Asian Social Science; Vol. 10, No. 9; 2014 ISSN 1911-2017 E-ISSN 1911-2025 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 108 Religious Education in the Religion-State Relations after Independence of Kazakhstan İlyas ERPAY 1 , Hazret Tursyn 1 & Zikriya Jandarbek 1 1 A. Yassawi Kazakh-Turkish International University, Turkistan, Kazakhstan Correspondence: İlyas ERPAY, A. Yassawi Kazakh-Turkish International University, Turkistan, Kazakhstan. Tel: 772-5336-3628. E-mail: İlyas.erpay@yesevi.edu.tr; ilyaserpay@hotmail.com Received: December 27, 2013 Accepted: February 28, 2014 Online Published: April 29, 2014 doi:10.5539/ass.v10n9p108 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ass.v10n9p108 Abstract According to the historical backgrounds the Republic of Kazakhstan was formed as the state with poly-ethnicity and multi-confessional society. The main duty of the state is to achieve social-political stability by establishing interethnic consent and inter confessional tolerance. Particularly, it was urgently necessary to draw attention to implement fundamental religious reform for formation of secular state after abolishing atheistic system of totalitarian society. This article analyses the constitution of Kazakhstan and normative legal basis of special religious laws in details. Accordingly, present-day religious organizations and institutions are considered. Special attention is paid to results of influence on religion-state relations, especially to World Leaders and Traditional Religions conference which is hold on every three year in Kazakhstan. Besides, the state policy for religious education and upbringing issues of younger generation is analyzed by specific examples. This article is an attempt to draw a new scientific conclusion that the main key of religious tolerance in the state is the secular and religious education. For developing the content of the theme, authors emphasized a point on modern research methods and consequences of social sciences. During research the legal and normative documents were analyzed by historically comparative methods. And, we used special methods for political and social sciences in identifying purposes and tasks of state policy in updating religious education and upbringing. Used methods will favor the political-social evolution of conversion from atheistic to secular society. Keywords: religion, religious education, religious-state relationship, problems of teaching religious studies 1. Introduction Since Kazakhstan declared its independence, the idea of atheism that had prevailed in the Soviet Union, was replaced by the freedom of religion with engendered extensive and painful changes in the social, cultural and spiritual life of all groups of society. Kazakhstan began the dominance of different religious sects, which no one knew anything about, and up to this point has not heard anything about it. Representatives of these courses have found shelter in a country, where people had no access to spiritual values because of Soviet ideology, yearning to make up for lost time. Various religious groups were formed together with the demographic structure of the Republic of Kazakhstan consisting of different ethnic groups. In order to make a strong and powerful state, Kazakhstan has a rich variety of ethnic groups and religions, provided for a balanced and careful policy in this territory. For this purpose, in the first place, it was decided to hold the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions once in three years. Despite of the fact that there are many ethnic groups and religions in Kazakhstan, the search continues for mechanisms to protect their national identity, their traditional religious beliefs and convictions. Some of Kazakh youth fell under the influence of various religions which has nothing common with Islam. And other part, on the contrary, fell under strong ideology-religious influence of Muslim countries’ concept as Iran, Arabia, Egypt, etc. Some of them which were adherents of national traditions, along with religion gave priority to national, spiritual and cultural values. For this reason, now there is a special need for training of qualified personnel in the field, which corresponds with modern theological disciplines, relying on traditional religious principles of a secular state based on ethnic and religious diversity of Kazakhstan. 2. Kazakhstan Model in Religion-State Relations After independence in 1991, the Republic of Kazakhstan became a social, democratic, secular and legal state, where the Constitution guaranteed freedom of conscience and religion for every citizen. The country was very tolerated to different religions and religious organizations. As it is proclaimed in Article 1 of the Constitution