The Social Equality of Religion or Belief : a New View of Religionℓ́ℓs Place in Society

Some countries, like the UK, give special recognition by the state to one or a few religions; other countries, like France and the US, give recognition to none. This book is about a new approach that gives equal recognition to all religions and non-religious belief systems. Social equality of religion or belief protects individuals against discrimination related to their religious identity. It also requires the state to treat all religions and non-religious belief systems in a similar fashion, and to be even-handed in its treatment of religious identity, compared with other identities of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, age, disability or social caste. It is clear, fair, firm and flexible in its approach, and its principles can be applied to economic, legal, political or cultural issues. It offers to promote the integration of different religious communities within a liberal framework of equality and human rights. This book brings together a distinguished group of academics and practitioners to discuss the pros and cons of this approach and its influence to date on a wide range of issues concerning religion relation to the state both in Europe and in North and South America, including the next Coronation in the UK, the US and Canadian constitutions, the Catholic Concordat in Brazil, religious fundamentalism, same-sex marriage and the impossibility of religious freedom The new perspective on religion and society is contrasted with existing doctrines such as constitutional separation, religious establishment, multiculturalism and secularism. This interdisciplinary volume will appeal to followers of religious studies, jurisprudence, philosophy, politics and social science alike Front Matter....Pages i-xxi Introduction: The Social Equality of Religion or Belief....Pages 1-48 Front Matter....Pages 49-49 The Problem of ‘Belief’....Pages 51-67 Religious Freedom and Anti-discrimination in Europe and the US: Generally Applicable Laws and Possible Exceptions....Pages 68-79 The Equality Paradigm in Warner v. Boca Raton: Winnifred Sullivan and The Impossibility of Religious Freedom....Pages 80-91 Proportional Prayers: Social Equality in the Scottish Parliament?....Pages 92-106 Habermas and Rawls on Democracy, Reason and Faith....Pages 107-120 Front Matter....Pages 121-121 The Social Equality of Religion or Belief: A Critique....Pages 123-136 Muslim Identity, Psychic Detachment and Universal Rights....Pages 137-149 Religion and Caste in the UK: Reflections on Hindu and Sikh Fundamentalist Mobilisations....Pages 150-165 Religion and Ethnicity: The Status of Jews in UK Law....Pages 166-179 Front Matter....Pages 181-181 Political Liberalism, Separation and Establishment....Pages 183-199 The Church of England’s Hold over Marriage: The Queer Case for Disestablishment....Pages 200-215 The 2008 Concordat in Brazil: ‘Modern Public Religion’ or Neo-corporatism?....Pages 216-225 The Bloating of the Constitution: Equality and the US Establishment Clause....Pages 226-238 The Limits of Canada’s Commitment to State Neutrality in Religious Matters....Pages 239-250 Back Matter....Pages 251-279 Social equality of religion or belief protects individuals against discrimination related to their religious identity. It also requires the state to treat all religions and non-religious belief systems in a similar fashion, and to be even-handed in its treatment of religious identity, compared with other identities of gender, sexuality, race, disability or social caste. It is clear, fair, firm and flexible in its approach, and its principles can be applied to economic, legal, political or cultural issues. It offers to promote the integration of different religious communities within a liberal framework of equality and human rights. This book brings together a distinguished group of academics and practitioners to discuss the pros and cons of this approach, and its influence to date on a wide range of issues concerning religion's relation to the state both in Europe and in North and South America