Documents of Religious Liberty

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Major Documents of Religious Liberty

Edict of Toleration, Julian, last Pagan Emperor of Rome.

Edict of Toleration, Queen of Hungary

Edict of Torda (Edict of Toleration), John Sigismund, King of Hungary, 1558

Toleration Act, Britain 1689

An Act for Establishing Religious Freedom in Virginia" Thomas Jefferson [1779]

Edict of Toleration, Joseph II of Austria extends freedom of worship to non-Catholic Christians, 1781

"Bill of Rights" (First Ten Amendments to the United States Constitution)

Witchcraft Law repealed, Britain

Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) (UDHR)

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

Article 9 of European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)

(The 2000 European Charter of Fundamental Rights contains no references to religion.)

Article 52, Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe, October 2004

Edict of Toleration, Julian -- last Pagan Emperor of Rome

Edict of Toleration, Isabella, Queen of Transylvania, 1557

Inasmuch as We and Our Most Serene Son have assented to the most instant supplication of the Peers of the Realm, that each person maintain whatever religious faith he wishes, with old or new rituals, while We at the same time leave it to their judgment to do as they please in the matter of faith, just so long, however, as they bring no harm to bear on anyone at all, least the followers of a new religion be a source of irritation to the old profession of faith or become in some way injurious to its followers -- therefore, Peers of the Realm, for the sake of procuring the peace of the churches and of stilling the controversies that have arisen in the gospel teaching, we have decreed to establish a national synod, wherein, in the presence of devoted ministers of the Word of God as well as of other men of rank, genuine comparisons of doctrine may be made and, under God's guidance, dissension and differences of opinion in religion may be removed.

Edict of Toleration, John Sigismund, King of Transylvania, 1563

The Virginia Statute, Jefferson's Bill for Religious Freedom

"An Act for Establishing Religious Freedom'' [1779]

Thomas Jefferson, author of our "Declaration of Independence'' wrote the following bill for the Assembly of Virginia and James Madison, the author of the "Constitution of the United States'' joined him, along with other Founding Fathers, in voting for its passage in favor of this bill.

Well aware that Almighty God hath created the mind free;

that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burdens, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion, who being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either, as was in his Almighty power to do;

that the impious presumption of legislators and rulers, civil as well as ecclesiastical, who, being themselves but fallible and uninspired men have assumed dominion over the faith of others, setting up their own opinions and modes of thinking as the only true and infallible, and as such endeavoring to impose them on others, hath established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the world, and through all time;

that to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical;

that even the forcing him to support this or that teacher of his own religious persuasion, is depriving him of the comfortable liberty of giving his contributions to the particular pastor whose morals he would make his pattern, and whose powers he feels most persuasive to righteousness, and is withdrawing from the ministry those temporal rewards, which proceeding from an approbation of their personal conduct, are an additional incitement to earnest and unremitting labors for the instruction of mankind;

that our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, more than our opinions in physics or geometry;

that, therefore, the proscribing of any citizen as unworthy the public confidence by laying upon him an incapacity of being called to the offices of trust and emolument, unless he profess or renounce this or that religious opinion, in depriving him injuriously of those privileges and advantages to which in common with his fellow citizens he has a natural right;

that it tends also to corrupt the principles of that very religion it is meant to encourage, by bribing, with a monopoly of worldly honors and emoluments, those who will externally profess and conform to it;

that though indeed these are criminal who do not withstand such temptation, yet
neither are those innocent who lay the bait in their way;

that to suffer the civil magistrate to intrude his powers into the field of opinion and to restrain the profession or propagation of principles, on the supposition of their ill tendency, is a dangerous fallacy, which at once destroys all religious liberty, because he being of course judge of that tendency, will make his opinions the rule of judgment, and approve or condemn the sentiments of others only as they shall square with or differ from his own;

that it is time enough for the rightful purposes of civil government, for its offices to interfere when principles break out into overt acts against peace and good order; and finally,

that truth is great and will prevail if left to herself, that she is the proper
and sufficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict,
unless by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons, free argument and debate, errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to contradict them.

Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly,

That no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place or ministry whatsoever,

nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods,

nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief;

but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in nowise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.

And though we well know this Assembly, elected by the people for the ordinary purposes of legislation only, have no power to restrain the acts of succeeding assemblies, constituted with powers equal to our own, and that therefore to declare this act irrevocable, would be of no effect in law, yet we are free to declare, and do declare, that the rights hereby asserted are the natural rights of mankind, and that if any act shall be hereafter passed to repeal the present
or to narrow its operation, such act will be an infringement of natural right.

First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America

Article 52 of the European Constitution

ARTICLE I-52: Status of churches and non-confessional organizations:

1. The Union respects and does not prejudice the status under national law of churches and religious
     associations or communities in the Member States.

2. The Union equally respects the status under national law of philosophical and non-confessional
     organizations.

3. Recognizing their identity and their specific contribution, the Union shall maintain an open,
    transparent and regular dialogue with these churches and organizations.

- Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, October 2004

last updated May 25, 2005