Just the facts no debate. I was wondering if there are CURRENTLY (not in the past) any countries that require people to be Christian. And outlaw other religious books.
Like I don’t think Bible are allowed in Saudi Arabia (this may be wrong) but could it be like a Christian country that outlaws the Koran.
I just checked the Saudi Embassy’s website about travel restrictions & it doesn’t say a word about religious literature, such as a Bible.
I’m completely unaware of any predominately Christian country which has a prohibition on the Qu’ran.
Come to think of it, the only country I can think of that’s a religious government, Christian is The Vatican/The Holy See.
Ireland just lost it’s title as a Christian country. I think they allowed other religious books however.
I’d be shocked if a Citizen of Vatican City didn’t have to be Catholic. From their site:
“Citizenship can be acquired through stable residence and holding an office or job within the City. A citizen’s family can gain residence only by authorization.”
I know they don’t outlaw other religious books tho.
I think the OP is referring to Saudi Arabia 's banning the distribution (not possession) of Bibles in country.
http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/irf/irf_rpt/irf_saudiara.html
My understanding is that signs at Saudi custom points tell folks to surrender “non-approved religious materials” – which leads to some confusion on this point. Maybe some who has actually been IN Saudi, unlike me at the edge of my knowledge, can answer definitively on this score tho …
I suspect Spain under Francisco Franco may have been one of the last Christian countries to restrict the public activities of non-Christians (and of non-Catholic Christians).
Maybe that would be a way to view this. A Christian country that would ban prosletizying (sp?) I believe my Islamic countries are OK with you being another religion so long as you don’t try to convert people.
I think certain countries like Sweden are Christian in name but allow complete freedom
Actually, Sweden has now disestablished the church. Denmark and Norway still maintain state churches, and the Church of England is still a state church.
Russia, I believe, has recently passed a law restricting proslytyzing.
There might be one in africa, but i wouldn’t know
Boy, that’s helpful. :rolleyes:
But is that to prevent non-Christians from proslytyzing, or is it aimed at non-Orthodox Christians from proslytyzing? I thought that the concern was that Western Christians (e.g. - Baptists, Roman Catholics) were making inroads in Russia, and the Orthodox Church was getting upset.
LOL. you want some cheese with that whine?
Russia’s law is primarily aimed at Evengelical Christians. There are MANY muslims in Russia.
Iraq has Christians (Taria Aziz is one) and (believe it or not) a few Jews. Saudi Arabia seems to be one of the most reprssive Islamic gov’ts now that the Taliban is gone. I’m not sure about the situation in Iran, but it can’t be much fun being a non-Muslim there (or being a Muslim, for that matter).
I’m unaware of ANY “Christian” country that treats Muslims like non-Muslims are treated in Saudi Arabia.
Some would consider the United States to be a “radically Christian” country. Blue Laws, rooted in specific church doctrine instead of civil law, are enforced against non-Christians (although these are enforced on a county-level basis; no Federal law prohibits public dancing or buying alcohol on Sunday). “In God We Trust” is on the money, and public school teachers and police officers in rural areas regularly “witness” their charges.
Deny it into the corn, but we live in a de facto low church Protestant theocracy right here.
John, if you’re in the US, ask your Muslim neighbors/co-workers if they’d back you up on that statement, esp. if they’ve been to an airportor traffic stop recently.
What it specifically does is restrict groups not already registered as “religions” (or whatever the Term of Art is in Russia) from recruiting. Thus, Muslims are not restricted de jure. However, groups like the Scientologists (XENU) and the Jehova’s Witnesses are having problems over there after the law was passed. I don’t recall if the Mormons squeaked in under the wire or not.
From what I’ve read, groups that operate low-key and aren’t aggressive recruiters end up being pretty much left alone. The authorities tend to go hammer-and-tongs after the aggressive recruiting groups.
I’ll deny it in the corn, in the square, in the town hall, and right here on the SDMB’s GQ forum. We do not live in any kind of theocracy in the United States. Since you’re the one making that assertion, please provide proof of it.
From Merriam-Webster:
Main Entry: the·oc·ra·cy
Pronunciation: thE-'ä-kr&-sE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -cies
Etymology: Greek theokratia, from the- + -kratia -cracy
Date: 1622
1 : government of a state by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided
2 : a state governed by a theocracy
So I must agree with Monty, I don’t think you can reasonably describe the U.S. as a theocracy.
I don’t want to wander out of GQ territory here, but you’d do well to learn about the treatment of non-Muslims in Saudi Arabia before making a statement as patently ridiculous as that.
Freedom of religion is guaranteed under article 44 of the Irish Constitution.
http://www.maths.tcd.ie/local/JUNK/Constitution/Articles40-44.html
[mounting high horse]
We may not live in a theocracy but I think much of our social policy is shaped by Puritan values, especially in the area of drug laws. We will be the last Western country to liberalize our drug policy, if we ever do, because the main reason people use illegal drugs is the pursuit of pleasure. We cite the dangers of driving under the influence of marijuana, or the damage that X may cause, but I think the main reason for the revulsion toward recreational drugs is that its driven by pleasure seeking. We can’t even agree to allow medicinal pot because it might encourage healthy people to use it for pleasure.
[/Dismounting high horse]
I think it’s interesting that, IIRC, many European countries still have official state religions, but are not dominated by religious morality.