Group assesment.
​RELIGIONS, SPIRITUALITIES, AND ETHIC IN EUROPE TODAY.
Läicité
Carin Laudrup defines Läicité as ‘the separation of church and state which dates back to the time after the Revolution and which was formalised in 1905…that prizes rationality more highly than ethnic or religious practice’ (2010: 56). Laudrup’s definition highlights all of the key aspects of this French policy which was introduced post Revolution to remove ties between the Roman Catholic church and the political ruling of the country.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN FRANCE
These laws can be seen to stem form the Guyard report of 1995. In this report the commission identified 173 new religious movements which they labeled as cults or sects. These groups were seen to be a danger to French society and were described as groups which were targeting vulnerable individuals. In response the French sate set quite broad criteria as to the definition of a cult and proposed legislation which could effectively intervene and act upon ‘cult’ like movements. The criteria has been heavily criticised for its lack in definitive terminology. Bishop Jean Vernette states that the criteria could class all religions as cults and sociologist Bruno Étienne believes that mental manipulation should not be defined by those who has commissioned the report (2002: 213).
As a result of France’s strict laws on religious freedoms France has become one of two European countries to ban Muslim girls from wearing headscarves in schools (Willaime. 2010: 18). This practice and form of läicité, one which is prevalent throughout Europe, has isolated France. Instead of bringing it into modern thinking alongside other European countries it has separated them and this has caused much international response. The US State Department openly criticised the French legislation which they described as a ‘restriction to religious freedom’ (BoDHRL. 2001. [web]).
Roman Catholicism is the largest religion in France and makes up approximately 45% of the French population. Pre-revolution the Catholic church was the state religion and as such has close historical and political links with the state but because of the 1905 separation of church and state laws, and subsequent legislation, this link has been removed in an attempt to approach all religions neutrally.
References
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour. 2001. International Religious Freedom Report. US Department of State. www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2001/5646.htm.
Clonaid. 2009. ‘Pioneers in Human Cloning’. Clonaid. accessed via www.clonaid.com/page.php?18.
Étienne, B. 2002. Les Sectes En France. France: Hachette Littératures.
Henley. 2001. ‘France arms itself with weapons to fight sects’. Guardian. accessed via www.theguardian.com/world/2001/jun/01/jonhenley.
Laudrup, C. 2010. 'A European Battlefield'. In: Leustean, L.N. and Madeley, J.T.S. (eds) 2010. Religion, Politics and Law in the European Union. London: Routledge.
Leustean, L.N. and Madeley, J.T.S. (eds) 2010. Religion, Politics and Law in the European Union. London: Routledge.
Willaime, J. 2010. European Integration. In: Leustean, L.N. and Madeley, J.T.S. (eds) 2010. Religion, Politics and Law in the European Union. London: Routledge.
Raelism in France is estimated to be the largest Raelian group in Europe but its exact numbers is unknown. As its founding location France plays an important role in the development of Raelism and much of its public life began in France. There is a heavy emphasis in Raelism on the importance of scientific development.
This overview of French legislation, attitude and sanction towards religious groups highlights the importance of religious debates in a French context. It is from this grounding on the current and ongoing debate on religious freedom and their affiliation with matters of state affairs, such as healthcare, which leads us into our exploration on the religious and moral rationale behind human cloning from the perspective of Raelism and Roman Catholicism. Two religious groups which have historical roots in France.