Organized secularism

The free-spirited ideological community in Belgium is the whole " free-thinking -driven ", " humanistic " and similar associations and their followers. It is the basis of Article 181 of the Belgian Constitution by the Law of 21 June 2002 on the Central Council of the non- denominational philosophical communities of Belgium, the Agents and the facilities to manage the physical and financial interests of the recognized non-confessional confessional organizations ( starting on page 54600 of the linked document) recognized.

As a " free-thinking " (" vrijzinnig ", " laïque ") are referred to all those citizens who the principle of "free verifiability " (" vrij onderzoek ", " libre examen ") have signed.

The particular social position of this community is based on the phenomenon of " pillarisation " (" verzuiling ", " pilarisation " ), where the Catholic Church numerous organizations such as school authorities, trade unions, youth organizations or health insurance founded what non-Catholic citizens prompted, corresponding parallel structures erect, either separately according to political affiliation socialists or liberals or purely ideologically as a non- Christian institutions.

As provided by Article 181 of the Belgian Constitution, " salaries and pensions of ministers of religion ... at the expense of the state " go, demanded free-spirited citizen equality with the recognized religious communities, so finally 1993, Article 181 (then Article 117) by a second paragraph has been added. The provision reads since:

» § 1 - The salaries and pensions of ministers of religion shall be borne by the State; the amounts required are used annually in the budget. § 2 - The salaries and pensions of the representatives of the recognized by the law organizations that offer moral support due to a non-religious belief, shall be borne by the State; the amounts required are used annually in the budget. "

The actual recognition was then performed by the above-mentioned Act of 21 June 2002, in the official German translation of the " Central Council of the non-religious ideological communities of Belgium " in short as " Central Free Spiritual Assembly " is referred to, whereby the more familiar term " vrijzinnig » or « laïque " is thus" represented by free-spirited. "

The criterion of allegiance to "free verifiability " comes indirectly from Article 7 No. 4 out ( to stand for election to one of the existing in each province directors ) of the Act. ( In the official German translation " vrij onderzoek " / is " libre examen " played with " free research ", but it comes at the Dutch and the French expression is not something " academic ", but a very general way of life. )

The core of the principle of freedom of verifiability is the rejection of any of revealed truths of faith and trust in the power of human reason.

In organizational terms, " established public institution, the institution for moral support of the Central Free Spiritual Assembly is called " the law in addition to the centers for all of Belgium Free Spiritual Assembly in each province one. The province belonging to any administrative district of Brussels- Capital has two such facilities, a French-speaking and Dutch-speaking. The partly French-speaking, German -speaking part, Province of Liège, however, has just such a facility.

Below this public roof there are a large number of clubs and associations, of which most are much older, and develop the majority of the activities of the free-spirited ideological community.

These activities include, among others in addition to the "moral assistance " ( the individual " Pastoral "), and general cultural and leisure events, the orientation of celebrations in the form of secular rites of passage such as

• Sponsorship celebration ( birth )
• Youth celebration
• Wedding reception
• Secular funeral.