• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom®

ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom®

religious liberty and religious freedom news

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Articles
  • Podcast
Home » Secularism isn’t the same everywhere: Three models in Europe highlight various church-state relations (ANN)

Secularism isn’t the same everywhere: Three models in Europe highlight various church-state relations (ANN)

February 24, 2011 by ReligiousLiberty.TV

23 Feb 2011, Berne, Switzerland
Corrado Cozzi
(Reprinted from Adventist News Network)

Understanding three models of church-state relations in Europe is a key first step in addressing issues of religious freedom here.

As recently as a decade ago, religion in the West was considered to be facing extinction. Now more than ever, matters of religious freedom and human rights in secular states are at odds with a refocus on religion — this resurgence being fueled by the fact that extensive technical reasoning has been unable to explain the meaning of life.

Earlier this month, the Adventist Church sponsored a symposium in the city of Bellinzona, Ticino, bringing together elected officials, experts on church law and church-state relations, theologians and students of different Christian denominations to better understand religious liberty concerns and discuss possible solutions.

At the heart of the matter is understanding religious liberty in relation to the different models of secularism existing in Europe and Switzerland.

While Switzerland has 26 different models of church-state relations (as many as there are Cantons in Switzerland), in Europe, three models exist:

First: Countries with a large Catholic or Orthodox majority, where traditional religions are considered by the State to be capable of providing the necessary social cohesion for the country and thus recognized and favored.

This trend in Europe is that of an alliance between strongly Catholic and strongly Orthodox countries which then manifests itself in particular situations, such as Italy’s recent defense of the crucifix, with the cooperation of these countries.

Second: Countries where the majority religion is weak. In such countries, secularism, with its values of equality, liberty and fraternity, becomes the organizing principle and the State takes on the task of promoting this secularism. This usually manifests itself as imposing negatives — “no” to religious symbols in schools, for example. This is the case in France.

Three: A multicultural policy. This has developed in England. There, human rights are at the forefront in relation to religions, which must recognize and submit to human rights. Unfortunately, in some cases human rights have risked overriding the rights of the single religions.

Understand, these are not fixed models. Indeed, today’s situation in Europe — especially here in Switzerland — is one of constant oscillation between the three models, determined by the sense of decline that is being perceived in Western culture.

The search therefore progresses in the direction of merging the various models, and to search for common ground where the rights of the religions, religious liberty, human rights and rights of the majority and minorities are kept in balance.

Participants at the February 4 symposium said possible solutions should be seen in terms of:

  • A greater disposition to accept individuals and groups who desire to manifest their religion or belief publicly.
  • Helping to increase the acceptance of plurality concerning personal beliefs.
  • Safeguard the internal autonomy of religion and belief communities, while respecting human rights to their full extent.

Knowing these issues is a starting point. Now is up to us to continue pursuing this goal of balancing religious liberty in multicultural societies.

–Corrado Cozzi is the Communication director for the Adventist Church’s Euro-Africa Division, based in Berne, Switzerland

Filed Under: Current Events, History, Human Rights, International Tagged With: Adventist, Commentaries, Denominations, euroafrica, religiousliberty, Seventh Day Adventists, Seventh-day Adventist, Switzerland, Top Religion News

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Johnvstevenssr says

    February 24, 2011 at 8:27 pm

    Using existing flawed mdels is a sure bet to result in a watered down, compromsied religious liberty. The art of politics is compromise. Apparently it is found in professedly religious circles as well. Don’t buy the method being suggested and not likely the conclusion that will be reached.

    John V Stevens, Sr.

  2. Johnvstevenssr says

    February 24, 2011 at 1:27 pm

    Using existing flawed mdels is a sure bet to result in a watered down, compromsied religious liberty. The art of politics is compromise. Apparently it is found in professedly religious circles as well. Don’t buy the method being suggested and not likely the conclusion that will be reached.

    John V Stevens, Sr.

Primary Sidebar

Geneva, Switzerland - December 03, 2019: World Health Organization (WHO / OMS) Headquarters - DepositPhotos.com

Biden admin could hand over US control of health emergencies to WHO next week

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The ultimate control over America’s health care and its national sovereignty will be put up for a vote next week at a meeting of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) governing legislative body, the World Health Assembly (WHA).  On May 22-28, 2022, the 75th World Health Assembly will convene at the United Nations […]

Statement on the Leak in Dobbs

The leak was intended to disrupt the processing of the decision and we are not going to dignify the leak or the unidentified leaker by analyzing it prematurely. As a constitutional republic we cannot go down that road without doing severe damage to the institution of the Supreme Court where there must be professional courtesy between the justices and their staffs.

Boston City Hall - photo from Supreme Court Opinion

Supreme Court rules 9-0 that Boston violated 1st Amendment in refusing Christian flag at City Hall

This morning the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Shurtleff v. Boston (Dec’d 5/2/2022) that the city of Boston violated the free speech rights of a Christian group when it refused to allow them to participate in a city flag raising program.

Active Liberty - a survey of Justice Stephen Breyer's religion clause jurisprudence - Supreme Court

Active Liberty: A Survey of Justice Stephen Breyer’s Religion Clause Decisions

A comprehensive review of retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer’s decisions in Free Exercise and Establishment Clause cases.

Canadian gov’t calculates that expansion of assisted suicide will save taxpayers millions of dollars

In Canada, it is easier for the disabled who do not suffer terminal illness to get approval for assisted suicide than approval for affordable housing. The government has calculated the cost of providing healthcare versus providing assisted suicide.

Random Quote

Religion separated from the political control of the state can be a powerful force for public good. But religion used by the state to further its political purposes will ultimately destroy the state and compromise the effectiveness of the church.

— Lee Boothby, Esq.

Get the ReligiousLiberty.TV Newsletter!

Comes out a couple of times a month. Unsubscribe anytime automatically, no questions asked.
* = required field
unsubscribe from list

powered by MailChimp!

Copyright © 2022 Founders' First Freedom is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Articles
  • Podcast
0
0
0
0