The European Evangelical Alliance and the
World Evangelical Alliance issue statements calling to stop a legislation that
would give “huge and unnecessary powers to the Bulgarian State to interfere
with faith communities”.
Bulgarian evangelicals have called
international bodies to respond to a new legislation that could severely
restrict religious freedom and the rights of faith minorities.
“The Bulgarian State is wrongly assuming
power into the internal life of religious communities”, the Evangelical
Alliance Bulgaria (EAB) denounced in a letter sent this week to the European
Evangelical Alliance.
“Almost every single article in the newly
proposed bills erroneously and unfairly claims political authority over
religious life”, writes Pastor Rumen Bordjiev.
In the last months, the parliament has
discussed a new legislation that will enable a “state policy of interference
into church affairs”, the President of the EAB says.
WHAT DOES THE NEW LEGISLATION SAY?
These are the main problems with the new
legislation:
-
Only Bulgarian citizens will be able to carry out liturgical activity if they
have had theological training in Bulgaria or their foreign school is approved.
- Only Eastern Orthodox & Muslim
believers will be able to train clergy and run schools.
- A foreigner will only be able to preach
if doing so with a Bulgarian ordained minister.
- Foreign donations will only be allowed
for building construction or social aid and will need government approval. No
salaries of pastors for example could be paid from abroad.
- No religious activities can take place
outside of buildings designated for them.
- Only religious groups with +300 people
will have legal status.
ALL RELIGIOUS GROUPS OPPOSE THE LAW
After receiving the “green light” in its
first reading in parliament last October 4, a period for possible objections
and discussions was opened. The parliament has allowed an interim period for
possible objections that will end on November 16. In the meantime, a task group
comprised by politicians and religious representatives is supposed to work on
the wording of the suggested articles. By now, however, the task group has not
yet started its work.
After carefully analyzing the law, the
Bulgarian Evangelical Alliance has said the legislation “is so flawed,
amendments cannot solve the problems - Instead, it should be scrapped”.
“Literally no religious community has
expressed agreement with the proposed changes”, the Bulgarian evangelical body
said. In fact, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Muslim religion, all Protestant
denominations, the Armenian community, the Jewish community, and the Catholic
Church, have all issued statements of protest.
EVANGELICALS STAND UP IN DEFENSE OF FAITH
EXPRESSION
Evangelical Christians are one of the
minority faith groups that would see their rights and freedoms affected. This
is why the Bulgarian Evangelical Alliance “insisted on being invited to the
committee discussing the amended articles of the law (…) We have also demanded
a special meeting with the country’s Prime Minister Mr. Boyko Borisov in order
to express our explicit refusal to agree with such an intervention of the
government into religious affairs”.
Furthermore, “various NGOs are also
considering joining efforts and possibly even taking legal actions, led by the
unanimous opinion that the law is discriminatory, anti-constitutional and
unjust”.
PEACEFUL RALLIES AFTER SUNDAY WORSHIP
SERVICES
This coming Sunday afternoon, November
11, evangelical Christians all over the country will go out on the streets
after their worship services in peaceful rallies for their right to practice
their faith. Churches from various denominations in the towns of Sofia, Ruse,
Burgas, Silistra, Dobrich, Kotel (among others) mobilize their members to join
the street protest.
They will carry signs, saying “The new
bill on religion brings us back to communism!”, and “Religious freedom in
Bulgaria is in danger!”
‘WRITE LETTERS TO THE BULGARIAN
GOVERNMENT’
The Bulgarian Evangelical Alliance has
also called fellow believers to take the following actions: “pray” for the
situation; “alarm” other Evangelical Alliances about the situation in Bulgaria,
contact “European institutions, Members of the European parliament and
international human and religious rights organizations”; write letters to the
Bulgarian government.
EEA: SITUATION IN BULGARIA IS “ALARMING”
In response to the letter of Bulgarian
evangelicals, the European Evangelical Alliance expressed its concern over the
“alarming developments in Bulgaria”.
According to the body representing
millions of evangelical Christians in the whole continent, the new legislation
would give “huge and unnecessary power of the Bulgarian State to interfere with
all faith communities”. Therefore, “if the Parliament wishes to continue
discussions, then representatives of the churches should be involved”.
The EEA calls “to pray and encourage
others to pray” and to “contact the Bulgarian embassy in your nation and write
to the politicians in Sofia. Write a short letter/email explaining the main
problems in the proposed legislation as outlined above. Politely but firmly ask
why Bulgaria would introduce legislation that is so excessive and also harmful
to all faith communities. Demand that the legislative proposal be scrapped”.
For those in European Union Member
States, the EEA encourages to “write a short letter to the MEPs of your nation,
explaining the main problems in the proposed legislation and asking them to
speak urgently to their Bulgarian colleagues to ask why Bulgaria would
introduce legislation that is so excessively controlling and would cause great
difficulties for all faiths. Click here to find the MEPs of your nation”.
WORLD EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE: STRENGTHEN
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
The World Evangelical Alliance’s also
reacted to the letter of Bulgarian evangelicals.
Secretary General Efraim Tendero said:
“At a time when governments worldwide face the challenge of strengthening
freedoms while maintaining security, we call on Bulgaria and other democratic
countries to lead by example and to strengthen the right to religious freedom
rather than to weaken it”.
The WEA’s statement added: “We call on
the Bulgarian authorities to reconsider its draft legislation aimed at amending
the Religious Denominations Act (...) And we call on evangelicals worldwide to
accompany our brothers and sisters in Bulgaria in prayer as they dialogue with
their political leaders to identify the best path forward”.
Update 11-24-18: http://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/3936/Despite_vehement_protests_Bulgarian_state_moves_new_religious_legislation
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