You may change your beliefs, leave a religion or profess none.
Art. 52 · including the right not to believe
Thought, conscience, religion and belief
The protected freedom includes having, forming, adopting, abandoning or changing a religion, belief, opinion or conviction — and also professing none. The internal forum is non-derogable: no one may be punished or classified solely for what they think or believe.
Proposed Constitution · reference text · not promulgatedIn brief
A right is not an abstract promise: it constrains concrete decisions.
External manifestation may be subject to general and proportionate limitations to protect the rights of others, public safety, order or health, but the Constitution rejects criminalisation of mere heterodoxy, blasphemy, apostasy, unpopularity or disrespect for an authority, symbol or religion.
The State does not choose a religious truth
The proposed Constitution establishes no official religion and prohibits discrimination based on lawful conviction. Neutrality protects both religious communities and people without religion.
Thinking and acting are different categories
The internal forum is protected on a non-derogable basis. External manifestations, by contrast, may be regulated where there is a legal basis and a real risk to rights or constitutional interests, always subject to necessity and proportionality.
What this means for you
Practical consequences
The State may not investigate or punish you solely because of the internal content of a belief or opinion.
Public services may not discriminate against a person because of a lawful conviction.
Limits and institutional honesty
What this safeguard does not authorise
Freedom of religion does not authorise violating another person's fundamental rights.
Protection of the internal forum does not make every externally manifested act motivated by belief immune from general law.
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In practical terms
Belief cannot become a condition of belonging
The protection covers belief, non-belief, changes of conviction and lawful manifestation. The State may not turn religion, irreligion or conscientious opinion into a condition of identity, service, voting or access to rights.
Protected
Conscience, worship and manifestation within the general limits applicable to rights.
Limit on the State
No body may impose a profession of faith, test religious loyalty or discriminate on the basis of conviction.