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The religious views of the people of Slovenia have been surveyed twice in the 1990s using different methods. According to the 1992 Slovene Public Opinion Survey, only 20 % of adult Slovenes believed in a "personal God" (a further 39 % said they believed in "God as an ethereal spirit" or "God as a life force").
In 1997: 24 % of the Slovene population believed in the existence of God without any doubts; 29 % of adult citizens believed in "the Resurrection"; 37.5 % of Slovenes believed in Heaven and 24 % in Hell. About half of the respondents (51 %) stated that they are religious in their own personal way; and only 18 % claimed that they are religious in accordance with Church doctrine. An analysis of the results of the international survey known as "Aufbruch der Kirchen" suggests similar conclusions.
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Using these data, Niko Toš [1] demonstrates (with an extensive analysis of 15 variables measuring three dimensions of religiosity: orthodoxy, belief in God and belief in life after death) that:
Religious belonging of Slovene citizens according to population censuses 1991 and 2002.[2]
Religion 1991 (%) 2002 (%)
Catholic ……………………………………………………………………………… 71.6 ………… 58.0
Evangelical ……………………………………………………………………… 0.7 ………… 0.8
Other Protestant ………………………………………………………… 0.1 ………… 0.1
Orthodox ……………………………………………………………………………… 2.4 ………… 2.3
Other Christian …………………………………………………………… 0.1 ………… 0.1
Islam ……………………………………………………………………………………… 1.5 ………… 2.4
Jewish …………………………………………………………………………………… 0.0 ………… 0.0
Oriental ……………………………………………………………………………… 0.0 ………… 0.1
Other religion ……………………………………………………………… 0.0 ………… 0.0
Agnostic ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 33.2
Believer but belongs to no religion ……… 0.2 ………… 3.5
Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, Census of Population, Households and Housing, 2002
From 2000 to 2003, new religious communities had great difficulties to be registered. The new director of the Office for Religious Communities claimed the law didn't allow him to register with correct basis. This, to emphasize the need of making a new law. In June 2003 the crisis reach its paroxysm. The matter has been covered - among other organisations - by Forum 18[3]. With the help of lawyers, religious communities did break through, and registration started again [4].
The draft of the new law has been made by Pr Lovro Šturm (Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta).[5] No consequent debate took place around this law. Many discussions, on TV, radio, newspapers, and a majority of people against the way this law is written. Several articles have been changed before it reached the Parliament, but that law has been described by many as poorly written, and unable to settle many issues, opening "Pandora's boxes" which are believed to be beneficial to the dominant churches. An alternative law was proposed to the parliament by MP Aleš Gulič. But the Government of Janez Janša wanted absolutely to pass its law, and consequently didn't give much chance to Gulič's proposal, even though professionals found the later text much better, and especially much more in line with the principle of separation between Church and State, which is included into the Slovene Constitution. A large number of articles on the matter, clear and factual, can be found on the web site of a Slovene association named Vox Libera.
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