Shumen
Analysis
of the questionnaire on freedom of religion and conscience: national part
1. Article 10 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union provides three basic rights - the right to freedom of thought, the right to freedom of conscience, point out the third one.
The students are familiar with the complete
text of Article 10 - Freedom of thought, conscience and
religion.
2. What definition could you
give of the freedom of conscience and the freedom of religion?
The students define the freedom of conscience as the
absolute and inviolable right of every person to have his or her inner world,
and possess his or her own concept of morals and values. The freedom of religion is the
profound inner conviction of the individual to accept or not, and to change or
not change his religious, and respectively, his irreligious, concepts and
opinions. This basic and fundamental right does not allow the exercising of
coercion against the person with the purpose of forced change of his conviction
to have or, respectively, to not have religious convictions.
3. Are the freedom of religion
and the freedom of conscience subject to restrictions according to the current
normative documents of the EU?
Most of the students consider that the freedom of
religion and the freedom of conscience subject to restrictions in the case when
it restricts another human right, freedom or the safety of the citizens. Other
students think that the freedom of religion and the freedom of conscience are
not limited.
4. The freedom of
religion and conscience are an obligatory part of each democratic constitution.
Point out an event or a state decision which can be defined as a violation of
these fundamental rights.
All students consider as a clear violation the
referendum banning the construction of minarets in Switzerland. 57,5 % of the Swiss
voters casted
ballots in favor of the ban. Iran
is another country where repressions against other religion are carried out.
5. Give examples of movements
and defenders of freedom of religion and conscience in Bulgaria.
Movements: Movements for church independence; Movement for Bulgarian enlightenment;
Event: The
"Easter Action" of April 3rd, 1860
People: Saint Paisius of Hilendar, Neofit Bozveli, Ilarion
Makariopolski
6. How can people
display their religious affiliation according to the current normative
documents of the EU?
The students consider that
according to the current normative documents of the EU everyone has
the right freely to profess their religion without prejudice to the people
professing other religions; we have the freedom of an individual or community, in
public or private, to manifest religion or belief
in teaching, practice, worship,
and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom
to change religion or not to follow any religion.
←