Religion in Slovenia

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Religion in Slovenia

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History of Slovenia

The religious views of the people of Slovenia have been surveyed twice in the 1990s using different methods. According to the 1992 Slovene Public Opinion Survey, only 20 % of adult Slovenes believed in a "personal God" (a further 39 % said they believed in "God as an ethereal spirit" or "God as a life force").

In 1997: 24 % of the Slovene population believed in the existence of God without any doubts; 29 % of adult citizens believed in "the Resurrection"; 37.5 % of Slovenes believed in Heaven and 24 % in Hell.

About half of the respondents (51 %) stated that they are religious in their own personal way.

Only 18 % claimed that they are religious in accordance with Church doctrine. An analysis of the results of the international survey known as "Aufbruch der Kirchen" suggests similar conclusions.

Religion in Slovenia (census)
Roman Catholic
  
57.82%
Evangelical and other Protestant
  
0.82%
Orthodox
  
2.34%
Islam
  
2.42%
other religions
  
0.20%
Agnostic
  
10.15%
Believer but belongs to no religion
  
3.50%
Refused to answer the question
  
15.68%
No data given
  
7.08%
source: 2002 census
Contents

Analysis

Using these data, Niko Toš [1] demonstrates (with an extensive analysis of 15 variables measuring three dimensions of religiosity: orthodoxy, belief in God and belief in life after death) that:

  • approximately 1/5 (20 %) of the Slovene respondents practice Church religiosity,
  • 1/5 (20 %) practice autonomous religiosity,
  • 3/5 (60 %) are not religious.

Religious landscape

Religious belonging of Slovene citizens according to population censuses 1991 and 2002.[2]

Religion 1991 (%) 2002 (%) 2012 (%)
Catholic 71.6 57.8 53.1
Evangelic 0.7 0.8 0.8
other Protestant 0.1 0.1 0.1
Orthodox 2.4 2.3 2.2
Other Christian 0.1 0.1 0.1
Islam 1.5 2.4 2.6
Jew 0.0 0.0 0.1
Oriental 0.0 0.1 0.1
Other religion 0.0 0.0 0.1
Believes in a God, but has no religion 0.2 3.5 3.7
Atheist 0.4 10.1 30.2
Didn't want to answer 4.2 15.7 6.1
Unknown 14.6 7.1 1.0

Controversies

From 2000 to 2003, new religious communities had great difficulties to be registered. The new director of the Office for Religious Communities claimed that the current law offers no basis for registeration of new religious communities.

In June 2003 the crisis reach its paroxysm. The matter has been covered - among other organisations - by Forum 18[3]. With the help of lawyers, religious communities did break through, and registration started again [4].

New regulation

The draft of the new law has been made by Pr Lovro Šturm (Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta).[5] No consequent debate took place around this law. Many discussions, on TV, radio, newspapers, and a majority of people against the way the law is written. Several articles have been changed before it reached the Parliament, but that law has been described by many as poorly written, and unable to settle many issues, opening "Pandora's boxes" which are believed to be beneficial to the dominant churches. An alternative law was proposed to the parliament by MP Aleš Gulič. But the Government of Janez Janša wanted absolutely to pass its law, and consequently didn't give much chance to Gulič's proposal, even though professionals found the later text much better, and especially much more in line with the principle of separation between Church and State, which is included into the Slovene Constitution. A large number of articles on the matter, clear and factual, can be found on the web site of a Slovene association named Vox Libera.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Toš, Niko (1999): (Ne)religioznost Slovencev v primerjavi z drugimi srednje-in vzhodnoevropskimi narodi. In Podobe o cerkvi in religiji (na Slovenskem v 90-ih), edited by N. Toš, pp. 11-80. Ljubljana: FDV - IDV. / (Non)religiosity among Slovenes in Comparison with Other Central and Eastern European Nations. In Church and Religion (in Slovenia in the '90s).
  2. ^ http://www.stat.si/popis2002/en/rezultati_html/OBC-T-06ENG.htm Statistiques Census 2002 "population by religions"
  3. ^ http://forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=80 Slovenia: Pressure mounts on beleaguered senior religious official
  4. ^ http://forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=128 Slovenia: Registration breakthrough for minority faiths
  5. ^ http://forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=142 Slovenia: New religion bill will be neutral, drafter insists
  6. ^ Statua Peruna w Turno

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