croatian Protestant Conference
Religious freedom matters – undermining persecution for material reasons
Daniel Hinšt emphasized that the Croatian think tank Centre for Public Policy and Economic Analysis stands for individual liberty. It is connected with natural rights to life, liberty, and property as inalienable God-given rights. Religious and economic freedom are connected and cannot be considered separately. Moreover, the Bible is the basis of both freedoms.
According to the Human Freedom Index, religious freedom means the right to practice and choose, proselytize peacefully, and change religion. It also means the absence of government repression of religious organizations. The data from this index shows that geopolitical risks affect differences between countries. For example, Israel is the only country in the region (Middle East and North Africa) with high religious freedom (9.2 out of 10). A similar comparison is between Taiwan and South Korea on the one hand and Communist China on the other.
Geopolitical risk – many actors
Many actors continue to pose geopolitical risks, which seriously affect religious freedom. Examples are ISIS (Iraq, Syria), HTS (Syria), Boko Haram (Nigeria), Houthis (Yemen), Hamas (Gaza), Hezbollah (Lebanon), criminal gangs and cartels (Mexico), the Chinese Communist Party, and the Russian Orthodox Church.
Despite being a global organization, the United Nations has been captured by many countries that spread hate and disinformation against the State of Israel.
Western ignorance despite facts
While there is a widespread Western admiration for China’s technological competitiveness and innovation, growing global dominance in GDP and trade, material prosperity often undermines the truth about government restrictions and social surveillance against many churches, based on imposed party ideology and national unity. Western ignorance is happening despite facts.
The legacy of two totalitarianisms
Nowadays, Croatia is a country of high religious freedom. Some social groups try to restrict this freedom, especially prayers. However, after the establishment of the so-called Independent State of Croatia (1941), Jews, Orthodox, and other Christians were facing systemic persecution. In addition, after the establishment of the socialist Yugoslavia (1945), Lutherans, Roman Catholics, and others were persecuted or restricted. The examples of such communist persecution were the Lutheran bishop Phillip Popp and the Roman Catholic Archbishop Alojzije Stepinac.
Photo (above): Ante Gudelj
