Symposium on Role of Religion in Public Life Set for March

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Harmonies of Liberty Society will hold “The Harmonies of Liberty: A Symposium on the Role of Religion in Public Life” on March 31 at 9 a.m. in the Moot Court Room (room 140) of The University of Alabama School of Law.

The Harmonies of Liberty Society is a nonpartisan, ideologically diverse group of law students who are concerned about the effects of partisan rhetoric on meaningful public debate.

The symposium will explore the proper role of faith in the public arena. The event will include two keynote speakers and three panel discussions. Panel topics will be “God and Government: Should There be a Role for Religion in Public Life?” “The Economy of Faith: Religion and the Duty to Alabama’s Poor” and “Religion and the ‘Red-State/Blue-State’ Divide: Correlation or Causation?”

The goal of the symposium is to promote civil discourse about the place of religion in politics and policy. “On our panels, we’ve got Baptist ministers, a Muslim state representative, the chair of the state Republican Party, and the president of the Alabama Atheist Law Center,” said David Reese, a third-year law student and co-chair of the symposium. “These people will agree on some things and disagree on others. But they all believe that Alabamians can sit down together and discuss this issue with grace and sensitivity.”

Citizen and media participation is crucial to the success of the symposium’s mission to encourage civil discourse. For more information or to register for the symposium, go to www.HarmoniesofLiberty.org. Media interested in covering the symposium are asked to contact David Reese at 205/587-5387 or Jamie Hill at 205/799-9477.

Check-in for the event will begin at 8 a.m. that day.