FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE IN CONNECTION WITH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: POLITICAL SCIENTIFIC REFLECTIONS

Abstract

The article presents a review of the current state of relations between the state and religious organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the article is to investigate the political science aspect of the manifestation of freedom of conscience in the pandemic period, mainly in democratic countries. It is noted that in democracies, freedom of conscience has not been reproduced without problems, and non-democracies have persecuted believers, often emphasizing that this does not impede religious freedom in their countries. In countries where believers have been persecuted, this disease has only become part of the repression and has intensified it, including vaccination, which is another means of discriminating against members of religious organizations who are persecuted. In the current situation, even authoritarian states have an understanding of the importance of collective immunity, and although totalitarian or authoritarian regimes promote vaccination, it does not promote freedom of conscience as such. The direction of our study limits the coverage of the general impact of the pandemic on the state of religion in the world – so far these processes are quite controversial. Some publications talk about a general decrease in the number of believers, others about its growth, at least the number of online appeals to religious issues and prayers has increased much more. The printing of the Bible and other religious literature has decreased significantly, but the number of appeals to God at the Wailing Wall and other holy places for various religions has increased. Further research into the virtualization of religious life and the role of religious organizations in general in overcoming political, economic, psychological, etc. problems, greatly exacerbated by the pandemic – especially related to the meaning of society in terms of fake and post-truth.