Religion in the European Union
The primary religion in the European Union is Christianity, although many other religions are practiced as well. The European Union is officially secular, though some member states have state churches: these are Malta (Roman Catholic); Greece (Eastern Orthodox); Denmark, (Lutheran) and parts of the United Kingdom - England (Anglican) and Scotland (Presbyterian). In recent times, there has been an increase in secularisation in most countries in EU resulting in fewer adherents and decreased church attendance, while a few [citation needed] have not experienced such developments.
Religions
The most common religious belief in the EU is Christianity. European Christianity can be divided into Roman Catholicism, a wide range of Protestant churches (especially in northern Europe) and Eastern Orthodoxy (in south eastern Europe).[1] Roman Catholicism is the largest denominatio, followed by Protestantism.
Judaism has had a long, and frequently dark, history in Europe. Prior to the Holocaust, the area of the European Union had a Jewish population of 5,375,000; it was largely exterminated in German Nazi death camps. In 2002 the EU had a Jewish population of barely over a million, including about 519,000 in France and about 273,500 in the United Kingdom (compare with about 5 million Jews living in Israel.[2]). In view of the history of persecution of Jews in Europe, antisemitism remains a matter of attention within the EU.[3]
Immigration has introduced other religions into European countries, most notably Islam. It was estimated that the Union's Muslim population in 2009 was 13 million people.[4] The country with the largest percentage of Muslims in Western Europe is France with 8%-10%(6-7 million) followed by Germany (4.5 million) and UK (2.5 million). Aside from Turkey, the only possible future member to have a majority of Muslims is Albania, although other Balkan states like Bosnia, Kosovo and others also have sizeable Muslim populations.[5]
Suspicions of Muslim populations have risen in some Western European countries such as the UK, where 38% see Muslims as a threat to national security. In France, on the other hand, only 21% see Muslims as a threat to their society and 52% say the Muslim community has been unfairly criticised. In both countries however less than a quarter approved of faith schools and a religious presence in schools and workplaces, while in Italy this is not considered to be a problem.[6][7] In the Netherlands, there is a slim majority stating they have an unfavourable view of Muslims. Islamaphobia, including violent attacks upon Muslims, is seen to be rising in the EU, with a series of clashes and incidents connected to the religion occurring in recent years. This includes: the participation of European countries in the Iraq War, the murder of Theo van Gogh, the 2004 Madrid train bombings, the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy with continuing attempts to kill the cartoonist and numerous terrorist attacks in the UK such as the 7 July 2005 London bombings.[8] In response to muslism extremism, some figures, such as Justice Freedom & Security Commissioner Franco Frattini, have suggested creating a "European Islam" - a branch of the Islamic faith that is compatible with European values.[8]
Due to the rise of other religions, and some intolerance towards them, the Commission now regularly meets with different religious leaders.[9] In November 2005, a delegation from the European Humanist Federation was invited to a meeting by Commissioner-President Barroso. This was the first time a humanist group had been consulted in this manner by the Commission. President Romano Prodi has refused such meetings, despite meeting various religious leaders, causing some resentment by humanists.[10]
Other religions present in the EU territories are Buddhism, Hinduism and Neopaganism.[11] Neopaganism is a movement that revives and reinvents (in its reconstructionistic approach) the ancient pagan spiritualities of the European peoples.[12] Neopagan religions are legally recognised by the governments of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden and Spain.
Church and State
The EU is a secular body, i.e., there is a separation of church and state. There are no formal ties to any religion and no mention of religion in any current or proposed treaty.[13] Discussion over the draft texts of the European Constitution and later the Treaty of Lisbon have included proposals to mention Christianity and/or God in the preamble of the text. This call has been supported by Christian religious leaders, most notably the Pope.[14] However explicit inclusion of a link to religion faced opposition from secularists and the final Constitution referred to Europe's "Religious and Humanist inheritance". A second attempt to include Christianity in the treaty was undertaken in 2007 with the drafting of the Treaty of Lisbon. Angela Merkel promised the Pope that she would use her influence during Germany's presidency to try to include a reference to Christianity and God in this replacement for the constitution. This has provoked opposition, not least in the German press,[15] and as this inclusion may have caused problems in reaching a final agreement, this attempt was given up.[16] Of the Union's 27 states, only five have an official state religion, these being Cyprus (Cypriot Orthodox Church), Denmark (Danish National Church), Greece (Church of Greece), Malta (Roman Catholic Church) and England and Scotland in the UK (Church of England and Church of Scotland). Some other churches have a close relationship with the state.[17] Until 2000, the Church of Sweden was the state church of Sweden, since losing its privileged position, membership dropped significantly from 82.9 % of the Swedes in 2000 to 72.9 % in 2008 - a drop of 10% in just 8 years.[18]
In the secularising EU, The Vatican has been vocal against a perceived "militant atheism". It based this on a number of events, for example; the rejection of religious references in the Constitution and Treaty of Lisbon, the rejection by Parliament of Rocco Buttiglione as Justice Commissioner in 2004,[14] while at the same time Parliament approved Peter Mandelson (who is gay[19]) as Trade Commissioner, and the legalisation of same-sex marriage in countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain.[14] The European Parliament has also been calling for same-sex marriages to be recognised across the EU.[20] Meanwhile, states such as Latvia and Poland [21] have rejected legislation designed to stop discrimination against homosexuals. This has been stated to be on religious grounds, with homosexual behaviour described as "unnatural", and the Catholic Church influencing public opinion. The difference of opinion between these countries and Brussels has been damaging relations.[17][22]
Secularisation
There is increasing atheism or agnosticism among the general population in Europe, with falling church attendance and membership in many countries.[23][24] The countries where the fewest people reported a religious belief were the Czech Republic (19%) and Estonia (16%).[25] In such countries, even those who have a faith can be disdainful of organised religion.[26][unreliable source?]The most religious societies are those in Malta with 95% (predominantly Roman Catholic), and Cyprus and Romania both with about 90% of their citizens believing in a god. Across the EU, belief was higher among women, the elderly, those with strict upbringings, those with the lowest levels of formal education, those leaning towards right-wing politics, those questioning the meaning and purpose to life, and those more concerned with moral and ethical issues in science and technology over risk-benefit analysis.[25]
The secular lifestyle is gaining ground in the European Union, especially with respect to marriage. While some religions advocate or mandate opposite sex marriage as the only "natural" one and typically frown on cohabitation, the general population in Europe seems to disagree more and more.
In 2008, the highest ever number of births outside of marriage were recorded in the European Union, just short of 37%, up 13 % compared to the year 1995 with first-births out of wedlock and cohabitation figures being even higher. Five EU countries recorded a majority of births outside of marriage - these are Estonia (59.1%), Slovenia (54.1%), Sweden (54.6%), France (51.3%), and Bulgaria (51.1%). These countries tend to be less religious ones (less than half of the population believing in god) whereas half of the European population believes in god.[27]. More strikingly, with Austria approving same sex civil unions starting from 1 January 2010 and the Portuguese parliament approving same sex marriage from 8 January 2010, more than half of EU countries allow either same sex marriage or same sex civil unions. The largest religious group in Europe, the Roman Catholic Church, has been strongly opposed to these laws, threatening to excommunicate politicians voting in their favour.[citation needed]
Religiosity
Most EU countries have experienced a decline in church attendance, as well as a decline in the number of people professing a belief in a God. The Eurobarometer Poll 2005 found that, on average, 52% of the citizens of EU member states state that they believe in a God, 27% believe there is some sort of spirit or life Force while 18% do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God or Life Force. 3% declined to answer. According to a recent study (Dogan, Mattei, Religious Beliefs in Europe: Factors of Accelerated Decline), 47% of Frenchmen declared themselves as agnostic in 2003. The situation of religion varies between countries in European Union. A decrease in religiousness and church attendance in western Europe (especially the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Finland , Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, and the Czech Republic) has been noted and called "Post-Christian Europe". Several of these countries have recently allowed same sex marriage despite massive resistance from the Catholic Church and other religious groups. Contrary to it, there is an increase in a few Eastern European countries, especially in Greece [citation needed]and Romania (2% in 1 year) [citation needed] but in the most populous eastern Europe country and EU member Poland there has been a sharp reduction in church attendance since 2005.
The following is a list of European countries ranked by religiosity, based on belief in a God, according to the Eurobarometer Poll 2005. The 2005 Eurobarometer Poll asked whether the person believed "there is a God", believed "there is some sort of spirit of life force", "didn't believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force".
| Country | Belief in a God | Belief in a Spirit or Life Force |
Belief in neither a Spirit, God or Life Force |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estonia | 16% | 54% | 26% |
| Czech Republic | 19% | 50% | 30% |
| Sweden | 23% | 53% | 23% |
| Denmark | 31% | 49% | 19% |
| Norway | 32% | 47% | 17% |
| Netherlands | 34% | 37% | 27% |
| France | 34% | 27% | 33% |
| Slovenia | 37% | 46% | 16% |
| Latvia | 37% | 49% | 10% |
| United Kingdom | 38% | 40% | 20% |
| Iceland | 38% | 48% | 11% |
| Bulgaria | 40% | 40% | 13% |
| Finland | 41% | 41% | 16% |
| Belgium | 43% | 29% | 27% |
| Hungary | 44% | 31% | 19% |
| Luxembourg | 44% | 28% | 22% |
| Germany *West Germany *East Germany |
47% *54% *19% |
25% *26% *20% |
25% *16% *57% |
| Switzerland | 48% | 39% | 9% |
| Lithuania | 49% | 36% | 12% |
| Austria | 54% | 34% | 8% |
| Spain | 59% | 21% | 18% |
| Slovakia | 61% | 26% | 11% |
| Croatia | 67% | 25% | 7% |
| Ireland | 73% | 22% | 4% |
| Italy | 74% | 16% | 6% |
| Poland | 80% | 15% | 1% |
| Portugal | 81% | 12% | 6% |
| Greece | 81% | 16% | 3% |
| Cyprus | 90% | 7% | 2% |
| Romania | 90% | 8% | 1% |
| Turkey | 95% | 2% | 1% |
| Malta | 95% | 3% | 1% |
See also
- Culture of the European Union
- Fundamental Rights Agency
- The European Union and the Catholic Church
- Christianity in Europe
- Islam in Europe
- LGBT rights in Europe
- List of religious populations
- Major world religions
- Christianity by country
- Islam by country
- Buddhism by country
- Hinduism by country
- Judaism by country
- No Faith by Country
- Great Synagogue of Europe
References
- ^ "Chrisianity". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Jewish population figures may be unreliable. These estimates are taken from: Sergio DellaPergola. "World Jewish Population (2002)". American Jewish Year Book. The Jewish Agency for Israel. Retrieved 2007-05-03.
- ^ EUMC (2006). "Anti-Semitism Summary overview of the situation in the European Union" (PDF). EUMC. Retrieved 2007-05-04.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ Miller, Tracy, ed. (2009). Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Muslim Population (PDF). Pew Research Center. pp. 31–32. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ "Muslims in Europe: Country guide". BBC News. 2005-12-23. Retrieved 2007-08-26.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Kuper, Simon (2007-08-19). "Religious fault line divides Europeans". Financial Times. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Kuper, Simon (2007-08-19). "Britons 'more suspicious' of Muslims". Financial Times. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Muslims in the European Union" (PDF). EU FRA. 2006. Retrieved 2007-08-26.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) Cite error: The named reference "FRA Muslims" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ "José Manuel Barroso meets European religious leaders". Europa (web portal). 2005-07-12. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "European Humanists Meet EU President". International Humanist and Ethical Union. 2006-03-13. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ BBC section on Neopaganism
- ^ Strmiska, Michael F. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
- ^ "Consolidated Treaties on European Union and establishing the European Community". Eur-Lex. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c "Vatican resists European secularism". BBC News. 2005-02-11. Retrieved 2007-07-14.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "European press review: God and the EU Constitution". BBC News/Süddeutsche Zeitung. 2006-09-12. Retrieved 2007-07-14.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Rettman, Andrew (2006-09-12). [euobserver.com/15/24066 "Merkel gives up on God in EU treaty"]. EU Observer. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b Ferrari, Silvio. "Silvio Ferrari on "Church and State in Europe"". Concordat Watch. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) Cite error: The named reference "BBC Poland" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ "Medlemmar 1972-2008, tabell och diagram" (XLS, 22.5 KiB) (in Swedish). Svenska kyrkan.
- ^ Shoffman, Marc (2006-06-03). "Ian McKellen ranked most influential gay man". Pink News. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Belien, Paul (2006-01-22). "European Parliament Backs Gay Marriage". The Brussels Journal. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Poland urged to drop new law banning 'homosexual propaganda' in schools". European Parliament. 2007-04-23. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Sheeter, Laura (2006-05-16). "Latvia defies EU over gay rights". BBC News. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Cline, Austin (2005-02-28). "Secularism in Europe". About.com. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Zuckerman, Phil (2005). "Atheism: Contemporary Rates and Patterns". Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b "Eurobarometer 225: Social values, Science & Technology" (PDF). Eurostat. 2005. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Cline, Austin (2006-02-25). "Czech Republic: Most Atheist Country in Europe?". About.com. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Evolution on the family in Europe page 42 out of 82