Secularism in Constitutional Dispute Problematic Intersections between Religion and Public Power in Mexico

Mexico has waged a constant struggle to achieve a secular state, fluctuating between intolerance and permissiveness, which characterized its constitutional history until the enshrinement of freedom of belief as a fundamental right in our constitution. Nevertheless, terminological confusion persists regarding secularism, which is often confused with secularity itself. These terms continue to be a subject of debate, with the lines, sometimes blurred, that distinguish them in legal doctrine leading to their misuse. This creates confusion in the very spheres that privilege them, to the point that even secondary laws erroneously subsume both terms when regulating certain activities that threaten their existence.

Secular state, religious rites, constitutionality

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