Secularism in Georgia (country)

Last updated
The Tbilisi Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral was demolished in 1930 to make way for the House of Government of the Georgian SSR. Tbilisi Cathedral, 1900s.jpg
The Tbilisi Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral was demolished in 1930 to make way for the House of Government of the Georgian SSR.

Secularism in Georgia was most popular in the 20th century when the country was part of the Soviet Union. In the 21st century, secular and non-religious currents have seen a precipitous decline due to the rising number of people practicing the Georgian Orthodox Church. [1] Article 9 of the current Constitution of Georgia provides for complete freedom of belief and religion. It also recognizes the "special role ... in the history of Georgia" of the Georgian Orthodox Church, but stipulates that the GOC shall be independent of the state. [2] A special Concordat (legal agreement) between the Georgian state and the GOC was ratified in 2002, giving the GOC a special legal status and rights not given to other religious groups—including legal immunity for the Georgian Orthodox Patriarch, exemption from military service for GOC clergy, and a consultative role in education and other aspects of the government. [3]

Contents

Sex and childbearing out of wedlock

According to a 2015 statistically sampled opinion research, 37% of the Georgian population thought that childbearing by women outside of wedlock (a sin for most traditional faiths in Georgia) was sometimes or always justified. [4] Georgian public opinion on the matter of pre-marital sex (also a sin for traditional faiths in Georgia), showed different levels of tolerance for women and men: 23% of the public thought that female pre-marital sex was sometimes or always justified, [5] but a higher 55% thought the same about male pre-marital sex. [6]

Abortion

Although the Georgian Orthodox Church views abortion as a "terrible sin", [7] and 69% of Georgians say they can never justify abortion, [8] as of 2005 a Georgian woman was estimated to have an average of three abortions in her lifetime. [9] In recent years, the abortion rates have been somewhat reduced, but due to the increase in the use of contraception among Georgians, which the Church also condemns. [10]

Homosexuality

Georgian population maintains negative views about homosexuality. However according to a 2013 statistically sampled survey of Tbilisi on the subject of anti-gay violence, 87% of residents said that violence is "always unacceptable" and 91% agreed that "everyone should be equal before the law - including the clergy". At the same time, 57% thought that clergy who participated in violence against LGBT persons should not face trial. 40% of respondents disagreed with the notion that church should be intolerant towards sexual minorities, 45% agreed with church intolerance of sexual minorities, while 15% were uncertain. 57% stated that the successful organization of a peaceful demonstration marking the annual IDAHOT would endanger Georgia in some way. [11] According to 2011 social attitude questionnaires, homosexuals remained one of the most disliked groups in society – with most respondents preferring an alcoholic rather than homosexual colleague at work. [12] According to the same questionnaires, an estimated 91.5 percent of Georgians think that homosexuality is "completely unacceptable". [13]

Challenges to secular governance

Article 9 of the current Constitution of Georgia guarantees "complete freedom of belief and religion". While recognizing the "special role ... in the history of Georgia" of the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC), the Church remains separate from the State. [2] A special Concordat (legal agreement) between the Georgian state and the GOC was ratified in 2002, giving the GOC special legal rights not given to other religious groups—including immunity for the Georgian Orthodox Patriarch, exemption from military service for GOC clergy, and a consultative role in education and other aspects of the government.

In December 2015, the head of the GOC Ilia II stated that he would like to have the power to grant pardons to individuals convicted of crimes, which is a power afforded by the Georgian Constitution only to the President. The proposal caused a backlash among Georgian civil society groups, who warned against creeping "theocracy". The Speaker of the Parliament David Usupashvili politely dismissed the Patriarch's idea, saying that issuing pardons and forgiving sins are two separate matters and that legal pardons are a prerogative of the Head of State. [14] Following the backlash, the GOC backtracked Patriarch's request for pardon powers, saying that it was made after meeting with prison inmates in a "very emotional" atmosphere and that the idea was to be taken as an expression of compassion towards the inmates, and "not as a demand to discuss this proposal at a legislative level". [15]

In 2013, the GOC unsuccessfully lobbied the Georgian government to ban abortions, which it described as a "terrible sin" and "heinous murder", while blaming it for the supposed "grave demographic situation" in the country. Georgia's then Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili brushed off the proposal, stating that solving demographic problems "first and foremost needs economic development". [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

Within Christianity, there are a variety of views on sexual orientation and homosexuality. The view that various Bible passages speak of homosexuality as immoral or sinful emerged through its interpretation and has since become entrenched in many Christian denominations through church doctrine and the wording of various translations of the Bible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian Orthodox Church</span> Autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church

The Russian Orthodox Church, alternatively legally known as the Moscow Patriarchate, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The primate of the ROC is the patriarch of Moscow and all Rus'.

Freedom of religions in Georgia is provided for by the country's constitution, laws, and policies. In practice, the Georgian government generally respects religious freedom; however, the Georgian Orthodox Church enjoys a privileged status in terms of legal and tax matters, involvement in public schools, and property disputes. There have been efforts by private citizens, local government officials, and local Georgian Orthodox Church leaders to harass and persecute members of minority religious groups and interfere with their worship activities; despite calls for tolerance and respect for pluralism by government leaders, the Georgian central government has not been successful in preventing such incidents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State religion</span> Religion or creed endorsed by the state

A state religion is a religion or creed officially endorsed by a sovereign state. A state with an official religion, while not a secular state, is not necessarily a theocracy. State religions are official or government-sanctioned establishments of a religion, but the state does not need to be under the control of the clergy, nor is the state-sanctioned religion necessarily under the control of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgian Orthodox Church</span> National Eastern Orthodox church

The Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia, commonly known as the Georgian Orthodox Church or the Orthodox Church of Georgia, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with the other churches of Eastern Orthodoxy. It is Georgia's dominant religious institution, and a majority of Georgian people are members. The Orthodox Church of Georgia is one of the oldest churches in the world. It asserts apostolic foundation, and that its historical roots can be traced to the early and late Christianization of Iberia and Colchis by Andrew the Apostle in the 1st century AD and by Saint Nino in the 4th century AD, respectively. As in similar autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, the church's highest governing body is the holy synod of bishops. The church is headed by the Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, who was elected in 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilia II of Georgia</span> 20th and 21st-century Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church

Ilia II, also transcribed as Ilya or Elijah, is the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, the spiritual leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church. He is officially styled as "Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, the Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi and Metropolitan Bishop of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II."

Opposition to legal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people exists throughout the world. LGBTQ rights opponents may be opposed to the decriminalization of homosexuality; laws permitting civil unions or partnerships or supporting LGBT parenting and adoption, LGBT military members, access to assisted reproductive technology, and access to gender-affirming surgery and gender-affirming hormone therapy for transgender individuals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Azerbaijan</span>

Islam is the majority religion in Azerbaijan, but the country is considered to be the most secular in the Muslim world. Estimates include 97.3% and 99.2% of the population identifying as Muslim. Of these, a majority belong to the Shia branch (60%-65%), while a significant minority (35%-40%) are Sunni. Traditionally, the differences between these two branches of Islam have not been sharply defined in Azerbaijan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Georgia (country)</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Georgia face severe challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. However, Georgia is one of the few post-Soviet states that directly prohibits discrimination against all LGBT people in legislation, labor-related or otherwise. Since 2012, Georgian law has considered crimes committed on the grounds of one's sexual orientation or gender identity an aggravating factor in prosecution. The legislative ban on discrimination has been enacted as a part of the Government efforts to bring the country closer to the European Union and make the country's human rights record in line with the demands of Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in the British Virgin Islands</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the British Virgin Islands face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in the British Virgin Islands since 2001.

The Constitutional Agreement between the Georgian state and the Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia, informally referred to as the Concordat, is an agreement between the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC) and the state that defines relations between the two entities. It was signed by President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze and Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II on 14 October 2002 at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Georgia (country)</span>

Christianity is the predominant religion in Georgia. The wide variety of peoples inhabiting Georgia has meant a correspondingly rich array of active religions in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Zambia</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Zambia face significant challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Same-sex sexual activity is illegal for both men and women in Zambia. Formerly a colony of the British Empire, Zambia inherited the laws and legal system of its colonial occupiers upon independence in 1964. Laws concerning homosexuality have largely remained unchanged since then, and homosexuality is covered by sodomy laws that also proscribe bestiality. Social attitudes toward LGBTQ people are mostly negative and coloured by perceptions that homosexuality is immoral and a form of insanity. However, in recent years, younger generations are beginning to show positive and open minded attitudes towards their LGBTQ peers.

Many views are held or have been expressed by religious organisation in relation to same-sex marriage. Arguments both in favor of and in opposition to same-sex marriage are often made on religious grounds and/or formulated in terms of religious doctrine. Although many of the world's religions are opposed to same-sex marriage, the number of religious denominations that are conducting same-sex marriages have been increasing since 2010. Religious views on same-sex marriage are closely related to religious views on homosexuality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religious values</span> Beliefs and practices which a religious adherent partakes in

Religious values reflect the beliefs and practices which a religious adherent partakes in. Most values originate from sacred texts of each respective religion. They can also originate from members of the religion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian state</span> State which endorses Christianity as the state religion

A Christian state is a country that recognizes a form of Christianity as its official religion and often has a state church, which is a Christian denomination that supports the government and is supported by the government.

The anti-religious campaign of communist Romania was initiated by the People's Republic of Romania and continued by the Socialist Republic of Romania, which under the doctrine of Marxist–Leninist atheism took a hostile stance against religion and set its sights on the ultimate goal of an atheistic society wherein religion would be recognized as the ideology of the bourgeoisie.

Abortion in Georgia is legal on request within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Between 12 and 22 weeks, abortions may be performed on medical grounds under conditions established by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Affairs. After 22 weeks, abortions additionally require approval of a three-member medical committee. The law governing abortion was instituted in 2000.

The status of religious freedom in Europe varies from country to country. States can differ based on whether or not they guarantee equal treatment under law for followers of different religions, whether they establish a state religion, the extent to which religious organizations operating within the country are policed, and the extent to which religious law is used as a basis for the country's legal code.

References

  1. ↑ Georgia: Faith Is the Fashion, as Church Influence Soars Eurasianet, 10 February 2009
  2. 1 2 "Constitution of Georgia (in English)" (PDF). Parliament of Georgia . Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  3. ↑ "International Religious Freedom Report for 2012: Georgia". United States Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  4. ↑ Knowledge and attitudes toward the EU in Georgia, 2015 : woman bearing a child without marriage (%), Caucasus Research Resource Centers, Retrieved: 30 December 2015
  5. ↑ Knowledge and attitudes toward the EU in Georgia, 2015 : woman having sex before marriage (%), Caucasus Research Resource Centers, Retrieved: 30 December 2015
  6. ↑ Knowledge and attitudes toward the EU in Georgia, 2015 : man having sex before marriage (%), Caucasus Research Resource Centers, Retrieved: 30 December 2015
  7. 1 2 Georgian Orthodox Church Calls for Anti-Abortion Law, Civil Georgia 7 December 2016
  8. ↑ Caucasus Barometer 2013 Georgia: Always justified/never justified: Having an abortion (%), Caucasus Research Resource Centers, Retrieved: 30 December 2015
  9. ↑ Georgians Wrestle With Abortion Issue As Gender Imbalance Grows, RFERL, 8 May 2013
  10. ↑ Haley Edwards, From Abortion to Contraception, New York Times, 20 July 2012
  11. ↑ Survey on the May 17th Events in Tbilisi, Caucasus Research Resource Centers, 26 August 2013
  12. ↑ Lomsadze, Giorgi. Georgia: Time for Homosexuality to Come Out of the Closet? EurasiaNet.Org. Published:15 February 2011. Retrieved:25 June 2011
  13. ↑ "Georgia: Time for Homosexuality to Come Out of the Closet?". EurasiaNet.org. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  14. ↑ Parliament Speaker Comments on Patriarch’s Request on Pardon Powers, Civil Georgia 6 December 2015
  15. ↑ Georgian Church ‘Explains’ Patriarch’s Remarks on Pardon Powers, Civil Georgia 7 December 2015
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.