Religious maturity

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Religious maturity is the right of a child or young person to decide for themselves about their denomination and religious affiliation, which is linked to reaching a certain age .

Article 14 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child calls on the States parties to respect the child's right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion , as well as the rights and obligations of parents to guide the child in the exercise of this right according to their development.

Situation in individual countries

Germany

In Germany , religious maturity is regulated in the law on the religious upbringing of children of July 15, 1921. From the age of 10, the child can be heard if it is to be brought up in a different creed than before. From the age of twelve, a child may no longer be brought up against his or her will in a different creed than before. From the age of 14 there is unlimited religious maturity in Germany.

The age of religious majority includes both the right to resign from the previous community or denomination and the right to convert . When they come of age, young people can decide independently whether they want to take part in religious education or not. In Bavaria and Saarland , however, the parents' consent to de-registering religiously affiliated students is required up to the age of 18; if you leave the church (even without parental consent), there is no obligation to participate without de-registering.

Iraq

In Iraq , religious consent occurs at the age of 18. At the end of October 2015, a reform proposal aimed at lowering the minimum age failed.

Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein's constitution and law do not regulate the age of religious majority. The State Court of Justice has also not yet had to answer the question of the age at which young people come of age in religious matters. According to the government's request of October 2, 2012 regarding the reorganization of the relationship between the state and religious communities (BuA No. 114/2012), religious consent would have occurred at the age of 14. However, the draft law for the new regulation of the relationship between the state and religious communities has not yet been passed by the state parliament.

Norway

Under the Norwegian Religious Associations Act 1969, anyone aged 15 and over can join or quit religious communities.

Austria

In Austria , young people who have reached the age of 14 can decide for themselves which creed they should adhere to. After reaching the age of 12, a child cannot be brought up against his will in a different creed than before.

Poland

In Poland , the term of religious maturity is not used, as religious maturity occurs within the framework of general maturity, that is, at the age of 18. Logically, only adult students are allowed to deregister from religious education themselves . In this context, Poland expressed the following reservation against Article 14 ( freedom of thought, conscience and religion ) when adopting the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991 : The Polish Republic is of the opinion that the exercise of these children's rights in compliance with parental sovereignty [as well as] with Polish customs and traditions regarding the place of the child within the family and outside the family .

Romania

In Romania , young people aged 14 and over are free to choose their religion.

Switzerland

In Switzerland , according to Art. 303, Paragraph 3 of the Civil Code (ZGB) , a young person at the age of 16 decides independently about his or her confession.

Individual evidence

  1. Art. 46 para. 1 BayEUG
  2. ^ Constitution of the Saarland, Art. 29 Paragraph 2
  3. § 5 Law on Religious Upbringing of Children
  4. Iraqi bishop criticizes the conversion law kath.net from November 8, 2015
  5. Gamper, Anna: Commentary on Art. 37 LV . In: Liechtenstein Institute (ed.): Commentary on the Liechtenstein constitution. Online comment. Bendern 2017, p. https://verfassungs.li/Art._37 .
  6. ^ Government of the Principality of Liechtenstein: BuA No. 114/2012. Retrieved December 7, 2017 .
  7. Adolescents aged 14 and older , Liechtensteiner Vaterland , December 20, 2012
  8. Ustawa z dnia 25 lutego 1964 r. - Rodzinny i opiekuńczy codes. In: sejm.gov.pl. February 25, 1964, Retrieved April 4, 2013 (Polish).
  9. Rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji Narodowej z dnia 30 czerwca 1999 r. zmieniające rozporządzenie w sprawie warunków i sposobu organizowania nauki religii w szkołach publicznych. In: sejm.gov.pl. June 30, 1999, accessed April 4, 2013 (Polish).
  10. Konwencja o prawach dziecka ONZ. Uwagi o realizacji konwencji przez Rzeczpospolitą Polską. In: sejm.gov.pl. April 30, 1991, Retrieved April 4, 2013 (Polish).
  11. Art. 491 (2) Noul cod civil Religia copilului Drepturile şi îndatoririle părinteşti. Accessed August 3, 2020
  12. Legal text

Web links

Wiktionary: Religious maturity  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations