Dear Friends,
The French National
Federation of the Libre Pensee took the initiative to launch an
appeal in defence of the French Law of separation of the Churches
and the State, with the help of some secularist associations and
50 VIP of national renoun, well known for their support to secularism
and the absolute freedom of conscience.
We aim to relay this
current appeal with another appeal in support with 50 international
VIP, from different countries and on the five continents, supporting
this initiative.
Do you agree to countersign
publicly this appeal and to let us know what capacity will be published
with your name ?
Looking
forward to hearing from you,
Best
regards
Appeal
to secularists in
defense and promotion of the 1905 Law
On
December 9th, 1905, the Law of Separation between
the Churches and the State was voted, marking the end of more
than a century of Concordat, and the result of the struggle for
secularism initiated by the French Revolution. By proclaiming
as an established principle that "The Republic guarantees
the freedom of conscience", secularism banned any financing,
direct or indirect, of religions with article 2 of the Law : "The
Republic does not recognize, does not subsidize, does not pay
wages to any worship".
Advocates
of political democracy had to make three attempts to establish
this separation : in 1795, in 1871 then in 1908. On two previous
occasions, oppressors like Bonaparte in 1801, then Thiers after
the crushing of the Paris Commune, broke down the building of Liberty.
Since 1905, many others have also seriously questioned the principle
of separation between the Churches and the State.
After
the Paris Commune, and the Bloody Week, the Labor movement began
to link its struggle for social emancipation to those republicans
who fought for the advent of a secular education, then a secular
state, in order to achieve the absolute freedom of conscience.
The separation of the Churches and the State was the achievement
of the Great French Revolution which had proclaimed the need of
equality of citizens' rights.
Jean
Jaures said : "The Law of Separation is the deliberate
step forward of the mind towards full enlightenment, full science
and full reason". And Ferdinand Buisson, chairman of
the Parliament commission in charge of the writing of the law,
added : "The separation is not the last word of the social
revolution, but it is undoubtedly its first word."
The
1905 Law must be restored and extended !
The
most severe blows were struck against the separation principles
by the Vichy regime, with the laws of 5 February, 1941, 8 April
and 25 December, 1942, which re-established the Roman Catholic
Church as a considerable power, financial, in business as well
as in real estate properties. Those laws allowed the return of
congregations. All those anti-secular measures have been maintained
since Liberation.
By
maintaining the clerical status of exception in Alsace Moselle
(the oldest concordat in Europe which is associated to the complete
implementation of the clerical 1850 law by Viscount de Falloux
in and to the laws dating from the German annexation from 1870
to 1918) and the Mandel decrees of 1939 for Overseas Territories,
all the governments that have come to power since 1945, have deliberately
violated State and School secularism.
By
passing anti secular laws, the successive governments of the IVth
and the Vth Republics have committed severe breaches of the 1905
Law. Today, there is a budget amounting to 200,000 jobs that are
being diverted towards private - essentially Catholic - schools,
at the expense of public State schools.
Guaranteed
by the separation of the Churches and the State,
Secularism
is democracy !
Political
democracy imposes that the Republic recognizes only citizens and
not communities. This is the fundamental condition in order to
ensure the complete freedom of conscience. On the contrary, communities
do not recognize citizens and organize only subjects. The notion
of rights is replaced by that of duties related to a community
membership, presupposed and that cannot be overlooked.
The
absolute respect of the separation of the Churches and the State
imposes the non-recognition of religions in secular schools and
in public services. This principle bans any religious proselytism
with signs, badges and symbols as well as any religious education
in the National Education. Secularism prohibits any direct or indirect
financing of places of worship. Democracy imposes religion to be
a private matter.
When
the Republic was once again re-founded in 1870, when it was reaffirmed
in 1877 and in 1879, in the same movement of emancipation, it established
a secular school as well as a secular State. It proclaimed the
respect of absolute freedom of conscience as an intangible principle.
At
the same moment, the Republic recognized the complete freedom of
trade unions in 1884, i.e. the right for workers to organize independently
in defense of their own interests against the interests of the
ruling classes. The complete freedom of action of political parties
was proclaimed in the same time, without which there cannot be
any real democracy. The establishment of democratic and political
liberties was related to considerable social gains.
The
fundamental principles and the practical means of implementation
of secularism are meant to be exported at an international level.
Defend
and promote the 1905 Law
Secularism
in schools and the State, guaranteed by the 1905 Law, is inseparable
of the Republic, one and indivisible. You cannot defend one without
defending the other. The absolute freedom of conscience is one
of the fundamental guarantees of equal rights for all citizens.
The
undersigned, secularists of different origins, decide to join
in a Liaison Committee of the Appeal to Secularists in Defense
of the separation of the Churches and the State law of 9 December,
1905. They call upon all secularists, in every department, to
undersign this appeal and to prepare the national demonstration
on Saturday, December 10th, 2005 in Paris, towards
the Parliament.
- For the restoration of the 1905 Law !
- For the abrogation of the clerical status of Alsace Moselle !
- For the respect of the principle "Public funds to Public schools
only " !
- For the abrogation of all anti secular legislation !
- For the advent of secularism throughout the world !
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