Religious human rights and a democratic State

Historically, the metaphysical peculiarity of religion has not contributed to tolerance and recognition of religious human rights outside of one's own religious tradition. Each religion asserted its own uniqueness and superiority in understanding Salvation as a person overcoming the finiteness of being in time, and the ways to Salvation offered by it. Intolerance rather than tolerance, conformity rather than non-conformity, consent rather than dissent have been the dominant motives in the history of religions. The absolutization of each religious tradition served as a basis for intolerance towards other faiths. Therefore, it is natural that the recognition of religious freedom is stimulated not so much by the decisions of church councils, but rather by the activities of secular authorities who have formed a legislative framework guaranteeing its observance. At the same time, in today's debates about freedom of religion and conscience, one should not forget the fact that there are teachings on tolerance and condemnation of religious coercion and disrespect for religious views other than one 's own, which are found in the main world religions. This chapter demonstrates the positions of founders of the religious teachings of Ancient East, condemning the oppression of the religious rights of representatives of other faiths. It is important that the recognition of religious human rights be voiced not only by the instruments of national and international legislation, but also by the religions themselves.

tolerance, Confucius, freedom of conscience, religious human rights, verity, Siddhartha Gautama.