LIBERTATEA DE CONȘTIINȚĂ ȘI DREPTURILE OMULUI – CONVERGENȚE ȘI DIFERENȚE ÎNTRE FUNDAMENTELE BIBLICE ȘI CELE SECULARE
FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS – CONVERGENCES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BIBLICAL AND SECULAR FOUNDATIONS

Summary/Abstract: Freedom of Conscience and Human Rights – Convergences and Differences Between Biblical and Secular Foundations. This article examines freedom of conscience as a foundational principle for human rights, comparing biblical and secular perspectives. Biblically, freedom of conscience is grounded in the creation of humanity in the image of God, the personal responsibility of each individual before God, the call to freely choose between obedience and disobedience, and freedom in Christ. The secular framework, shaped by Enlightenment thinkers, and codified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights, emphasizes autonomy, self-determination, and the legal protection of pluralism. Both approaches converge in affirming the dignity of the human person and rejecting coercion in matters of belief. However, they diverge in the source, purpose, and limits of freedom: the biblical view interprets it as responsibility before God and love toward others, while the secular paradigm tends to treat it as unrestricted autonomy limited only by the rights of others. The paper concludes by addressing contemporary challenges, where these differing foundations generate ongoing tension but also opportunities for dialogue.

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