HUMAN RIGHTS, CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Abstract

Religious Education contributes to the discussion about the diversity of religious manifestations at school in light of current legislation. The secularity of the State indicates that it is not an atheist State and must guarantee religious expression, without proselytism and with respect for Human Rights and constitutional guarantees. The National Curricular Guidelines define one of the objectives of Religious Education: to provide knowledge about the right to freedom of conscience and belief, with the constant purpose of promoting Human Rights, offering guidance for citizenship formation, as a pedagogical subsidy for the debate mediated by the Religious Education educator, on the limits of tolerance and intolerance. The article presents a brief overview of the legislation for the discipline based on the conception of the secularity of the State, in the educational field. Its objective is to demonstrate that a secular State is not an atheist State and must guarantee religious expression, without proselytism and with respect for human rights in a scenario of religious diversity. Methodology: documentary review about national legislation regarding the subject of Religious Education in the secular country in which we live.