“Human dignity is inviolable,” the constitution states. “Everyone has the right to life and human dignity; the life of a fetus will be protected from conception.”
“Eugenic practices aimed at selection of persons, making the human body and its parts a source of profit and the reproductive cloning of human beings are prohibited,” the document adds.
The new constitution also states that “Hungary protects the institution of marriage between man and woman, a matrimonial relationship voluntarily established, as well as the family as the basis for the survival of the nation. Hungary supports child-bearing.”
These provisions have earned the condemnation of Amnesty International.
“Amnesty International is deeply concerned that the new Constitution of the Republic of Hungary, adopted by the Hungarian National Assembly on 18 April 2011, violates international and European human rights standards,” the group stated in a press release.
“The introduction of the protection of life from conception (Article II), the definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman (Article L), the provision allowing for life imprisonment without the possibility of parole (Article IV) and the exclusion of sexual orientation from the protected grounds of discrimination (Article XV.2) are particularly problematic.
Turning to religion, the constitution declares that
"everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right includes freedom to choose and to change religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or in private, to manifest or choose not to manifest religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance. In Hungary the churches and the State operate separately. Churches are independent in Hungary. The State will cooperate with churches in the pursuit of community objectives. Detailed regulations pertaining to churches will be set forth in a super majority law."The nation of 10.0 million is 59% Catholic, according to Vatican statistics.
Praise be to God!
ReplyDeleteFreedom of religion is praiseworthy. However "the exclusion of sexual orientation from the protected grounds of discrimination (Article XV.2)" IS particularly problematic. This is inconsistent with modern human rights legislation. There are good reasons why we don't want people keeping their sexualities a secret.
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