Sect...arianism ?
This month's issue of the famous French newspaper Le Monde Diplomatique deals (among other things) with the issue of religious freedom. A well-documented article points out the fact that Franco-American diplomatic relationships are drastically affected by their opposite opinions on this subject. Indeed, many "entities" which have the judicial status of religion in America are considered as sects in France...and thus forbidden. The Church of Scientology for instance is a religion in America, whereas it's considered a Sect by French authorities. In 1998, a parliamentary commission on the issue of sects has been created in France. This commission has issued a list of all the groups that should be considered as sects. Although French law doesn't define sects precisely, the sanctions of the courts are eloquent. In France Gurus are despised and tried, in America they are invited to the Congress (e.g. Raël... "prophet" of the Raelian Religion who was invited by US Congressmen to explain his position about cloning), or even to the White House (the former First Lady Hillary Clinton writes a column every week in the "Washington Times"... a newspaper belonging to the Moon Sect).
This radical difference explains why the U.S. are now pressuring the French government (accused of violating human rights). Will the "exception française" be able to resist such pressure ?
Beyond this argument about freedom, the real question at stake is that of a conception of man. The French tradition of "laïcité" finds its roots in the Hellenism and the Enlightenment (in L'Union Européenne, by Louis Cartou). In France, it would be rather unusual (even shocking) to see someone swear something on the bible. You will never see an award-winner thank God... a word which is absolutely taboo in the presidential mouth. France is a country where religion isn't popular... because religion is culturally linked to absolute monarchy. In France, the 1789 "Déclaration des Droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen" was elaborated in an anti-clerical context. During the climax of the Revolution ("la Terreur"), Robespierre created a republican cult in order to replace the christian religions. It was called "Culte de l'être Suprême" (Cult of the Supreme Being). This name could be both understood as a "cult of God" or as a "cult of the ultimate state of being of the man". In France, the Human Rights (and thus Freedom) are culturally associated to the idea of Man being freed from the power of the Monarch and the power of the Church... Transcendence replaced by Immanence.
Since the separation act of 1908, State and Church are separated : the French republic doesn't recognize the existence of religions anymore and doesn't provide them with any kind of subsidy.
In America, the cultural situation is much different. The pilgrim fathers who arrived onboard the Mayflower were people fleeing from religious persecution. The American culture is marked by this obsession of freedom, this fear of re-creating the persecution which the first settlers had endured. Moreover, the religion has never been an obstacle to democracy and the concept of Human Rights in America.
These are two different visions of Human Rights. In France, Human Rights are linked to jacobinism. In America, Human Rights are linked to "laissez-faire".
The current disputes have therefore a strong ideological meaning. Not only from the philosophical point of view (Immanence vs. Transcendence) but especially from the economical point of view (State intervention vs. Economical liberalism). If the U.S. succeed in forcing the French to abandon their "laïcité", they'll succeed in forcing them to dive into a totally liberal economy.
Any comments ?
© 2005
All rights reserved / Tous droits réservés
|