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Religion: People
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"Religion is the sign of the oppressed creature. . . It is the opium of the people . . . Religion is only the illusory sun which revolves around man as long as he does not revolve around himself." (Karl Marx)
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Sessions will examine: Secularism and the Soul of Europe, and Equality, Religion and Representation in Europe with another sessions including case studies examining the situation in Spain, Sweden and Poland. Among the questions the forum will explore are: What is the appropriate role for religious beliefs in the secular state? Can a secular state balance the sometimes competing interests of people with different religious beliefs? Does the inclusion of even non-sectarian religious language in official government texts represent a bias against atheists? Can a religious believer feel fully represented by a government that does not reflect his or her religious values? Do religions such as Catholicism and Islam delineate separate spheres of authority for religion and politics?
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China respects the freedom of religious belief of aliens within Chinese territory and protects their friendly contacts and cultural and academic exchanges with Chinese religious circles with respect to religion. Aliens may participate in religious activities at recognized sites for religious activities within Chinese territory. They may ... preach at the invitation of Chinese religious bodies at or above the provincial level. Aliens may hold religious activities attended by aliens at sites approved by people's governments at or above the county level. They may invite Chinese clerical personnel to conduct such religious rituals as baptisms, weddings, funerals and prayer meetings, and may bring with them printed religious matter, audio-visual religious material and other religious articles for personal use while entering Chinese territory. Aliens who conduct religious activities within Chinese territory shall abide by Chinese laws and regulations.
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The question of whether religion predates language has been debated. Essentially, the issue boils down whether ritual predates myth, whether people acted out religious feelings before they talked about them. Not enough is yet known about the origin of either language or religion to resolve the matter. Nicholas Wade, in Before the Dawn, notes that with the rise of language, deception became a social problem, hence religion in the form of a set of common beliefs, stories, and rituals was needed to create group solidarity and enforce group behavioral norms and expectations (inclusing honesty and penalties for deception).[9]
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"There are 37.3 million people in England and Wales who state their religion as Christian. The percentage of Christians is similar between the two countries but the proportion of people who follow other religions is 6.0 per cent in England compared with 1.5 per cent in Wales. In England, 3.1 per cent of the population state their religion as Muslim (0.7 per cent in Wales), making this the most common religion after Christianity. For other religions, 1.1 per cent in England and 0.2 per cent in Wales are Hindu, 0.7 per cent in England and 0.1 per cent in Wales are Sikh, 0.5 per cent in England and 0.1 per cent in Wales are Jewish and 0.3 per cent in England and 0.2 per cent in Wales are Buddhist.
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The development of religion has taken many forms in various cultures. "Organized religion" generally refers to an organization of people supporting the exercise of some religion with a prescribed set of beliefs, often taking the form of a legal entity (see religion-supporting organization). Other religions believe in personal revelation. "Religion" is sometimes used interchangeably with "faith" or "belief system,"[3] but is more socially defined than that of personal convictions.
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