 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(July 2022) |
Religion in Latvia, 2011 [1]
Irreligion in Latvia pertains to atheism, agnosticism, and lack of religious affiliation in Latvia. Irreligious thought in Latvian history is associated with national identity and a period of Communist rule. The irreligious make up a significant minority group in Latvia today, with 29% of Latvians identifying as irreligious.
Secularism in Latvia first became notable during the formation of a Latvian national identity in the 18th century, when German influences such as Christianity came in conflict with romantic nationalism influenced by ancient Latvian culture. Irreligious ideas as a whole became more prominent in the 19th and 20th centuries with the spread of irreligious ideologies like freethought and socialism. Religious education was the main issue faced by irreligion in Latvia during the early 20th century, though marriage, divorce, and baptism also saw secular government regulation. Pēteris Stučka, Jānis Sudrabkalns and Andrejs Upīts were notable contributors to irreligious ideas during this period. [2] Following Latvian independence in 1918, separation of church and state was established. [3]
Following the 1934 Latvian coup d'état, religion and irreligion were both restricted, with the church controlled by the dictatorship of Kārlis Ulmanis. After World War II, Latvia was occupied by the Soviet Union and state atheism was established. Latgale retained its Catholic character during this time, so attempts to spread atheist propaganda in this area were expanded in the 1950s. Over the course of Soviet rule, traditions and day-to-day life became increasingly secularized. Secular celebrations, such as kapu svētki and bērnības svētki, were introduced to replace Christian celebrations. [2]
After Latvia regained independence, the Constitution of Latvia established freedom of religion and separation of church and state. However, Christianity and Judaism are given extra legal privileges. [4] Much of Soviet-era secularization has been reversed, and Christianity is still seen as a major component of Latvian culture in the 21st century. [3]
In 2018, 32% of Latvians identified as irreligious or undecided, with 15% of Latvians explicitly identifying as atheist.[ citation needed ] The region of Latgale has fewer irreligious citizens than other parts of the country, with a 2011 survey finding that only 5.8% of the population was irreligious. [5]
Below is a table detailing prevalence of irreligious belief in Latvia since 2000.
| Religious affiliation | 2000 [6] | 2001 [7] | 2003 [6] | 2005 [6] | 2006 [6] | 2007 [6] | 2008 [6] | 2009 [6] | 2010 [6] | 2011 [6] | 2014 [8] | 2016 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irreligious theist | 10% | 12.8% | 9% | 11% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 11% | 9% | 9.7% | 10% | 14% |
| Atheist | 18% | 17.7% | 12% | 16% | 14% | 14% | 11% | 15% | 16% | 14% | 16.4% | 17% | 15% |
| Undecided | 3% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 6% | 4% | 2% | 2% | 0% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 3% |
Irreligion is the active rejection of religion in general, or any of its more specific organized forms, as distinct from absence of religion. The Oxford English dictionary defines it as want of religion; hostility to or disregard of religious principles; irreligious conduct. Irreligion takes many forms, ranging from the casual and unaware to full-fledged philosophies such as atheism and agnosticism, secular humanism and antitheism. Social scientists tend to define irreligion as a purely naturalist worldview that excludes a belief in anything supernatural. The broadest and loosest definition, serving as an upper limit, is the lack of religious identification, though many non-identifiers express metaphysical and even religious beliefs. The narrowest and strictest is subscribing to positive atheism.
In sociology, secularization is the transformation of people or a society from identification with traditional, formal, belief systems or religious values and institutions toward unacknowledged belief systems or seemingly non-religious values and secular based belief systems. The secularization thesis expresses the idea that through the lens of the European enlightenment modernization, rationalization, combined with the ascent of science and technology, religious authority diminishes in all aspects of social life and governance. In recent years, the secularization thesis has been challenged due to some global studies indicating that the irreligious population of the world may be in decline as a percentage of the world population due to irreligious countries having subreplacement fertility rates and religious countries having higher birth rates in general. Christian sociologist Peter L. Berger coined the term desecularization to describe this phenomenon. In addition, secularization rates are stalling or reversing in some countries/regions such as the countries in the former Soviet Union or large cities in the Western world with significant amounts of religious immigrants. Even global studies show that many people who do not identify with a religion, still hold religious beliefs and participate in religious practices, thus complicating the situation.
State atheism is the incorporation of positive atheism or non-theism into political regimes. It may also refer to large-scale secularization attempts by governments. It is a form of religion-state relationship that is usually ideologically linked to irreligion and the promotion of irreligion to some extent. State atheism may refer to a government's promotion of anti-clericalism, which opposes religious institutional power and influence in all aspects of public and political life, including the involvement of religion in the everyday life of the citizen. In some instances, religious symbols and public practices that were once held by religion were replaced with secularized versions. State atheism can also exist in a politically neutral fashion, in which case it is considered as non-secular.
The main religion traditionally practiced in Latvia is Christianity. As of 2019, it is the largest religion (68%), though only about 7% of the population attends religious services regularly.
Irreligion in France has a long history and a large demographic constitution, with the advancement of atheism and the deprecation of theistic religion dating back as far as the French Revolution. In 2015, according to estimates, at least 29% of the country's population identifies as atheists and 63% identifies as non-religious.
Irreligion in Belgium pertains to citizens of Belgium that are atheist, agnostic, or otherwise unaffiliated with any religion. Irreligion is the second most common religious stance in Belgium, following Catholicism.
Irreligion in the Czech Republic pertains to atheism, agnosticism, and lack of religious affiliation in the Czech Republic. The history of irreligion in the Czech Republic dates back to 19th century freethought and saw additional developments during Communist rule. A majority of people in the Czech Republic are irreligious or otherwise unaffiliated, and the country is considered to be one of the most irreligious in the world.
Irreligion in Estonia pertains to atheism, agnosticism, and secularism of the people and institutions of Estonia. Irreligion is prominent in Estonia, where a majority of citizens are unaffiliated with any religion. Estonian irreligion dates back to the 19th century, when Estonian nationalists and intellectuals deemed Christianity a foreign religion in opposition to Estonian independence. Irreligion in Estonia was later accelerated by the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states, in which state atheism was enforced. By some metrics, Estonia is the most irreligious country in the world.
Irreligion is prevalent in Germany. Following near universal adoption of Christianity, religious traditions in Germany were weakened by the rule of the Nazi Party during World War II and the subsequent rule of the Socialist Unity Party in East Germany during the Cold War. As of 2021, approximately 42% of Germans are irreligious, with a significantly higher concentration of irreligious citizens in East Germany. Eastern Germany, which was historically Protestant, is perhaps the least religious region in the world.
Irreligion is common in Sweden, and Sweden is one of the most secular nations in the world. The majority of Swedish citizens are members of the Church of Sweden, but very few are practicing members. Sweden has legally been a secular state since 2000 when the Church of Sweden was separated from the state.
Irreligion in Egypt is controversial due to the largely conservative nature of the country and the religious establishments in the country. It is difficult to quantify the number of atheists or agnostics in Egypt, as the stigma attached to being one makes it hard for irreligious Egyptians to publicly profess their views and beliefs.
Irreligion in Bulgaria pertains to atheism, agnosticism, and secularism among the citizens of Bulgaria. Irreligion is a minority religious position in Bulgaria. Making up approximately 5-10% of Bulgarians, irreligion is the third most common religious stance after Eastern Orthodoxy and Islam. Irreligion in Bulgaria is closely tied to the history of Marxism–Leninism and Soviet rule in the country during the 20th century.
Irreligion in Latin America refers to various types of irreligion, including atheism, agnosticism, deism, secular humanism, secularism and non-religious. According to a global survey conducted in 2011, 16% of the population has no religion.
Irreligion in Romania is rare. Romania is one of the most religious countries in Europe, with 92% of people saying that they believe in God. Levels of Irreligion are much lower than in most other European countries and are among the lowest in the world. At the 2011 census, only 0.11% of the population declared itself atheist, up from the 2002 census, while 0.10% do not belong to any religion.
Irreligion in Croatia pertains to atheism, agnosticism, and lack of religious affiliation in Croatia. The growing population of irreligious Croats has been attributed to modernization. Even though the 2011 census showed that only 4.57% of Croats considered themselves irreligious, Gallup polls conducted in 2007 and 2008 found that 30.5% of respondents did not consider religion important in their lives. The Japanese research center, Dentsu, conducted a survey in 2006 concluding that 13.2% of Croats declare themselves irreligious, compared to the 7% found by a 2010 Eurobarometer survey across Europe.
Irreligion in Italy includes all citizens of Italy that are atheist, agnostic, or otherwise irreligious. Approximately 12% of Italians are irreligious, and no affiliation is the second most common religious demographic in Italy after Christianity. Freedom of religion in Italy was guaranteed by the Constitution of Italy following its enactment in 1948. Until then, the Catholic Church was the official state church of Italy.
Irreligion in Hungary pertains to atheism, agnosticism, and secularism in Hungary. The tradition of irreligion in Hungary originates from the time of Austria-Hungary and it was a significant part of Communist rule in the second half of the 20th century. As of 2011, irreligion is the country's second largest religious stance after Catholicism.
Irreligion in Lithuania pertains to atheism, agnosticism, and lack of religious affiliation in Lithuania. Irreligious Lithuanians make up a small minority of the population, encompassing only 6.11% of the population in the Lithuanian census of 2021. Irreligion in Lithuania is associated with the period of Soviet rule in the late 20th century.
Freedom of religion is recognized as a legal right in Hungary. The Fundamental Law of Hungary establishes the country as being founded on Christian values but guarantees the right to freedom of religion and freedom from religious discrimination. The history of religious freedom in Hungary has varied, with freedom of religion first recognized in 1919 before being restricted by Communist rule in the mid-20th century. Religious rights were restored following the end of Communism in Hungary, but the government under Viktor Orbán has been criticized for its restriction of religious freedoms.
The constitution provides every person the right to "freedom of thought, conscience, and religion," and it specifies the separation of church and state. By law, eight "traditional" religious groups (seven Christian groups and Jews) receive rights and privileges other groups do not.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)