美国人权宣言.docx

美国人权宣言.docx

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美国人权宣言

美国人权宣言

BureauofDemocracy,HumanRights,andLabor

InternationalReligiousFreedomReport2010

November17,2010

Theconstitutionprovidesforfreedomofreligion,andotherlawsandpoliciescontributedtothegenerallyfreepracticeofreligion.TheEvangelicalLutheranChurch（ELC）isthestatechurchandenjoyssomeprivilegesnotavailabletootherreligiousgroups.

Thegovernmentgenerallyrespectedreligiousfreedominpractice.Therewasnochangeinthestatusofrespectforreligiousfreedombythegovernmentduringthereportingperiod.

Thereweresomereportsofsocietalabusesordiscriminationbasedonreligiousaffiliation,belief,orpractice,suchasoccasionalreportsofanti-Semiticandanti-Islamicinsults,harassment,andvandalism,reflectingtensionsbetweenyoungMuslimsandotheryoungDanes.

TheU.S.governmentdiscussesreligiousfreedomwiththegovernmentaspartofitsoverallpolicytopromotehumanrights.Theembassypromotesreligiousdialogue,particularlywiththeMuslimcommunity.TheembassysponsoredMuslimleadersandyoungpersonstoparticipateinactivitiesthatpromotediversity,multiculturalism,integration,andtoleranceforethnicandreligiousminoritiesasfoundationsofreligiousfreedom.

SectionI.ReligiousDemography

Thecountryhasanareaof16,639squaremilesandapopulationof5.5million.BasedonofficialstatisticsfromApril2010,80.7percentofthepopulationbelongstotheofficialELC.Althoughonly2-3percentofcitizensattendservicesregularly,between40and65percentofthemutilizethechurchatleastonceannuallyforbaptisms,confirmations,weddings,funerals,andreligiousholidays.

Asaresultofimmigrationtrends,thesecondlargestreligiouscommunityisMuslim,constituting3.6percentofthepopulation（approximately200,000）.Muslimcommunitiestendtoconcentrateinthelargestcities,particularlyinCopenhagen,Odense,andAarhus.Groupsthatconstitutelessthan1percentofthepopulationincludeCatholics（38,000）,Jehovah'sWitnesses（14,600）,SerbianOrthodoxChristians（7,000）,Jews（6,000）,Baptists（5,200）,Buddhists（4,400）,TheChurchofJesusChristofLatter-daySaints（Mormons）（4,200）,andthePentecostalChurch（3,700）.Therearealsomanycommunitieswithfewer

than3,000members,includingSeventh-dayAdventists,theCatholicApostolicChurch,theSalvationArmy,Methodists,Anglicans,andRussianOrthodox.TheGermanminorityinsouthernJutlandandothernonethnic-Danishcommunities（particularlyScandinaviangroups）havetheirownreligiousgroups.

OfficialattendancefiguresindicateashiftfromtheEvangelicalLutheranChurchtootherdenominations,withELCmembershipfallingfrommorethan90percentofthepopulationinthe1980stoarecord-lowlevelof80.7percentin2009.However,therehasbeenasteadyincreaseinchurchattendanceonreligiousholidays.

TheEuropeanheadquartersoftheChurchofScientologyislocatedinCopenhagen,althoughitdidnotofficiallyapplytothegovernmentforrecognitionasareligiousgroupduringthereportingperiod.

SectionII.StatusofGovernmentRespectforReligiousFreedom

Legal/PolicyFramework

Theconstitutionprovidesforfreedomofreligion,andotherlawsandpoliciescontributedtothegenerallyfreepracticeofreligion.

TheconstitutionstipulatesthattheEvangelicalLutheranChurchisthestatechurch,thereigningmonarchshallbeamemberofthechurch,andthestateshallsupportit.TheELCistheonlyreligiousorganizationthatcanreceivestatesubsidiesorfundsdirectlythroughthetaxsystem.Approximately12percentofthechurch'srevenuecomesfromstatesubsidies;mostoftherestcomesfromthechurchtaxthatispaidonlybymembers.Noindividualiscompelledtopaychurchtaxorprovidedirectfinancialsupporttothenationalchurchoranyotherreligiousorganization.However,membersofotherreligiousgroups,notablyCatholics,havearguedthatthesystemisunfairandthatthegovernmentdoesnotprovidereligiousequality,despiteprovidingreligiousfreedom.A2007rulingbytheSupremeCourtdeniedarequestbynonmembersoftheELCforreimbursementofsubsidiestothechurchfromgeneraltaxpayments.TheSupremeCourtheldthatindirectfinancingoftheELCdoesnotconstitutereligiousdiscriminationbecausethechurchalsoengagesinnonreligiousactivitiessuchascivilregistrationandmanagementofnonsectariancemeteries.Therulingalsoupheldthechurch'sofficialroleinregisteringbirthsanddeaths.AllowingotherreligiousorganizationstobegiventhesamestatusandprivilegesastheELCwouldrequirechangestotheconstitution.

Thecriminalcodeprohibitspublicmockeryoforinsulttothedoctrineorworshipofalegallyrecognizedreligion.Themaximumpenaltyforaviolationofthisprovisionisafineanduptofourmonthsinprison.Since1938thegovernmenthasnotprosecutedanycaseundertheblasphemyprovision;prosecutorshavedismissedaccusationsofblasphemyasprotectedfreespeech.

Thegovernmentobservesthefollowingreligiousholidaysasnationalholidays:

NewYear?

?

sDay,HolyThursday,GoodFriday,EasterSunday,EasterMonday,CommonPrayerDay,AscensionDay,Pentecost,SecondPentecost,WhitMonday,ChristmasEve,Christmas,andthedayafterChristmas.

Thecountrymandatescompulsorymilitaryservicebutprovidesaconscientiousobjectionexemption.Inlieuofmilitaryservice,conscientiousobjectorsmayberequiredtoserveinaciviliancapacity.

OnJuly1,2009,anamendmenttotheAdministrationofJusticeActtookeffectthatbannedreligioussymbols,suchasheadscarves,turbans,Jewishskullcaps,andcrucifixes,aswellaspoliticalones,fromjudicialattire.

InadditiontotheEvangelicalLutheranChurch,thegovernmentgrantsofficialstatustootherreligiousgroups.Priorto1970,atotalof11religiouscommunitiesreceivedapprovalintheformofrecognitionbyroyaldecree,includingtheRomanCatholic,Methodist,Baptist,RussianOrthodox,andJewishcommunities.Sincethen,theMinistryofEcclesiasticalAffairshasapproved116religiouscommunitiesandchurchesundertheMarriageAct,includingseveralMuslimgroups,Jehovah'sWitnesses,Mormons,Seventh-dayAdventists,Sikhs,Buddhists,OrthodoxChristians,Hindus,Baha'is,HareKrishnas,andfollowersoftheindigenousNorsebeliefsystemFornSidr.Theseofficiallyapprovedreligiousgroupsenjoycertainspecialrights,includingtherighttoperformmarriageceremonieswithlegaleffect,residencepermitsforforeignpreachers,therighttoestablishcemeteries,andcertaintaxexemptions.OnlyministersofreligiousgroupsapprovedundertheMarriageActmaynameandbaptizechildrenwithlegaleffect,keepchurchregisters,andtranscribecertificatesonthebasisofsuchregisters.In2007theresponsibilityforadministeringtheMarriageActandtherecognitionofreligiouscommunitieswastransferredfromtheEcclesiasticMinistrytotheMinistryofJustice.

ReligiouscommunitiesnotrecognizedbyeitherroyaldecreeortheMarriageActareentitledtopracticetheirfaithwithoutanylicensing

requirement,buttheirmarriageceremoniesarenotrecognizedbythestate.Unrecognizedreligiouscommunitiesarenotgrantedtax-exemptstatus.

The2008GuidelinesforApprovalofReligiousOrganizationsrequirereligiousgroupsseekingregistrationtosubmitthefollowingitems:

adocumentonthegroup'scentraltraditions;descriptionsofitsmostimportantrituals;acopyofitsrules,regulations,andorganizationalstructure;anauditedfinancialstatement;andinformationaboutthegroup'sleadershipandeachmemberwithapermanentaddressinthecountry.Additionally,theorganizationmust"notteachorperformactionsinconsistentwithpublicmoralityororder."

Therearenorestrictionsonproselytizingormissionaryworkaslongaspractitionersobeythelawanddonotactinconsistentlywithpublicmoralityororder.

Allpublicandprivateschools,includingreligiousschools,receivegovernmentfinancialsupport.TheEvangelicalLutheranfaithistaughtinpublicschoolsinaccordancewiththePublicSchoolAct;however,astudentmaywithdrawfromreligiousclasseswithparentalconsent.Additionally,thelawrequiresthataChristianstudiescoursecoveringworldreligionsandphilosophyandpromotingtoleranceandrespectforallreligiousbeliefsbetaughtinpublicschool.Thecourseiscompulsory,althoughstudentsmaybeexemptedfromthecourseifaparentpresentsarequestinwriting.Ifthestudentis15yearsoldorolder,thestudentandparentmustjointlyrequestthestudent'sexemptionfromthecourse.AccordingtoaninvestigationbytheMinistryofEducation,anaverageofonly1.3percentofstudentsinthegreaterCopenhagensamplearea,whichhasthehighestconcentrationofnon-Christians,optedoutoftheChristianstudiescourse.Theconstitutionprotectstherightofparentstoeducatetheirchildreninprivateschoolsorhomeschoolsaslongasthisalternateformofeducationmatcheswhatis"usuallyrequiredinprimaryschools."

InFebruary2009theeducationministerstatedthatMuslim,Jewish,andChristianprayersmaybesubstitutedforcollectiveprayerinsuchvenuesasschoolassemblies,aslongastheprayerisinvokedwithoutpreaching.Duringthereportingperiod,thereweretwounsuccessfulattemptsbytheoppositioninparliamenttobanallformsofprayerinschool.

Duringthereportingperiod,thegovernmentcontinuedeffortstopromotesocialandeconomicintegrationofrefugeesandimmigrants.

In2007thegovernmentpassedlegislationthatwouldrequireallforeignreligiousworkerstopassaDanishlanguagetestwithinsixmonthsofenteringthecountryorrisklosingtheir