Influence of political and legislative innovations of the XX–XXI centuries on religious views of society: experience of cross-national research

In this publication the author, using a systemic-structural approach, methods of analysis and synthesis, methods of political-comparative analysis (cross-national and cross-temporal analysis), as well as logical, doctrinal and analytical interpretation of legal norms, makes an attempt to identify and disclose political and legislative innovations of the XX–XXI centuries and establishing the impact of such innovations on religious ideas of society. The political and legal features of atheistic and godless states are revealed, secular states of a democratic plan are characterized, an appeal is made to the historical experience and modern functioning of theocracies and religious states, the principles of freedom of conscience and freedom of religion in Russian and international law are outlined, and problematic aspects of the relationship between religion and extremism are highlighted. It is established that atheistic and godless states in their fight against religion use the same techniques, methods and ways, but the difference is that atheistic states provide themselves with legitimation as public entities that prohibit religion at the constitutional level, while the godless states carry out identical activities without a legal basis. It turns out that secular states of the liberal-democratic plan are the embodiment of the principle of non-interference of religious institutions in public policy, known back in the Middle Ages, and at the same time create a legal and factual basis for secularized societies, which in many ways are far from unshakable religious postulates. It is determined that the domestic legal system fully recognizes those interpretations of freedom of conscience and freedom of religion that are present in international law. It also reveals three lines of anti-extremist activity in the religious sphere in Russia: presumptive, preventive and prohibitive.