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Religion Portal  v d e Nations with state religions:   Theravada Buddhism or Vajrayana Buddhism   Islam   Shi'a Islam   Sunni Islam   Eastern Orthodox Christianity   Protestantism and Anglicanism   Roman Catholicism   No state religion

A state religion (also called an official religion established church or state church) is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state. A state with an official religion while not secular is not necessarily a theocracy.

The term state church is associated with Christianity historically the state church of the Roman Empire and is sometimes used to denote a specific modern national branch of Christianity. Closely related to state churches are what sociologists call ecclesiae though the two are slightly different. State religions are official or government-sanctioned establishments of a religion but neither does the state need be under the control of the church (as in a theocracy) nor is the state-sanctioned church necessarily under the control of the state. The institution of state-sponsored religious cults is ancient reaching into the Ancient Near East and prehistory. The relation of religious cult and the state was discussed by Varro under the term of theologia civilis ("civic theology"). The first state-sponsored Christian church was the Armenian Apostolic Church established in 301 AD.1 Contents 1 Types of state churches 1.1 State church vs state religion 1.2 Sociology of state churches 1.3 Disestablishment 2 State religions by country 2.1 Brazil 2.2 Canada 2.3 United Kingdom 2.3.1 England 2.3.2 Scotland 2.3.3 Wales 2.4 Ireland 2.5 United States of America 3 Predominant religions in secular states 4 Present state religions 4.1 Christian countries 4.1.1 Roman Catholic 4.1.2 Eastern Orthodox 4.1.3 Protestantism 4.1.3.1 Lutheran 4.1.3.2 Reformed 4.1.4 Anglican 4.2 Muslim countries 4.2.1 Sunni Islam 4.2.2 Shi'a Islam 4.2.3 Ibadi 4.2.4 Mixed Shia & Sunni 4.2.5 Sufi 4.3 Buddhist countries 4.4 Jewish country 4.5 Additional notes 5 Ancient state religions 5.1 Egypt and Sumer 5.2 Sassanid Empire 5.3 Greek city-states 5.4 Roman religion and Christianity 5.5 Han Dynasty Confucianism 6 Modern era 6.1 Empire of Japan 7 States/Countries without a state religion 8 Established churches and former state churches 9 Former state churches in British North America 9.1 Protestant colonies 9.2 Catholic colonies 9.3 Colonies with no established church 9.4 Tabular summary 9.5 Non-Anglo-American colonies 9.6 State of Deseret 10 See also 11 References 12 External links Types of state churches The degree and nature of state backing for denomination or creed designated as a state religion can vary. It can range from mere endorsement and financial support with freedom for other faiths to practice to prohibiting any competing religious body from operating and to persecuting the followers of other sects. In Europe competition between Catholic and Protestant denominations for state sponsorship in the 16th century evolved the principle cuius regio eius religio ("states follow the religion of the ruler") embodied in the text of the treaty that marked the Peace of Augsburg 1555. In England the monarch imposed Protestantism in 1533 with himself taking the place of the Pope while in Scotland the Church of Scotland opposed the religion of the ruler. In some cases an administrative region may sponsor and fund a set of religious denominations; such is the case in Alsace-Moselle in France under its local law following the pattern in Germany. In some communist states notably in North Korea and Cuba the state sponsors religious organizations and activities outside those state-sponsored religious organizations are met with various degrees of official disapproval. In these cases state religions are widely seen as efforts by the state to prevent alternate sources of authority. State church vs state religion There is also a difference between a "state church" and "state religion". A "state church" is created by the statecitation needed as in the cases of the Anglican Church created by Henry VIII or the Church of Sweden created by Gustav Vasa. An example of "state religion" is Argentina's acceptance of Roman Catholicism as its religion.2 In the case of the former the state has absolute control over the church but in the case of the latter in this example the Vatican has control over the church. Sociology of state churches This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2011) Sociologists refer to mainstream non-state religions as denominations. State religions tend to admit a larger variety of opinion within them than denominations. Denominations encountering major differences of opinion within themselves are likely to split; this option is not open for most state churches so they tend to try to integrate differing opinions within themselves. Many sociologists now consider the effect of a state church as analogous to a chartered monopoly in religion. Where state religions exist it is usually true the majority of residents are officially considered adherents; however in some cases support is little more than nominal with many members not practising the religion regularly such as the case with the Anglican Church in England. In other cases such as in many countries that have Islam as a state religion the proportion of practising members is quite high and other religions' presence in the country is negligible. In a state with an official religion other religions may or may not be permitted or may be tolerated but with fewer rights. Some but by no means all countries with official religions have laws that guarantee such freedoms as freedom of worship full liberty of conscience and places of worship; and implement those laws more than some other countries that do not have an official or established state religion. Disestablishment Further information: Secular state Disestablishment is the process of depriving a church of its status as an organ of the state. Supporters of retaining an established church call themselves "antidisestablishmentarianists" one of the longest words in the English language. State religions by country Brazil Brazil had Roman Catholicism as the state religion from the country's independence in 1822 until the fall of the Brazilian Empire. The new Republican government passed in 1890 Decree 199-A (still in force) instituting the separation of church and state for the first time in Brazilian law. Positivist thinker Demtrio Nunes Ribeiro urged the new government to adopt this stance. The 1891 Constitution the first under the Republican system of government abolished privileges for any specific religion reaffirming the separation of church and state. This has been the case ever since the 1988 Constitution of Brazil currently in force does so in its Nineteenth Article. The Preamble to the Constitution does refer to "God's protection" over the document's promulgation but this is not legally taken as endorsement of belief in any deity. Canada Section Two of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees freedom of religion. Progressively case law has led to the overturning of specific laws that reflected religious observances (essentially Christian). Notwithstanding this separate schools for religious minorities (usually Roman Catholic) are constitutionally protected and funded by taxes in some provinces. Canada's head of state the King or Queen of canada is also the head of the Church of England which is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Anglican Church of Canada the Canadian "branch" of the Anglican Communion is however not "established" as a state church in Canada as is the Church of England. United Kingdom England The (Christian) Church of England is the officially established religious institution3 in England and also the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The British monarch is the titular leader of the Church of England. In late-19th-century England there was a campaign by Liberals dissenters and nonconformists to disestablish the Church of England which was viewed in the period after civil Chartist activism as a discriminatory organisation placing employment and other access disabilities on non-members. The campaigners styled themselves "Liberationists" (the "Liberation Society" was founded by Edward Miall in 1853). Though their campaign failed nearly all of the legal disabilities of nonconformists were gradually dismantled. The campaign for disestablishment was revived in the 20th century when Parliament rejected the 1929 revision of the Book of Common Prayer leading to calls for separation of Church and State to prevent political interference in matters of worship. In the late 20th century reform of the House of Lords also brought into question the position of the Lords Spiritual. Another issue of controversy is the Act of Settlement 1701 which determines succession to the British monarchy under which the head of state is also the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Scotland Despite some official documentation (marriage registrations being a common example) describing the Church of Scotland as the "Established Church" the Kirk has always disclaimed that status. This was eventually acknowledged by the United Kingdom government within the Church of Scotland Act 1921. Since it has thus never been legally Established it cannot be disestablished. Wales Main article: Welsh Church Act 1914 In Wales four Church of England dioceses were disestablished in 1920 becoming separated from the Church of England in the process and subsequently becoming the Church in Wales (not an established church). Ireland Main article: Irish Church Act 1869 The whole of the island of Ireland was merged with Great Britain in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under British control in 1801. The (Anglican) state church was disestablished in 1871 becoming the Church of Ireland. In the twentieth century the island of Ireland was partitioned into predominantly Protestant Northern Ireland part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the predominantly Catholic and independent Ireland a republic. The Constitution of Ireland (the republic) in force since 1937 prohibits the state from endorsing any religion as an established church. Formerly the constitution recognised the "special position" of the Catholic Church "as the guardian of the Faith professed by the great majority of the citizens" in addition with other religions but these provisions were removed by the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland in 1973. United States of America The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution explicitly forbids the federal government from enacting any law respecting a religious establishment and thus forbids either designating an official church for the United States or interfering with State and local official churches which were common when the First Amendment was enacted. It did not prevent state governments from establishing official churches. Connecticut continued to do so until it replaced its colonial Charter with the Connecticut Constitution of 1818; Massachusetts retained an establishment of religion in general until 1833.4 (The Massachusetts system required every man to belong to some church and pay taxes towards it; while it was formally neutral between denominations in practice the indifferent would be counted as belonging to the majority denomination and in some cases religious minorities had trouble being recognized at all.citation needed) As of 2010update Article III of the Massachusetts constitution still provides "... the legislature shall from time to time authorize and require the several towns parishes precincts and other bodies politic or religious societies to make suitable provision at their own expense for the institution of the public worship of God and for the support and maintenance of public Protestant teachers of piety religion and morality in all cases where such provision shall not be made voluntarily."5 The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ratified in 1868 makes no mention of religious establishment but forbids the states to "abridge the privileges or immunities" of U.S. citizens or to "deprive any person of life liberty or property without due process of law". In the 1947 case of Everson v. Board of Education the United States Supreme Court held that this later provision incorporates the First Amendment's Establishment Clause as applying to the States and thereby prohibits state and local religious establishments. The exact boundaries of this prohibition are still disputed and are a frequent source of cases before the U.S. Supreme Court especially as the Court must now balance on a state level the First Amendment prohibitions on government establishment of official religions with the First Amendment prohibitions on government interference with the free exercise of religion. See school prayer for such a controversy in contemporary American politics. All current State constitutions do mention a Creatorcitation needed but include guarantees of religious liberty parallel to the First Amendment but eight (Arkansas Maryland Massachusetts North Carolina Pennsylvania South Carolina Tennessee and Texas) also contain clauses that prohibit atheists from holding public office.67 However these clauses were held by the U.S. Supreme Court to be unenforceable in the 1961 case of Torcaso v. Watkins where the court ruled unanimously that such clauses constituted a religious test incompatible with the religious test prohibition in Article 6 Section 3 of the United States Constitution. Predominant religions in secular states More than 90 percent of the respective populations: Roman Catholic Italy Philippines Luxembourg Colombia Ecuador Mexico Peru Poland Venezuela and East Timor Islam Azerbaijan Gambia Mali Senegal Syria Tajikistan Turkey Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan Buddhism Burma Present state religions Currently the following religions are recognized as state religions in some countries: some form of Christianity Islam and Buddhism. Christian countries Further information: state church The following states recognize some form of Christianity as their state or official religion (by denomination): Roman Catholic Jurisdictions which recognize Roman Catholicism as their state or official religion: Costa Rica8 Liechtenstein9 Malta10 Monaco11 Vatican City (Holy See) A number of countries including Andorra Argentina2 Dominican Republic El Salvador Italy12 Haiti Honduras Paraguay13 Peru14 Poland15 Portugal Slovakia and Spain16 give a special recognition to Catholicism in their constitution despite not making it the state religion. All Cantons in Switzerland give official recognition to a church except Geneva and Neuchtel. Roman Catholicism is recognized as official in several cantons including Appenzell Innerrhoden Nidwalden Schwyz Uri and others. Switzerland itself has no official religion. Eastern Orthodox Jurisdictions which recognize one of the Eastern Orthodox Churches as their state religion: Greece (Church of Greece)17 Finland: Finnish Orthodox Church has a special relationship with the Finnish state.18 The internal structure of the church is described in the Orthodox Church Act. The church has a power to tax its members and corporations if a majority of shareholders are members. The church does not consider itself a state church as the state does not have the authority to affect its internal workings or theology. De-facto state religion status: Georgia: Georgian Orthodox Church Protestantism Lutheran Jurisdictions which recognize a Lutheran church as their state religion include the Nordic countries. Membership is very high among the general population however the amount of actively participating members and believers is considerably lower than in many other countries with similar membership statistics. Furthermore all of these churches have lately seen decline in the fraction of the population being members. Denmark (Church of Denmark)19 Iceland (Church of Iceland)20 (7764% of population members at January 1 2011) 21 Norway (Church of Norway)22 (80% of population members at the end of 2009) 23 Finland: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland has a special relationship with the Finnish state its internal structure being described in a special law the Church Act.18 The Church Act can be amended only by a decision of the Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and subsequent ratification by the parliament. The Church Act is protected by the Finnish constitution and the state can not change the Church Act without changing the constitution. The church has a power to tax its members and all corporations unless a majority of shareholders are members of the Finnish Orthodox Church. The state collects these taxes for the church for a fee. On the other hand the church is required to give a burial place for everyone in its graveyards.24 (79% of population members at the end of 2009).25 The Finnish president also decides the themes for the intercession days. The church does not consider itself a state church as the Finnish state does not have the power to influence its internal workings or its theology although it has a veto in those changes of the internal structure which require changing the Church Act. Neither does the Finnish state accord any precedence to Lutherans or the Lutheran faith in its own acts. Sweden relegated their state church into a national church in 2000. In late 2009 the church of Sweden had 71.3% of the population as its members in 2009.26 Reformed Jurisdictions which recognize a Reformed church as their state religion: Scotland (Church of Scotland) - while it is recognized as the national church the Church of Scotland is not a state church and thus differs from the Church of England. Its constitution which is recognised by acts of the British Parliament gives it complete independence from the state in spiritual matters. Tuvalu (Church of Tuvalu) All Cantons in Switzerland give official recognition to a church except Geneva and Neuchtel. Several Cantons in Switzerland give official recognition to the Swiss Reformed Church as the cantonal religion including Appenzell Ausserrhoden Bern Schaffhausen Vaud and Zurich. Switzerland itself has no official religion. Anglican See also: Statereligion#Tabularsummary Jurisdictions that recognise an Anglican church as their state religion: England (Church of England) Muslim countries Main articles: Political aspects of Islam Sharia Caliphate Religious police and Islamism Most Muslim-majority countries recognize Islam as their state religion. Proselytism on behalf of other religions is often illegal. Sunni Islam Afghanistan Algeria Brunei Comoros Egypt Aceh Province of Indonesia Jordan Libya Malaysia Maldives Mauritania Morocco Pakistan Qatar Saudi Arabia (Islamic kingdom state-sanctioned) Somalia Tunisia United Arab Emirates Shi'a Islam Iran (Theocratic state) Iraq (Constitution amended Islam inscribed as state religion c. 2003) Ibadi Oman (Freedom of religion is protected by the law) Mixed Shia & Sunni Kuwait Yemen (Zaydi fiqh among Zaydi Shias) Bahrain (Freedom of religion is protected by the law) Sufi Somalia (Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a controlled regions) Buddhist countries Governments which recognize Buddhism either a specific form of or the whole as their official religion: Bhutan (Drukpa Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism)27 Cambodia (Theravada Buddhism)28 Kalmykia a republic within the Russian Federation (Tibetan Buddhism sole Buddhist entity in Europe) Sri Lanka (Theravada Buddhism) The constitution accords Buddhism the "foremost place" but Buddhism is not recognized as the state religion.29 Thailand (Theravada Buddhism)- Thai constitution (2007) recognized Buddhism as "the religion of Thai tradition with the most adherents" However it is not formally named as state religion. Jewish country Israel is defined in several of its laws as a "Jewish and democratic state" (medina yehudit ve-demokratit). However the term "Jewish" is a polyseme that can relate equally to the Jewish people or religion (see: Who is a Jew). The debate about the meaning of the term Jewish and its legal and social applications is one of the most profound issues with which Israeli society deals. At present there is no specific law or official statement establishing the Jewish religion as the state's religion. However the State of Israel supports religious institutions particularly Orthodox Jewish ones and recognizes the "religious communities" as carried over from those recognized under the British Mandate. These are: Jewish and Christian (Eastern Orthodox Latin Catholic Gregorian-Armenian Armenian-Catholic Syrian Catholic Chaldean Uniate Greek Catholic Melkite Maronite and Syrian Orthodox). The fact that the Muslim population was not defined as a religious community is a vestige of the Ottoman periodcitation needed during which Islam was the dominant religion and does not affect the rights of the Muslim community to practice their faith. At the end of the period covered by this report several of these denominations were pending official government recognition; however the Government has allowed adherents of not officially recognized groups freedom to practice. In 1961 legislation gave Muslim Shari'a courts exclusive jurisdiction in matters of personal status. Three additional religious communities have subsequently been recognized by Israeli law the Druze (prior under Islamic jurisdiction) the Evangelical Episcopal Church and the Bah'.30 These groups have their own religious courts as official state courts for personal status matters (see millet system). The structure and goals of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel are governed by Israeli law but the law does not say explicitly that it is a state Rabbinate. However outspoken Israeli secularists such as Shulamit Aloni and Uri Avnery have long maintained that it is that in practice. Non-recognition of other streams of Judaism such as Reform Judaism and Conservative Judaism is the cause of some controversy; rabbis belonging to these currents are not recognized as such by state institutions and marriages performed by them are not recognized as valid. As of 2011update marriage in Israel provides no provision for civil marriage marriage between people of different religions marriages by people who do not belong to one of nine recognised religious communities or same-sex marriages although there is recognition of marriages performed abroad. Additional notes Nepal was once the world's only Hindu state but has ceased to be so following a declaration by the Parliament in 2006. The Philippines is constituted as a de facto Roman Catholic-statedubious discuss with religious freedom guarantees. In one region of the country is the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao which composed of all the country's predominantly Muslim provinces the Regional Assembly is empowered to legislate on matters covered by the Shari'ah. Such legislation however applies only to Muslims.31 Many countries indirectly fund the activities of different religious denominations by granting tax-exempt status to churches and religious institutions which qualify as charitable organizations.3233 However these religions are not established as state religions. Ancient state religions Egypt and Sumer See also: History of religion The concept of state religions was known as long ago as the empires of Egypt and Sumer when every city state or people had its own god or gods. Many of the early Sumerian rulers were priests of their patron city god. Some of the earliest semi-mythological kings may have passed into the pantheon like Dumuzid and some later kings came to be viewed as divine soon after their reigns like Sargon the Great of Akkad. One of the first rulers to be proclaimed a god during his actual reign was Gudea of Lagash followed by some later kings of Ur such as Shulgi. Often the state religion was integral to the power base of the reigning government such as in Egypt where Pharaohs were often thought of as embodiments of the god Horus. Sassanid Empire Zoroastrianism was the state religion of the Sassanid dynasty which lasted until 651 when Persia was conquered by the forces of Islam. However it persisted as the state religion of the independent state of Hyrcania until the 15th century. The tiny kingdom of Adiabene in northern Mesopotamia converted to Judaism around 34 AD. Greek city-states Many of the Greek city-states also had a 'god' or 'goddess' associated with that city. This would not be the 'only god' of the city but the one that received special honors. In ancient Greece the city of Athens had Athena Sparta had Ares Delphi had Apollo and Artemis Olympia had Zeus Corinth had Poseidon and Thebes had Demeter. Roman religion and Christianity In Rome the office of Pontifex Maximus came to be reserved for the emperor who was often declared a 'god' posthumously or sometimes during his reign. Failure to worship the emperor as a god was at times punishable by death as the Roman government sought to link emperor worship with loyalty to the Empire. Many Christians and Jews were subject to persecution torture and death in the Roman Empire because it was against their beliefs to worship the emperor. In 311 Emperor Galerius on his deathbed declared a religious indulgence to Christians throughout the Roman Empire focusing on the ending of anti-Christian persecution. Constantine I and Licinius the two Augusti by the Edict of Milan of 313 enacted a law allowing religious freedom to everyone within the Roman Empire. Furthermore the Edict of Milan cited that Christians may openly practice their religion unmolested and unrestricted and provided that properties taken from Christians be returned to them unconditionally. Although the Edict of Milan allowed religious freedom throughout the empire it did not abolish nor disestablish the Roman state cult (Roman polytheistic paganism). The Edict of Milan was written in such a way as to implore the blessings of the deity. Constantine called up the First Council of Nicaea in 325 although he was not a baptised Christian until years later. Despite enjoying considerable popular support Christianity was still not the official state religion in Rome although it was in some neighboring states such as Armenia and Aksum. Roman Religion (Neoplatonic Hellenism) was restored for a time by Julian the Apostate from 361 to 363. Julian does not appear to have reinstated the persecutions of the earlier Roman emperors. Catholic Christianity as opposed to Arianism and other ideologies deemed heretical was declared to be the state religion of the Roman Empire on February 27 38034 by the decree De Fide Catolica of Emperor Theodosius I.35 Han Dynasty Confucianism In China the Han Dynasty (206 BC 220 AD) advocated Confucianism as the de facto state religion establishing tests based on Confucian texts as an entrance requirement into government servicealthough in fact the "Confucianism" advocated by the Han emperors may be more properly termed a sort of Confucian Legalism or "State Confucianism". This sort of Confucianism continued to be regarded by the emperors with a few notable exceptions as a form of state religion from this time until the overthrow of the imperial system of government in 1911. Note however there is a debate over whether Confucianism (including Neo-confucianism) is a religion or purely a philosophical system. Modern era Empire of Japan From the Meiji era to the first part of the Showa era Koshitsu Shinto was established in Japan as the national religion. According to this the emperor of Japan was an arahitogami an incarnate divinity and the offspring of goddess Amaterasu. As the emperor was according to the constitution "head of the empire" and "supreme commander of the Army and the Navy" every Japanese citizen had to obey his will and show absolute loyalty. States/Countries without a state religion These states do not profess a state religion and are generally secular or laique. Countries which do not officially establish any religion include: Albania Armenia (Article 8.1 of the Armenian Constitution) Australia (Forbidden under the Constitution of Australia) Azerbaijan Brazil (Article 19 of the Brazilian Constitution)36 Bolivia Canada Chile Cuba People's Republic of China Republic of China (Taiwan) East Timor37 Ecuador Estonia38 France Germany Hungary3940 India Ireland Italy Jamaica Japan (Shinto until end of WWII) Kosovo41 (Independence partially recognised) Laos Lebanon (although by custom the president is a Maronite Catholic the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the speaker of the parliament a Shi'a Muslim.)42 Mauritius Mexico (prohibited per Article 130 of the present Constitution of 1917) Montenegro Nepal (declared a secular state on May 18 2006 by the newly resumed House of Representatives) Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria (federally secular but allowing for the institutionalization of Islam and sharia in the predominantly-Muslim northern states) North Korea Philippines (forbidden explicitly under Article III Section 5 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution) Poland43 Portugal Romania Russia Serbia Slovenia44 Singapore South Africa South Korea Spain Sweden (Lutheran (Church of Sweden) until December 31 1999.) Syria (though the constitution requires the president be Muslim and establishes Sharia as the official source of legislation) Turkey United Republic of Tanzania The father of the Nation Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere said the state does not have the religion but the people of the United Republic of Tanzania have and each one is allowed to practice their religion freely as long as it does not cause harm to the other. United States (forbidden explicitly under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and implicitly in Article VI of the same document.) Puerto Rico (forbidden explicitly under Article II Section III of the Constitution of Puerto Rico. Also forbidden explicitly under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution as well as implicitly in Article VI of the same document. Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth of the United States). Uruguay Venezuela Vietnam Established churches and former state churches Country Church Denomination Disestablished Anhalt Evangelical State Church of Anhalt united 1918 Armenia Armenian Apostolic Church Oriental Orthodox 1921 Austria Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1918 Baden Roman Catholic Church and the United Evangelical Protestant State Church of Baden Catholic and united 1918 Bavaria Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1918 Bolivia Roman Catholic Church Catholic 2009 Brazil Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1890 Duchy of Brunswick Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Brunswick Lutheran 1918 Bulgaria Bulgarian Orthodox Church Eastern Orthodox 1946 Chile Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1925 Cuba Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1902 Cyprus Cypriot Orthodox Church Eastern Orthodox 1977 with the death of the Ethnarch Makarios III Czechoslovakia Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1920 Denmark Church of Denmark Lutheran no England Church of England Anglican no Ethiopia Ethiopian Orthodox Church Oriental Orthodox 1974 Finlandnote 1 Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland Lutheran 1870/1919 Francenote 2 Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1905 Georgia Georgian Orthodox Church Eastern Orthodox 1921 Greece Greek Orthodox Church Eastern Orthodox17 no Guatemala Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1871 Haiti Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1987 Hesse Evangelical Church in Hesse united 1918 Hungarynote 3 Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1946 Iceland Lutheran Evangelical Church Lutheran no Irelandnote 4 Church of Ireland Anglican 1871 Italy Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1984 (into force April 25th 198545) Liechtenstein Roman Catholic Church9 Catholic no Lippe Church of Lippe Reformed 1918 Lithuania Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1940 Lbeck Evangelical Lutheran Church in the State of Lbeck Lutheran 1918 Luxembourg Roman Catholic Church Catholic   Republic of Macedonia Macedonian Orthodox Church Eastern Orthodox no Malta Roman Catholic Church Catholic no Mecklenburg-Schwerin Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Lutheran 1918 Mecklenburg-Strelitz Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Lutheran 1918 Mexico Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1874 Monaco Roman Catholic Church Catholic no Mongolia Tibetan Buddhism n/a 1926 Netherlands Dutch Reformed Church Reformed 1795 Norway Church of Norway Lutheran no (20112012) ref.: http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/kkd/dok/regpubl/stmeld/2007-2008/stmeld-nr-17-2007-2008-.htmlid507168. In this case only state religion but not state church will be disestablished. Oldenburg Evangelical Lutheran Church of Oldenburg Lutheran 1918 Panama Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1904 Paraguay Roman Catholic Church Catholic 199246 Philippinesnote 5 Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1898 Polandnote 6 Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1947 Portugal Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1910 Prussia pre 1866 provinces Evangelical State Church of Prussia's older Provinces with nine ecclesiastical provinces united 1918 Prussia Province of Hanover Evangelical Reformed State Church of the Province of Hanover Reformed 1918 Prussia Province of Hanover Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Hanover Lutheran 1918 Prussia Province of Hesse-Nassau (partially) Evangelical State Church of Frankfurt upon Main united 1918 Prussia Province of Hesse-Nassau (partially) Evangelical Church of Electoral Hesse united 1918 Prussia Province of Hesse-Nassau (partially) Evangelical State Church in Nassau united 1918 Prussia Prov. of Schleswig-Holstein Evangelical Lutheran Church of Schleswig-Holstein Lutheran 1918 Quebec Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1960 Romania Romanian Orthodox Church Eastern Orthodox 1947 Russia Russian Orthodox Church Eastern Orthodox 1917 Thuringia church bodies in principalities which merged in Thuringia in 1920 Lutheran 1918 Saxony Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Saxony Lutheran 1918 Schaumburg-Lippe Evangelical State Church of Schaumburg-Lippe Lutheran 1918 Scotland48 Church of Scotland Presbyterian State control disclaimed since 1638. Formally recognised as not an established church in 1921 Serbia Serbian Orthodox Church Eastern 1921 Spain Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1978 Sweden Church of Sweden Lutheran 2000 Switzerland none since the adoption of the Federal Constitution (1848) n/a n/a Turkey Islam Islam 1928 Uruguay Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1919 Waldeck Evangelical State Church of Waldeck and Pyrmont united 1918 Walesnote 7 Church in Wales Anglican 1920 Wrttemberg Evangelical State Church in Wrttemberg Lutheran 1918 Finland's State Church was the Church of Sweden until 1809. As an autonomous Grand Duchy under Russia 18091917 Finland retained the Lutheran State Church system and a state church separate from Sweden later named the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland was established. It was detached from the state as a separate judicial entity when the new church law came to force in 1870. After Finland had gained independence in 1917 religious freedom was declared in the constitution of 1919 and a separate law on religious freedom in 1922. Through this arrangement the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland lost its position as a state church but gained a constitutional status as a national church alongside with the Finnish Orthodox Church whose position however is not codified in the constitution. In France the Concordat of 1801 made the Roman Catholic Calvinist and Lutheran churches state-sponsored religions as well as Judaism. In Hungary the constitutional laws of 1848 declared five established churches on equal status: the Roman Catholic Calvinist Lutheran Eastern Orthodox and Unitarian Church. In 1868 the law was ratified again after the Ausgleich. In 1895 Judaism was also recognized as the sixth established church. In 1948 every distinction between the different denominations were abolished. Article 44.1.2 of the 1937 Consititution recognised "the special position of the Holy Catholic Apostolic and Roman Church" while Article 44.1.3 recognised other named religions. Both were deleted in 1972. Disestablished by in the article 5 of the Malolos Constitution upon independence although the Roman Catholic Church itself is often treated as a de facto state religion in the country today.47 Article 114 of the Polish March Constitution of 1921 declared the Roman Catholic Church to hold "the principal position among religious denominations equal before the law" (in reference to the idea of first among equals). The article was continued in force by article 81 of the April Constitution of 1935. The Soviet-backed PKWN Manifesto of 1944 reintroduced the March Constitution which remained in force until it was replaced by the Small Constitution of 1947. The Church in Wales was split from the Church of England in 1920 by Welsh Church Act 1914; at the same time becoming disestablished. Former state churches in British North America Protestant colonies The colonies of Plymouth Massachusetts Bay New Haven and New Hampshire were founded by Puritan Calvinist Protestants. The colonies of New York Virginia North Carolina South Carolina and Georgia were officially Church of England. Catholic colonies When New France was transferred to Great Britain in 1763 the Roman Catholic Church remained under toleration but Huguenots were allowed entrance where they had formerly been banned from settlement by Parisian authorities. The Colony of Maryland was founded by a charter granted in 1632 to George Calvert secretary of state to Charles I and his son Cecil both recent converts to Roman Catholicism. Under their leadership many English Catholic gentry families settled in Maryland. However the colonial government was officially neutral in religious affairs granting toleration to all Christian groups and enjoining them to avoid actions which antagonized the others. On several occasions low-church dissenters led insurrections which temporarily overthrew the Calvert rule. In 1689 when William and Mary came to the English throne they acceded to demands to revoke the original royal charter. In 1701 the Church of England was proclaimed and in the course of the eighteenth century Maryland Catholics were first barred from public office then disenfranchised although not all of the laws passed against them (notably laws restricting property rights and imposing penalties for sending children to be educated in foreign Catholic institutions) were enforced and some Catholics even continued to hold public office. Spanish Florida was ceded to Great Britain in 1763 the British divided Florida into two colonies. Both East and West Florida continued a policy of toleration for the Catholic Residents. Colonies with no established church The Province of Pennsylvania was founded by Quakers but the colony never had an established church. The Province of New Jersey without official religion had a significant Quaker lobby but Calvinists of all stripes also had a presence. Delaware Colony had no established church but was contested between Catholics and Quakers. The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations founded by religious dissenters forced to flee the Massachusetts Bay colony is widely regarded as the first polity to grant religious freedom to all its citizens although Catholics were barred intermittently. Baptists Seekers/Quakers and Jews made this colony their home. Tabular summary Colony Denomination Disestablished1 Connecticut Congregational 1818 Georgia Church of England/Episcopal Church 17892 Maryland Church of England/Episcopal Church 1776 Massachusetts Congregational 18333 New Brunswick Church of England New Hampshire Congregational 17904 Newfoundland Church of England North Carolina Church of England/Episcopal Church 17765 Nova Scotia Church of England 1850 Prince Edward Island Church of England South Carolina Church of England/Episcopal Church 1790 Canada West Church of England 1854 West Florida Church of England6/Episcopal Church 17837 East Florida Church of England6/Episcopal Church 17837 Virginia Church of England/Episcopal Church 17868 West Indies Church of England 1868 (Barbados not until 1969) Note 1: In several colonies the establishment ceased to exist in practice at the Revolution about 1776;49 this is the date of permanent legal abolition. Note 2: in 1789 the Georgia Constitution was amended as follows: "Article IV. Section 10. No person within this state shall upon any pretense be deprived of the inestimable privilege of worshipping God in any manner agreeable to his own conscience nor be compelled to attend any place of worship contrary to his own faith and judgment; nor shall he ever be obliged to pay tithes taxes or any other rate for the building or repairing any place of worship or for the maintenance of any minister or ministry contrary to what he believes to be right or hath voluntarily engaged. To do. No one religious society shall ever be established in this state in preference to another; nor shall any person be denied the enjoyment of any civil right merely on account of his religious principles." Note 3: From 1780 Massachusetts had a system which required every man to belong to a church and permitted each church to tax its members but forbade any law requiring that it be of any particular denomination. This was objected to as in practice establishing the Congregational Church the majority denomination and was abolished in 1833. Note 4: Until 1877 the New Hampshire Constitution required members of the State legislature to be of the Protestant religion. Note 5: The North Carolina Constitution of 1776 disestablished the Anglican church but until 1835 the NC Constitution allowed only Protestants to hold public office. From 18351876 it allowed only Christians (including Catholics) to hold public office. Article VI Section 8 of the current NC Constitution forbids only atheists from holding public office.50 Such clauses were held by the United States Supreme Court to be unenforceable in the 1961 case of Torcaso v. Watkins when the court ruled unanimously that such clauses constituted a religious test incompatible with First and Fourteenth Amendment protections. Note 6: Religious tolerance for Catholics with an established Church of England was policy in the former Spanish Colonies of East and West Florida while under British rule. Note 7: In 1783 Peace of Paris which ended the American Revolutionary War the British ceded both East and West Florida back to Spain (see Spanish Florida). Note 8: Tithes for the support of the Anglican Church in Virginia were suspended in 1776 and never restored. 1786 is the date of the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom which prohibited any coercion to support any religious body. Non-Anglo-American colonies In both cases these areas were disestablished and dissolved yet their presences were tolerated by the Anglo-American government as Foreign Protestants whose communities were expected to observe their own ways without causing controversy or conflict for the prevalent colonists. After the Revolution their ethno-religious backgrounds were chiefly sought as the most compatible non-British Isles immigrants. New Netherland was founded by Dutch Reformed Calvinists. New Sweden was founded by Church of Sweden Lutherans. State of Deseret The State of Deseret was a provisional state of the United States proposed in 1849 by Mormon settlers in Salt Lake City. The provisional state existed for slightly over two years but attempts to gain recognition by the United States government floundered for various reasons. The Utah Territory which was then founded was under Mormon control and repeated attempts to gain statehood met resistance in part due to concerns over the principle of separation of church and state conflicting with the practice of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of placing their highest value on "following counsel" in virtually all matters relating to their church-centered lives. The state of Utah was eventually admitted to the union on January 4 1896 after the various issues had been resolved.51 See also List of state-established religions Civil religion Political religion Separation of church and state Freedom of religion Status of religious freedom by country Religious toleration Secular state Secular religion References The Journal of Ecclesiastical History  Page 268 by Cambridge University Press Gale Group C.W. Dugmore a b Argentina Constitution: Section 2 Constitutional Law. "The History of the Church of England". The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England. http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/history/. Retrieved 2006-05-24.  James H. Hutson (2000). Religion and the new republic: faith in the founding of America. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 22. ISBN 9780847694341. http://books.google.com/booksidYwWg8qr68MC.  CONSTITUTION OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS malegislature.gov. "State Constitutions that Discriminate Against Atheists". www.godlessgeeks.com. http://www.godlessgeeks.com/LINKS/StateConstitutions.htm. Retrieved 2007-04-27.  "Religious laws and religious bigotry Religious discrimination in U.S. state constitutions". www.religioustolerance.com. http://www.religioustolerance.org/texas.htm. Retrieved 2007-04-27.  The Constitution of Costa Rica TITLE VI: RELIGION CostaRicaLaw.com. a b Constitution of the Principality of Liechtenstein: Article 37(2) digital Liechtenstein. Malta Constitution Constitutional Law Section 2 State Religion. CONSTITUTION DE LA PRINCIPAUTE (French): Art. 9. Principaute De Monaco: Ministre d'Etat. The Constitution of the Italian Republic http://www.senato.it/documenti/repository/istituzione/costituzioneinglese.pdf "The State and the Catholic Church are independent and sovereign each within its own sphere. Their relations are regulated by the Lateran pacts. Amendments to such Pacts which are accepted by both parties shall not require the procedure of constitutional amendments. ... Denominations other than Catholicism have the right to self-organisation according to their own statutes provided these do not conflict with Italian law. Their relations with the State are regulated by law based on agreements with their respective representatives."  Constitution of the Republic of Paraguay http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/pa00000.html "The role played by the Catholic Church in the historical and cultural formation of the Republic is hereby recognized."  Constitution of the Republic of Peru http://www.congreso.gob.pe/ingles/CONSTITUTION290808.pdf "Within an independent and autonomous system the State recognizes the Catholic Church as an important element in the historical cultural and moral formation of Peru and lends it its cooperation. The State respects other denominations and may establish forms of collaboration with them."  The Constitution of the Republic of Poland 1997-04-02 http://sejm.gov.pl/prawo/konst/angielski/kon1.htm "The relations between the Republic of Poland and the Roman Catholic Church shall be determined by international treaty concluded with the Holy See and by statute. The relations between the Republic of Poland and other churches and religious organizations shall be determined by statutes adopted pursuant to agreements concluded between their appropriate representatives and the Council of Ministers."  Spanish Constitution http://www.congreso.es/portal/page/portal/Congreso/Congreso/Informacion/Normas/constespatextoingles0.pdf "The public authorities shall take into account the religious beliefs of Spanish society and shall consequently maintain appropriate cooperation relations with the Catholic Church and other confessions."  a b THE CONSTITUTION OF GREECE : SECTION II RELATIONS OF CHURCH AND STATE Hellenic Resources network. a b Finland Constitution Section 76 The Church Act http://servat.unibe.ch/icl/fi00000.html. Denmark Constitution: Section 4 State Church Constitutional Law. Constitution of the Republic of Iceland: Article 62 Government of Iceland. "Statistics Iceland - Statistics  Population  Religious organisations". Statice.is. 2011. http://www.statice.is/PageID1180&src/tempen/Dialog/varval.aspmaMAN10001%26tiPopulations+by+religious+organizations+1990-2009++%26path../Database/mannfjoldi/Trufelog/%26lang1%26unitsNumber. Retrieved 2011-05-27.  Norway Constitution: Article 2 Religion State Religion Constitutional Law. "Kirken.no - Medlemskap i kirken" (in Norwegian). Den norske kirke. http://www.kirken.no/index.cfmeventdoLink&famId230. Retrieved 2009-06-28.  Status of the Finnish State Church in 2007Privileges of the State Church eroakirkosta.fi 7 October 2007 http://www.eroakirkosta.fi/media/english/statusofthefinnishstatechurchin2007.html#privileges retrieved 2007-10-23  Ennakkotiedot ev.lut. kirkon 2009 vestrakenteesta evl.fi 31.12.2009 "Medlemmar 1972-2008 tabell och diagram" (in Swedish) (XLS 22.5 KiB). Svenska kyrkan. http://www.svenskakyrkan.se/default.aspxid100243&did246080.  (pdf) Draft of Tsa Thrim Chhenmo www.constitution.bt August 1 2007 http://www.constitution.bt/draftconstitution3rden.pdf retrieved 2007-10-18 Article 3 Spiritual Heritage 1. Buddhism is the spiritual heritage of Bhutan which promotes the principles and values of peace non-violence compassion and tolerance. 2. The Druk Gyalpo is the protector of all religions in Bhutan. 3. It shall be the responsibility of religious institutions and personalities to promote the spiritual heritage of the country while also ensuring that religion remains separate from politics in Bhutan. Religious institutions and personalities shall remain above politics. 4. The Druk Gyalpo shall on the recommendation of the Five Lopons appoint a learned and respected monk ordained in accordance with the Druk-lu blessed with the nine qualities of a spiritual master and accomplished in ked-dzog as the Je Khenpo. 5. His Holiness the Je Khenpo shall on the recommendation of the Dratshang Lhentshog appoint monks blessed with the nine qualities of a spiritual master and accomplished in ked-dzog as the Five Lopons. 6. The members of the Dratshang Lhentshog shall comprise:  (a) The Je Khenpo as Chairman;  (b) The Five Lopons of the Zhung Dratshang; and  (c) The Secretary of the Dratshang Lhentshog who is a civil servant. 7. The Zhung Dratshang and Rabdeys shall continue to receive adequate funds and other facilities from the State. Constitution of Cambodia cambodia.org http://www.cambodia.org/facts/governmentThe+Constitution+of+Cambodia retrieved 2011-04-13  (Article 43) "Chapter II Buddhism" The Constitution of the Republic of Sri lanka The Official Website of the Government of Sri Lanka http://www.priu.gov.lk/Cons/1978Constitution/Chapter02Amd.html retrieved 2007-10-18  International Religious Freedom Report 2009 : Israel and the occupied territories U.S. Department of State Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor. REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9054 : AN ACT TO STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND THE ORGANIC ACT FOR THE AUTONOMOUS REGION IN MUSLIM MINDANAO AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6734 ENTITLED "AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE AUTONOMOUS REGION IN MUSLIM MINDANAO AS AMENDED Congress of the Philippines http://www.congress.gov.ph/download/ra11/RA09054.pdf  (Article IV Section 3e) Internal Revenue Service. "Tax guide for churches and Religious Institutions" (PDF). United States Department of the Treasury. http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1828.pdf. Retrieved 2006-11-23.  Internal Revenue Seervice. "Exemption Requirements". United States Department of the Treasury. http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0id9609900.html. Retrieved 2006-11-23.  "The Theodosian Code". THE LATIN LIBRARY at Ad Fontes Academy. Ad Fontes Academy. http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/latinlibrary/theod.html. Retrieved 2006-11-23.  Halsall Paul (June 1997). "Theodosian Code XVI.i.2". Medieval Sourcebook: Banning of Other Religions. Fordham University. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/theodcodeXVI.html. Retrieved 2006-11-23.  1 Section 12 of the East Timorese Constitution Constitution of the Republic of Estonia Constitution of the Republic of Hungary The right of thought the freedom of conscience and religion Hungary.hu Draft Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo The Constitution of Lebanon specifies that the President is elected by the Chamber of Deputies in which equal representation between Christians and Muslims is constitutionally required and specifies that the President designates the Prime Minister in consultation with the President of the Chamber of Deputies. Article 25 of the constitution states: "1. Churches and other religious organizations shall have equal rights. 2. Public authorities in the Republic of Poland shall be impartial in matters of personal conviction" Article 7 of the constitution Andrea Mammone; Giuseppe A. Veltri (2010). Italy today: the sick man of Europe. Taylor & Francis. pp. 168 (Note 1). ISBN 9780415561594. http://books.google.com/booksid7YWKJ00Dw7QC.  Under the 1967 Constitution Roman Catholicism was the state religion as stated in Article 6: "The Roman Catholic Apostolic religion is the state religion without prejudice to religious freedom which is guaranteed in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution. Official relations of the republic with the Holy See shall be governed by concordats or other bilateral agreements." The 1992 Constitution which replaced the 1967 one establishes Paraguay as a secular state as mentioned in section (1) of Article 24: "Freedom of religion worship and ideology is recognized without any restrictions other than those established in this Constitution and the law. The State has no official religion." "Malolos Constitution". MSC Institute of Technology. June 12 1898. http://www.msc.edu.ph/centennial/constitution.html. Retrieved 2008-12-22.  The modern Church of Scotland has always disclaimed recognition as an "established" church. The Church of Scotland Act 1921 formally recognised the Kirk's independence from the state. "Rights of the People: Individual freedom and the Bill of Rights". US State Department. December 2003. http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/rightsof/roots.htm. Retrieved 2007-04-06.  Article VI of the North Carolina state constitition Struggle For Statehood Edward Leo Lyman Utah History Encyclopedia External links McConnell Michael W. (April 2003) "Establishment and Disestablishment at the Founding Part I: Establishment of Religion" William and Mary Law Review provided by Questia.com 44 (5): 2105 http://www.questia.com/PM.qstao&d5002019127&erdeny retrieved 2006-11-23.  v d eReligious persecution and religious discrimination By group African traditional religions  Ahmadiyya  Atheism  Bah'  Catholicism  Christianity 2  Hinduism 2  Falun Gong  Islam 2  Judaism 2 3   Jehovah's Witness  Mormonism  Neopaganism  Rastafaris  Protestantism  Shi'a Islam  Zoroastrianism  Method Abuse  Art  Censorship  Desecration  Discrimination  Forced conversion  Genocide  Intolerance  Pogrom  Segregation  State atheism  State religion  Terrorism  Violence  War  Historical events Cristero War  Decline of Greco-Roman polytheism  Expulsion of the Moriscos  Decline of Buddhism in India  Decline of Hinduism in Pakistan  Cromwellian conquest of Ireland  Cultural Revolution  French Revolutionary dechristianisation  European wars of religion  French Wars of Religion  Inquisition  Jewish exodus from Arab and Muslim lands  Persecution of Pagans by the Christian Roman Empire  Saxon Wars  Treatment of Christians in the Soviet Union  Treatment of Christians in Communist Bloc countries  Kulturkampf  Kirchenkampf  Red Terror  Terrible Triangle  Test Act  Thirty Years' War  War in the Vende  v d eReligion topics Major groups Abrahamic Bah' Faith  Christianity (Catholicism Jehovah's Witness Latter Day Saint movement Orthodoxy Protestanism Unitarianism)  Druze  Islam (Sunni Shia Sufi)  Judaism (Conservative Karaite Orthodox Reform) Indian Ayyavazhi  Buddhism (Theravada Mahayana Vajrayana)  Hinduism (Shaktism Shaivism Smartism Vaishnavism)  Jainism  Sikhism Iranian Ahl-e Haqq  Bah' Faith  Manichaeism  Mazdak  Mithraism  Yazidi  Zoroastrianism (and Zurvanism) East Asian Confucianism  Shinto  Taoism  Zen Yoruba Aladura  Candombl  Santera  Umbanda Recent Cao Dai  Cheondoism  Discordianism  I-Kuan Tao  Neopaganism  New Age  Rastafari  Scientology  Seicho-no-Ie  Tenrikyo  New Thought  Unitarian Universalism Indigenous religion African  Afro-American  Indigenous Australian  Chinese  Finnish-Estonian  Gurung  Javanese  Malagasy  Native American  Odinani  Philippine  Tibetan (Bn)  Polynesian  Vodou Ancient religions Prehistoric Paleolithic Near East Egyptian  Mesopotamian  Semitic Indo-European Celtic  Germanic  Greek (Gnosticism  Neoplatonism)  Illyro-thracian  Mithraism  Roman  Slavic  Vedic Hinduism Turkic Tengriism Aspects Apostasy / Disaffiliation  Beliefs  Clergy  Conversion  Deities  Denomination  Faith  God  Meditation  Monasticism (monk  nun)  Mysticism  Mythology  Ordination  Orthodoxy  Orthopraxy  Ritual (liturgy  sacrifice)  Spirituality  Supernatural  Symbols  Truth Theism Animism  Deism  Monotheism  Nontheism  Panentheism  Pantheism  Polytheism  Transtheism Religious studies Anthropology  Comparative  Development  Evolutionary origin  History  Philosophy  Psychology  Sociology  Theology  Theories  Women Religion and society Agriculture  Business  Clergy (Monasticism  Ordination)  Conversion (Evangelism  Missionary  Proselytism)  Education  Fanaticism  Freedom (Pluralism  Syncretism  Toleration  Universalism)  Fundamentalism  Growth  Happiness  Homosexuality  Minorities  National church  Neo-fascism  Political science  Populations  Schism  Science  State  Theocracy  Violence (Persecution  Terrorism  War)  Wealth Secularism and irreligion Deism  Agnosticism  Atheism  Criticism  Deconstruction  Irreligion by country  Secular theology  Secularization  Separation of church and state  Unaffiliated Lists Index  Outline  Timeline  Abrahamic prophets  Deification  Deities  Founders  Mass gatherings  New religious movements  Organizations  Religions and spiritual traditions  Scholars Category  Portal