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117-412: Every person attempts to have a cognitive proficiency by developing knowledge, concepts, theories and assessing them in the given environment. This cognitive proficiency gives a sense of contentment and replaces the feeling of helplessness. Apart from bringing ease to the ego of a person, new knowledge and ideas also bring a hope for the future. Freedom of thought is the precursor and progenitor of—and thus

234-538: A Roman Catholic plot against her. Bacon's opposition to a bill that would levy triple subsidies in half the usual time offended the Queen: opponents accused him of seeking popularity, and for a time the Court excluded him from favour. When the office of Attorney General fell vacant in 1594, Lord Essex's influence was not enough to secure the position for Bacon and it was given to Sir Edward Coke . Likewise, Bacon failed to secure

351-654: A fringe theory which was first proposed in the mid-19th century, contends that Bacon wrote at least some and possibly all of the plays conventionally attributed to William Shakespeare . Bacon was educated at Trinity College at the University of Cambridge , where he rigorously followed the medieval curriculum, which was presented largely in Latin . He was the first recipient of the Queen's counsel designation, conferred in 1597 when Elizabeth I reserved him as her legal advisor. After

468-623: A just and humane society . Later he promoted the principles of Buddhism , and the creation of a just, understanding and fair society was held as an important principle for many ancient rulers of this time in the East. The importance of freedom of worship in India was encapsulated in an inscription of Ashoka : King Piyadasi (Ashok) dear to the Gods, honours all sects, the ascetics (hermits) or those who dwell at home, he honours them with charity and in other ways. But

585-534: A beneficiary. Several authors believe that, despite his marriage, Bacon was primarily attracted to men. Forker, for example, has explored the "historically documentable sexual preferences" of both Francis Bacon and King James I and concluded they were both oriented to "masculine love", a contemporary term that "seems to have been used exclusively to refer to the sexual preference of men for members of their own gender." Bacon's sexuality has been disputed by others, who point to lack of consistent evidence and consider

702-610: A book in 1813), the antiquary John Aubrey wrote that Bacon was a pederast "whose Ganimeds and Favourites tooke Bribes". While pederast strictly denoted "boy-lover" in earlier times, Cady wrote that Aubrey deployed the term discreetly in the original Greek to signify "male homosexual". The figure of Ganymede , he continued, was another of many common ways of referring obliquely to homosexuality. In New Atlantis , Bacon described his utopian island as being "the chastest nation under heaven", with "no touch" of "masculine love". Cady argued that Bacon's reference to male homosexuality in

819-532: A bribe or reward in my eye or thought when pronouncing judgment or order... I am ready to make an oblation of myself to the King He also wrote the following to George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham : My mind is calm, for my fortune is not my felicity. I know I have clean hands and a clean heart, and I hope a clean house for friends or servants; but Job himself, or whoever was the justest judge, by such hunting for matters against him as hath been used against me, may for

936-502: A dominant worldview, as indicated with his quote that "The causes of atheism are: divisions in religion, if they be many; for any one main division, addeth zeal to both sides; but many divisions introduce atheism. Another is, scandal of priests; when it is come to that which St. Bernard saith "One cannot now say the priest is as the people, for the truth is that the people are not so bad as the priest". A third is, custom of profane scoffing in holy matters; which doth by little and little deface

1053-413: A few days and the fine was remitted by the king. More seriously, parliament declared Bacon incapable of holding future office or sitting in parliament. He narrowly escaped undergoing degradation , which would have stripped him of his titles of nobility. Subsequently, the disgraced viscount devoted himself to study and writing. There seems little doubt that Bacon had accepted gifts from litigants, but this

1170-740: A general policy of permitting religious freedom throughout the empire, documenting this on the Cyrus Cylinder . Freedom of religious worship was established in the Buddhist Maurya Empire of ancient India by Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century BC, which was encapsulated in the Edicts of Ashoka . Greek–Jewish clashes at Cyrene in 73 AD and 117 AD and in Alexandria in 115 AD provide examples of cosmopolitan cities as scenes of tumult. Genghis Khan

1287-470: A graduate of Oxford with a strong leaning toward Puritanism . He attended Trinity College at the University of Cambridge on 5 April 1573 at the age of 12, living there for three years along with his older brother Anthony Bacon (1558–1601) under the personal tutelage of John Whitgift , future Archbishop of Canterbury . Bacon's education was conducted largely in Latin and followed the medieval curriculum. It

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1404-545: A grant from his mother Lady Anne of the manor of Marks near Romford in Essex, which generated a rent of £46. Bacon stated that he had three goals: to uncover truth, to serve his country, and to serve his church. He sought to achieve these goals by seeking a prestigious post. In 1580, through his uncle, Lord Burghley , he applied for a post at court that might enable him to pursue a life of learning, but his application failed. For two years he worked quietly at Gray's Inn , until he

1521-554: A landmark for Protestant worship, with official Catholic forms of worship being banned. In France, although peace was made between Protestants and Catholics at the Peace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1570, persecution continued, most notably in the Massacre of Saint Bartholomew's Day on 24 August 1572, in which thousands of Protestants throughout France were killed. A few years before, at the "Michelade" of Nîmes in 1567, Protestants had massacred

1638-453: A method, the Baconian method , did not have long-lasting influence, the general idea of the importance and possibility of a sceptical methodology makes Bacon one of the later founders of the scientific method. His portion of the method based in scepticism was a new rhetorical and theoretical framework for science, whose practical details are still central to debates on science and methodology . He

1755-457: A particular community or to defeat the nonbelievers". The Catholic Church comprising Latin, Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara rites used to give clear directions to the faithful on exercising their franchise during elections through pastoral letters issued by bishops or council of bishops. The pastoral letter issued by Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) on the eve of the poll urged the faithful to shun atheists. Most Roman Catholic kingdoms kept

1872-445: A patent, giving him precedence at the Bar. Despite his designations, he was unable to gain the status and notoriety of others. In a plan to revive his position he unsuccessfully courted the wealthy young widow Lady Elizabeth Hatton . His courtship failed after she broke off their relationship upon accepting marriage to Sir Edward Coke, a further spark of enmity between the men. In 1598 Bacon

1989-880: A pervasive recognition of this truth can be traced in our history, political and legal. Such ideas are also a vital part of international human rights law . In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which is legally binding on member states of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), "freedom of thought" is listed under Article 18: Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. The United Nations ' Human Rights Committee states that this "distinguishes

2106-633: A position that he thought would lead him to success. He showed signs of sympathy to Puritanism, attending the sermons of the Puritan chaplain of Gray's Inn and accompanying his mother to the Temple Church to hear Walter Travers . This led to the publication of his earliest surviving tract, which criticized the English church's suppression of the Puritan clergy. In the Parliament of 1586, he openly urged execution for

2223-645: A rebellion against the Queen. Bacon was subsequently a part of the legal team headed by the Attorney General Sir Edward Coke at Essex's treason trial. After the execution, the Queen ordered Bacon to write the official government account of the trial, which was later published as A DECLARATION of the Practices and Treasons attempted and committed by Robert late Earle of Essex and his Complices, against her Majestie and her Kingdoms ... after Bacon's first draft

2340-487: A religion or belief openly and outwardly in a public manner, including the right not to practice any religion). A third term, freedom of worship , may be considered synonymous with both freedom of belief and freedom of practice or may be considered to fall between the two terms. Crucial in the consideration of religious liberty is the question of whether religious practices and religiously motivated actions that would otherwise violate secular law should be permitted due to

2457-412: A religion" (often called freedom from religion). The concept of religious liberty includes, and some say requires, secular liberalism , and excludes authoritarian versions of secularism. Freedom of religion is considered by many people and most nations to be a fundamental human right . Freedom of religion is protected in all the most important international human rights conventions , such as

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2574-635: A result of the Bohemian Reformation , and became one of the most liberal countries of the Christian world during that period of time. The so-called Basel Compacts of 1436 declared the freedom of religion and peace between Catholics and Utraquists . In 1609 Emperor Rudolf II granted Bohemia greater religious liberty with his Letter of Majesty. The privileged position of the Catholic Church in the Czech kingdom

2691-595: A tight rein on religious expression throughout the Middle Ages . Jews were alternately tolerated and persecuted, the most notable examples of the latter being the expulsion of all Jews from Spain in 1492. Some of those who remained and converted were tried as heretics in the Inquisition for allegedly practicing Judaism in secret. Despite the persecution of Jews, they were the most tolerated non-Catholic faith in Europe. However,

2808-484: A time seem foul, especially in a time when greatness is the mark and accusation is the game. As the conduct of accepting gifts was ubiquitous and common practice, and the Commons was zealously inquiring into judicial corruption and malfeasance, it has been suggested that Bacon served as a scapegoat to divert attention from Buckingham's own ill practice and alleged corruption. The true reason for his acknowledgement of guilt

2925-425: A wealthier man, Bacon's rival, Sir Edward Coke . Years later, Bacon still wrote of his regret that the marriage to Hatton had not taken place. At the age of 45, Bacon married Alice Barnham , the 13-year-old daughter of a well-connected London alderman and MP. Bacon wrote two sonnets proclaiming his love for Alice. The first was written during his courtship and the second on his wedding day, 10 May 1606. When Bacon

3042-532: A younger one (from his "inmost heart") to "give yourself to me so that I may restore you to yourself" and "secure [you] an increase beyond all hopes and prayers of ordinary marriages". On 9 April 1626, Bacon died of pneumonia at Highgate outside London, specifically at Arundel House, a country residence of his friend the Earl of Arundel , though Arundel was then imprisoned in the Tower of London . An influential account of

3159-714: Is assuredly no part of religion to compel religion—to which free-will and not force should lead us The Edict of Milan guaranteed freedom of religion in the Roman Empire until the Edict of Thessalonica in 380, which outlawed all religions except Christianity. Religious tolerance in India: A legacy of the past and a promise for the future Ancient Jews fleeing from persecution in their homeland 2,500 years ago settled in modern-day India and never faced anti-Semitism . Freedom of religion edicts have been found written during Ashoka

3276-544: Is closely linked to—other liberties, including freedom of religion , freedom of speech, and freedom of expression. Though freedom of thought is axiomatic for many other freedoms, they are in no way required for it to operate and exist. The conception of a freedom or a right does not guarantee its inclusion, legality, or protection via a philosophical caveat. It is a very important concept in the Western world and nearly all democratic constitutions protect these freedoms. For instance,

3393-520: Is famous for his role in the scientific revolution, promoting scientific experimentation as a way of glorifying God and fulfilling scripture. Bacon was a patron of libraries and developed a system for cataloguing books under three categories – history , poetry , and philosophy  – which could further be divided into specific subjects and subheadings. About books he wrote: "Some books are to be tasted; others swallowed; and some few to be chewed and digested." The Shakespearean authorship thesis ,

3510-424: Is not allowed to anybody to intimidate anybody with captivity or expelling for his religion ". Act of Religious Tolerance and Freedom of Conscience: His majesty, our Lord, in what manner he – together with his realm – legislated in the matter of religion at the previous Diets, in the same matter now, in this Diet, reaffirms that in every place the preachers shall preach and explain

3627-465: Is not permitted that anyone should threaten anyone else by imprisonment or by removal from his post for his teaching. For faith is the gift of God and this comes from hearing, which hearings is by the word of God . Four religions ( Catholicism , Lutheranism , Calvinism , Unitarianism ) were named as accepted religions (religo recepta), having their representatives in the Transylvanian Diet, while

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3744-415: Is often argued that non-Muslims possessing the dhimmi status in medieval Islamic societies enjoyed greater freedoms than non-Christians in most medieval European societies, while duly noting that the protection was limited because of regulation by and obligations to government such as taxation (compare jizya and zakat ) and military service differed between religions. In modern concepts of religious freedom,

3861-657: Is the subject of debate, but some authors speculate that it may have been prompted by his sickness, or by a view that through his fame and the greatness of his office he would be spared harsh punishment. He may even have been blackmailed, with a threat to charge him with sodomy , into confession. The British jurist Basil Montagu wrote in Bacon's defense, concerning the episode of his public disgrace: Bacon has been accused of servility, of dissimulation, of various base motives, and their filthy brood of base actions, all unworthy of his high birth, and incompatible with his great wisdom, and

3978-631: The Centre for the Study of Developing Societies has written, "[India] is a country built on the foundations of a civilisation that is fundamentally non-religious." The Dalai Lama , the Tibetan leader in exile, said that religious tolerance of 'Aryabhoomi,' a reference to India found in the Mahabharata , has been in existence in this country from thousands of years. "Not only Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism which are

4095-513: The Council of Constance . Not entirely trusting in his safety, he made his will before he left. His forebodings proved accurate, and he was burned at the stake on 6 July 1415. The council also decreed that Wycliffe's remains be disinterred and cast out. This decree was not carried out until 1429. After the fall of the city of Granada , Spain, in 1492, the Muslim population was promised religious freedom by

4212-652: The European Convention on Human Rights states, "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion." It is impossible to know with certainty what another person is thinking, making suppression difficult. The concept is developed throughout the Bible, most fully in the writings of Saul of Tarsus (e.g., "For why should my freedom [ eleutheria ] be judged by another's conscience [ suneideseos ]?" 1 Corinthians 10:29). Although Greek philosophers Plato and Socrates had discussed freedom of thought minimally,

4329-489: The New Atlantis deliberately gave the appearance of coming from "outside the phenomenon" due to prevalent opposition. It contrasted deliberately with "veiled" praise of the topic elsewhere in Bacon's work, he asserted. Cady offered several examples, including that Bacon discussed only male beauty in his short essay "Of Beauty". He also noted that Bacon ended his monologue The Masculine Birth of Time with an older man asking

4446-516: The Reformation , symbolizing a fight for religious reform and liberty. In a historic setting freedom to worship has often been limited in practice through punitive taxation, repressive social legislation, and political disenfranchisement. An example commonly cited by scholars is the status of dhimmis under Islamic sharia law. Stemming from the Pact of Umar and literally meaning "protected individuals", it

4563-827: The Touro Synagogue in Rhode Island , reflecting America's early commitment to religious tolerance ; and the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India , a symbol of religious inclusivity and freedom of worship . Other key sites include the Bahá'í Gardens in Haifa, Israel , which emphasize the unity of humanity and freedom of belief, and Lutherstadt Wittenberg in Germany, where Martin Luther's actions sparked

4680-632: The Treaty of Granada , but that promise was short-lived. In 1501, Granada's Muslims were given an ultimatum to either convert to Christianity or to emigrate. The majority converted, but only superficially, continuing to dress and speak as they had before and to secretly practice Islam. The Moriscos (converts to Christianity) were ultimately expelled from Spain between 1609 (Castile) and 1614 (rest of Spain), by Philip III . Martin Luther published his famous 95 Theses in Wittenberg on 31 October 1517. His major aim

4797-845: The United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights , the American Convention on Human Rights , the European Convention on Human Rights , and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child . In a country with a state religion , freedom of religion is generally considered to mean that the government permits religious practices of other communities besides the state religion, and does not persecute believers in other faiths or those who have no faith; in other countries, freedom of religion includes

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4914-623: The United States Bill of Rights contains the famous guarantee in the First Amendment that laws may not be made that interfere with religion "or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". U.S. Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Cardozo reasoned in Palko v. Connecticut (1937): Freedom of thought... is the matrix, the indispensable condition, of nearly every other form of freedom. With rare aberrations

5031-490: The 18th century, other Jewish communities were established in Newport, Rhode Island, Philadelphia, Charleston, Savannah, and Richmond. Francis Bacon Francis Bacon , 1st Viscount St Alban, 1st Lord Verulam , PC ( / ˈ b eɪ k ən / ; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626) was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England under King James I . Bacon argued

5148-674: The 2nd Earl of Essex , Queen Elizabeth's favourite. By 1591 he acted as the earl's confidential adviser. In 1592, he was commissioned to write a tract in response to the Jesuit Robert Parson 's anti-government polemic, which he titled Certain Observations Made upon a Libel , identifying England with the ideals of democratic Athens against the belligerence of Spain. Bacon took his third parliamentary seat for Middlesex when in February 1593 Elizabeth summoned Parliament to investigate

5265-656: The Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots . About this time, he again approached his powerful uncle for help; this move was followed by his rapid progress at the bar. He became a bencher in 1586 and was elected a Reader in 1587, delivering his first set of lectures in Lent the following year. In 1589, he received the valuable appointment of reversion to the Clerkship of the Star Chamber , although he did not formally take office until 1608;

5382-572: The Catholic Church such as the possibility of an infinite universe. Unwilling to recant these ideas, Bruno was eventually burned as a heretic in Rome by the Italian Inquisition , in turn becoming a martyr for free thought. Oliver Cromwell is described by Ignaz von Döllinger as "the first among the mighty men of the world to set up one special religious principle, and to enforce it so far as in him lay: ... The principle of liberty of conscience and

5499-453: The Clerkship of the Star Chamber . Despite a generous income, old debts still could not be paid. He sought further promotion and wealth by supporting King James and his arbitrary policies. In 1610 the fourth session of James's first Parliament met. Despite Bacon's advice to him, James and the Commons found themselves at odds over royal prerogatives and the King's embarrassing extravagance. The House

5616-464: The Earle of Arundel's house at Highgate, where they put him into ... a damp bed that had not been layn-in ... which gave him such a cold that in 2 or 3 days as I remember Mr Hobbes told me, he died of Suffocation. Aubrey has been criticized for his evident credulousness in this and other works; on the other hand, he knew Thomas Hobbes , Bacon's fellow-philosopher and friend. Being unwittingly on his deathbed,

5733-622: The English ambassador at Paris, while Anthony continued his studies at home. The state of government and society in France under Henry III afforded him valuable political instruction. For the next three years he visited Blois , Poitiers , Tours , Italy, and Spain. There is no evidence that he studied at the University of Poitiers . During his travels, Bacon studied language, statecraft, and civil law while performing routine diplomatic tasks. On at least one occasion he delivered diplomatic letters to England for Walsingham , Burghley, Leicester , and for

5850-460: The Gospel each according to his understanding of it, and if the congregation like it, well. If not, no one shall compel them for their souls would not be satisfied, but they shall be permitted to keep a preacher whose teaching they approve. Therefore none of the superintendents or others shall abuse the preachers, no one shall be reviled for his religion by anyone, according to the previous statutes, and it

5967-455: The Great 's reign in the 3rd century BC. Freedom to practise, preach and propagate any religion is a constitutional right in Republic of India. Most major religious festivals of the main communities are included in the list of national holidays. Many scholars and intellectuals believe that India's predominant religion, Hinduism , has long been a most tolerant religion. Rajni Kothari , founder of

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6084-459: The Great Seal ) by his second wife, Anne (Cooke) Bacon , the daughter of the noted Renaissance humanist Anthony Cooke . His mother's sister was married to William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley , making Burghley Bacon's uncle. Biographers believe that Bacon was educated at home in his early years owing to poor health, which would plague him throughout his life. He received tuition from John Walsall,

6201-633: The House of Lords in its usurpation of the Money Bills. He advocated for the union of England and Scotland, which made him a significant influence toward the consolidation of the United Kingdom; and he later would advocate for the integration of Ireland into the Union. Closer constitutional ties, he believed, would bring greater peace and strength to these countries. Bacon soon became acquainted with Robert Devereux,

6318-860: The Huguenots, the Dissenters, and the Jews who had been expelled from Spain and Portugal. The establishment of a Jewish community in the Netherlands and New Amsterdam (present-day New York) during the Dutch Republic is an example of religious freedom. When New Amsterdam surrendered to the English in 1664, freedom of religion was guaranteed in the Articles of Capitulation. It benefitted also the Jews who had landed on Manhattan Island in 1654, fleeing Portuguese persecution in Brazil. During

6435-461: The King had evidently inspired resentment or apprehension in many of his peers. Bacon, however, continued to receive the King's favour, which led to his appointment in March 1617 as temporary Regent of England (for a period of a month), and in 1618 as Lord Chancellor . On 12 July 1618 the King created Bacon Baron Verulam of Verulam in the Peerage of England ; he then became known as Francis, Lord Verulam. Bacon continued to use his influence with

6552-426: The King to mediate between the throne and Parliament, and in this capacity he was further elevated in the same peerage as Viscount St Alban on 27 January 1621. Bacon's public career ended in disgrace in 1621. After he fell into debt, a parliamentary committee on the administration of the law charged him with 23 separate counts of corruption. His lifelong enemy, Sir Edward Coke , who had instigated these accusations,

6669-433: The King, dear to the Gods, attributes less importance to this charity and these honours than to the vow of seeing the reign of virtues, which constitutes the essential part of them. For all these virtues there is a common source, modesty of speech. That is to say, one must not exalt one's creed discrediting all others, nor must one degrade these others without legitimate reasons. One must, on the contrary, render to other creeds

6786-428: The State was too weak to enforce them. It took the victory of prince Henry IV of France, who had converted into Protestantism, and his accession to the throne, to impose religious tolerance formalized in the Edict of Nantes in 1598. It would remain in force for over 80 years until its revocation in 1685 by Louis XIV of France . Intolerance remained the norm until Louis XVI, who signed the Edict of Versailles (1787), then

6903-422: The Swiss cantons that accepted Protestantism and the Catholics. In 1531, the Catholics were victorious, and Zwingli was killed in battle. The Catholic cantons made peace with Zurich and Berne. The defiance of papal authority proved contagious, and in 1533, when Henry VIII of England was excommunicated for his divorce and remarriage to Anne Boleyn, he promptly established a state church with bishops appointed by

7020-425: The United States. In the Union of Utrecht (20 January 1579), personal freedom of religion was declared in the struggle between the Northern Netherlands and Spain. The Union of Utrecht was an important step in the establishment of the Dutch Republic (from 1581 to 1795). Under Calvinist leadership, the Netherlands became the most tolerant country in Europe. It granted asylum to persecuted religious minorities, such as

7137-439: The accession of James I in 1603, Bacon was knighted , then created Baron Verulam in 1618 and Viscount St Alban in 1621. He had no heirs, and so both titles became extinct on his death of pneumonia in 1626 at the age of 65. He is buried at St Michael's Church, St Albans , Hertfordshire. Francis Bacon was born on 22 January 1561 at York House near Strand in London , the son of Sir Nicholas Bacon ( Lord Keeper of

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7254-409: The circumstances of his death was given by John Aubrey's Brief Lives . Aubrey's vivid account, which portrays Bacon as a martyr to experimental scientific method, has him journeying to High-gate through the snow with the King's physician when he is suddenly inspired by the possibility of using the snow to preserve meat: They were resolved they would try the experiment presently. They alighted out of

7371-485: The claim that an effort to limit the use of words of language is actually a form of restricting freedom of thought. This was explored in George Orwell 's novel 1984 , with the idea of Newspeak , a stripped-down form of the English language alleged to lack the capacity for metaphor and limiting expression of original ideas. More recently, neuroimaging technology has raised concerns about entities possibly reading and subsequently suppressing thought. These concerns form

7488-469: The coach and went into a poor woman's house at the bottom of Highgate hill, and bought a fowl, and made the woman exenterate it. After stuffing the fowl with snow, Bacon contracted a fatal case of pneumonia. Some people, including Aubrey, consider these two contiguous, possibly coincidental events as related and causative of his death: The Snow so chilled him that he immediately fell so extremely ill, that he could not return to his Lodging ... but went to

7605-467: The constitutional text of 24 December 1789, granting civilian rights to Protestants. The French Revolution then abolished state religion and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789) guarantees freedom of religion, as long as religious activities do not infringe on public order in ways detrimental to society. In 1558, the Hungarian Diet 's Edict of Torda declared free practice of both Catholicism and Lutheranism. Calvinism, however,

7722-418: The crown. This was not without internal opposition, and Thomas More , who had been his Lord Chancellor, was executed in 1535 for opposition to Henry. In 1535, the Swiss canton of Geneva became Protestant. In 1536, the Bernese imposed the reformation on the canton of Vaud by conquest. They sacked the cathedral in Lausanne and destroyed all its art and statuary. John Calvin , who had been active in Geneva

7839-493: The date of Bacon's censure by Parliament, D'Ewes describes Bacon's love for his Welsh serving-men, in particular his servant Mr. Henry Godrick or Goodrick, a "very effeminate-faced youth" whom he calls "his catamite and bedfellow". Bacon's own mother complained to Anthony on Bacon's affection for another servant of his, named Percy, whom she wrote Bacon kept as "a coach companion and bed companion." In his Brief Lives sketches (likely composed during 1665–1690 and published as

7956-459: The edicts of King Ashoka (3rd century BC) have been called the first decree respecting freedom of conscience. In European tradition, aside from the decree of religious toleration by Constantine I at Milan in 313, the philosophers Themistius , Michel de Montaigne , Baruch Spinoza , John Locke , Voltaire , Alexandre Vinet , and John Stuart Mill and the theologians Roger Williams and Samuel Rutherford have been considered major proponents of

8073-456: The emerging fields of neuroethics and neuroprivacy . Freedom of religion Freedom of religion or religious liberty , also known as freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship , and observance. It also includes the right not to profess any religion or belief or "not to practise

8190-421: The estimation in which he was held by the noblest spirits of the age. It is true that there were men in his own time, and will be men in all times, who are better pleased to count spots in the sun than to rejoice in its glorious brightness. Such men have openly libelled him, like Dewes and Weldon, whose falsehoods were detected as soon as uttered, or have fastened upon certain ceremonious compliments and dedications,

8307-536: The existence of God. Information about God's attributes (such as nature, action, and purposes) can only come from special revelation . Bacon also held that knowledge was cumulative, that study encompassed more than a simple preservation of the past. "Knowledge is the rich storehouse for the glory of the Creator and the relief of man's estate," he wrote. In his Essays, he affirms that "a little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion." Bacon's idea of idols of

8424-560: The fashion of his day, as a sample of his servility, passing over his noble letters to the Queen, his lofty contempt for the Lord Keeper Puckering, his open dealing with Sir Robert Cecil, and with others, who, powerful when he was nothing, might have blighted his opening fortunes for ever, forgetting his advocacy of the rights of the people in the face of the court, and the true and honest counsels, always given by him, in times of great difficulty, both to Elizabeth and her successor. When

8541-547: The free territories. It was presented to Charles V in 1530. In the Holy Roman Empire , Charles V agreed to tolerate Lutheranism in 1555 at the Peace of Augsburg . Each state was to take the religion of its prince, but within those states, there was not necessarily religious tolerance. Citizens of other faiths could relocate to a more hospitable environment. In France, from the 1550s, many attempts to reconcile Catholics and Protestants and to establish tolerance failed because

8658-554: The freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief from the freedom to manifest religion or belief. It does not permit any limitations whatsoever on the freedom of thought and conscience or on the freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief of one's choice. These freedoms are protected unconditionally". Similarly, Article 19 of the UDHR guarantees that "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference". Article 9 of

8775-575: The honour befitting them. On the main Asian continent, the Mongols were tolerant of religions. People could worship as they wished freely and openly. After the arrival of Europeans, Christians in their zeal to convert local as per belief in conversion as service of God, have also been seen to fall into frivolous methods since their arrival, though by and large there are hardly any reports of law and order disturbance from mobs with Christian beliefs, except perhaps in

8892-416: The idea of freedom of conscience (or "soul liberty" in the words of Williams). Queen Elizabeth I revoked a thought censorship law in the late sixteenth century, because, according to Sir Francis Bacon , she did "not [like] to make windows into men's souls and secret thoughts". During her reign, however, a number of books published by theorist Giordano Bruno spurred controversy, mentioning topics banned by

9009-597: The importance of natural philosophy , guided by scientific method , and his works remained influential throughout the Scientific Revolution . Bacon has been called the father of empiricism . He argued for the possibility of scientific knowledge based only upon inductive reasoning and careful observation of events in nature . He believed that science could be achieved by the use of a sceptical and methodical approach whereby scientists aim to avoid misleading themselves. Although his most specific proposals about such

9126-522: The latter was in part a reaction to the growing movement that became the Reformation . As early as 1380, John Wycliffe in England denied transubstantiation and began his translation of the Bible into English. He was condemned in a papal bull in 1410, and all his books were burned. In 1414, Jan Hus , a Bohemian preacher of reformation, was given a safe conduct by the Holy Roman Emperor to attend

9243-469: The law is usually blind to religious affiliation. In Antiquity , a syncretic point of view often allowed communities of traders to operate under their own customs. When street mobs of separate quarters clashed in a Hellenistic or Roman city, the issue was generally perceived to be an infringement of community rights. Cyrus the Great established the Achaemenid Empire ca. 550 BC, and initiated

9360-411: The lesser office of Solicitor General in 1595, the Queen pointedly snubbing him by appointing Sir Thomas Fleming instead. To console him for these disappointments, Essex presented him with a property at Twickenham , which Bacon subsequently sold for £1,800. In 1597 Bacon became the first Queen's Counsel designate, when Queen Elizabeth reserved him as her legal counsel. In 1597, he was also given

9477-702: The local Catholic clergy. The Norman Kingdom of Sicily under Roger II was characterized by its multi-ethnic nature and religious tolerance. Normans, Jews, Muslim Arabs, Byzantine Greeks, Lombards, and native Sicilians lived in harmony. Rather than exterminate the Muslims of Sicily, Roger II's grandson Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen (1215–1250) allowed them to settle on the mainland and build mosques. Not least, he enlisted them in his – Christian – army and even into his personal bodyguards. Kingdom of Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic) enjoyed religious freedom between 1436 and 1620 as

9594-658: The marriage, with speculation that this may have been due to Alice's making do with less money than she had once been accustomed to. It was said that she was strongly interested in fame and fortune, and when household finances dwindled, she complained bitterly. Bunten wrote in her Life of Alice Barnham   that, upon their descent into debt, she went on trips to ask for financial favours and assistance from their circle of friends. Bacon disinherited her upon discovering her secret romantic relationship with Sir John Underhill , rewriting his will (which had generously planned to leave her lands, goods, and income) and revoking her entirely as

9711-474: The mind may have self-consciously represented an attempt to Christianize science at the same time as developing a new, reliable scientific method; Bacon gave worship of Neptune as an example of the idola tribus fallacy, hinting at the religious dimensions of his critique of the idols. Bacon was against the splintering within Christianity, believing that it would ultimately lead to the creation of atheism as

9828-549: The native religions but also Christianity and Islam have flourished here. Religious tolerance is inherent in Indian tradition," the Dalai Lama said. Freedom of religion in the Indian subcontinent is exemplified by the reign of King Piyadasi (304–232 BC) ( Ashoka ). One of King Ashoka's main concerns was to reform governmental institutes and exercise moral principles in his attempt to create

9945-640: The new Austrian masters forced in the middle of the 18th century the Hutterite Anabaptists (who found a safe haven in 1621 in Transylvania, after the persecution to which they were subjected in the Austrian provinces and Moravia) to convert to Catholicism or to migrate in another country, which finally the Anabaptists did, leaving Transylvania and Hungary for Wallachia, then from there to Russia, and finally in

10062-426: The north eastern region of India. Freedom of religion in contemporary India is a fundamental right guaranteed under Article 25 of the nation's constitution. Accordingly, every citizen of India has a right to profess, practice and propagate their religions peacefully. In September 2010, the Indian state of Kerala 's State Election Commissioner announced that "Religious heads cannot issue calls to vote for members of

10179-638: The other religions, like the Orthodoxs , Sabbatarians and Anabaptists were tolerated churches (religio tolerata), which meant that they had no power in the law making and no veto rights in the Diet, but they were not persecuted in any way. Thanks to the Edict of Torda, from the last decades of the 16th century Transylvania was the only place in Europe, where so many religions could live together in harmony and without persecution. This religious freedom ended however for some of

10296-492: The philosopher dictated his last letter to the Earl: My very good Lord,—I was likely to have had the fortune of Caius Plinius the elder , who lost his life by trying an experiment about the burning of Mount Vesuvius ; for I was also desirous to try an experiment or two touching the conservation and in-duration of bodies. As for the experiment itself, it succeeded excellently well; but in the journey between London and High-gate, I

10413-559: The possessions of Frederick III, Elector of Saxony , where he translated the New Testament into German. He was excommunicated by papal bull in 1521. However, the movement continued to gain ground in his absence and spread to Switzerland. Huldrych Zwingli preached reform in Zürich from 1520 to 1523. He opposed the sale of indulgences, celibacy, pilgrimages, pictures, statues, relics, altars, and organs. This culminated in outright war between

10530-432: The post was worth £1,600 a year. In 1588 he became MP for Liverpool and then for Middlesex in 1593. He later sat three times for Ipswich (1597, 1601, 1604) and once for Cambridge University (1614). He became known as a liberal-minded reformer, eager to amend and simplify the law. Though a friend of the crown, he opposed feudal privileges and dictatorial powers. He spoke against religious persecution. He struck at

10647-432: The queen. The sudden death of his father in February 1579 prompted Bacon to return to England. Sir Nicholas had laid up a considerable sum of money to purchase an estate for his youngest son, but he died before doing so, and Francis was left with only a fifth of that money. Having borrowed money, Bacon got into debt. To support himself, he took up his residence in law at Gray's Inn in 1579, his income being supplemented by

10764-756: The radical anti-intellectualism enforced in Cambodia under Pol Pot and in Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler , the strict limits on freedom of expression imposed by the Communist governments of the People's Republic of China and Cuba or by Capitalist dictatorships such as those of Augusto Pinochet in Chile and Francisco Franco in Spain. The Sapir–Whorf hypothesis , which states that thought can be embedded in language , would support

10881-505: The religions of Transylvania in 1638. After this year the Sabbatarians began to be persecuted and forced to convert to one of the accepted Christian religions of Transylvania. The Unitarians (despite being one of the "accepted religions") started to be put under an ever-growing pressure, which culminated after the Habsburg conquest of Transylvania (1691), Also after the Habsburg occupation,

10998-451: The repudiation of religious coercion". However, freedom of expression can be limited through censorship , arrests, book burning , or propaganda , and this tends to discourage freedom of thought. Examples of effective campaigns against freedom of expression are the Soviet suppression of genetics research in favor of a theory known as Lysenkoism , the book-burning campaigns of Nazi Germany ,

11115-529: The reverence of religion. And lastly, learned times, specially with peace and prosperity; for troubles and adversities do more bow men's minds to religion." Bacon built Verulam House in St Albans to his own designs. It has been suggested that this building was derivative of Sir Rowland Hill 's building at Soulton Hall . When he was 36, Bacon courted Elizabeth Hatton , a young widow of 20. Reportedly, she broke off their relationship upon accepting marriage to

11232-418: The right to refuse to support, by taxes or otherwise, a state religion. Freedom of religion includes, at a minimum, freedom of belief (the right to believe whatever a person, group, or religion wishes, including all forms of irreligion , such as atheism , humanism , existentialism , or other forms of non-belief ), but some feel freedom of religion must include freedom of practice (the right to practice

11349-679: The safeguarding freedom of religion. This issue is addressed in numerous court cases including the United States Supreme Court cases Reynolds v. United States and Wisconsin v. Yoder and in the European law cases of S.A.S. v. France , as well as numerous other jurisdictions. Symbols of religious freedom are seen in significant locations around the world, such as the Statue of Liberty in New York , representing hope for religious refugees;

11466-452: The sources to be more open to interpretation. The Jacobean antiquary and Bacon's fellow parliament member Sir Simonds D'Ewes implied there had been a question of bringing Bacon to trial for buggery, with which his brother Anthony Bacon had also been charged. (Bacon's brother "apparently also was homosexual", according to literature and sexuality scholar Joseph Cady.) In his Autobiography and Correspondence diary entry for 3 May 1621,

11583-516: The wedding of Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset and his wife, Frances Howard, Countess of Somerset , and he successfully prosecuted them for murder in 1616. The so-called Prince's Parliament of April 1614 objected to Bacon's presence in the seat for Cambridge and to the various royal plans that Bacon had supported. Although he was allowed to stay, Parliament passed a law that forbade the Attorney General to sit in Parliament. His influence over

11700-406: Was knighted in 1603. In another shrewd move, Bacon wrote his Apologies in defence of his proceedings in the case of Essex, as Essex had favoured James to succeed to the throne. The following year, during the course of the uneventful first parliamentary session, Bacon married Alice Barnham . In June 1607, he was at last rewarded with the office of Solicitor General and in 1608 he began working as

11817-411: Was a "base sycophant" loved and honoured by piety such as that of Herbert, Tennison, and Rawley, by noble spirits like Hobbes, Ben Jonson, and Selden, or followed to the grave, and beyond it, with devoted affection such as that of Sir Thomas Meautys. Bacon was a devout Anglican . He believed that philosophy and the natural world must be studied inductively, but argued that we can only study arguments for

11934-543: Was admitted as an outer barrister in 1582. His parliamentary career began when he was elected MP for Bossiney, Cornwall , in a by-election in 1581. In 1584 he took his seat in Parliament for Melcombe in Dorset, and in 1586 for Taunton . At this time, he began to write on the condition of parties in the church, as well as on the topic of philosophical reform in the lost tract Temporis Partus Maximus . Yet he failed to gain

12051-525: Was an accepted custom of the time and not necessarily evidence of deeply corrupt behaviour. While acknowledging that his conduct had been lax, he countered that he had never allowed gifts to influence his judgement and, indeed, he had on occasion given a verdict against those who had paid him. He even had an interview with King James in which he assured: The law of nature teaches me to speak in my own defence: With respect to this charge of bribery I am as innocent as any man born on St. Innocents Day. I never had

12168-486: Was appointed lord chancellor, "by special Warrant of the King", Lady Bacon was given precedence over all other Court ladies. Bacon's personal secretary and chaplain, William Rawley, wrote in his biography of Bacon that his marriage was one of "much conjugal love and respect", mentioning a robe of honour that he gave to Alice and which "she wore unto her dying day, being twenty years and more after his death". However, an increasing number of reports circulated about friction in

12285-440: Was arrested for debt. Afterward, however, his standing in the Queen's eyes improved. Gradually, Bacon earned the standing of one of the learned counsels. His relationship with the Queen further improved when he severed ties with Essex—a shrewd move, as Essex would be executed for treason in 1601. With others, Bacon was appointed to investigate the charges against Essex. A number of Essex's followers confessed that Essex had planned

12402-593: Was at Cambridge that Bacon first met Queen Elizabeth , who was impressed by his precocious intellect, and was accustomed to calling him "The young lord keeper". His studies brought him to the belief that the methods and results of science as then practised were erroneous. His reverence for Aristotle conflicted with his rejection of Aristotelian philosophy , which seemed to him barren, argumentative and wrong in its objectives. On 27 June 1576, he and Anthony entered de societate magistrorum at Gray's Inn . A few months later, Francis went abroad with Sir Amias Paulet ,

12519-644: Was expelled in 1538 in a power struggle, but he was invited back in 1540. The same kind of seesaw back and forth between Protestantism and Catholicism was evident in England when Mary I of England returned that country briefly to the Catholic fold in 1553 and persecuted Protestants. However, her half-sister, Elizabeth I of England was to restore the Church of England in 1558, this time permanently, and began to persecute Catholics again. The King James Bible commissioned by King James I of England and published in 1611 proved

12636-537: Was finally dissolved in February 1611. Throughout this period Bacon managed to stay in favour with the King while retaining the confidence of the Commons. In 1613 Bacon was finally appointed Attorney General , after advising the King to shuffle judicial appointments. As Attorney General, Bacon, by his zealous efforts—which included torture—to obtain the conviction of Edmund Peacham for treason, raised legal controversies of high constitutional importance. Bacon and Gray's Inn produced The Masque of Flowers to celebrate

12753-695: Was firmly established after the Battle of White Mountain in 1620. Gradually freedom of religion in Bohemian lands came to an end and Protestants fled or were expelled from the country. A devout Catholic, Emperor Ferdinand II forcibly converted Austrian and Bohemian Protestants. In the meantime, in Germany Philip Melanchthon drafted the Augsburg Confession as a common confession for the Lutherans and

12870-443: Was heavily edited by the Queen and her ministers. According to his personal secretary and chaplain, William Rawley , as a judge Bacon was always tender-hearted, "looking upon the examples with the eye of severity, but upon the person with the eye of pity and compassion". And also that "he was free from malice", "no revenger of injuries", and "no defamer of any man". The succession of James I brought Bacon into greater favour. He

12987-488: Was legalised by the Roman emperor Galerius in 311. Holmes and Bickers note that as long as Christianity was treated as a part of Judaism, which was generally tolerated because of its antiquity and its practice of making offers on behalf of the emperor, it enjoyed the same freedom, but the Christian claim to religious exclusivity meant its followers found themselves subject to hostility. The early Christian apologist Tertullian

13104-411: Was one of the first rulers who in 13th century enacted a law explicitly guaranteeing religious freedom to everyone and every religion. The Romans tolerated most religions, including Judaism , and encouraged local subjects to continue worshipping their own gods. They did not however, tolerate Christianity , because of the Christian refusal to offer honours to the official cult of the emperor, until it

13221-406: Was one of those appointed to prepare the charges against the chancellor. To the lords, who sent a committee to enquire whether a confession was really his, he replied, "My lords, it is my act, my hand, and my heart; I beseech your lordships to be merciful to a broken reed." He was sentenced to a fine of £40,000 and committed to the Tower of London at the king's pleasure; the imprisonment lasted only

13338-457: Was prohibited. Calvinism was included among the accepted religions in 1564. Ten years after the first law, in 1568, the same Diet, under the chairmanship of King of Hungary , and Prince of Transylvania John Sigismund Zápolya (John II), following the teaching of Ferenc Dávid , the founder of the Unitarian Church of Transylvania , extended the freedom to all religions, declaring that " It

13455-453: Was taken with such a fit of casting as I know not whether it were the Stone, or some surfeit or cold, or indeed a touch of them all three. But when I came to your Lordship's House, I was not able to go back, and therefore was forced to take up my lodging here, where your housekeeper is very careful and diligent about me, which I assure myself your Lordship will not only pardon towards him, but think

13572-488: Was the first-known writer to employ the term "freedom of religion" ( libertas religionis ), which appears in the 24th chapter of his Apologeticum . He expanded on the case for the tolerance of all religious views in his epistle to proconsul Scapula, in which he states [I]t is a human right [( humanis ius )], a privilege of nature [( naturalis potestas )], that every man should worship according to his own convictions: one man's religion neither harms nor helps another man. It

13689-548: Was theological, summed up in the three basic dogmas of Protestantism: In consequence, Luther hoped to stop the sale of indulgences and to reform the Church from within. In 1521, he was given the chance to recant at the Diet of Worms before Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor . After he refused to recant, he was declared heretic. Partly for his own protection, he was sequestered on the Wartburg in

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