Does this basically mean a religion publicly supported or encouraged in the country?
In: Other
A State religion is an official religion recognized and supported by the State.
The state in turn often sets policies and laws to match the teachings of that religion.
Saudi Arabia and Iran for example with Islam
The United States is often considered a Christian nation but the Constitution explicitly forbids the adoption of a state religion. Religious freedom was extremely important to early Americans and that in turn was baked into the constitution.
It means that a specific religion is the “official” religion of a country. In practice, this may mean that the state’s laws and governance will integrate the principles of that religion. For example, in many countries that have Islam as an official state religion, there are laws that ban the sale of alcohol, require women to be covered, don’t allow women to be in public with men, etc., as these are rules that are stated or alluded to in interpretations of Islamic law.
Additionally, it would almost certainly be required to study that religion in school, regardless of whether you were of that religion.
The answer to your subtext question is it varies wildly from country to country. England for instance has an official state religion, but you can freely practice whatever you want and not many laws interfere with that. The US does not, but it can come at a risk to certain religions. Some states have a mandated religion and if you’re found with other views (or even no views) you can face legal consequences.
Latest Answers