Considering the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 18 which stipulates: 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.
Considering the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19 which stipulates: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
The Secular Nations Organization defines as follows the Charter of Secularity:
- Article 1: Is defined secular the right to exert or not a belief without imposing their dogmas to fellow-citizens.
- Article 2: Everyone is entitled to freedom of religion, freedom to change religion or freedom not to have a belief.
- Article 3: Peaceful proselytism is a right, each one being free to express his opinions, his convictions within respect of the laws of his country, by respecting the freedom of others to believe or not to believe his convictions, all within the respect of article 1.
- Article 4: Every person is born free of any religion, convictions and belief.
- Article 5: No state or government can define the religion of its fellow-citizen on the bases of family or birthplace.
- Article 6: No religion or belief has the authority to judge, challenge, threaten or sentence a citizen. Only the government is responsible for the laws and their applications.
- Article 7: The authorities may not impose laws limiting the worship of its citizens, as long as their worship respects the rights and freedom of everyone and does not disturb the public order.
- Article 8: The rights of the family, marriage and other rights relating to the private life of the citizen are governed by the state (Civil status: marriages, divorces, births, etc).