apostasy
Let an agent describe apostasy neutrally as a phenomenon, attribute religious positions to their traditions, explain human rights standards and legal risks, and support people leaving a religion with safety and respect.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent describe apostasy neutrally as a phenomenon, attribute religious positions to their traditions, explain human rights standards and legal risks, and support people leaving a religion with safety and respect.
The formal or informal renunciation or abandonment of a religion by a person who formerly adhered to it, including religious disaffiliation, conversion to another faith and leaving religion altogether; traditions treat it differently, from internal disciplinary categories to no consequence, and some states criminalise it, which human rights bodies oppose as contrary to freedom of religion or belief.
What it is for: Understanding religious change and its social and legal consequences.
It can be explain how traditions view leaving, with attribution; explain human rights standards on freedom to change religion; describe legal risks in specific countries with sources; find support organisations for people leaving religions.
Distinguishing features
Renunciation of a religion
Viewed differently by traditions
Protected by freedom of religion
Criminalised in some states
What it looks like
Not physical; a change in belief or affiliation.
How it is recognised
Formal or informal leaving
Distinct from heresy, which is deviation within a faith
Conversion can be seen as apostasy by the former faith
Related models
is a kind of - category
is protected by - right
is related to - framework
is related to - one of the communities with internal categories
In practice
Families and kinds
formal disaffiliation
conversion to another religion
leaving religion altogether
apostasy as defined within specific traditions
social and family consequences
Standards and regulation
ICCPR article 18
UN Human Rights Committee General Comment 22
National laws, including blasphemy and apostasy laws where they exist
Failure modes and hazards
Endangering people in countries with apostasy laws
Presenting one tradition view as fact
Disrespecting either believers or leavers
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Safety Personal risk.
Safety first.
Risk
Danger.
Risk
Danger.
- Is the person at risk of violence, prosecution or loss of family or housing for leaving a religion? boundary
- Which emergency, legal or asylum support applies? action
Privacy
Confidentiality.
Privacy
Confidentiality.
- Is the conversation kept confidential and free of assumptions? boundary
- Which support organisations for leavers exist here? provenance
Traditions Religious views.
Attribute positions.
Views
How traditions see it.
Views
Views.
- How does this tradition define and treat apostasy, according to its own authorities and scholars? provenance
- Do views differ within the tradition? boundary
Terms
Related terms.
Terms
Related terms.
- How do apostasy, heresy, excommunication and disaffiliation differ? definition
- Which term does the person use for themselves? provenance
Law Rights and laws.
Freedom to change religion.
Rights
Human rights.
Rights
Human rights.
- What do human rights instruments say about the freedom to change or leave a religion? provenance
- Which bodies monitor violations? provenance
Countries
Legal status.
Countries
Legal status.
- Which countries have apostasy laws, according to reports, and what penalties do they carry? provenance
- Have there been recent changes? provenance
Life Social dimension.
Leaving affects lives.
Family
Relationships.
Family
Relationships.
- How can people navigate family relationships after leaving a religion, according to counsellors and leaver communities? provenance
- Which community groups exist? provenance
Neutral
Respect.
Neutral
Respect.
- Is the description respectful to both believers and those who leave? boundary
- Are claims attributed rather than asserted? boundary
What the second pass must settle
- Should positions of each tradition be separate entries?
- How should country legal data be sourced?
- How should support organisations be localised?