Tolerating the Intolerant
Religious Freedom, Complicity, and the Right to Equality
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23028002 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sandra Fredman (0000-0002-4132-1164, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 305-328 |
| Publication date | 2020-06-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Oxford Journal of Law and Religion (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2047-0770 • E-ISSN: 2047-0789 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1093/ojlr/rwaa017 |
| OpenAlex | W3080895646 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
Tolerance has always been a central principle underpinning freedom of religion. But what if a person’s deeply held beliefs include intolerance of others’ rights or freedoms? Does tolerance of religious difference include tolerating intolerant behaviours? The paradox of tolerance has been thrown into relief by recent case-law on ‘complicity’ claims by religious adherents. Complicity claims assert that freedom of religion includes the right to exemptions from laws which the claimant regards as making her complicit in the sinful behaviour of others. Accommodating such claims can be stigmatic and demeaning of third parties. This paper argues that, in the context of complicity claims, neither tolerance nor neutrality can determine what weight to be given to the conflicting interests. Rather, they operate to disguise background value judgements. Instead, a proportionality analysis should be applied which is based on a hierarchy of values which expressly locates itself in substantive equality. Using a multi-dimensional conception of the right to substantive equality, the paper examines recent case-law on complicity claims in the US, UK, Canada and under the ECHR. Part II sets up the analytic framework. Parts III and IV apply the analysis to complicity claims in relation to LGBTQI and reproductive rights respectively.
Academic freedom · Commonwealth · Complicity · Higher education · Political science · Politics · Religious freedom · Sociology · Theology · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Law · Philosophy · Religious Freedom and Discrimination
Can religious social workers practice affirmatively with LGBTQ service recipients? An exploration within the regulatory context
“People with faith-based objections might display homophobic behaviour or transphobic behaviour”
Freedom of Conscience of Healthcare Professionals and Conscientious Objection in the European Court of Human Rights
Religious schools
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2022 - 2023 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |