Members of religious denominations and people without a religious denomination must be treated consistently and equally in the Federal Republic of Germany. Legislative and other political reforms are indispensable for this. This was the central consensus of the first top-level meeting between representatives of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, the Humanist Association of Germany and other associations gathered in the Coordination Council of Secular Organizations (KORSO) yesterday afternoon in Berlin.
In addition to Bettina Jarasch, Cem Özdemir and Michael Kellner from Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, the President of the Humanist Association, Frieder Otto Wolf, as well as representatives of other KORSO member associations, including the spokesman of the Giordano Bruno Foundation, Michael Schmidt-Salomon, took part in the top-level meeting. At the meeting in Berlin, Frieder Otto Wolf emphasized that the Humanist Association advocates the consistent implementation of cooperative secularism as provided for in the German Basic Law. According to the Basic Law, the Federal Republic of Germany is an ideologically neutral state. In practical terms, this means that both the right to freedom of religion and the right to freedom from religion must be appropriately balanced. This is not yet the case in many areas. Discrimination based on ideological beliefs, which affects individuals, must therefore be reduced in future, as must the existing deficits in the equal treatment of ideological communities of non-religious people, which is expressly prescribed by the Basic Law. Wolf also said that the members of the Humanist Association claim to be involved in more than just a narrowly defined subject area through statements as well as practical projects and offers. “We are not only concerned with religious policy, but also with social policy,” said Wolf. He emphasized that the association’s members and supporters are therefore often involved in society in areas where ideological identities or positions are not the main focus. “When it comes to promoting humanist and humanitarian causes, we look for allies on all sides,” said Wolf. Frieder Otto Wolf once again expressed his appreciation for the recently presented final report of the religious policy commission of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen. The positions and religious policy reform proposals contained in the report correspond in many respects to the positions and demands of the Humanist Association. There was also clear agreement here that cooperation between state institutions and recognized religious and ideological communities must continue to be possible, as these are part and parcel of a vibrant civil society in Germany. On the other hand, attempts at appropriation, both religious and non-religious, should be rejected. At the top-level meeting, the President of the Humanist Association of Germany once again emphasized that the state of Berlin is a role model and pioneer in important areas such as value-forming teaching in public schools, the participation of non-denominational associations and the public promotion of humanist commitment. “Non-denominational and non-religious people must not be treated like second-class citizens in an ideologically neutral state. We therefore hope that other federal states will follow the positive examples in political and legal practice and expect Bündnis 90/Die Grünen to be a strong partner in the relevant local debates. I am convinced that this will enable the framework conditions for an ideological landscape that will continue to change in the future to be shaped in a contemporary and sustainable way,” said Frieder Otto Wolf.
