scholarly journals Views on Religious Freedom among Young People in Belarus and Norway: Similarities and Contrasts

Religions ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Breskaya ◽  
Pål Ketil Botvar
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Young People ◽  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Theoretical Discussion ◽  
Religious Minorities ◽  
Democratic Regimes ◽  
Trust In Institutions ◽  
Country Analysis ◽  
International Research Project

The study of religious freedom has not received sufficient empirical attention from sociologists of religion, despite significant theoretical discussion of the governance of religious freedom. This article suggests empirical findings about the views on religious freedom in Belarus and Norway from the international research project “Religion and Human Rights.” The authors explore the effects of religiosity, spirituality, and cultural diversity on young people’s views of religious freedom in two countries. The comparative data from Belarus (N = 677) and Norway (N = 1001) examine patterns of attitudes towards religious freedom considering the effect of trust in institutions within democratic and non-democratic regimes. This two-country analysis reveals that religiosity, cultural diversity and trust in institutions exert a notable influence on religious freedom views in different ways in Belarus and Norway, on both non-religious young people and those from religious minorities.

Religious Freedom and Equality Concerns under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

2001 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Ishiyama Smithey
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Religious Practices ◽  
Ethnic Communities ◽  
Freedom Of Conscience ◽  
Religious Minority ◽  
Religious Minorities ◽  
Canadian Charter ◽  
Religious Convictions

Section 2(a) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees freedom of conscience and religion. In interpreting the Charter, the courts have interpreted this provision to prevent the legislatures from discriminating against religious minorities by promoting particular religious practices. Judges have been much less willing to protect religious minority groups from secular laws that interfere with their religious convictions. The religion cases hold important implications for those concerned about cultural diversity and the equality of Canada's many ethnic communities, as well as for the debate over the increased power of courts under the Charter.

scholarly journals Prześladowanie, dyskryminacja czy uprzedzenie? Taksonomia działań i zaniechań wymierzonych przeciwko wyznawcom religii

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Moulin-Stozek
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Constitutional Law ◽  
Religious Beliefs ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Religious Minorities ◽  
State Institutions ◽  
Adequate Response ◽  
State Actors ◽  
Democratic Societies

Some of the most important constitutional law principles of democratic societies include the principle of religious freedom and the principle of secularity. However, in many countries these principles are not being followed, which may lead to violations of human rights. Actions and omissions in this context may be carried out by state institutions, individuals and non-state actors and have wider societal consequences. For instance, state imposition of religious beliefs may affect not only the rights of religious minorities, but also other minorities and women. The purpose of this report is to create a taxonomy of these actions and omissions to help develop an adequate response. This report was requested by the Institute of Justice of the Ministry of Justice.

The Blessings of Liberty

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Witte, Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
International Law ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
Legal Tradition ◽  
Complex Interplay ◽  
Religious Minorities ◽  
Legal Scholar ◽  
Religious Traditions

Leading legal scholar John Witte, Jr. explores the role religion played in the development of rights in the Western legal tradition and traces the complex interplay between human rights and religious freedom norms in modern domestic and international law. He examines how US courts are moving towards greater religious freedom, while recent decisions of the pan-European courts in Strasbourg and Luxembourg have harmed new religious minorities and threatened old religious traditions in Europe. Witte argues that the robust promotion and protection of religious freedom is the best way to protect many other fundamental rights today, even though religious freedom and other fundamental rights sometimes clash and need judicious balancing. He also responds to various modern critics who see human rights as a betrayal of Christianity and religious freedom as a betrayal of human rights.

Offensive Speech, Religion, and the Limits of the Law

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Hatzis
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Ethical Life ◽  
Religious Minorities ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Right ◽  
Strong Claim ◽  
Offensive Speech

Is the government ever justified in restricting offensive speech? This question has become particularly important in relation to communications which offend the religious sensibilities of listeners. It is often argued that insulting a person’s beliefs is tantamount to disrespecting the believer; that insults are a form of hatred or intolerance; that the right to religious freedom includes a more specific right not to be insulted in one’s beliefs; that religious minorities have a particularly strong claim to be protected from offence; and that censorship of offensive speech is necessary for the prevention of social disorder and violence. None of those arguments is convincing. Offence is an unpleasant mental state caused when our expectations of being treated in a particular way are frustrated. Drawing on law and philosophy, the book argues that there is no moral right to be protected from offence and that, while freedom of religion is an important right which grounds negative and positive obligations for the state, it is unpersuasive to interpret constitutional and human rights provisions as including a right not to be caused offence. Rather, we have good reasons to think of public discourse as a space for the expression of all viewpoints about the ethical life, including those which some listeners will find offensive, as this is necessary to sustain a society’s capacity for self-reflection and change.

scholarly journals Ensuring Individual Rights through Institutional Freedoms: The Role of Religious Institutions in Securing Religious Rights

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 273
Author(s):  
Jonathan Fox ◽  
Roger Finke
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Religious Organizations ◽  
Religious Institutions ◽  
Individual Rights ◽  
Religious Minorities ◽  
Religion And State

Understanding the restrictions placed on religious institutions and associations, or the freedoms that they are denied, is essential for understanding the limits placed on individual religious freedoms and human rights more generally. This study uses the Religion and State round 3 (RAS3) dataset to track restrictions faced by religious organizations and individuals between 1990 and 2014 and explores how reduced institutional freedoms results in fewer individual freedoms. We find that restrictions on both institutional and individual religious freedoms are common and rising. Restrictions on institutional religious freedom are harsher against religious minorities than restrictions on individual freedoms. However, against the majority religion, restrictions on individual religious freedoms are harsher.

Securing Freedom whilst Enhancing Competence: The “Knowledge about Christianity, Religions and Life Stances” Subject and the Judgment of the European Court of Human Rights

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Slotte
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Separate Study ◽  
Religious Instruction ◽  
Crucial Question ◽  
European Court ◽  
Future Status

AbstractIn an attempt to accommodate the increasing religious and cultural diversity in European societies, religious instruction in public schools is being rearranged across Europe. However, the issue is sensitive owing to the societal matters involved, such as multiculturalism, minority issues, nationalism, and citizenship. A crucial question is how religious instruction can be organized in public (state-funded) schools so as to conform to fundamental human rights. The European Court of Human Rights has also recently dealt in Folgerø and Others v. Norway with an ambitious attempt to introduce compulsory non-confessional religious instruction in public schools with the aim of enhancing dialogue and cultural understanding and take into account the future status of children as adult members of both national and international societies. Dividing children into separate study groups according to their faith had been dismissed as a form of segregation and parallel multiculturalism. This article focuses on Folgerø and Others v. Norway. What is at stake in the argumentation before the European Court of Human Rights, and how does it reason concerning religion and life-views, religious freedom and the aims of religious instruction in public schools? Based on this analysis, the article discusses what it means that a conflict over what constitutes adequate religious instruction is brought to a legal forum and the consequences this has for what will be understood as acceptable instruction.

scholarly journals The Strong State And Pancasila: Reflecting Human Rights in the Indonesian Democracy

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zezen Zaenal Mutaqin
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
The State ◽  
The Core ◽  
Theoretical Examination ◽  
Strong State ◽  
Democratic Regimes ◽  
Protection Of Human Rights ◽  
The Ideal

The rights of every Indonesian citizens are protected by the 1945 Constitution. Does the reality matches with the normative regulations? Does democratization improves the protection of human rights especially in term of the religious freedom? We find that there is a discrepancy between the ideal written constitution and the reality. In this following essay I argue that the failure of Indonesian democratic regimes to protect human rights is the result of the lack of "stateness". The ideal of "stateness" is referring to Fukuyama idea that is "the ability of state to plan and execute policies and to enforce law". I will present the argument that the weakness of the administration cause by an ambiguity in the interpretation of the Indonesia ideology, Pancasila (the Five-Principles). This paper will firstly discuss the idea of strong state and its relation to the protection of human rights. Alongside the theoretical examination of the concept, I will discuss the weakness of democratic regimes in Indonesia to protect human rights. This will be followed by an examination of the core argument of the paper, argue that the principle cause of the state weakness lies on the ambiguity of the administration to interpret Pancasila.

Social representations of human rights violations: Further evidence

2001 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alain Clémence ◽  
Thierry Devos ◽  
Willem Doise
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Costa Rica ◽  
Young People ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Social Reality ◽  
Questionnaire Study ◽  
Human Rights Violations ◽  
High Tolerance ◽  
Individual Actions

Social representations of human rights violations were investigated in a questionnaire study conducted in five countries (Costa Rica, France, Italy, Romania, and Switzerland) (N = 1239 young people). We were able to show that respondents organize their understanding of human rights violations in similar ways across nations. At the same time, systematic variations characterized opinions about human rights violations, and the structure of these variations was similar across national contexts. Differences in definitions of human rights violations were identified by a cluster analysis. A broader definition was related to critical attitudes toward governmental and institutional abuses of power, whereas a more restricted definition was rooted in a fatalistic conception of social reality, approval of social regulations, and greater tolerance for institutional infringements of privacy. An atypical definition was anchored either in a strong rejection of social regulations or in a strong condemnation of immoral individual actions linked with a high tolerance for governmental interference. These findings support the idea that contrasting definitions of human rights coexist and that these definitions are underpinned by a set of beliefs regarding the relationships between individuals and institutions.

Beyond Religious Freedom

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Shakman Hurd
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Nation Building ◽  
Global Politics ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Religious Tolerance ◽  
Religious Minorities ◽  
Religious Difference ◽  
Power Difference ◽  
Ways Of Being

In recent years, North American and European nations have sought to legally remake religion in other countries through an unprecedented array of international initiatives. Policymakers have rallied around the notion that the fostering of religious freedom, interfaith dialogue, religious tolerance, and protections for religious minorities are the keys to combating persecution and discrimination. This book argues that these initiatives create the very social tensions and divisions they are meant to overcome. It looks at three critical channels of state-sponsored intervention: international religious freedom advocacy, development assistance and nation building, and international law. It shows how these initiatives make religious difference a matter of law, resulting in a divide that favors forms of religion authorized by those in power and excludes other ways of being and belonging. In exploring the dizzying power dynamics and blurred boundaries that characterize relations between “expert religion,” “governed religion,” and “lived religion,” the book charts new territory in the study of religion in global politics. The book provides new insights into today's most pressing dilemmas of power, difference, and governance.

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