The Rev. C. Welton Gaddy, national president of the Interfaith Alliance and a strong advocate of the separation of church and state, is urging the local interfaith community to continue to pursue religious freedom for people of all faiths.

"Tremendous pressures are at work in our nation to eradicate the beauty of religious pluralism and to stuff all of us into one ugly mold that is shaped as much, if not more, by politics as by religion," Gaddy said at the Interfaith Alliance Hawaii’s 12th Annual Community Awards Celebration on Sunday at the Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin.

"Some religious leaders would use the machinery of government to establish their sectarian convictions," he said. "Reciprocally, some political leaders would use institutions of religion to advance their partisan agenda."

Gaddy, who served as the event’s keynote speaker, added, "I am sure you experience fatigue and some days just want to quit. Me, too. … I am tired of religious leaders selling their souls for a mess of political recognition provided by politicians eager to use religious leaders in the singular cause of their re-election to public office. I am tired of deep divisions within our nation and its religions. I am tired of political partisanship on steroids."

Referencing the title of his talk, "Transformation to a Better World," Gaddy asked, "Do we have in mind a better world for everybody or just a better world for those of us who think alike? … The tendency is to think if we could change others, everything would be fine."

Gaddy, a senior pastor at Northminster (Baptist) Church in Monroe, La., and author of more than 20 books, including "First Freedom First: A Citizen’s Guide to Protecting Religious Liberty and the Separation of Church and State," challenged those in attendance to pursue values such as honesty and integrity as well as a solid respect for the dignity and worth of all people.

In addition, he said, "I commend the discipline of regular self-inquiry that begins with the question, Is it possible that I could be wrong about anything or everything?"

An essential ingredient to transforming the world, Gaddy said, is the enforcement of religious freedom as defined in the First Amendment of the Constitution, which "is under greater assault right now than it has been in my lifetime."

He continued, "What you do here in these islands is crucial." Gaddy encouraged members of Hawaii’s interfaith community to forge friendships with people of various lifestyles and faiths. Whether the issue is prejudice against members of the GLBTQ community or Islamaphobia, polls indicate that "the numbers change dramatically, the prejudice goes down quickly when friendships develop between those who once were prejudiced and the people against whom they held prejudice."

Last, he said, "Love one another. … Love is the most powerful force in effecting transformation of a person or a world."

Gaddy deplored the concept of "sacred violence." He said, "Sadly, religion-based violence is ripping apart nations and inflicting thousands of deaths across the world. I urge all religions to stop equating salvation, freedom and redemption with death and to begin celebrating God’s affirmation of life. The salvation of the world will come through love, not death; through reconciliation, cooperation and peace, not through escalated violence."

"As I see it," Gaddy said, "God is not a killer. God is a lover who values love shared through the body, mind, emotions and spirit."