Contemporary Problems of Social Work Современные проблемы социальной работы academic journal

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CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS OF SOCIAL WORK
In the 21st century, the independence of conscience and religion in Armenia. in Armenia, 
for this period there are about 220 religious organizations and structures. Of these – all 
religious organizations other than the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Catholic, Orthodox 
and Armenian Evangelical Church». First place captures the Armenian Apostolic Church of 
the exceptional institution in the field of Armenian, standing for more than 1700 years. The 
main share of the population of more than 3 million. 90% – thought themselves followers 
of classical church. Of course, and among them are many well as those associated with the 
church is not so much his religiosity, as developed over the centuries of national and religious 
traditions. Of the operating church institutions substantial proportion of denominations 
Protestant denominations: Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Baptists, Adventists, and Methodists. 
The number of their followers, according to the assumption of the Office for national 
minorities and religious organizations in the Republic of Armenia Government, is about 
50 thousand. Man. For more active in their preaching activities belong mainly Protestants: 
Evangelicals and the «Word of Life», and «Jehovah's Witnesses» and Mormons. In contrast to 
these denominations, known almost all over the country, greatly thinned Baha'i community. 
As a religious organization registered and Armenian pagans, whose ideology is based on 
a whole lineage of the nation. According to their data, the number of the Gentiles in the 
country amounts to 3 000 people, they are six priests and one – the supreme [18].
In Article 1 the legislator immediately highlights the situation: in the Republic of Armenia 
ensures the freedom of conscience and religion of citizens. The law specifies the set of points 
for the registration of a religious organization, which the legislature has prescribed a multitude 
of facts, and it is for that to the activities of religious organizations on the territory of the 
Republic of Armenia acted less as officially recognized that Armenia is officially the Orthodox 
Armenian Church. The legislator tightens the procedure of registration of religious organizations, 
argues that that, the set represented religious communities and organizations that are not a 
religious purpose, and political purpose and organization funded by foreign countries. This 
point is not satisfied with the state power, and he is afraid of the government, so he has taken 
steps to complicate the registration of religious organizations. In Part 6 of the Act highlighted 
important aspects is the relationship of religious organizations and the state. Article 17: The 
State has no right to interfere in the affairs of the Church, has no right to force people to violent 
acts of a particular faith. Public authorities can not control the church, but also the church can 
not participate in the government. Armenian apostolic national church as a national church 
should be protected by the Republic of Armenia [16].
Article 18 of the Law regulates that the state does not finance the activity of religious 
organizations, as well as on the activities of the Armenian apostolic national church. But 
citizens have the right of religious organizations together with all citizens to participate 
in public and political life of the state [2]. Conclusions on the topic discussed. Freedom 
of conscience is a person's freedom of choice between religious values created by different 
religious organizations, as well as freedom of choice, and this is different from the freedom 
of religion, between religious and non-religious spiritual values. Having considered the 
brightest of normative legal acts of the Republic of Armenia regulating the issues of freedom of 
conscience and faith religious, you can draw the following conclusion. Both the Constitution 
and the law enshrines the freedom of thought, conscience, religion. It is for this legislation 
has increased the existence of different sects with different objectives, sometimes bad for the 
people themselves and the state, it is certainly a sect, which promoted the expansion powers. 
For, in order that would stop in the state, or reduced the number of sectarian and religious 
organizations of various bad influence on the political system, the government of Armenia 
must toughen rules of procedure and registration of religious organizations, which have a 
negative impact on the freedom of conscience.

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REFERENCE TO ARTICLE
 
Folosyan, M.E. (2016) The History of Development in Armenia Freedom of Conscience 
and Religion, Contemporary Problems of Social Work. Vol. 2. No. 1 (5). P. 128–135. DOI: 
10.17922/2412-5466-2016-2-1-128-135 (International bibliographic description).

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