secular state
Religion-free governance
A secular state maintains separation between government and religious institutions.
The state neither promotes nor suppresses any religion, and religious affiliation has no bearing on citizenship or political rights.
France and Turkey are often cited as examples: The constitution establishes a secular state with no official religion.
Secular states may still have religious populations—the term describes governance, not society.
Inherent physical or structural makeup
- separation of powersConstitutional distribution of authority
- parliamentNational legislative assembly
- judiciaryLaw-interpreting government branch
- legislatureLawmaking governmental branch
sovereignty · republic · federal · policy · administration · civil law · citizenship · legislation
Variety of spiritual traditions
- multiculturalismCoexistence of diverse traditions
- coexistenceSimultaneous presence together
- interfaithAcross religious boundaries
- toleranceWillingness to accept difference
inclusivity · minority rights · equal protection · freedom of conscience · freedom of worship · cosmopolitan · integration · respect
Withdrawal of official status
- wall of separationBarrier dividing distinct domains
- public sphereRealm of civic discourse
- civil marriageGovernment-sanctioned spousal union
- nonsectarianNot tied to any creed
Freedom from prejudice
- nonpartisanshipAbsence of party affiliation
- evenhandednessUnbiased, balanced judgment
- fairnessJust and equal treatment
- objectivityFreedom from personal bias
equidistance · equal treatment · nondiscrimination · unbiased · balance
Philosophy prioritizing earthly reason
- freethoughtReason-based belief formation
- rationalismReason as knowledge source
- EnlightenmentEra prioritizing reason over dogma
- modernizationAdoption of current methods
constitution
Inherent physical or structural makeup
- separation of powersConstitutional distribution of authority
- parliamentNational legislative assembly
- judiciaryLaw-interpreting government branch
legislature · sovereignty · republic · federal · policy · administration · civil law · citizenship · legislation · executive
religious diversity
Variety of spiritual traditions
- multiculturalismCoexistence of diverse traditions
- coexistenceSimultaneous presence together
- interfaithAcross religious boundaries
tolerance · inclusivity · minority rights · equal protection · freedom of conscience · freedom of worship · cosmopolitan · integration · respect · dialogue
disestablishment
Withdrawal of official status
- wall of separationBarrier dividing distinct domains
- public sphereRealm of civic discourse
- civil marriageGovernment-sanctioned spousal union
impartiality
Freedom from prejudice
- nonpartisanshipAbsence of party affiliation
- evenhandednessUnbiased, balanced judgment
- fairnessJust and equal treatment
objectivity · equidistance · equal treatment · nondiscrimination · unbiased · balance
humanism
Philosophy prioritizing earthly reason
- freethoughtReason-based belief formation
- rationalismReason as knowledge source
- EnlightenmentEra prioritizing reason over dogma
- political entitiesnation, country, kingdom, republic, dominion
- Secularismdisestablishment, establishment clause, free exercise, freedom of conscience, religious establishment
- Turkish RepublicAnkara, Treaty of Lausanne, Latin alphabet, republicanism, nationalism
- secularizationdechristianization, disaffiliation, church closures, nones, unchurched
- French RevolutionBastille, guillotine, Robespierre, French Revolution, Marie Antoinette
- constitutionsbill of rights, constitutional amendment, constitutional reform, clause, clauses
secular statetheocracy
Rule by religious authority
caliphate · ecclesiocracy · hierocracy · Vatican City · state religion
secular, state, secularly, secularism, secularist, secularize, secularization, secularized, states