Religious test

Religious test

The Test Act of 1673 in England obligated all persons filling any office, civil or military, to take oaths of supremacy and allegiance, to subscribe to a declaration against transubstantiation, and to receive the sacrament within three months of taking office.

The oath for the Test Act of 1673 was::"I, N, do declare that I do believe that there is not any transubstantion in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, or in the elements of the bread and wine, at or after the consecration thereof by any person whatsovever."

In 1678 the act was extended thus::"I, N, do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare, that I do believe that in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper there is not any Transubstantiation of the elements of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ at or after the consecration thereof by any person whatsoever: and that the invocation or adoration of the Virgin Mary or any other Saint, and the Sacrifice of the Mass, as they are now used in the Church of Rome, are superstitious and idolatrous..." "

The necessity of receiving the sacrament as a qualification for office was abolished under George IV, and all acts requiring the taking of oaths and declarations against transubstantiation etc. were repealed by the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1829.

Until 1871 a religious test was still necessary at the University of Oxford before a Master's Degree could be conferred, but there is now no religious test associated with any degree. However, religious tests are still required for admission to certain holy orders.

A religious test restricting particular posts to adherents of particular religions or excluding particular adherents from office on the basis of their religious beliefs is generally acceptable under Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights ("Karlsson v Sweden" (1988) 57 Decisions and Reports 172, Cm). A religious test generally applicable to public office could only be permitted under the Convention if it were accepted that the core value of every office was a religious one, so it is unlikely that a religious test would be acceptable for any non-religious office (or office which had a distinct quasi-religious basis).

The Sovereign of the United Kingdom is, in effect, required to take a religious test, as a result of the Coronation Oath Act 1688, Bill of Rights 1688, Act of Settlement 1701, and the Accession Declaration Act 1910.

Religious tests like those of the Test Acts are banned by the no religious test clause in the United States by Article VI of the United States Constitution.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • religious test — An appraisal of a person according to the religion in which he believes. No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States. US Const, Art VI, cl 3 …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • No Religious Test Clause — United States of America This article is part of the series: United States Constitution Original text of the Constitution Preamble Articles of the Constitution I · …   Wikipedia

  • No religious test clause — The no religious test clause of the United States Constitution is found in Article VI, section 3, and states that:This has been interpreted to mean that no federal employee, whether elected or appointed, career or political, can be required to… …   Wikipedia

  • Religious freedom in the Philippines — is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Philippines.BackgroundConstitutionThe 1987 Constitution of the Philippines declares: The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable. (Article II, Section 6), and, No law shall be made respecting an …   Wikipedia

  • Religious discrimination — is valuing or treating a person or group differently because of what they do or do not believe. A concept like that of religious discrimination is necessary to take into account ambiguities of the term religious persecution . The infamous cases… …   Wikipedia

  • test act — 1. any law requiring a person to belong to the established church of a country as a condition for holding public office. 2. (caps.) Eng. Hist. the statute (1673) requiring all military officers and public officials to take an oath of allegiance… …   Universalium

  • Test Act — The Test Acts were a series of English penal laws that served as a religious test for public office and imposed various civil disabilities on Roman Catholics and Nonconformists. The principle that none but persons professing the Established… …   Wikipedia

  • Religious Life — • Overview and evangelical ideas on what makes up religious life Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Religious Life     Religious Life      …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Religious belief — refers to a mental state in which trust (faith) is placed in a creed related to the supernatural, sacred, or divine. Such a state may relate to: 1) the existence, characteristics and worship of a deity or deities, 2) divine intervention in the… …   Wikipedia

  • Religious restrictions on the consumption of pork — exist in both the Muslim and Jewish dietary laws, making it a taboo meat. Both Orthodox Jewish (Kashrut) and Islamic halal dietary laws forbid pork, making it a taboo meat. Among Christians, Seventh day Adventists consider pork taboo, along with… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”