Laic State

The Secular State it is a form of political organization that guarantees the religious freedom of all its citizens.

In this way, the Secular State is not against religion, but guarantees that all beliefs can coexist without the preponderance of a single creed.

Origin of the Term

The word laic comes from the Greek expression laos which designated the people in a universal sense. The term laos it referred, therefore, to the population, to the whole people, without any exception.

Passing through Latin, the same Greek expression, also derived, the Portuguese word lay with the meaning of non-cleric.

Historical Origin

The idea of a Secular State arises with the Enlightenment ideas and the French Revolution when revolutionaries proposed the total separation of Church and State.

To fill the void created by the lack of religion, they created a parallel Catholic church and instituted a series of civic ceremonies and national festivities.

It was not yet a question of the modern Secular State, as Catholics and Protestants were severely persecuted in this period.

In America, most of the states that emerged with independence, adopted the republican regime, which provided for the separation of State and Church.

Brazil, following the monarchic regime, instituted Catholicism as an official religion. However, all religions were tolerated as long as no public services were held. Only with the republican coup of 1889 there was a separation between State and Church.

Purpose of the Secular State

The secular State has the objective of building a society where no social group can impose itself on the other elements that make it up.

To fulfill this goal, the secular state must declare itself neutral and not interfere in any matters related to religion. For its part, no religious, political or ethnic group would have the right to interfere in political matters.

Religion would thus be a particular option of the individuals who make up society. The State only recognizes them and assures them the right of free association and protects its members from possible aggressions.

The public power, in the Secular State, does not have the capacity either to favor or to harm the religious practice. In other words, it is a pact between people of any religion and with people who have no religion to live with each other.

However, no religion could interfere in the creation of the rules that govern this State.

In this sense, instead of justifying that certain laws should not be made in the name of a certain book or a certain god, the laws should be based on reasonable principles for anyone.

Secular State X Atheist State

Confusion between the Secular State and the Atheist State is currently common.

The word "atheist" means to deny god - any god. In this way, an Atheist State would not allow the existence of any religion within its borders and would persecute its members.

This is contrary to the principle of the Secular State where different religions can coexist within the same space.

Secular State X Official Religion

Another very common confusion is between secular state and states that have an official religion.

Countries like Iran adopt Islam as their official religion. This means that any other religion cannot exist within its borders, its members will be persecuted, and any public manifestation of any belief other than Islam is prohibited.

Also in Iran the laws are inspired by the Muslim holy book and are applied to all citizens living within its borders, even if they do not follow this belief.

Theocracy
Enlightenment
French Revolution
Atheism
Umbanda
Wicca