Religious Conversion in a Multi-Religious Context

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Part I RIGHT TO CONVERSION IN INDIAN CIVIL LAW CHAPTER -1 RELIGIOUS CONVERSION-A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT 1. A Brief History of the Evolution of Human Rights 1.1. Origin of Human Rights 1.2. Development of Human Rights In the 20th Century 1.2.1. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 1.2.2. Specific Instruments 1.2.3. Conventions 2. Complexity of Right to Religious Conversion 2.1. Right to Religious Conversion In the International Instruments 2.1.1. Recognition of the freedom to change a religion or a belief 2.1.2. Restrictions to Religious Conversion 2.1.3. Difficulties in Guaranteeing the Right to Religious Conversion 2.2. Religious Conversion As a Right in the Regional. Instruments 2.2.1. The European Convention Article 9 of the Convention states 2.2.2. Other Regional Instruments. ABOUT THE BOOK-Religious Conversion in a Multi-Religious Context This book deals with the problem of Religious conversion in a multi-religious context. The majority of the modern democratic States ensure their citizens the basic right to change religion. 'Right to the conversion' means either right to convert oneself or right to convert others. Both these aspects are the essential part of religious freedom. However, right to convert others is always controversial, although it is inherent in the freedom to practise and propagate a religion, and even inherent in the freedom of word, expression, information and association. The Catholic Church never encourages conversion by force. The canon 748 § 2 of its Code of Canon law states clearly that there should not be any constraint of any sort in the propagation of the catholic faith and the reception of new faithful. However, the missionary activities of the Catholic Church are largely misunderstood and often criticised. The author has tried to explore why the right to religious conversion is often misunderstood in India as well as in many parts of the world. He has analysed elaborately the Indian context, the Indian Constitution and the laws promulgated to control the religious conversion and tried for solutions to avoid the misunderstanding between the religions. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Sahayaraj Lourdusamy is the member of the High Council of AIDOP commission of Paris (Agence international diplomatic et opinion publique) and he is the Research scholar of the Asian Department of Canon law and Culture of the Faculty of Canon law, Catholic Institute of Paris. Besides his master's degree in Sociology, Computer science and Journalism and Bachelor degree in Mathematics and Indian Civil Law, he holds a doctorate in Canon law from the Catholic Institute of Paris and also a doctorate in Civil law from the University of Paris XI, France. He has authored 7 books in Tamil, English and French. At present he is the Judicial Vicar of the diocese of Thanjavur, Secretary of the diocesan Commission for Social Communications and Editor of Vailankanni Calling and Vailankanni Kuraloli.