In Russia, restricted missionary activity looms under proposed law

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31647 ^

[kronos77]

Posted on Nov 9, 2009 | by Staff

MOSCOW (BP)--New legislation being considered by Russian lawmakers could drastically restrict missions activity if made into law. Restrictions could include requiring missionaries and Russian Christians to obtain permission to engage in missionary activity and limiting its locations and participants, such as tourists and minors.

While the proposals are currently in the draft stages, language introduced by the Russian Ministry of Justice Oct. 12 indicates that if these laws are enacted they will greatly restrict religious freedom.

Russian Baptist officials say they believe the new language primarily targets Roman Catholics and Protestants and believe it has already found favor with leaders of Russian Orthodoxy, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism -- Russia's four most prominent religions.

"Of course, when measures like this are talked about, we are always concerned and we should look at them with a measure of seriousness," said Ed Tarleton, a leader of IMB work in Russia. "Evangelicals have enjoyed days of openness and freedom, so when lawmakers start talking about language that is contrary to that, we become concerned."

The proposed changes include allowing only religious groups who have been registered in Russia for at least 15 years to apply for permission to engage in missionary activity. Foreigners in Russia on a temporary visa, such as a tourist visa, would be excluded from engaging in missionary work.

Russian Baptist leaders add that wording in the proposed legislation makes no distinction between professional missionaries and average believers. "Practically all believers will become susceptible to penal sanction," says Yuri Sipko, president of the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists.

[kronos77]

Here is what I was talking about. Problem for Russia nad Orthodox church is a missionary work, preaching but not evangelism itself.

[Greysard]

Major churches are protecting their turf, and they have the ear of lawmakers to do it. The state looks favorably at these restrictions because it doesn’t *need* any minor religions or sects. They are nothing but trouble to them.

[annalex]

primarily targets Roman Catholics and Protestants

He either misunderstands the Catholic-Orthodox relations or he misrepresents them.

The friction between Catholics and Orthodox in Russia is focused on property disputes when physical churches changed owner. Catholics do not consider the Orthodox someone who needs to convert to Catholicism. We think the Orthodox are already Catholic in their belief system. We would like the Orthodox Church come to reunion as she is. As one Catholic prelate said, as far as Rome is concerned we can reunify the two churches in a month. I do not see how this law will change anything in the life of a Russian Catholic, lay or priest.

The Evangelicals, on the other hand, will be greatly restricted, as they primarily prozelytize the Orthodox, with whom they have deep theological disagreements. Had the Evangelicals focused on the Muslim and on the unchurched from the outset, the attitude toward them would have been much warmer, I think.