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Wikipedia

Secular state

January 04, 2023

A secular state is an idea pertaining to secularity, whereby a state is or purports to be officially neutral in matters of religion, supporting neither religion nor irreligion.[1] A secular state claims to treat all its citizens equally regardless of religion, and claims to avoid preferential treatment for a citizen based on their religious beliefs, affiliation or lack of either over those with other profiles.[2]

  States with no state religion
  States with state religion
  Ambiguous states or no data

Although secular states have no state religion, the absence of an established state religion does not mean that a state is completely secular or egalitarian. For example, some states that describe themselves as secular have religious references in their national anthems and flags, or laws that benefit one religion or another.

Origin and practice

Secularity can be established at a state's creation (e.g., the Soviet Union, the United States) or by it later secularizing (e.g., France or Nepal). Movements for laïcité in France and separation of church and state in the United States have defined modern concepts of secularism, the United States of America being the first explicitly secular nation in Western history. Historically, the process of secularisation typically involves granting religious freedom, disestablishing state religions, stopping public funds being used for religion, freeing the legal system from religious control, freeing up the education system, tolerating citizens who change religion or abstain from religion, and allowing political leaders to come to power regardless of their religious beliefs.[3]

In France, Italy, and Spain, for example, official holidays for the public administration tend to be Christian feast days. Any private school in France that contracts with Éducation nationale means its teachers are salaried by the state—most of the Catholic schools are in this situation and, because of history, they are the majority; however, any other religious or non-religious schools also contract this way.[4] In some European states where secularism confronts monoculturalist philanthropy, some of the main Christian sects and sects of other religions depend on the state for some of the financial resources for their religious charities.[5] It is common in corporate law and charity law to prohibit organized religion from using those funds to organize religious worship in a separate place of worship or for conversion; the religious body itself must provide the religious content, educated clergy and laypersons to exercise its own functions and may choose to devote part of their time to the separate charities. To that effect, some of those charities establish secular organizations that manage part of or all of the donations from the main religious bodies.

Religious and non-religious organizations can apply for equivalent funding from the government and receive subsidies based on either assessed social results[clarification needed] where there is indirect religious state funding, or simply the number of beneficiaries of those organizations.[6] This resembles charitable choice in the United States. It is doubtful whether overt direct state funding of religions is in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights. Apparently, this issue has not yet been decided at a supranational level in ECtHR case law stemming from the rights in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which mandates non-discrimination in affording its co-listed basic social rights.[clarification needed][gobbledegook] Specifically, funding certain services would not accord with non-discriminatory state action.[7]

Many states that are nowadays secular in practice may have legal vestiges of an earlier established religion. Secularism also has various guises that may coincide with some degree of official religiosity. In the United Kingdom, the head of state is still required to take the Coronation Oath enacted in 1688, swearing to maintain the Protestant Reformed religion and to preserve the established Church of England.[8] The UK also maintains seats in the House of Lords for 26 senior clergymen of the Church of England, known as the Lords Spiritual.[9] In Canada the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms affords secular freedoms of conscience and religion, thought, belief, opinion and expression, including communication, assembly and association yet the Charter's preamble maintains the concept of "the supremacy of God" which would appear to disadvantage those who hold nontheistic or polytheistic beliefs, including atheism and Buddhism.[10][11] Italy has been a secular state since the enactment of the Constitution in 1948 (stressed by a Constitutional court's decision in 1985),[12] but still recognizes a special status for the Catholic Church. The reverse progression can also occur, however; a state can go from being secular to being a religious state, as in the case of Iran where the secularized Imperial State of Iran was replaced by an Islamic Republic (list below). Nonetheless, the last 250 years has seen a trend towards secularism.[13][14]

List of secular states by continent

This is the list of countries that are explicitly described as secular in their constitutions or other official state documents.

Africa

Americas

Asia

Europe

Oceania

Transcontinental countries[c]

Former secular states

Ambiguous states

  •   Argentina
    • According to Section 2 of the Constitution of Argentina, "The Federal Government supports the Roman Catholic Apostolic religion" but it does not stipulate an official state religion, nor a separation of church and state. In practice, however, the country is mostly secular, and there is no kind of persecution of people of other religions; they are completely accepted and even encouraged in their activities.[citation needed]
  •   Armenia
  •   Bangladesh
    • There is a constitutional ambiguity that makes Bangladesh both secular and Islamic. Freedom of religion is guaranteed by its constitution in which it gives equal rights to all citizens irrespective of religion. In 2010, the High Court held up the secular principles of the 1972 constitution[166]
  •   Brazil
    • Though it forbids in any degree the State to "establish religious cults or churches, subsidize them, hamper their operation or maintain with them or their representative's relations of dependency or alliance, with the exception of cooperation for the public interest, as set forth in the law," the Constitution of Brazil states that it is promulgated "under the protection of God."[167]
    • Despite being mostly secular, it is normal to see religious symbols (such as crucifixes) in State facilities (hospitals, schools, courts, police stations).[168]
    • According to Article 208 of the Brazilian Penal Code "mock someone publicly, by reason of belief or religious function; prevent or disrupt ceremony or practice of religious worship; publicly vilify act or object of religious worship" incurs in a penalty of "detention of one month to one year or a fine".[169][170]
  •   Canada
    • The "Fundamental Freedoms" section of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms states: "2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: (a) freedom of conscience and religion; (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication; (c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and (d) freedom of association." Canadians are therefore free to have their own beliefs and opinions, are free to practice religion or refrain, and are free to establish media organizations with or without religious content, and these freedoms are constitutionally protected. However, according to the Charter's preamble, "Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God."[171] This portion of the preamble has not been accorded legal effect in Charter jurisprudence.[172][173] The constitutional recognition of God has been criticized as conflicting in principle with the fundamental freedom of conscience and religion guaranteed in section 2, as it would disadvantage those who hold nontheistic or polytheistic beliefs, including atheism and Buddhism.[10][11] The Province of Quebec has legislation declaring it to be a lay state.[174]
  •   El Salvador
    • Although Article 3 of the El Salvadoran constitution states, "no restrictions shall be established that are based on differences of nationality, race, sex or religion", Article 26 states that the state recognizes the Catholic Church and gives it legal preference.[175][176]
  •   Finland
    • Claims to be secular, but the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Finnish Orthodox Church have the right to collect church tax from their members in conjunction with government income tax. In addition to membership tax, businesses also used to contribute financially to the church through tax, but as of 2016, that is no longer the case.[177]
  •   Georgia
  •   Germany
  •   Indonesia
    • Indonesia follows the principle of Pancasila, where the first principle states "Belief in the Almighty God", while itself is a semi secular state.[184] Indonesia does not use Islamic law with the exception of Islamic personal statues laws. There is no official state religion in Indonesia, but the state acknowledges Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Protestantism, and the Roman Catholic Church as the recognized religions in the country as well as traditional folk religions. Because of this, despite being a semi secular state, Indonesia does not acknowledge atheism as a religion and recommend each citizen to state their religion on their identity cards, though currently this is optional.[185]
  •   India
  •   Ireland
    • There are a few sections of the Constitution of Ireland that refer to God.[192]
      • In the Preamble it is mentioned, "In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred, We, the people of Éire, Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, Who sustained our fathers through centuries of trial...".
      • In Article 6 it is mentioned, "1 All powers of government, legislative, executive and judicial, derive, under God, from the people...".
      • Article 12, item 8 instructs the President to make the following declaration: "In the presence of Almighty God I do solemnly and sincerely promise and declare that I will maintain the Constitution of Ireland and uphold its laws, that I will fulfill my duties faithfully and conscientiously in accordance with the Constitution and the law, and that I will dedicate my abilities to the service and welfare of the people of Ireland. May God direct and sustain me".
      • Article 31, item 4 establishes that every member of the Council of State supports the following declaration: "In the presence of Almighty God I do solemnly and sincerely promise and declare that I will faithfully and conscientiously fulfill my duties as a member of the Council of State".
      • Article 34, item 6 establishes that every person appointed a judge under this Constitution shall make and subscribe the following declaration: "In the presence of Almighty God I do solemnly and sincerely promise and declare that I will duly and faithfully and to the best of my knowledge and power execute the office of Chief Justice (or as the case may be) without fear or favour, affection or ill-will towards any man, and that I will uphold the Constitution and the laws. May God direct and sustain me".
      • In Article 44, item 1 it is mentioned, "The State acknowledges that the homage of public worship is due to Almighty God. It shall hold His Name in reverence, and shall respect and honour religion".
    • However, in the same Constitution, in Article 44, item 2, it is mentioned:
      • "1° Freedom of conscience and the free profession and practice of religion are, subject to public order and morality, guaranteed to every citizen".
      • "2° The State guarantees not to endow any religion".
      • "3° The State shall not impose any disabilities or make any discrimination on the ground of religious profession, belief or status".
      • "4° Legislation providing State aid for schools shall not discriminate between schools under the management of different religious denominations, nor be such as to affect prejudicially the right of any child to attend a school receiving public money without attending religious instruction at that school".
      • "5° Every religious denomination shall have the right to manage its own affairs, own, acquire and administer property, movable and immovable, and maintain institutions for religious or charitable purposes".
      • "6° The property of any religious denomination or any educational institution shall not be diverted save for necessary works of public utility and on payment of compensation".
    • On July 4, 2019, the on-duty Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said "Ten months ago we welcomed Pope Francis to Ireland. Speaking in this room, I suggested that I believed the time had come to build a new relationship between Religion and the State in Ireland - a new covenant for the 21st Century. One in which religion is no longer at the centre of our State but continues to have a real and meaningful role to play on our society".[193]
    • Most of the public schools in Ireland are confessional and there are some reports of abuse by some institutions.[194]
  •   Israel
    • When the idea of modern political Zionism was introduced by Theodor Herzl, his idea was that Israel would be a secular state which would not be influenced at all by religion. When David Ben-Gurion founded the state of Israel, he put religious parties in government next to secular Jews in the same governing coalition. Many secular Israelis feel constrained by the religious sanctions imposed on them. Many businesses close on Shabbat, including many forms of public transportation, restaurants, and Israeli airline El Al. In order for a Jewish couple to be formally married in Israel, a couple has to be married by a rabbi. Jewish married couples can only be divorced by a rabbinical council. Many secular Israelis may go abroad to be married, often in Cyprus. Marriages officiated abroad are recognized as official marriages in Israel. Also, all food at army bases and in cafeterias of government buildings has to be kosher. Many religious symbols have found their way into Israeli national symbols. For example, the flag of the country is similar to a tallit, or prayer shawl, with its blue stripes. The national coat of arms also displays the menorah. However, some viewpoints argue that these symbols can be interpreted as ethnic/cultural symbols too, and point out that many secular European nations (Sweden, Norway and Georgia) have religious symbols on their flags. Reports have considered Israel to be a secular state, and its definition as a "Jewish state" refers to the Jewish people, who include people with varying relations to the Jewish religion including non-believers, rather than to the Jewish religion itself.[195]
  •   Kiribati
    • Under the terms of its preamble, the Constitution of Kiribati is proclaimed by "the people of Kiribati, acknowledging God as the Almighty Father in whom we put trust". However, there is no established church or state religion, and article 11 of the Constitution protects each person's "freedom of thought and of religion, freedom to change his religion or belief", and freedom of public or private religious practice and education.[196]
  •   Laos
    • According to the Lao Constitution, Buddhism is given special privileges in the country. The state respects and protects all the lawful activities of Buddhism.[197]
  •   Malaysia
    • In Article 3 of the Constitution of Malaysia, Islam is stated as the official religion of the country: "Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation." In 1956, the Alliance party submitted a memorandum to the Reid Commission, which was responsible for drafting the Malayan constitution. The memorandum quoted: "The religion of Malaya shall be Islam. The observance of this principle shall not impose any disability on non-Muslim nationals professing and practicing their own religion and shall not imply that the state is not a secular state."[198] The full text of the Memorandum was inserted into paragraph 169 of the Commission Report.[199] This suggestion was later carried forward in the Federation of Malaya Constitutional Proposals 1957 (White Paper), specifically quoting in paragraph 57: "There has been included in the proposed Federal Constitution a declaration that Islam is the religion of the Federation. This will in no way affect the present position of the Federation as a secular State...."[200] The Cobbold Commission also made another similar quote in 1962: "....we are agreed that Islam should be the national religion for the Federation. We are satisfied that the proposal in no way jeopardises freedom of religion in the Federation, which in effect would be secular."[201] In December 1987, the Lord President of the Supreme Court, Salleh Abas described Malaysia as governed by "secular law" in a court ruling.[202] In the early 1980s, then-prime minister Mahathir Mohamad implemented an official programme of Islamization,[203] in which Islamic values and principles were introduced into public sector ethics,[204] substantial financial support to the development of Islamic religious education, places of worship and the development of Islamic banking. The Malaysian government also made efforts to expand the powers of Islamic-based state statutory bodies such as the Tabung Haji, JAKIM (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia), and the National Fatwa Council. There has been much continued public debate on whether Malaysia is an Islamic or secular state.[205]
  •   Myanmar
    • Article 19 of the 2008 Myanmar constitution states, "The State recognizes the special position of Buddhism as the faith professed by the great majority of the citizens of the State." while Article 20 mentions "The State also recognizes Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Animism as the religions existing in the Union on the date on which the State Constitution comes into force."[206] The government pursues a policy of religious pluralism and tolerance in the country, as stipulated in Article 21 of its constitution, "The State shall render assistance and protect as it possibly can the religions it recognizes." In 1956, the Burmese ambassador in Indonesia U Mya Sein quoted, "The Constitution of the Union of Burma provides for a Secular State although it endorses that Buddhism is professed by the majority (90 per cent) of the nation."[207] Since 2008, Buddhism has a privileged status in Myanmar and is declared to be the state religion. The government provides funding to state Universities to Buddhist monks, mandated the compulsory recital of Buddhist prayers in public schools and patronizes the Buddhist clergy from time to time to rally popular support and political legitimization.[208]
  •   Nauru
    • The Constitution of Nauru opens by stating, "the people of Nauru acknowledge God as the almighty and everlasting Lord and the giver of all good things". However, there is no state religion or established church, and article 11 of the Constitution protects each person's "right to freedom of conscience, thought and religion, including freedom to change his religion or beliefs and freedom", and right to practice his or her religion.[209]
  •     Nepal
    • The Constitution of Nepal provides freedom of religion and denies the right to convert another person. The previous constitution of 1990, which was in effect until 2007, described the country as a "Hindu Kingdom". With the new Constitution, the Interim Parliament officially declared the country a secular state in January 2007, but no laws specifically affecting freedom of religion were changed. Adherents of the country's many religious groups generally coexisted peacefully and respected places of worship, although there were reports of societal abuses and discrimination based on religious belief or practice. Those who converted to another religious group at times faced violence and occasionally were ostracized socially but generally did not fear to admit their affiliations in public.[210]
  •   Norway
    • Norway changed the wording of the constitution on 21 May 2012, to remove references to the state church. Until 2017, the Church of Norway was not a separate legal entity from the government. In 2017, it was disestablished and became a national church, a legally distinct entity from the state with special constitutional status. The King of Norway is required by the Constitution to be a member of the Church of Norway, and the church is regulated by special canon law, unlike other religions.[211]
  •   Romania
    • The Romanian constitution declares freedom of religion, but all recognized religious denominations remain to some extent state-funded. Since 1992, these denominations have also maintained a monopoly on the sale of religious merchandise, which includes all candles except decorative candles and candles for marriage and baptism. It is currently illegal in Romania to sell cult candles without the approval of the Eastern Orthodox Church or of another religious denomination which employs candles (law 103/1992, appended O.U.G. nr.92/2000 to specify penalties).[212] Romania recognizes 18 denominations/religions: various sects of the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church, Protestantism and Neo-Protestantism (including Jehovah's Witnesses), Judaism and Sunni Islam.[213] Unrecognized cults or denominations are not prohibited, however.
  •   Seychelles
  •   Sri Lanka
    • The Sri Lankan constitution[215] does not cite a state religion. However, Article 9 of Chapter 2, which states "The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place, and accordingly, it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana" makes Sri Lanka an ambiguous state with respect to secularism. In 2004, Jathika Hela Urumaya proposed a constitutional amendment that would make a clear reference to Buddhism as the state religion, which was rejected by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.[216]
  •   Switzerland
    • The Swiss Confederation remains secular at the federal level. However, the constitution begins with the words "In the name of Almighty God!"
    • 24 of the 26 cantons support either the Catholic Church or the Swiss Reformed Church.[citation needed]
  •   Syria
    • Semi secular state with Islamic jurisprudence being used for personal statues laws.[citation needed]
  •   Thailand
    • Section 9 of the 2007 Thai constitution states, "The King is a Buddhist and Upholder of religions", and section 79 makes another related reference: "The State shall patronise and protect Buddhism as the religion observed by most Thais for a long period of time and other religions, promote good understanding and harmony among followers of all religions as well as encourage the application of religious principles to create virtue and develop the quality of life."[217] The United States Department of State characterized that these provisions provide Buddhism as the de facto official religion of Thailand. There have been calls by Buddhists to make an explicit reference to Buddhism as the country's state religion, but the government has turned down these requests.[216] Academics and legal experts have argued that Thailand is a secular state as provisions in its penal code are generally secular and irreligious by nature.[218]
  •   Tonga
    • The Constitution of Tonga opens by referring to "the will of God that man should be free". Article 6 provides, "the Sabbath Day shall be kept holy", and prohibits any "commercial undertaking" on that day. Article 5 provides: "All men are free to practice their religion and to worship God as they may deem fit in accordance with the dictates of their own worship consciences and to assemble for religious service in such places as they may appoint". There is no established church or state religion.[219] Any preaching on public radio or television is required to be done "within the limits of the mainstream Christian tradition", though no specific religious denomination is favoured.[220]
  •   Turkey
  •   United Kingdom
    • The Church of England is the established state religion of England only.[citation needed]It is no longer established in Northern Ireland or Wales and the Anglican Church in these regions (Church of Ireland and Church in Wales, respectively) became autonomous from the Church of England in 1871 and 1920, respectively.[citation needed] In Scotland, the generally Protestant Church of Scotland has an ambiguous, special constitutional status as national church. Furthermore, unlike its Welsh and Irish counterparts, the Anglican Church in Scotland (the Scottish Episcopal Church) never had established status.[citation needed]
      • Like the Church of Ireland and Church in Wales, the Scottish Episcopal Church is autonomous from the Church of England. All, however, are still in full communion.
    • Two archbishops and 24 senior diocesan bishops of the Church of England (the Lords Spiritual) have seats in the House of Lords, where they participate in debates and vote on decisions affecting the entire United Kingdom.
      • Parliament is opened with prayers, led by a Lords Spiritual member in the House of Lords and the Speaker's chaplain in the House of Commons.[224]
    • The full term for the expression of the Crown's sovereignty via legislation is the Crown-in-Parliament under God. At their coronation, the sovereign is anointed with consecrated oil by the Archbishop of Canterbury in a service at Westminster Abbey and must swear to maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel, maintain Protestantism in the United Kingdom, specifically the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof as by established law in England.
  •   United States

See also

 
Look up secular in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Notes

  1. ^ State with limited recognition.[105]
  2. ^ State with limited recognition[105]
  3. ^ Secular countries straddling both Asia and Europe also called Eurasian
  4. ^ State with limited recognition.[105]

References

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January 04, 2023
secular, state, this, article, possibly, contains, original, research, please, improve, verifying, claims, made, adding, inline, citations, statements, consisting, only, original, research, should, removed, september, 2016, learn, when, remove, this, template,. This article possibly contains original research Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations Statements consisting only of original research should be removed September 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message A secular state is an idea pertaining to secularity whereby a state is or purports to be officially neutral in matters of religion supporting neither religion nor irreligion 1 A secular state claims to treat all its citizens equally regardless of religion and claims to avoid preferential treatment for a citizen based on their religious beliefs affiliation or lack of either over those with other profiles 2 States with no state religion States with state religion Ambiguous states or no data Although secular states have no state religion the absence of an established state religion does not mean that a state is completely secular or egalitarian For example some states that describe themselves as secular have religious references in their national anthems and flags or laws that benefit one religion or another Contents 1 Origin and practice 2 List of secular states by continent 2 1 Africa 2 2 Americas 2 3 Asia 2 4 Europe 2 5 Oceania 2 6 Transcontinental countries c 3 Former secular states 4 Ambiguous states 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 BibliographyOrigin and practice EditSecularity can be established at a state s creation e g the Soviet Union the United States or by it later secularizing e g France or Nepal Movements for laicite in France and separation of church and state in the United States have defined modern concepts of secularism the United States of America being the first explicitly secular nation in Western history Historically the process of secularisation typically involves granting religious freedom disestablishing state religions stopping public funds being used for religion freeing the legal system from religious control freeing up the education system tolerating citizens who change religion or abstain from religion and allowing political leaders to come to power regardless of their religious beliefs 3 In France Italy and Spain for example official holidays for the public administration tend to be Christian feast days Any private school in France that contracts with Education nationale means its teachers are salaried by the state most of the Catholic schools are in this situation and because of history they are the majority however any other religious or non religious schools also contract this way 4 In some European states where secularism confronts monoculturalist philanthropy some of the main Christian sects and sects of other religions depend on the state for some of the financial resources for their religious charities 5 It is common in corporate law and charity law to prohibit organized religion from using those funds to organize religious worship in a separate place of worship or for conversion the religious body itself must provide the religious content educated clergy and laypersons to exercise its own functions and may choose to devote part of their time to the separate charities To that effect some of those charities establish secular organizations that manage part of or all of the donations from the main religious bodies Religious and non religious organizations can apply for equivalent funding from the government and receive subsidies based on either assessed social results clarification needed where there is indirect religious state funding or simply the number of beneficiaries of those organizations 6 This resembles charitable choice in the United States It is doubtful whether overt direct state funding of religions is in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights Apparently this issue has not yet been decided at a supranational level in ECtHR case law stemming from the rights in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which mandates non discrimination in affording its co listed basic social rights clarification needed gobbledegook Specifically funding certain services would not accord with non discriminatory state action 7 Many states that are nowadays secular in practice may have legal vestiges of an earlier established religion Secularism also has various guises that may coincide with some degree of official religiosity In the United Kingdom the head of state is still required to take the Coronation Oath enacted in 1688 swearing to maintain the Protestant Reformed religion and to preserve the established Church of England 8 The UK also maintains seats in the House of Lords for 26 senior clergymen of the Church of England known as the Lords Spiritual 9 In Canada the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms affords secular freedoms of conscience and religion thought belief opinion and expression including communication assembly and association yet the Charter s preamble maintains the concept of the supremacy of God which would appear to disadvantage those who hold nontheistic or polytheistic beliefs including atheism and Buddhism 10 11 Italy has been a secular state since the enactment of the Constitution in 1948 stressed by a Constitutional court s decision in 1985 12 but still recognizes a special status for the Catholic Church The reverse progression can also occur however a state can go from being secular to being a religious state as in the case of Iran where the secularized Imperial State of Iran was replaced by an Islamic Republic list below Nonetheless the last 250 years has seen a trend towards secularism 13 14 List of secular states by continent EditThis is the list of countries that are explicitly described as secular in their constitutions or other official state documents Africa Edit Angola 15 Benin 16 Botswana 17 Burkina Faso 18 Burundi 19 Cameroon 20 Central African Republic 21 Chad 22 Cote d Ivoire 23 Congo DR 24 Congo 25 Gabon 26 Equatorial Guinea 27 Eritrea 28 Eswatini 29 Ethiopia 30 Gabon 31 Gambia 32 Ghana 33 Guinea 34 Guinea Bissau 35 Kenya 36 Lesotho 37 Liberia 38 Madagascar 39 Malawi 40 Mali 41 Mozambique 42 Namibia 43 Niger 44 Nigeria 45 Rwanda 46 Sao Tome and Principe 47 Senegal 48 Sierra Leone 49 South Africa 50 South Sudan 51 Sudan 52 Tanzania 53 Togo 54 Uganda 55 Zimbabwe 56 Americas Edit Antigua and Barbuda 57 Argentina 58 Bahamas 59 Barbados 60 Belize 61 Bolivia 62 Brazil 63 Canada 64 Chile 65 Colombia 66 Cuba 67 Dominica 68 Dominican Republic 69 Ecuador 70 El Salvador 71 Grenada 72 Guatemala 73 Guyana 74 Haiti 75 Honduras 76 Jamaica 77 Mexico 78 Nicaragua 79 Paraguay 80 Panama 81 Peru 82 Saint Kitts and Nevis 83 Saint Lucia 84 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 85 Suriname 86 Trinidad and Tobago 87 United States 88 Uruguay 89 Venezuela 90 Asia Edit China 91 India 92 Indonesia 93 Israel 94 Japan 95 North Korea 96 South Korea 97 Kyrgyzstan 98 Laos 99 Mongolia 100 Nepal 101 Philippines 102 Singapore 103 Taiwan 104 a Tajikistan 106 Thailand 107 Timor Leste 108 Turkmenistan 109 Uzbekistan 110 Vietnam 111 Europe Edit Albania 112 Andorra 113 Austria 114 Belarus 115 Belgium 116 Bosnia and Herzegovina 117 Bulgaria 118 Croatia 119 Czechia 120 Estonia 121 Finland 122 France 123 Germany 124 Hungary 125 Italy 126 Kosovo 127 b Latvia 128 Lithuania 129 Luxembourg Moldova 130 Netherlands 131 Poland 132 Portugal 133 Romania 134 Serbia 135 Slovakia 136 Slovenia 137 Spain 138 Sweden 139 Switzerland 140 Ukraine 141 Oceania Edit Australia 142 Fiji 143 Kiribati 144 Marshall Islands 145 Micronesia 146 Nauru 147 New Zealand 148 Palau 149 Papua New Guinea 150 Solomon Islands 151 Vanuatu 152 Transcontinental countries c Edit Armenia 153 Azerbaijan 154 Cyprus 155 Georgia Kazakhstan 156 Northern Cyprus 157 d Russia 158 Turkey 159 Former secular states Edit Confederate States of America 1861 1865 160 161 Bangladesh 1972 1977 Bangladesh was de facto a secular state from 1972 to 1977 when secularism was removed from the constitution by a Martial Law and the Parliament of Bangladesh declared Islam as the state religion in 1988 162 Democratic Republic of Afghanistan 1980 1987 Afghanistan became a secular state after the Soviet invasion but Islam became the official religion again in 1987 People s Republic of Kampuchea 1979 1993 Kampuchea was a secular state from 1979 until the restoration of its monarchy in 1993 Imperial State of Iran 1925 1979 Iran was a secular state until 1979 when Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was overthrown and an Islamic republic was instituted Iraq 1932 1993 Iraq became a secular state in 1932 after its independence However the Ba athist regime led by Saddam Hussein launched the Return to Faith campaign in 1993 and placed significant emphasis on Islam within all sectors of state and public life 163 Myanmar formerly Burma 1885 1961 1962 2008 Myanmar was a secular state during the colonial period and post independence period until 1961 and again under the socialist regime and the military regime until 2008 Samoa 1962 2017 In 2017 the Samoan legislative assembly approved a constitutional amendment that instituted Christianity as the state religion 164 Ambiguous states Edit Argentina According to Section 2 of the Constitution of Argentina The Federal Government supports the Roman Catholic Apostolic religion but it does not stipulate an official state religion nor a separation of church and state In practice however the country is mostly secular and there is no kind of persecution of people of other religions they are completely accepted and even encouraged in their activities citation needed Armenia The constitution formally separates the church from the state however it recognizes the Armenian Apostolic Church as the national church 165 Bangladesh There is a constitutional ambiguity that makes Bangladesh both secular and Islamic Freedom of religion is guaranteed by its constitution in which it gives equal rights to all citizens irrespective of religion In 2010 the High Court held up the secular principles of the 1972 constitution 166 Brazil Though it forbids in any degree the State to establish religious cults or churches subsidize them hamper their operation or maintain with them or their representative s relations of dependency or alliance with the exception of cooperation for the public interest as set forth in the law the Constitution of Brazil states that it is promulgated under the protection of God 167 Despite being mostly secular it is normal to see religious symbols such as crucifixes in State facilities hospitals schools courts police stations 168 According to Article 208 of the Brazilian Penal Code mock someone publicly by reason of belief or religious function prevent or disrupt ceremony or practice of religious worship publicly vilify act or object of religious worship incurs in a penalty of detention of one month to one year or a fine 169 170 Canada The Fundamental Freedoms section of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms states 2 Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms a freedom of conscience and religion b freedom of thought belief opinion and expression including freedom of the press and other media of communication c freedom of peaceful assembly and d freedom of association Canadians are therefore free to have their own beliefs and opinions are free to practice religion or refrain and are free to establish media organizations with or without religious content and these freedoms are constitutionally protected However according to the Charter s preamble Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God 171 This portion of the preamble has not been accorded legal effect in Charter jurisprudence 172 173 The constitutional recognition of God has been criticized as conflicting in principle with the fundamental freedom of conscience and religion guaranteed in section 2 as it would disadvantage those who hold nontheistic or polytheistic beliefs including atheism and Buddhism 10 11 The Province of Quebec has legislation declaring it to be a lay state 174 El Salvador Although Article 3 of the El Salvadoran constitution states no restrictions shall be established that are based on differences of nationality race sex or religion Article 26 states that the state recognizes the Catholic Church and gives it legal preference 175 176 Finland Claims to be secular but the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Finnish Orthodox Church have the right to collect church tax from their members in conjunction with government income tax In addition to membership tax businesses also used to contribute financially to the church through tax but as of 2016 that is no longer the case 177 Georgia Georgia gives distinct recognition to the Georgian Orthodox Church in Article 9 of the Constitution of Georgia 178 and through the Concordat of 2002 179 However the Constitution also guarantees absolute freedom of belief and religion 178 Georgian constitution also refers to God in preamble We the citizens of Georgia whose firm will proclaim this Constitution before God and the nation 180 Germany The German Basic Law guarantees the separation of church and state and the freedom of religion 181 but this separation is not complete Officially recognized religious bodies operate as Korperschaften des offentlichen Rechts corporations of public law as opposed to private For recognized religious communities some church taxes Kirchensteuer are collected by the state 182 this is at the request of the religious community and a fee is charged for the service 183 Indonesia Indonesia follows the principle of Pancasila where the first principle states Belief in the Almighty God while itself is a semi secular state 184 Indonesia does not use Islamic law with the exception of Islamic personal statues laws There is no official state religion in Indonesia but the state acknowledges Buddhism Confucianism Hinduism Islam Protestantism and the Roman Catholic Church as the recognized religions in the country as well as traditional folk religions Because of this despite being a semi secular state Indonesia does not acknowledge atheism as a religion and recommend each citizen to state their religion on their identity cards though currently this is optional 185 India The Constitution of India declares India to be a secular state with no state religion 186 However at the same time the Republic of India privileges Hinduism as state sponsored religion through constitutionally legislatively and culturally 187 188 The original copy of Indian constitution have the illustration of Hindu deities Rama Sita and Lakshmana in Part III on Fundamental Rights and Rama has been considered as true guardian of people s rights 189 Also Article 48 of Indian constitution prohibits the slaughter of cows or calf a sacred animal in Hinduism and is illegal criminal offense in most of the states of India 190 191 Ireland There are a few sections of the Constitution of Ireland that refer to God 192 In the Preamble it is mentioned In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity from Whom is all authority and to Whom as our final end all actions both of men and States must be referred We the people of Eire Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord Jesus Christ Who sustained our fathers through centuries of trial In Article 6 it is mentioned 1 All powers of government legislative executive and judicial derive under God from the people Article 12 item 8 instructs the President to make the following declaration In the presence of Almighty God I do solemnly and sincerely promise and declare that I will maintain the Constitution of Ireland and uphold its laws that I will fulfill my duties faithfully and conscientiously in accordance with the Constitution and the law and that I will dedicate my abilities to the service and welfare of the people of Ireland May God direct and sustain me Article 31 item 4 establishes that every member of the Council of State supports the following declaration In the presence of Almighty God I do solemnly and sincerely promise and declare that I will faithfully and conscientiously fulfill my duties as a member of the Council of State Article 34 item 6 establishes that every person appointed a judge under this Constitution shall make and subscribe the following declaration In the presence of Almighty God I do solemnly and sincerely promise and declare that I will duly and faithfully and to the best of my knowledge and power execute the office of Chief Justice or as the case may be without fear or favour affection or ill will towards any man and that I will uphold the Constitution and the laws May God direct and sustain me In Article 44 item 1 it is mentioned The State acknowledges that the homage of public worship is due to Almighty God It shall hold His Name in reverence and shall respect and honour religion However in the same Constitution in Article 44 item 2 it is mentioned 1 Freedom of conscience and the free profession and practice of religion are subject to public order and morality guaranteed to every citizen 2 The State guarantees not to endow any religion 3 The State shall not impose any disabilities or make any discrimination on the ground of religious profession belief or status 4 Legislation providing State aid for schools shall not discriminate between schools under the management of different religious denominations nor be such as to affect prejudicially the right of any child to attend a school receiving public money without attending religious instruction at that school 5 Every religious denomination shall have the right to manage its own affairs own acquire and administer property movable and immovable and maintain institutions for religious or charitable purposes 6 The property of any religious denomination or any educational institution shall not be diverted save for necessary works of public utility and on payment of compensation On July 4 2019 the on duty Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said Ten months ago we welcomed Pope Francis to Ireland Speaking in this room I suggested that I believed the time had come to build a new relationship between Religion and the State in Ireland a new covenant for the 21st Century One in which religion is no longer at the centre of our State but continues to have a real and meaningful role to play on our society 193 Most of the public schools in Ireland are confessional and there are some reports of abuse by some institutions 194 Israel When the idea of modern political Zionism was introduced by Theodor Herzl his idea was that Israel would be a secular state which would not be influenced at all by religion When David Ben Gurion founded the state of Israel he put religious parties in government next to secular Jews in the same governing coalition Many secular Israelis feel constrained by the religious sanctions imposed on them Many businesses close on Shabbat including many forms of public transportation restaurants and Israeli airline El Al In order for a Jewish couple to be formally married in Israel a couple has to be married by a rabbi Jewish married couples can only be divorced by a rabbinical council Many secular Israelis may go abroad to be married often in Cyprus Marriages officiated abroad are recognized as official marriages in Israel Also all food at army bases and in cafeterias of government buildings has to be kosher Many religious symbols have found their way into Israeli national symbols For example the flag of the country is similar to a tallit or prayer shawl with its blue stripes The national coat of arms also displays the menorah However some viewpoints argue that these symbols can be interpreted as ethnic cultural symbols too and point out that many secular European nations Sweden Norway and Georgia have religious symbols on their flags Reports have considered Israel to be a secular state and its definition as a Jewish state refers to the Jewish people who include people with varying relations to the Jewish religion including non believers rather than to the Jewish religion itself 195 Kiribati Under the terms of its preamble the Constitution of Kiribati is proclaimed by the people of Kiribati acknowledging God as the Almighty Father in whom we put trust However there is no established church or state religion and article 11 of the Constitution protects each person s freedom of thought and of religion freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom of public or private religious practice and education 196 Laos According to the Lao Constitution Buddhism is given special privileges in the country The state respects and protects all the lawful activities of Buddhism 197 Malaysia In Article 3 of the Constitution of Malaysia Islam is stated as the official religion of the country Islam is the religion of the Federation but other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation In 1956 the Alliance party submitted a memorandum to the Reid Commission which was responsible for drafting the Malayan constitution The memorandum quoted The religion of Malaya shall be Islam The observance of this principle shall not impose any disability on non Muslim nationals professing and practicing their own religion and shall not imply that the state is not a secular state 198 The full text of the Memorandum was inserted into paragraph 169 of the Commission Report 199 This suggestion was later carried forward in the Federation of Malaya Constitutional Proposals 1957 White Paper specifically quoting in paragraph 57 There has been included in the proposed Federal Constitution a declaration that Islam is the religion of the Federation This will in no way affect the present position of the Federation as a secular State 200 The Cobbold Commission also made another similar quote in 1962 we are agreed that Islam should be the national religion for the Federation We are satisfied that the proposal in no way jeopardises freedom of religion in the Federation which in effect would be secular 201 In December 1987 the Lord President of the Supreme Court Salleh Abas described Malaysia as governed by secular law in a court ruling 202 In the early 1980s then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad implemented an official programme of Islamization 203 in which Islamic values and principles were introduced into public sector ethics 204 substantial financial support to the development of Islamic religious education places of worship and the development of Islamic banking The Malaysian government also made efforts to expand the powers of Islamic based state statutory bodies such as the Tabung Haji JAKIM Department of Islamic Development Malaysia and the National Fatwa Council There has been much continued public debate on whether Malaysia is an Islamic or secular state 205 Myanmar Article 19 of the 2008 Myanmar constitution states The State recognizes the special position of Buddhism as the faith professed by the great majority of the citizens of the State while Article 20 mentions The State also recognizes Christianity Islam Hinduism and Animism as the religions existing in the Union on the date on which the State Constitution comes into force 206 The government pursues a policy of religious pluralism and tolerance in the country as stipulated in Article 21 of its constitution The State shall render assistance and protect as it possibly can the religions it recognizes In 1956 the Burmese ambassador in Indonesia U Mya Sein quoted The Constitution of the Union of Burma provides for a Secular State although it endorses that Buddhism is professed by the majority 90 per cent of the nation 207 Since 2008 Buddhism has a privileged status in Myanmar and is declared to be the state religion The government provides funding to state Universities to Buddhist monks mandated the compulsory recital of Buddhist prayers in public schools and patronizes the Buddhist clergy from time to time to rally popular support and political legitimization 208 Nauru The Constitution of Nauru opens by stating the people of Nauru acknowledge God as the almighty and everlasting Lord and the giver of all good things However there is no state religion or established church and article 11 of the Constitution protects each person s right to freedom of conscience thought and religion including freedom to change his religion or beliefs and freedom and right to practice his or her religion 209 Nepal The Constitution of Nepal provides freedom of religion and denies the right to convert another person The previous constitution of 1990 which was in effect until 2007 described the country as a Hindu Kingdom With the new Constitution the Interim Parliament officially declared the country a secular state in January 2007 but no laws specifically affecting freedom of religion were changed Adherents of the country s many religious groups generally coexisted peacefully and respected places of worship although there were reports of societal abuses and discrimination based on religious belief or practice Those who converted to another religious group at times faced violence and occasionally were ostracized socially but generally did not fear to admit their affiliations in public 210 Norway Norway changed the wording of the constitution on 21 May 2012 to remove references to the state church Until 2017 the Church of Norway was not a separate legal entity from the government In 2017 it was disestablished and became a national church a legally distinct entity from the state with special constitutional status The King of Norway is required by the Constitution to be a member of the Church of Norway and the church is regulated by special canon law unlike other religions 211 Romania The Romanian constitution declares freedom of religion but all recognized religious denominations remain to some extent state funded Since 1992 these denominations have also maintained a monopoly on the sale of religious merchandise which includes all candles except decorative candles and candles for marriage and baptism It is currently illegal in Romania to sell cult candles without the approval of the Eastern Orthodox Church or of another religious denomination which employs candles law 103 1992 appended O U G nr 92 2000 to specify penalties 212 Romania recognizes 18 denominations religions various sects of the Eastern Orthodox Church the Catholic Church Protestantism and Neo Protestantism including Jehovah s Witnesses Judaism and Sunni Islam 213 Unrecognized cults or denominations are not prohibited however Seychelles The preamble of the Constitution of Seychelles begins the second line with GRATEFUL to Almighty God 214 Sri Lanka The Sri Lankan constitution 215 does not cite a state religion However Article 9 of Chapter 2 which states The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana makes Sri Lanka an ambiguous state with respect to secularism In 2004 Jathika Hela Urumaya proposed a constitutional amendment that would make a clear reference to Buddhism as the state religion which was rejected by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka 216 Switzerland The Swiss Confederation remains secular at the federal level However the constitution begins with the words In the name of Almighty God 24 of the 26 cantons support either the Catholic Church or the Swiss Reformed Church citation needed Syria Semi secular state with Islamic jurisprudence being used for personal statues laws citation needed Thailand Section 9 of the 2007 Thai constitution states The King is a Buddhist and Upholder of religions and section 79 makes another related reference The State shall patronise and protect Buddhism as the religion observed by most Thais for a long period of time and other religions promote good understanding and harmony among followers of all religions as well as encourage the application of religious principles to create virtue and develop the quality of life 217 The United States Department of State characterized that these provisions provide Buddhism as the de facto official religion of Thailand There have been calls by Buddhists to make an explicit reference to Buddhism as the country s state religion but the government has turned down these requests 216 Academics and legal experts have argued that Thailand is a secular state as provisions in its penal code are generally secular and irreligious by nature 218 Tonga The Constitution of Tonga opens by referring to the will of God that man should be free Article 6 provides the Sabbath Day shall be kept holy and prohibits any commercial undertaking on that day Article 5 provides All men are free to practice their religion and to worship God as they may deem fit in accordance with the dictates of their own worship consciences and to assemble for religious service in such places as they may appoint There is no established church or state religion 219 Any preaching on public radio or television is required to be done within the limits of the mainstream Christian tradition though no specific religious denomination is favoured 220 Turkey The Republic of Turkey is officially a secular country Although the current governing party has a close affinity with Sunni Islam the latest Constitution of 1982 neither recognizes an official religion nor promotes any 221 The Directorate of Religious Affairs an official state institution established by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1924 222 expresses opinions on religious matters and is responsible for all administration of the Sunni institutions 223 United Kingdom The Church of England is the established state religion of England only citation needed It is no longer established in Northern Ireland or Wales and the Anglican Church in these regions Church of Ireland and Church in Wales respectively became autonomous from the Church of England in 1871 and 1920 respectively citation needed In Scotland the generally Protestant Church of Scotland has an ambiguous special constitutional status as national church Furthermore unlike its Welsh and Irish counterparts the Anglican Church in Scotland the Scottish Episcopal Church never had established status citation needed Like the Church of Ireland and Church in Wales the Scottish Episcopal Church is autonomous from the Church of England All however are still in full communion Two archbishops and 24 senior diocesan bishops of the Church of England the Lords Spiritual have seats in the House of Lords where they participate in debates and vote on decisions affecting the entire United Kingdom Parliament is opened with prayers led by a Lords Spiritual member in the House of Lords and the Speaker s chaplain in the House of Commons 224 The full term for the expression of the Crown s sovereignty via legislation is the Crown in Parliament under God At their coronation the sovereign is anointed with consecrated oil by the Archbishop of Canterbury in a service at Westminster Abbey and must swear to maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel maintain Protestantism in the United Kingdom specifically the Church of England and the doctrine worship discipline and government thereof as by established law in England Thus though the Church of Ireland is no longer established and the Church of England has been disestablished in Wales as the Church in Wales the Crown is still bound to protect Protestantism in general in the whole of the United Kingdom by the Coronation Oath Act 1688 and the Bill of Rights and to protect the Church of Scotland by the Act of Union 1707 225 All Members of Parliament MPs must declare their allegiance to the King in order to take their seat Each individual MP however can choose whether or not to affirm a religious oath United States According to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution together with the Free Exercise Clause which forms the constitutional right of freedom of religion Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof 226 An act of Congress changed the official United States motto to In God we trust Prior to this act of Congress the official motto of the United States had been E pluribus Unum or out of many one since the country s creation Additionally the motto of In God we trust has been printed on their currency since 1864 227 See also Edit Look up secular in Wiktionary the free dictionary Civil religion Freedom of religion Secular education Secularism Secularity Secular religion Separation of church and state State atheism State religion TheocracyNotes Edit State with limited recognition 105 State with limited recognition 105 Secular countries straddling both Asia and Europe also called Eurasian State with limited recognition 105 References Edit Madeley John T S Enyedi Zsolt 2003 Church and State in Contemporary Europe The Chimera of Neutrality Psychology Press p 14 ISBN 978 0 7146 5394 5 What is Secularism www secularism org uk Retrieved 18 May 2022 Jean Bauberot The secular principle Archived 22 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine Teese Richard 1986 Private Schools in France Evolution of a System Comparative Education Review 30 2 247 259 doi 10 1086 446591 JSTOR 1188531 S2CID 144698211 Twinch Emily Religious charities Faith funding and the state Article dated 22 June 2009 Third Sector a UK Charity Periodical Archived from the original on 10 May 2013 Retrieved 3 June 2012 Department for Education Retrieved 18 March 2015 Sejdic and Finci v Bosnia and Herzegovina application nos 27996 06 and 34836 06 found a violation of the non discrimination overarching right vis a vis all other rights on a wider subject from often arbitrary funding of social charities viz rights afforded by law Art 1 of Prot No 12 namely protecting any right set forth by law clarification needed plain English please The convention introduces a general prohibition of discrimination in legally enshrined state action as well as where rights under the convention such as education or health care are funded A superior level of services supported by religious bodies is permitted Coronation Oath Retrieved 18 March 2015 How members are appointed UK Parliament Retrieved 18 March 2015 a b Hogg Peter W Canada Act 1982 Annotated Toronto Canada The Carswell Company Limited 1982 a b Paul Russell The supremacy of God does not belong in the Constitution The Globe amp Mail June 11 1999 Articles 3 7 8 19 20 of the Constitution of Italy Constitutional Court s Decision n 203 1989 Harris Interactive Resource Not Found Archived from the original on 23 July 2013 Retrieved 18 March 2015 A Portrait of Generation Next Pew Research Center for the People and the Press 9 January 2007 Retrieved 18 March 2015 ICL Angola Constitution Retrieved 18 March 2015 Article 8 The Republic of Angola shall be a secular State Article 2 of Constitution The Republic of Benin shall be one indivisible secular and democratic Leaders say Botswana is a secular state Archived 10 February 2005 at the Wayback Machine Article 31 of Constitution Archived from the original on 9 October 2006 Burkina Faso is a democratic unitary and secular state Article 4 of Constitution Archived 7 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine Le Burundi est une Republique unitaire independante et souveraine laique et democratique Preamble of Constitution PDF the State shall be secular Article 24 of the Central African Republic s Constitution of 2016 constituteproject org The Central African Republic is a State of law unitary sovereign indivisible secular and democratic Article 1 of Constitution Archived from the original on 9 October 2006 Chad is a sovereign independent secular social and indivisible Cote d Ivoire s Constitution of 2000 PDF Article 30 The Republic of Cote d Ivoire is one and indivisible secular democratic and social Constitution de la Republique democratique du Congo Retrieved 18 March 2015 article 1er Republique Democratique du Congo est dans ses frontieres du 30 juin 1960 un Etat de droit independant souverain uni et indivisible social democratique et laic ICL Congo Brazzaville Constitution Retrieved 18 March 2015 Article 1 The Republic of the Congo is a sovereign and independent State decentralized indivisible secular democratic and social Article 2 of Constitution Archived 19 October 2005 at the Wayback Machine Le Gabon est une Republique indivisible laique democratique et sociale 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Equatorial Guinea United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Eritrea United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Eswatini United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Ethiopia United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Gabon United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Gambia United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Ghana United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Article 1 of Constitution Archived 13 September 2004 at the Wayback Machine La Guinee est une Republique unitaire indivisible laique democratique et sociale Article 1 of Constitution Archived 5 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine Guinea Bissau is a sovereign democratic secular and unitary republic The Constitution of Kenya PDF Archived from the original PDF on 21 December 2013 Retrieved 14 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Lesotho United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Liberia United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Madagascar s Constitution of 2010 PDF Article 1 The Malagasy People constitute a nation organized as a sovereign unitary republican and secular State 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Malawi United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Constitution Archived 12 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine Article 25 Mali is an independent sovereign indivisible democratic secular social Republic 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Mozambique United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 ICL Namibia Constitution Retrieved 18 March 2015 Article 1 The Republic of Namibia is hereby established as a sovereign secular democratic and unitary State 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Niger United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Nigeria United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Article 4 of the Rwanda s Constitution of 2003 with Amendments through 2015 constituteproject org Article 4 The Rwandan State is an independent sovereign democratic social and secular Republic Article 154 of the Sao Tome and Principe s Constitution of 1975 with Amendments through 2003 constituteproject org The following may not be the subject of a revision to the Constitution b The secular status of the State Article 1 of the Senegal s Constitution of 2001 with Amendments through 2016 constituteproject org The Republic of Senegal is secular democratic and social 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Sierra Leone United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom South Africa United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom South Sudan United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Sudan United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Article 3 of the Tanzania United Republic of s Constitution of 1977 with Amendments through 2005 constituteproject org The United Republic is a democratic secular and socialist state which adheres to multi party democracy Article 1 of the Togo s Constitution of 1992 with Amendments through 2007 constituteproject org The Togolese Republic is a State of law secular democratic and social 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Uganda United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Zimbabwe United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Antigua and Barbuda United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Argentina United States Department of State Retrieved 9 July 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Bahamas United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Barbados United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Belize United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Bolivia United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Brazil United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Canada United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Chile United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Garcia Jaramillo Leonardo 2013 El Influjo del Principio de Laicidad en el Constitucionalismo Colombiano Estudios Constitucionales 11 2 425 450 doi 10 4067 S0718 52002013000200011 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Cuba United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Dominica United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Dominican Republic United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Articles 1 11 26 and 66 8 of the Ecuadorian Constitution PDF 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom El Salvador United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2009 2017 Report on International Religious Freedom Grenada PDF United States Department of State Retrieved 27 September 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Guatemala United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Article 1 of the Guyana s Constitution of 1980 with Amendments through 2016 https constituteproject org 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Haiti United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Honduras United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Jamaica United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Article 40 of the Mexico s Constitution of 1917 with Amendments through 2015 constituteproject org It is in the will of the Mexican people to constitute into a representative democratic secular federal Republic 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Nicaragua United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Paraguay United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Panama United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Peru United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Saint Kitts and Nevis United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Saint Lucia United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Saint Vincent and the Grenadines United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Suriname United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Trinidad and Tobago United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Religion and the US Constitution The First Amendment Cornell Law School Retrieved 9 May 2022 Article 5 of the Uruguayan Constitution of 1966 https constituteproject org 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Venezuela United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom People s Republic of China United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 THE CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT Archived from the original on 28 March 2015 WE THE PEOPLE OF INDIA having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Indonesia United States Department of State Retrieved 18 July 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Israel United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 ICL Japan Constitution Retrieved 18 March 2015 Article 20 is titled Freedom of Religion Secularity of the State 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Democratic People s Republic of Korea DPRK United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom South Korea United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Article 1 of Constitution Archived 4 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine Article 1 The Kyrghyz Republic Kyrghyzstan shall be a sovereign unitary democratic republic created on the basis of a legal secular state 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Laos United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Mongolia United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Dodd 2003 p 571 The rough guide to Nepalharvnb error no target CITEREFDodd2003 help After 2005 the Marxist Leninist government of reunified Nepal declared the state atheist while theoretically allowing people the right to practice their religion under the constitution Article II Section 6 of the Constitution of the Philippines Retrieved 12 March 2021 The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable See Declaration of Religious Harmony which explicitly states the secular nature of society 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Taiwan United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 a b c IntroductionA A Secular State and Pious Muslims Secular State and Religious Society Palgrave Macmillan 2011 doi 10 1057 9781137010643 0003 ISBN 9781137010643 retrieved 11 April 2022 Tajikistan s Constitution of 1994 with Amendments through 2003 PDF Article 1 The Republic of Tajikistan is a sovereign democratic law governed secular and unitary State 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Thailand United States Department of State Retrieved 29 December 2022 Preamble to the Constitution The elaboration and adoption of the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of East Timor is the culmination of the secular resistance of the Timorese People Constitution of Turkmenistan Retrieved 18 March 2015 Article 1 Turkmenistan is a democratic secular state 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Uzbekistan United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Dodd 2003 p 571 The rough guide to Vietnamharvnb error no target CITEREFDodd2003 help After 1975 the Marxist Leninist government of reunified Vietnam declared the state atheist while theoretically allowing people the right to practice their religion under the constitution ICL Albania Constitution Retrieved 18 March 2015 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Andorra United States Department of State 12 May 2021 Retrieved 29 December 2022 ICL Austria Constitution Retrieved 18 March 2015 Nielsen Jorgen Akgonul Samim Alibasic Ahmet Racius Egdunas 19 September 2013 Yearbook of Muslims in Europe BRILL ISBN 9789004255869 via Google Books In Belgium Article 20 of the Constitution provides No one can be obliged to contribute in any way whatsoever to the acts and ceremonies of religion nor to observe the days of rest ICL Belgium Constitution Retrieved 18 March 2015 United States Department of State United States Department of State 12 May 2021 Retrieved 10 February 2022 National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria Constitution Retrieved 18 March 2015 The consolidated text of the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia as of 15 January 2014 PDF Retrieved 7 July 2020 Article 2 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Basic Freedoms Archived 30 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine ICL Estonia Constitution Retrieved 18 March 2015 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Finland United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 ICL France Constitution Retrieved 18 March 2015 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Germany United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Hungary United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Articles 3 7 8 19 20 of Constitution Constitutional Court s Decision n 203 1989 Naamat Talia Porat Dina Osin Nina 19 July 2012 Legislating for Equality A Multinational Collection of Non Discrimination Norms Volume I Europe Martinus Nijhoff Publishers ISBN 978 9004226128 via Google Books ICL Latvia Constitution Retrieved 18 March 2015 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Lithuania United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Moldova United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Netherlands United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Poland United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Constitution Retrieved 30 November 2020 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Romania United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Article 11 of the Constitution Archived 16 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine Article 1 of Constitution PDF Constitution Retrieved 18 March 2015 Article 16 of Constitution PDF Retrieved 18 March 2015 The Swedish head of state must according to the Swedish Act of Succession adhere to the Augsburg Confession 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Switzerland United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Constitution PDF constituteproject org Retrieved 4 October 2020 article 35 The Church and religious organisations in Ukraine are separated from the State and the school from the Church Section 116 of the Constitution of Australia provides the Commonwealth shall not make any law for establishing any religion or for imposing any religious observance or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion and no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth ICL Australia Constitution Retrieved 18 March 2015 Article 4 of the 2013 Constitution of Fiji explicitly provides that Fiji is a secular state It guarantees religious liberty while stating religious belief is personal and religion and the State are separate Constitution of the Republic of Fiji Archived 6 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine 2013 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Kiribati United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Marshall Islands United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Section 2 of Article IV of the Micronesian constitution provides no law may be passed respecting an establishment of religion or impairing the free exercise of religion except that assistance may be provided to parochial schools for non religious purposes Constitution of the Federated States of Micronesia 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Nauru United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom New Zealand United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Palau United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Papua New Guinea United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Solomon Islands United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Vanuatu United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Armenia United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Article 7 1 of Constitution The Azerbaijan State is a democratic law governed secular unitary republic 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom Cyprus United States Department of State Retrieved 4 March 2022 Kazakhstan s Constitution of 1995 with Amendments through 2017 Archived from the original on 24 September 2014 Retrieved 24 November 2014 Article 1 The Republic of Kazakhstan proclaims itself democratic secular legal and social state Northern Cyprus Constitution PDF Retrieved 29 January 2022 The Constitution of Russian Federation Chapter 1 The Fundamentals of the Constitutional System Retrieved 9 August 2020 Article 2 of the Turkey s Constitution of 1982 with Amendments through 2017 constituteproject org The Republic of Turkey is a democratic secular and social state Confederate States of America Constitution for the Provisional Government Constitution of the Confederate States March 11 1861 Bangladesh profile Timeline BBC News 26 February 2019 Americanchronicle com Retrieved 23 February 2017 Samoa Officially Becomes a Christian State The Diplomat 16 June 2017 Archived from the original on 16 June 2017 Constitution of Armenia president am 27 November 2005 12 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Brazil 1988 Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Economica Retrieved 22 September 2022 https journals openedition org assr 21242 Brazilian secularity and minorities in the biggest Catholic nation in the world https end 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discourse In its traditional self understanding Israel is related not to other denominations but to the nations of the world Israel s body is the body politic of a nation A denomination but as the religious dimension of the life of a people Hence peoplehood is a religious fact in the Jewish universe of discourse In its traditional self understanding Israel is related not to other denominations but to the nations of the world Israel s body is the body politic of a nation Page 423 It seems reasonable to accept that the reference to Israel as a Jewish State is equivalent to stating that in historical political and legal terms it is the state of the Jewish people Page 424 all refer to a Jewish state and Jewish means in all of them pertaining to Jews namely the individuals seeing themselves as composing the Jewish people or nation or community It clearly does not mean the body of religious precepts commands or convictions regulated by the Halakha the Jewish religious law developed over 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