Declaration by a ruling power that members of a given religion will not be persecuted
An edict of toleration is a declaration, made by a
government or ruler, and states that members of a given
religion will not suffer
religious persecution for engaging in their traditions' practices. Edicts may imply tacit acceptance of a
state religion.
800 – The
Constitution of Medina ensured
freedom of belief and practices for all
citizens who "follow the believers". It also assured that representatives of all parties, Muslim or non-Muslim, should be present when consultation occurs or in cases of negotiation with foreign states.
1436 – The
Compacts of Basel, previously declared in 1420 and approved in 1433 by the
Council of Basel, were validated by the
Crown of Bohemia through their acceptance by Catholics and Utraquists (moderate
Hussites) at an assembly in Jihlava, under the consentment of King Emperor
Sigismund, which introduced an
Ecumenical limited toleration there. They state that "the word of God is to be freely and truthfully preached by the priests of the Lord, and by worthy deacons".
1568 – The
Edict of Torda (or Turda), also known as the "Patent of Toleration" or "Act of Religious Tolerance and Freedom of Conscience", was an attempt by King
John II Sigismund of
Hungary to guarantee religious freedom in the realm. It broadened previous grants to Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and Calvinists so that they might include the
Unitarian Church, allowing toleration without legal guarantees for other faiths.
1579 – The
Union of Utrecht included a decree of toleration allowing personal freedom of religion. An additional declaration allowed provinces and cities that wished to remain Catholic to join the Union.
1598 – The
Edict of Nantes, issued by the
King of France,
Henry IV, was the formal religious settlement which ended the first era of the French Wars of Religion, granting
Huguenots legal recognition as well as limited religious freedoms, which included: freedom of public worship, the right of assembly, rights of admission to public offices and universities, and permission to maintain fortified towns. It was revoked in 1685 by Henry IV's grandson,
Louis XIV, who once again proclaimed
Protestantism to be illegal in France through the
Edict of Fontainebleau.
1649 – The
Maryland Toleration Act, also known as the "Act Concerning Religion", by this
British North American colony's
Province of Maryland colonial assembly under the organization of its founder family, the Calverts, mandated religious tolerance for
Catholicism protection of hegemonic
Anglicanism and created the first legal limitations on
hate speech in the world. It was revoked in 1654, before being reinstated again, and finally, repealed permanently following the
Glorious Revolution 1692. The Maryland Toleration Act influenced related laws in other colonies and was an important predecessor to the
First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which enshrined religious freedom in American law, over a century later.
1712 – The Tolerance Act of
Ernst Casimir in
Büdingen, amidst war an plague, guaranteed "vollkommene Gewissensfreiheit", or "complete
freedom of conscience", by demanding in return that civil authorities and subjects to behave as honorable, decent, and Christian
Civilians.
1723 – The
United Grand Lodge of England's
Anderson's Constitutions of
Freemasonry states in its first article: "Let a man's religion or mode of worship be what it may, he is not excluded from the order, provided he believe in the glorious architect of heaven and earth, and practice the sacred duties of morality." providing
Masonic lodgesPolicies until today.
1773 – The Tolerance Edict of
Catherine II of Russia responded to domestic political disputes with Muslim
Tatars by the acceptance of all religious denominations in the
Russian Empire, except for the large number of Jews, who were under its rule since the
First partition of Poland.
1812 – The Prussian Jews Edict, by King
Frederick William III of Prussia of Prussia, extended the rights of naturalized ("eingebürgeten") Jews living in the country.
1905 – The Edict of Toleration, by Tsar
Nicholas II of Russia, gave legal status to religions other than the
Russian Orthodox Church. It was followed by the 30 of October of 1906 Edict that gave legal status to Orthodox schismatics and sectarians.[6]
1993 – The
Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) states that the "Government shall not substantially burden a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability."
^Strong, John S. (2016). The legend of King Aśoka: a study and translation of the Aśokāvadāna. Buddhist traditions (First Edition, 3rd reprint ed.). Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
ISBN978-81-208-0616-0.
^Chua, Amy (2007). Day of empire: how hyperpowers rise to global dominance – and why they fall (1st ed.). New York: Doubleday.
ISBN978-0-385-51284-8.
Declaration by a ruling power that members of a given religion will not be persecuted
An edict of toleration is a declaration, made by a
government or ruler, and states that members of a given
religion will not suffer
religious persecution for engaging in their traditions' practices. Edicts may imply tacit acceptance of a
state religion.
800 – The
Constitution of Medina ensured
freedom of belief and practices for all
citizens who "follow the believers". It also assured that representatives of all parties, Muslim or non-Muslim, should be present when consultation occurs or in cases of negotiation with foreign states.
1436 – The
Compacts of Basel, previously declared in 1420 and approved in 1433 by the
Council of Basel, were validated by the
Crown of Bohemia through their acceptance by Catholics and Utraquists (moderate
Hussites) at an assembly in Jihlava, under the consentment of King Emperor
Sigismund, which introduced an
Ecumenical limited toleration there. They state that "the word of God is to be freely and truthfully preached by the priests of the Lord, and by worthy deacons".
1568 – The
Edict of Torda (or Turda), also known as the "Patent of Toleration" or "Act of Religious Tolerance and Freedom of Conscience", was an attempt by King
John II Sigismund of
Hungary to guarantee religious freedom in the realm. It broadened previous grants to Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and Calvinists so that they might include the
Unitarian Church, allowing toleration without legal guarantees for other faiths.
1579 – The
Union of Utrecht included a decree of toleration allowing personal freedom of religion. An additional declaration allowed provinces and cities that wished to remain Catholic to join the Union.
1598 – The
Edict of Nantes, issued by the
King of France,
Henry IV, was the formal religious settlement which ended the first era of the French Wars of Religion, granting
Huguenots legal recognition as well as limited religious freedoms, which included: freedom of public worship, the right of assembly, rights of admission to public offices and universities, and permission to maintain fortified towns. It was revoked in 1685 by Henry IV's grandson,
Louis XIV, who once again proclaimed
Protestantism to be illegal in France through the
Edict of Fontainebleau.
1649 – The
Maryland Toleration Act, also known as the "Act Concerning Religion", by this
British North American colony's
Province of Maryland colonial assembly under the organization of its founder family, the Calverts, mandated religious tolerance for
Catholicism protection of hegemonic
Anglicanism and created the first legal limitations on
hate speech in the world. It was revoked in 1654, before being reinstated again, and finally, repealed permanently following the
Glorious Revolution 1692. The Maryland Toleration Act influenced related laws in other colonies and was an important predecessor to the
First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which enshrined religious freedom in American law, over a century later.
1712 – The Tolerance Act of
Ernst Casimir in
Büdingen, amidst war an plague, guaranteed "vollkommene Gewissensfreiheit", or "complete
freedom of conscience", by demanding in return that civil authorities and subjects to behave as honorable, decent, and Christian
Civilians.
1723 – The
United Grand Lodge of England's
Anderson's Constitutions of
Freemasonry states in its first article: "Let a man's religion or mode of worship be what it may, he is not excluded from the order, provided he believe in the glorious architect of heaven and earth, and practice the sacred duties of morality." providing
Masonic lodgesPolicies until today.
1773 – The Tolerance Edict of
Catherine II of Russia responded to domestic political disputes with Muslim
Tatars by the acceptance of all religious denominations in the
Russian Empire, except for the large number of Jews, who were under its rule since the
First partition of Poland.
1812 – The Prussian Jews Edict, by King
Frederick William III of Prussia of Prussia, extended the rights of naturalized ("eingebürgeten") Jews living in the country.
1905 – The Edict of Toleration, by Tsar
Nicholas II of Russia, gave legal status to religions other than the
Russian Orthodox Church. It was followed by the 30 of October of 1906 Edict that gave legal status to Orthodox schismatics and sectarians.[6]
1993 – The
Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) states that the "Government shall not substantially burden a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability."
^Strong, John S. (2016). The legend of King Aśoka: a study and translation of the Aśokāvadāna. Buddhist traditions (First Edition, 3rd reprint ed.). Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
ISBN978-81-208-0616-0.
^Chua, Amy (2007). Day of empire: how hyperpowers rise to global dominance – and why they fall (1st ed.). New York: Doubleday.
ISBN978-0-385-51284-8.