WORLD WORLDWIDE EUROPE ITALY - news journal UPDATE - (en) Italy, Umanita Nova #7-25 - Getting Rid of Superstitions. Anti-Dogmatic Education as a Basis for Freedom of Thought (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

 The Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations and other

International Organizations in Geneva, Ambassador Vincenzo Grassi, spoke
on March 5, 2025, in the context of the interactive dialogue with the
Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Faith in the framework of the 55th
session of the Human Rights Council. Grassi reiterated Italy's support
for the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or
Belief, Nazila Ghanea, stating that Italy shares her call to all States
to "make greater efforts to promote freedom of religion or belief,
foster interreligious and intercultural dialogue, protect religious and
belief minorities and combat hate speech, always respecting all human
rights".

What I wondered about is whether, today, in the world, individual
freedom of choice can really be directed towards a choice of respect for
human rights, especially towards oneself: despite the fact that freedom
of thought is one of the most fragile and precious conquests in human
history, reality shows how, even today, the individual often finds
himself chained by dogmatic impositions that limit his capacity for
self-determination. Religion, State, society, family, etc., are all
elements that contribute, directly or indirectly, to influencing
intimate and personal choices, often without the individual being fully
aware of it.

"In line with the consolidated priorities of Italian foreign policy, we
strongly support the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or
belief and the rights of persons belonging to ethnic and religious
minorities in our bilateral relations and in all relevant multilateral
forums, including through the Universal Periodic Review", Grassi
insisted, recalling that Italy promotes these priorities also through
development cooperation programs, including the "Fund for direct support
to Christian minorities persecuted in crisis areas".

At first glance, it would seem to be a protection of the freedom of
those who suffer oppression; but when we talk about freedom, we tend to
imagine it as a condition guaranteed, first, by natural law, and then by
international law and democracy... and that, once the chains of external
oppression have been broken, leads individuals to reason according to
free collective logic. However, these supposed freedoms are often
filtered through a series of cultural and religious conditioning that
empty their meaning. From birth, society assigns roles, imposes fears,
inculcates moral rules that, rather than educate, program the individual
to conform.

The paradox is that, even if technically free to choose, many people end
up opting for oppression. An oppression that becomes accepted,
internalized and, often, defended. Religion, through the family and
institutions, instills dogmas that become so rooted that they seem like
absolute truths. Thus, the freedom to impose limits on oneself becomes
the justification for wanting to impose them on other individuals,
denying the true essence of freedom itself.

Questioning dogmatic education even before protecting religious freedoms
is the basic tool for interrupting the cycle of imposition and
submission. A secular, critical and anti-dogmatic education is essential
to allow each individual to develop a conscience free from imposed fears
and social conditioning.

Pre-school education plays a crucial role in this process. It is in the
early years of life that the foundations of critical thinking and the
ability to discern between imposition and conscious choice are formed.
If, on the other hand, childhood is shaped by religious dogmas, fears
and feelings of guilt, even the adult who emerges will have difficulty
freeing himself from the weight of these conditionings. The apparent
freedom of choice is therefore reduced to a path already traced, in
which self-determination is only an illusion.

"In firmly condemning all forms of intolerance and discrimination, and
in particular violent attacks against people, based on religion or
belief, Italy will continue to promote dialogue and cooperation between
different religious leaders and religious communities, with the aim of
promoting mutual understanding, preventing conflicts and building
peaceful, just and inclusive societies, in line with the 2030 Agenda",
concluded with great fanfare the Permanent Representative of Italy.

But, despite the rhetoric on individual freedom, world politics, Italy
first and foremost, carefully avoids questioning the reactionary and
religious imprinting of the family, which becomes the most ferocious
demagogic instrument of religious leaders. Especially when these are
recognized and venerated by political leaders; religion, which
theoretically should not be state religion, in fact is: it permeates
laws, influences customs and determines social choices.

Secularism is often attacked, not so much in the name of religious
freedom, but as a pretext to reaffirm conservative values that hinder
individual and collective growth. Education in critical thinking is seen
as a threat, while concepts such as "God, Country and Family" are
re-proposed as absolute values, functional to maintaining the status quo.

Claiming freedom of thought means recognizing and opposing the
structures that, through religion and tradition, limit the capacity for
self-determination. This does not mean denying the possibility of
believing, but preventing belief from becoming an instrument of control
and oppression. A truly free society is not one that defends the right
to impose dogmas, but one that guarantees everyone the possibility of
growing without conditioning, in full respect of their individuality.
Only through an anti-dogmatic education, starting from early childhood,
will it be possible to get rid of superstitions, allowing new
generations to develop an authentic awareness, free from fears and
impositions.

Freedom is not passively accepting what is transmitted to us, but having
the courage to question it.

'Gnazio

https://umanitanova.org/disfarsi-delle-superstizioni-leducazione-antidogmatica-base-della-liberta-di-pensiero/
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