The National Conference of Christians and Jews Statement on Religious
 Freedom and Mormonism
 
 (as adopted by the Virgina board of Directors, 1994)

 It is the position of the National Conference of Christians and Jews
 that the First Amendment right to the separation of religion and state
 and the right to freely exercise one's own faith is fundamental and
 inviolate. The right of any group to practice their faith in whatever
 manner consistent with public health and safety cannot and must not be
 infringed.

 We further recognize that with every right there are also
 responsibilities that are equally part of our democratic process.
 Religious freedom is not the right to condemn, impugn, ridicule, or
 attack the beliefs of others. The responsible exercise of religious
 freedom includes the acknowledgement of according the same right to
 all others and a tolerance for the differences between and among all
 faiths. 

 The National Conference is particularly concerned with the growing
 number of attacks on religious beliefs and practices by a number of
 groups and individuals within our society. Such attacks, that utilize
 false or misleading information that is intended to promote religious
 bigotry, are acts of intolerance and prejudice. They are both
 irresponsible and anti-democratic in nature.
 The recent attacks from a number of sources on The Church of Jesus
 Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) reek of the same prejudice that,
 in the past, we have often seen used against Jews, Catholics, Muslims,
 and many others. This kind of behavior needs to be identified and
 condemned for what it is: religious intolerance and blatant bigotry.
 These attacks on the Mormon Church have come in three forms:
 preaching, publications, and video presentations. Honoring the freedom
 to speak and preach from the heart, the National Conference takes
 issue with using the pulpit, any pulpit, to promote misleading,
 distorted, false and/or bigoted views of any religious body. An
 example of such a distortion is the growing use and presentation of
 two videos: "The Godmakers" and "The Godmakers II". These videos,
 developed by an anti-Mormon group intent upon vilification and
 hatemongering, are designed to misstate, malign, and encourage the
 hatred of a well established group of Christian believers and they
 ought to be repudiated by all people of good will. We quote from the
 NCCJ "Programs in Pluralism" of April 1984:

 "The Godmakers" ... does not, in our opinion, fairly portray the
 Mormon Church, Mormon belief, or Mormon history. It makes extensive
 use of half-truths, faulty generalizations, erroneous interpretations,
 and sensationalism. It is not reflective of the genuine spirit of the
 Mormon faith. It appears to us to be a basically unfair and untruthful
 presentation of what Mormons really believe and practice.
 Mrs. Gillian Martin Sorensen, immediate past president of the National
 Conference, noted in news release in December of 1992 that:
 ... "Godmakers II" carries the odious scent of unreasoning
 prejudice. Let the public beware ... Frank discussion of the truth of
 claims of different faiths is a legitimate avenue of inter-religious
 dialogue. But base appeals to fear and hatred have no place in such
 efforts, and must be condemned wherever they are encountered ...
 "Godmakers II" is an affront to religious understanding.
 As people of good will, we in the National Conference of Christians
 and Jews join with our national leaders in the condemnation of any
 attempt to use one's first amendment religious freedom as a
 smoke-screen behind which one might hide while engaged in actions
 which must rightly be named as religious bigotry.

 It is not the policy of the National Conference to promote one
 religious faith over another or to champion the views of any religious
 group. However, it is our intent and our very purpose to oppose
 vigorously the actions of any group, religious or secular, that would
 enhance or engender religious prejudice.

 It is the view of the National Conference that videos, tapes, books,
 and other media that are used to foster religious prejudice are
 deserving of our contempt and condemnation. Thomas Jefferson, one of
 Virginia's greatest citizens and the author of the Virginia Statute
 for Religious Liberty, wrote in that document that, "... all men shall
 be free to profess, and by argument, to maintain, their opinion in
 matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish,
 enlarge, or affect their civil capacities."

 We, the Board of Directors of the National Conference, are in full
 agreement with Mr. Jefferson and we call upon all people of conscience
 and good will to acknowledge and protect the religious rights of every
 citizen as they would also desire to have their rights acknowledged
 and protected.

 Adopted with a unanimous vote by the Virgina Regional Board of the 
 NCCJ, February 4, 1994.