Abstract
This study offers first a short historical survey of the tribulations in the history between religious and public social welfare agencies. It is indicated that all people, as citizens and as religious members alike, have both the right and the obligation to stand up for the needy and the socio-economic rights they are entitled to by virtue of international treaties and national constitutions. Using empirical data six North-West European countries it will be shown to what extent religious and nonreligious people support the legitimacy of socio-economic rights. It is argued that religious people may fulfil a special role, explicitly relying on their religious traditions, when the cause made for socio-economic rights of the needy results in failure and relying on these religious traditions may count as a last resort.
Published Version
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