freedom of conscience

The French December 9th 1905 Act on the separation of the Churches and the State
By Alex de Valera

Introduction:

When referring to the 1905 Act most people evoke separation between the State and the Church, secularity and neutrality of the State. They quote the first lines of articles 1 and 2:

Art. 1. - The Republic ensures freedom of conscience. It guarantees the free exercise of worships, under the only restrictions provided below, in the interest of public order.

Art. 2. - The Republic does not recognise, pay the salaries of, nor subsidies any worship.

All this is fine so far, but this law was never applied as such because as a matter of fact the passing of this law was the climax of the anti religious and atheist push of the most radical freemasonry group, the Grand Orient. Therefore, instead of having a real separation of the State and religion and religious freedom, we got a strange patchwork no one wants to examine thoroughly and in the wake of which we find the following facts:

• Contrary to secular popular superstition the State finances certain worships directly or indirectly and not others,

• Contrary to popular superstition and regarding Art. 1 there is more religious tolerance and neutrality of the State in Christian monarchies such as England, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Spain or in a Republic like Italy than there is in France. The French Republic does not ensure “freedom of conscience” and “the free exercise of worship”. It tolerates major religions and discriminates others by covert means.

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