Religion and secularism (the example of france)

Abstract

In France, which has an important place within the European Union, secularism has taken its present form through different stages in the historical process. However, there are still some points that have not yet been fully clarified in contemporary French secularism. France is described as a secular republic that respects all beliefs according to the second article of the first part of the Constitution of the V. Republic. Relations between religion-state and churchpolitical authority in France, as well as in other European countries, have passed through the ups and downs. At the beginning of the 1700s, the king of France, blessed by the church, had the right to have a say in the fields of religion constantly, with the power he received from his earthly authority. After the French Revolution, it began to be mentioned with a loud voice that the separation of church-state (authority) should be made as a result of the mentality and understanding that have formed after political, humanitarian and religious change In other words, those who advocate that religion should not be a reference in fields such as morality, education, and administration within French society have become very effective. For this reason, some treaties between the Catholic Church and the French State have to be made within the framework of time-developing understandings in the French society. Under French secularism, the recognition of the state without acknowledging the religions means acceptance of their existence in civil society without subjecting them to any judgment. Today, however, some controversies still remain in matters such as education, social assistance, holidays in the French secularism. In this study, we will examine the secularism process in France in the context of religionsecularism. We then aim to comment the implementation of secularism in France and the situation of religions and religious people in the secular republic of France with some examples.