Accommodationism

Philosophical and legal view accepting both religious and rationalist/irreligious views

In law and philosophy, accommodationism is the co-existence of religion with rationalism or irreligion. It may be applied to government practice or to society more broadly. Accommodationist policies are common in liberal democracies as a method of guaranteeing freedom of religion, and these policies may include options for religious education, official recognition of certain religious practices, and tolerance of religious expression in public spaces. It contrasts with separationist secularism and fundamentalism.

By location

Europe

Germany provides financial support for religious organizations. Teaching of religion is permitted in schools, but students have the right to choose the type of religious instruction, if any.^[1] In Albania, accommodationism is associated with long standing Islamic traditions in the country and Sufism in particular, while it's opposed by neo-fundamentalist groups and the Salafi movement in particular.^[2]

In the United Kingdom, accommodationism is relevant to the role of the Church of England and the debate over disestablishmentarianism.

India

India adopted accommodationism in its Constitution in 1947, supported by secularists such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and B. R. Ambedkar. The government administrates religious instruction in schools, funds religious organizations, and does not regulate religious activity. Muslims are not strictly bound by the law of India and are permitted to operate separately under a Sharia system.^[3]

United States

The United States has a history of accommodationism originating from its founding. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."^[4] Accommodationist policy in the United States often pertains to religion in schools; public schools in the United States cannot sponsor or endorse religion, but parochial schools are permitted to exist and receive government support.^[5] Religious practices have been recognized and adopted by law, including Christmas as a federal holiday since 1870 (at first applicable only to federal employees in the District of Columbia, extended in 1885 to all federal employees) and In God We Trust as the national motto since 1956.^[6]^[7]^[8] The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled in favor of an accommodationist interpretation of the amendment numerous times, both implicitly and explicitly.^[9]

References

^ Eberle, Edward J. (2006). "Religion in the Classroom in Germany and the United States". Tul. L. Rev.
^ Endresen, Cecilie (2015). "Faith, Fatherland or Both? Accommodationist and Neo-Fundamentalist Islamic Discourses in Albania". In Roy, Olivier; Elbasani, Arolda (eds.). The Revival of Islam in the Balkans: From Identity to Religiosity. p. 223. ISBN 9781137517838.
^ Berlinerblau, Jacques (2021). "Indian Secularism: The Accommodationist Framework". Secularism: The Basics. Routledge. pp. 76–87. ISBN 9780367691585.
^ "First Amendment". Cornell University Law School Legal Information Institute. Archived from the original on May 1, 2013.
^ Wilcox, Clyde; Jelen, Ted G. (16 September 2016). Public Attitudes Toward Church and State. Taylor & Francis. pp. 20, 100. ISBN 9781315485478.
^ Drakeman, Donald L. (1 January 1991). Church-state Constitutional Issues: Making Sense of the Establishment Clause. Greenwood Press. ISBN 9780313276637.
^ "Federal Holidays: Evolution and Current Practices" (PDF). www.fas.org. Congressional Research Service. May 9, 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
^ Bittker, Boris; Idleman, Scott; Ravitch, Frank (2015). Religion and the State in American Law. Cambridge University Press. p. 136. ISBN 9781107071827. Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2020-11-12 – via Google Books.
^ Wald, Kenneth D.; Calhoun-Brown, Allison (16 August 2010). Religion and Politics in the United States. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. pp. 80–85. ISBN 9781442201538.