A secular state is a country or nation that has a impartial political positioning in relation to religion, neither supporting nor opposing any religious belief. The secular state is also known as laic State.
The main characteristic of the secular state is that it does not have an official religion in the country, being any type of manifestation of faith is recognized and allowed, whether Christian, Jewish, Orthodox, Spiritist, Hindu, etc.
As a rule, secular states create and enforce laws that promote good coexistence between the religious diversity, fighting prejudice and discrimination between groups of different religions.
O Brazil is officially considered a secular country, that is, characterized as a secular State, as it guarantees in the Brazilian Constitution free religious worship, without persecution of any kind. Article No. 5 of the National Constitution of 1988 guarantees that:
"VI - freedom of conscience and belief is inviolable, the free exercise of religious cults being guaranteed and the protection of places of worship and their liturgies guaranteed, in accordance with the law;"
However, in practice, Brazil is considered a very religious country, with a predominance of Christianity. One of the main evidences of the presence of religion in the Brazilian State is the obligation of the discipline of "Religious Education" in most of the curriculum of schools in the country.
A secular state is totally different from a atheist state (as it was in the extinct Union of Soviet Socialist Republics - USSR), and the latter is characterized by abolishing and persecuting any type of manifestation of a religious character. The secular state, as well as allowing all kinds of religions, also protects the right to religious disbelief.
theocratic state
The theocratic state is considered the opposite of the secular or secular state, as it represents a country or nation that has a unique and official religion, preventing the existence of other types of unofficial cults.
Religion exercises power over governmental decisions in a theocratic state, that is, all political issues must be in accordance with the official religious doctrine of this country.
Iran (Islamic Republic), Vatican (Catholic Church) and Israel (Jewish State) are some examples of theocratic states existing today.
See too:
- Secular
- Laic State
- secularity