Secular State - Ambiguous States

Ambiguous States

• Argentina - According to Section 2 of the Constitution of Argentina,"The Federal Government supports the Roman Catholic Apostolic religion" but does not stipulate an official state religion, nor a separation of church and state.
• United Kingdom - The Church of England is the established state religion of England - though not Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales - with members holding seats in the House of Lords as the Lords Spiritual. Traditionally they do not vote, though the potential is there for direct church involvement in law-making decisions over the entire United Kingdom. Parliament is opened with prayers, in the House of Lords usually led by one of the Lords Spiritual and in the Commons by the Speaker's chaplain. The full term for the expression of the Crown's sovereignty via legislation is the Crown-in-Parliament-under-God. At the coronation, The King or Queen is anointed with consecrated oil by the Archbishop of Canterbury in a service at Westminster Abbey and must swear to maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel, maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law and to maintain and preserve inviolable the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England. Thus though the Church of Ireland is no longer established and the Church of England has been disestablished in Wales to the Church in Wales, the Crown is still bound to protect Protestantism in general in the whole of the United Kingdom by the Coronation Oath and the Bill of Rights, and to protect the Church of Scotland by the Act of Union. All Members of Parliament must take an oath of allegiance to the Queen upon taking their seat, swearing by almighty god. However there is the option of using the alternative oath, still with the allegiance to the Queen, however with no reference to God and no requirance to put their hand on a Holy Bible. The majority of Members of Parliament use the oath whereby swearing by Almighty God.
• Indonesia - The first principle of Pancasila, national ideology of Indonesia, stated "belief in the one and only God" (in Indonesian: Ketuhanan yang Maha Esa). A number of different religions are practiced in the country, and their collective influence on the country's political, economical and cultural life is significant. The Constitution of Indonesia guarantees freedom of religion among Indonesians. However, the government only recognizes six official religions, namely Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Other religious groups are called kepercayaan (Indonesian: faith), including several indigenous beliefs. Religious studies are compulsory for students from elementary school to high school. Places of worship are prevalent at school and offices. A Minister of Religious Affairs is responsible for administering and managing government affairs related to religion. If a secular state is defined as "supporting neither religion nor irreligion", then Indonesia is not a secular state, since irreligion is not allowed, even though not prosecuted. There is a preference of several official religions, which is represented in the government through the ministry of religion.
• Finland - Claims to be secular, yet the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Finnish Orthodox Church have the right to collect church tax from their members in conjunction with governmental income taxation. In addition to membership tax, businesses also participate by a way of taxation in contributing financially to the church.
• Norway - Norway changed the wording in the constitution May 21st 2012 to remove the state church. The Church of Norway is not a separate legal entity from the governement, the Norwegian King is required to be a member of the Church of Norway and the church is regulated by a special church law unlike other religions.
• Germany - Germany has no state church. The relationship between the state and the religious communities is defined as a partnership. Religious communities with the status of a statutory corporation have e.g. the right to collect church tax from its members in conjunction with the income taxation.
• Lebanon - Under the terms of the National Pact of 1920, senior positions in the Lebanese state are strictly apportioned by religion:

• the President of the Republic must be Maronite Christian;
• the Prime Minister of the Republic must be Sunni Muslim;
• the President of the National Assembly must be Shi'a Muslim;
• the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament and the Deputy Prime Minister must be Greek Orthodox;
• the Chief of the General Staff must be Druze.

• Sri Lanka - The Sri Lankan constitution does not cite a state religion. However, Article 9 of Chapter 2, which states "The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place, and accordingly, it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana" makes Sri Lanka an ambiguous state with respect to secularism.
• Syria - The Syrian constitution states that the president must be a Syrian Arab Muslim.