Anedict of toleration is a declaration, made by agovernment or ruler, and states that members of a givenreligion will not sufferreligious persecution for engaging in their traditions' practices. Edicts may imply tacit acceptance of astate religion.
800 – TheConstitution of Medina ensuredfreedom of belief and practices for allcitizens who"follow the believers". It also assured that representatives of all parties, Muslim or non-Muslim, should be present when consultation occurs or in cases of negotiation with foreign states.
1436 – TheCompacts of Basel, previously declared in 1420 and approved in 1433 by theCouncil of Basel, were validated by theCrown of Bohemia through their acceptance by Catholics and Utraquists (moderateHussites) at an assembly in Jihlava, under the consentment of King EmperorSigismund, which introduced anEcumenical limited toleration there. They state that"the word of God is to be freely and truthfully preached by the priests of the Lord, and by worthy deacons".
1568 – TheEdict of Torda (or Turda), also known as the "Patent of Toleration" or "Act of Religious Tolerance and Freedom of Conscience", was an attempt by KingJohn II Sigismund ofHungary to guarantee religious freedom in the realm. It broadened previous grants to Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and Calvinists so that they might include theUnitarian Church, allowing toleration without legal guarantees for other faiths.
1579 – TheUnion of Utrecht included a decree of toleration allowing personal freedom of religion. An additional declaration allowed provinces and cities that wished to remain Catholic to join the Union.
1598 – TheEdict of Nantes, issued by theKing of France,Henry IV, was the formal religious settlement which ended the first era of the French Wars of Religion, grantingHuguenots legal recognition as well as limited religious freedoms, which included: freedom of public worship, the right of assembly, rights of admission to public offices and universities, and permission to maintain fortified towns. It was revoked in 1685 by Henry IV's grandson,Louis XIV, who once again proclaimedProtestantism to be illegal in France through theEdict of Fontainebleau.
1649 – TheMaryland Toleration Act, also known as the "Act Concerning Religion", by thisBritish North American colony'sProvince of Maryland colonial assembly under the organization of its founder family, the Calverts, mandated religious tolerance forCatholicism protection of hegemonicAnglicanism and created the first legal limitations onhate speech in the world. It was revoked in 1654, before being reinstated again, and finally, repealed permanently following theGlorious Revolution 1692. The Maryland Toleration Act influenced related laws in other colonies and was an important predecessor to theFirst Amendment to the United States Constitution, which enshrined religious freedom in American law, over a century later.
1712 – The Tolerance Act ofErnst Casimir inBüdingen, amidst war and plague, guaranteed"vollkommene Gewissensfreiheit", or "completefreedom of conscience", by demanding in return that civil authorities and subjects to behave as honorable, decent, and ChristianCivilians.
1723 – TheUnited Grand Lodge of England'sAnderson's Constitutions ofFreemasonry states in its first article:"Let a man's religion or mode of worship be what it may, he is not excluded from the order, provided he believe in the glorious architect of heaven and earth, and practice the sacred duties of morality." providingMasonic lodgesPolicies until today.
1773 – The Tolerance Edict ofCatherine II of Russia responded to domestic political disputes with MuslimTatars by the acceptance of all religious denominations in theRussian Empire, except for the large number of Jews, who were under its rule since theFirst partition of Poland.
1812 – The Prussian Jews Edict, by KingFrederick William III of Prussia of Prussia, extended the rights of naturalized ("eingebürgeten") Jews living in the country.
1905 – The Edict of Toleration, by TsarNicholas II of Russia, gave legal status to religions other than theRussian Orthodox Church. It was followed by the 30 of October of 1906 Edict that gave legal status to Orthodox schismatics and sectarians.[6]
16 November 1993 – TheReligious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) states that the"Government shall not substantially burden a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability."
^Strong, John S. (2016).The legend of King Aśoka: a study and translation of the Aśokāvadāna. Buddhist traditions (First Edition, 3rd reprint ed.). Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.ISBN978-81-208-0616-0.
^Chua, Amy (2007).Day of empire: how hyperpowers rise to global dominance – and why they fall (1st ed.). New York: Doubleday.ISBN978-0-385-51284-8.
