Religion and Political Rights in the Spanish Context: Looking for Developments. Lluis Oviedo & Manuel Canteras

Spanish democracy has developed an advanced system of political and judicial rights, as can be seen through its position in international rankings; while at the same time religious indicators reveal a steady decline, possibly having stopped during the last few years. Empirical data confirms the general impression that human rights are broadly accepted and supported by all social groups, including Catholics, and the limited influence of religious beliefs on the appreciation of political and judicial rights, which most young people take for granted. The data help to deepen the understanding of the impact of certain variables helping to introduce new nuances into this rather unproblematic framework, and to assess the effect of factors such as empathy and altruism as possible links bridging both sides: religious faith and human rights sensitivity.