Freedom of religion
Freedom of religion is the individual's right or freedom to hold whatever religious beliefs he or she wishes, or none at all. This freedom extends mere freedom of thought by adding the freedom of worship and the freedom of religious congregation, and is regarded as one of the basic human rights.During history some countries accepted some form of freedom of religion (e.g. Poland or certain Muslim countries which protected dhimmis) but very often that freedom was limited. In most parts of European society, freedom of religion was suppressed since the introduction of Christianity until the Enlightenment in the 18th century.
Earlier, the ideas of religious tolerance on the political level were invented in the Central Europe: Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Hungary and Austria and were practised since the 16th century. With the expulsion of Polish brethren accused of high treason during the Deluge, the Central European ideas of tolerance were propagated to the Netherlands. Until the Enlightenment it was widely accepted, however not always fully implemented:
- on January 11th 1571, freedom of religion was granted to Austrian nobles;
- on January 28th 1573, Warsaw convention granting freedom of religion;
- on April 13th 1598, King Henry IV of France issued the Edict of Nantes, allowing freedom of religion to the Huguenots;
- on July 6th 1609 Bohemia was granted freedom of religion;
- on April 20th 1657, New Amsterdam granted freedom of religion to Jews;
- in June 1789 - France, during the declaration of the Rights of Man, included freedom of religion;
- on April 13th 1829 British Parliament granted Catholic Emancipation;
- on April 29th 1988 in the spirit of Glasnost, Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev promised increased religious freedoms.
- on February 24th 303 - Galerius, Roman Emperor, decreed the persecution of Christians in his portion of the Empire.
- In 1552, first English Act of Uniformity
- in October 1685, issue of Edict of Fontainebleau revoking the Edict of Nantes and making Protestantism illegal in France.
- Pope Pius IX stated "freedom of religion" is an error