Chair and author of report: Keith Porteous Wood (National Secular Society, UK)
6 July 2005

Objectives

The session's participants polarised between those who sought absolute separation between religion and state and those who sought for the state to be neutral between all religions and that humanism be accorded equivalent status.

The latter position was taken most strongly by Norway, whose humanist organisation receives a considerable amount of income from the equivalent of church tax. They pointed out proudly that they had used some of this money to take their own country to court over church-state separation and that were they to refuse more money on a high-minded principle of complete religion-state separation they will be unable to pursue similar actions and future.

A similar line was taken by Belgium and the Netherlands who enjoy state funded humanistic counselling services, and the Dutch also have a Humanist University.

Some delegates from other countries also took this position, arguing that nothing should be done prejudice any benefits or funding and humanist organisation already receive.

An entirely contrary position was also voiced, led by Libre Pensee of France, who maintained that anything less than complete separation violated their state motto of liberty, fraternity and equality. In particular, they rejected blurring of the religion-state divide over finance, the media, education and liberty of conscience. Other proponents of this stance, including the National Secular Society (UK), felt that the compromise/neutrality position legitimatised religious interference, particularly from the Roman Catholic Church, and that this would be substantial and unacceptable.

Additional points

Concern was expressed about the rapidly increasing involvement of Islam with state structures. It was thought that our work should focus on human rights, which it was felt that the religions failed to respect.

The way forward

Views expressed included:

• We ought to make much better use of the media.
• We need to be more controversial to court publicity.
• Much more attention needs to be paid to increasing our funds so that we are in a better position to monitor attacks on religion state separation and to lobby.
• We should make representations to the EU Working Group on Separation of Religion and Politics. (Keith Porteous Wood can provide more information at )