MAJORITY HARASSED BY THE MINORITY? MICROAGGRESSIONS BASED ON RELIGIOSITY IN CONTEMPORARY POLAND

Tensions related to the presence of religion, its symbols or moral judgments in the public space are noticeable signs in many contemporary societies. Research shows an increasing level of prejudice against believers, which translates into emerging microaggressions. This phenomenon of questioning and hostility towards religion is surprisingly also the case in societies where the majority consists of religious adherents. The aim of this article is to present and analyse the research results on the extent of prejudices and manifestations of hostility towards believers in 2019 in Poland, on a representative sample of respondents. First, the religious situation in Poland will be briefly discussed, in particular the way the Poles experience religious practices. This will be followed by discussion of the most common manifestations of microaggression included in the classification proposed by David R. Hodge, and a legal analysis of the Polish penal system. Finally, we will present a hypothesis regarding the nature of these phenomena and the challenges they represent to religious freedom.