In the ranking of freedom of belief, Poland with a score of 3.5 points (where 1 point means full freedom and 5 points means its serious violation) is somewhere between Belgium (1 point) and Afghanistan (5 dots). a given country in four key areas: state, education, society and freedom of expression.

Systemic legal discrimination can range from things like the planting of state churches resulting in religious privileges, the teaching of religion in schools without alternative secular and ethical classes, to harsh penalties such as imprisonment for crimes of “insult” to religion or death for simply expressing atheism – explains Humanists International President Andrew Copson.

The report showed that only 4% of the world’s population live in what can be called truly secular societies, where the separation of church and state and freedom of thought and expression are guaranteed. Many Western democracies scored 1.5, while authoritarian countries like China scored around 4.5. Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and North Korea received the worst ratings across the board.

Polish relations with the Church

The authors of the report point to a very strong relationship between the Polish state and the Roman Catholic Church, which has maintained considerable influence in social and political life, especially since the signing of the concordat in 1993. Although the Polish constitution stipulates that the relationship between the State and the Church is based on the recognition of “the mutual independence of each in its own sphere” (Article 25, paragraph 3, of the Constitution), in practice, the relationship between the Catholic Church and State is very deeply rooted.

The report shows that social rights and the right to freedom of opinion are the most seriously violated in Poland. The Polish government’s introduction of a near-total ban on abortion, the growing prominence of anti-gender movements in the country, and the declaration of “LGBT-free zones” by some municipalities are cited as concerns.

“Leaders impose a conservative, religious or ideological narrative without regard to the rights of people with more progressive views,” the report’s authors state.

Humanists International reports that in the Polish penal system there is an offense of offense to religious feelings (Article 196 of the Penal Code), which is punishable by a fine, restriction or imprisonment of up to up to two years. The fact is that the provision, which is supposed to protect all religions against insults, is in practice mainly used to investigate alleged violations of Christian religious symbols. In recent years, the claim under Art. 196 of the Penal Code is understood by more and more people, especially artists and activists, such as social activist Elżbieta Podleśna, who was accused of offending religious feelings for promoting the image of Our- Lady of Częstochowa with a rainbow halo.

The report also mentions the government’s control over public media and recalls that some members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe already recognized in 2019 TVP as a “ruling party propaganda channel”. Researchers have also pointed to systemic discrimination in education. Although the Constitution grants parents the right to bring up their children in accordance with their beliefs, lessons in schools are devoted to the Catholic religion and generally do not include material on other religions and worldviews.

Germany is also lagging behind

Germany with a score of 3.3 points. they fare only slightly better than Poland. The report points out that although Germany’s Basic Law states that there is no state church, some religious communities, in particular the Roman Catholic Church and the Evangelical Church, enjoy a wide range of privileges and benefits.

In terms of education, in public schools, with the exception of non-denominational schools, religion is a regular subject. Although parents can withdraw their children from religion classes and pupils over the age of 14 have the right to quit on their own, the report reveals that principals and teachers often do not inform of a such possibility. Religious schools, for example Catholic schools, which are almost entirely funded by the state budget, may refuse to admit students or employees of other faiths and atheists on the basis of exclusions in the laws of the work and anti-discrimination.

As in Poland, also in Germany, insulting religious feelings is considered a crime and punishable by imprisonment. Germany, on the other hand, does better than Poland when it comes to freedom of expression and of the media, which is generally respected by the authorities.

Belgium is a paradise for atheists

Belgium and the Netherlands received the highest ratings in Europe and were among the top countries for atheists and freethinkers. According to the report, approximately 40% of Belgians identify as having no religious affiliation or as atheists. In the Netherlands, this result is even higher, today more than half (54%) of Dutch people declare themselves non-religious.

Interestingly, Belgium, together with Norway and Iceland, is one of the countries that has a system that recognizes the freedom of ideological and philosophical minorities, introduces the separation of Church and State, and at the same time actively supports pluralism. Belgian public education also demands strict neutrality and respects the philosophical, ideological or religious ideas of parents and pupils.

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