RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS
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Pentecostals accused of antimilitary actions; New
Testaments threaten Russian security
SECTARIANS TRY TO UNDERMINE FIGHTING SPIRIT OF SIBERIAN TROOPSFedpres.ru, 20 September 2007
At the beginning of September, an illegal stash of several thousand copies of books [New Testaments] from the "Gideons' Mission" religious organization was discovered in one of the military units of Siberia. This was reported to a "Federal Press" correspondent on 20 September by the Information and Public Communications Service of the Siberian Military District (SibVO).
The illegal stash of books having religious contents was discovered by military counterintelligence. The reasons why and the basis on which such literature was stored in a military unit of the central detatchment stationed in Chita province are up to the military prosecutor to determine, appealing to the federal laws "On the status of military personnel" and "On freedom of conscience and religious associations."
Persons at the Information Service of the military district stress that in recent time there has been an increase in the activity of various religious organizations whose administrative and financial centers are located in foreign countries in the regions and at locations of deployment of military units of the Siberian Military District. These organizations draw military personnel into their midst by using devious methods and forms of persuasion which divert the military personnel from performance of the tasks assigned to the armed forces.
For example, in May of this year the command center and military counterintelligence of the general forces association broke up an attempt by the local religious organizations of the "Word of Life" Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith to conduct an action of religious propaganda on the territory of one of the military units of the Novosibirsk garrison. The action was planned under the pretense of conducting a "cultural event" devoted to the celebration of "Victory Day."
Back in August one of the leaders of this same church in the republic of Buriatia requested of the command of the military units of Dzhidinsk garrison to be allowed to conduct for military personnel an event of a religious nature, but under the guise of a conversation about the harm of smoking and drug use. (tr. by PDS, posted 27 September 2007)
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Jehovah's Witnesses' convictions should be respected
REPRESENTATIVE OF RUSSIAN SUPREME COURT ADVOCATES NOT DRAFTING
"JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES" INTO MILITARY SERVICE NOR INTO ALTERNATIVE
CIVILIAN SERVICE IN MILITARY ORGANIZATIONSPortal-credo.ru, 25 September 2007
An aide to the chairman of the Military College of the Supreme Court of Russia, Oleg Zatelenin, called for not sending members of the "Jehovah's Witnesses" religious group either for performing a term of military service or for conducting alternative civilizn service in military organizations, "Religare.ru" reports, citing "Baznica."
"Jehovah's Witnesses" are a religious group whose ideology, specifically, calls for complete refusal to participate in politics and military affairs, as well as to have blood transfusions. "Jehovah's Witnesses" also are known for forbidding their followers to show respect to any national flag. The number of adherents of the movement in Russia is about 250,000, and in Moscow there are about 10,000.
"Instances occur when people who have arrived for alternative civilian service have refused to sign a labor contract with military organizations. Most often these are representatives of 'Jehovah's Witnesses,' who are not opposed to such service as such but do not want to work in military organizations," Zatelenin said in Moscow at a conference on "Alternative Civilian Service. Practice of the Implementation of the Federal Law 'On alternative civilian service;" Experience, Problems, Paths of Development." According to the representative of the Supreme Court, it would be better not to send Jehovists to alternative service in military organizations so as not to involve them in lawbreaking. (tr. by PDS, posted 26 September 2007)
Duma moving to eliminate teaching religion in schools
REGIONAL CURRICULUM: TO BE OR NOT TO BE?Foma.ru, 24 September 2007
Members of the Public Chamber of the Russian federation are concerned over the possibility of the adoption of a law in the country that liquidates the regional curriculum
In an appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin members of the chamber say: "The draft law deprives regions and schools of the right to include in their curricula varieties of academic courses that respond to the social and educational needs of the population of component elements of Russia and take into account regional and local characteristics."
The appeal was signed by the chancellor of the Moscow patriarchate, Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsk Kliment, the head of the All-Russia Society for Preservation of Monuments of History and Culture, Galina Malanicheva, the chairman of the Union of Writers of Russia, Valery Ganichev, the president of the Slavic Fund of Russia, Galina Bogoliubova, Bishop of Stavropol and Vladikavkaz Feofan, the chief consultant of the Sholokhov State Museum Preserve, Mikhail Sholokhov, and acting director of the "Family Traditions" Fund, Nikolai Derzhavin, and others.
The document notes that hitherto in the majority of the federal components of the Russian federation it was within the framework of the regional and school curricula that "practically all of the national education, language teaching, ethnic history and culture of the peoples of Russia, the academic course "Foundations of Life Security" and its analogues, regional studies and civilian studies, and courses on ecology and economics" were accomplished. According to the authors of the appeal, the draft law "eliminates the possibility of teaching in the schools academic courses on the history and culture of religions (Orthodoxy, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism) on the basis of voluntary choice."
The members of the chamber noted: "Many regional state programs of civic and patriotic and spiritual and moral education of children, and prevention of drug addiction and alcoholism are structured on the basis of the use of one or another measure of the regional and school curricula."
The draft law, which proposes in particular the elimination of the regional curriculum (the right of regional authorities to introduce the study of certain subjects in the schools), has now been adopted by the State Duma on first reading.
The appeal states: "By infringing the national and cultural rights of the peoples of Russia, the draft law violates the constitution of the Russian federation and contradicts the principles and norms of international law and the international agreements of the Russian federation, and it will provoke interethnic and interreligious conflicts within Russia and destabilize federal relations." (tr. by PDS, posted 25 September 2007)
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Protestant leaders address state power
RUSSIAN BAPTIST LEADER GIVES CHRISTIAN INSTRUCTION TO NEW RUSSIAN PREMIERPortal-credo.ru, 17 September 2007
The president of the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists (RSEKhB), Yuri Sipko, sent congratulations to the new head of the government of the Russian federation, V.A. Zubkov, who also professes himself to be a Christian, in connection with his nomination to this post.
In the congratulations which quote the official RSEKhB web site, it is said: "In preceding years our country has noted strong tendencies toward political and economic stability. Your predecessors in this post displayed high skill in administration, enormous work capacity, and political wisdom. I am sure that you will continue these traditions."
The president of the EKhB asked the new premier to devote attention in his activity to care for the poverty stricken, socially defenseless, and retirees: "These people sorely need to receive necessary social aid."
The appeal also emphasizes the importance of a spiritual core in the activity of a highly placed official: "I hope that your firm Christian position in matters of ethics and morality will serve for the good of all citizens of our society."
Yuri Sipko expressed the hope that the service of V.A. Zubkov in the post of head of government of the Russian federation will lead to "strengthening of peace, tolerance, and harmony in our multi-national and multi-confessional country."
The conclusion of the letter expresses the wish for "health, wisdom, patience, and blessings from our Lord Jesus Christ." (tr. by PDS, posted 18 September 2007)
HEADS OF PROTESANT CHURCH OF RUSSIA CALL PRESIDENT'S ATTENTION OF REPRESSION OF "ASSEMBLY OF GOD" CHURCH IN MOSCOW.
Portal-credo.ru, 17 September 2007
A session of the Consultative Council of Heads of Protestant Churches of Russia, which coordinates Christian programs, was held on 17 September in Moscow under the presidency of the Russian Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith (KhVE), which included a representative of the presidential administration of Russia, the church information center reports.
Members of the council, the leaders of the largest evangelical associations (RSKhVE, ROSKhVE, RSEKhb, ASD, and Evangelical Lutheran churches), exchanged opinions on matters of the teaching of religion in secondary schools and the conduct of inter-confessional programs. The heads of the protestant churches devoted special attention to instances of religious discrimination in Russia. As the president of the Russian Union of EKhB, Yuri Sipko, reported, "one of the 'Assembly of God' churches in Moscow has suffered serious repressions. They were deprived of a parcel of land intended for construction. The building that the church bought burned so the land was not turned over. This epic has continued for more than a year. We discussed this question in order to make an appeal to the president in the name of the protestant community regarding such a violation of legality."
Representatives of the All-Russia United Methodist Church took part in a session of the council for the first time.
An advisor on domestic policy in the presidential administration of Russia, Sergei Melnikov, called the Consultative Council "a most productive public square." In his opinion, along with the Interreligious Council of Russia, it is an effective instrument for inter-confessional cooperation.
The next session of the council is scheduled for 7 November. The host is to be the West-Russian Union of Seventh-day Adventists. (tr. by PDS, posted 18 September 2007)
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