On 4th December, the COMECE (Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union) asked for the appointment of an EU Coordinator on combating anti-Christian hatred during a conference held in the European Parliament. The COMECE representative based this demand on « the right to freedom of religion, as well as (...)
On 16 November 2024, the writer Boualem Sansal was arrested at Algiers airport by the Algerian authorities. Since then, he has been held in completely arbitrary conditions. He has been denied the assistance of his lawyer, François Zimeray, who was refused a visa by the Algerian government. While he is (...)
Today, 10 December, is the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,Rights, whose values of freedom, equality and solidarity are shared by secularism. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a “common standard of achievement for all peoples”. It is not addressed solely to States, but (...)
By the Libre-Pensée romande (Switzerland) Mussolini, doctor Honoris causa IN LAUSANNE While the city of Lausanne was on several occasions the stage, from certain historical points of view, for the preparation and signing of major international peace treaties, the University of its canton is also associated with the disturbing and (...)
The many polemics surrounding the Pope’s visit to Belgium on 26-29th September showed just how problematic the blurring of the lines between head of state and religious leader can be. Whether on the place of women in society, Belgian legislation on voluntary termination of pregnancy, the superiority of divine justice (...)
Freedom of conscience is recognised by all international human rights conventions. This freedom includes the right to change one’s religion or belief, or to have none at all. In several European countries, churches keep the personal details of their former members who have exercised their freedom of conscience by leaving (...)
In “Les empires contre-attaquent. Défendre le socle laïque”, François Finck presents us with a geopolitical picture of the nationalist and imperialist threats at work in the world. François Finck holds a doctorate in law from Strasbourg University and has taught at a number of European universities. He is currently in (...)
Six recent books provide an overview of the reaffirmation of Catholic, Muslim and Jewish religio-political identities in France. These studies describe realities. But they obviously do not give a complete picture of the human groups studied. Within each group, people living their convictions peacefully are massively represented. It is the (...)
André Borowski, a philosopher and economist who is an active member of the Free Thought movement in French-speaking Switzerland, shares with us in this article (in French) his thoughts on the recent introduction of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) service for everyone by the Roman Catholic Church in Switzerland, under the (...)
The Union of Rationalist Atheists and Agnostics (Unione degli Atei e degli Agnostici Razionalisti, UAAR), is the main secular humanist association in Italy, defending the interests of atheist and agnostic citizens and separation of Church &State. It is completely independent of political parties and operates all over the Italian territory (...)
Commentary on the decision of the European Court of Human Rights, A.M. v. Poland – 8 June 2023 The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) rejects the application by eight Polish women against the ultra-restrictive abortion law, but does not rule on the merits. In this decision, adopted unanimously, the (...)
