Religion and constitution. Some Hungarian perspectives

Abstract

Freedom of religion shall be a universally recognized human right. States have developed highly different models with regard to their relations to religious communities. Some kind of neutrality of the state has to be preserved in order to provide due respect to all faiths. Derived from a religious heritage and beyond religious beliefs the cultural identity of peoples gains a rising signifficance. The historically determined identity of nations is expressed various ways including the public endorsement of the legacy shaped by religious communities. Beyond the national level and within their boundaries local communities express identities in various ways. The Basic Law of Hungary (2011) is characterized by an open commitment to the religious roots of the national culture but maintains the respect for religious freedom and consequently also remains in the framework of religious neutrality.

Keywords

• religious freedom
• church and state
• religious neutrality
• cultural identity
• Basic Law of Hungary