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Bill: Religious Regulation Act

Details

Submitted by[?]: Solentian Socialist Party

Status[?]: passed

Votes: This is an ordinary bill. It requires more yes votes than no votes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.

Voting deadline: October 2151

Description[?]:

Article 1 states, "religions are required to obtain government approval before promoting themselves or advertising in any manner." We feel this would be appropriate, as freedom of religion (which we fully support) is quite a different matter from the freedom to organise. Small cults and extremist groups, claiming religious status, often target vulnerable members of society in an effort to recruit them. We feel it is in the public interest to supervise which religions may actively advertise and recruit, as we do for commercial advertising, so as to ensure the safety and openness of our national religious institutions.

Article 2 states, "religions are treated as companies, and all profit is taxed, however, charitable donations are not taxed". We have included this provision because, in our mind, any institution should be required to contribute to the public good, if as a result of its activities that institution earns a profit. This will not impair the ability of religious organisations to operate, as charitable donations would be left alone. However, this tax on religious profits would also be an incentive for churches and other faith groups to stick to selfless, charitable activities, beneficial to society at large, rather than profitable enterprises that are effectively commercial!

Article 3 states, "public officials are not allowed to wear religious symbols while exercising their duties". The SSP believes this will help to defend the separation of church and State in the Solentian Republic, a principle we strongly believe is fundamentally necessary to maintain a social democracy based on the ideals of liberty and equality. We do not have a State church for this precise reason. Public officials, elected to perform a civic duty, should not be allowed to abuse that position for the gain of their private religious beliefs.

Proposals

Debate

These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:

Date00:20:19, December 05, 2005 CET
From Communist Fascist And Anarchial Party
ToDebating the Religious Regulation Act
Messageits better than the current, but i do not believe religions should be able to advertise themselves at all, as it should be the free, uninfluenced choice of the people to decide to join a religion. Religions should not try to lure members.....

Date00:44:30, December 05, 2005 CET
From Solentian Socialist Party
ToDebating the Religious Regulation Act
MessageWhile, as a party, the SSP is a strong proponent of secularism, we do value freedom of religion, as an inseparable branch of the alienable rights to freedom of thought and of expression. So long as they are legitimate religions, we believe it is right that they should be allowed to publicise their existence - just as political parties, trades unions, community organisations, pressure groups and so on are allowed to.

We are adding a second article, so that "religions are treated as companies, and all profit is taxed, however, charitable donations are not taxed." We believe any formal institution earning a profit has a duty to contribute to the national budget, but outside of that, we believe religion should be free to pursue its own affairs, independent of the State.

Date00:48:48, December 05, 2005 CET
From Solentian Socialist Party
ToDebating the Religious Regulation Act
MessageIn fact, we have added a third article, stating that "public officials are not allowed to wear religious symbols while exercising their duties", which is a generally accepted standard when pursuing the separation of church and State.

Date00:53:52, December 05, 2005 CET
From Communist Fascist And Anarchial Party
ToDebating the Religious Regulation Act
Messagewe support all three articles

Date00:57:47, December 05, 2005 CET
From Solentian Socialist Party
ToDebating the Religious Regulation Act
MessageWonderful. - Might we direct our parliamentary colleagues' attention to our comment three messages up, which ironically talks of the "alienable rights to freedom of thought and of expression"?

The SSP swears this was not a Freudian slip, showing our inherent dictatorial tendencies, and was indeed a simple typo. We of course meant inalienable!!

Date01:52:01, December 05, 2005 CET
From United Centrists
ToDebating the Religious Regulation Act
MessageWe fully support all three proposals.

Date14:27:35, December 05, 2005 CET
From Solentian Socialist Party
ToDebating the Religious Regulation Act
MessageProceeding to the vote.

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Voting

Vote Seats
yes
     

Total Seats: 384

no

    Total Seats: 0

    abstain
       

    Total Seats: 295


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