wfn.org | United Methodists in Russia

[owner-umethnews@ecunet.org (United Methodist News list)]

Reply-to: owner-umethnews@ecunet.org (United Methodist News list)
"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS 97" by SUSAN PEEK on April 15, 1997 at 14:24
Eastern, about DAILY NEWS RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (382
notes).

Note 382 by UMNS on Oct. 13, 1997 at 15:40 Eastern (3274 characters).

CONTACT: Linda Bloom				570(10-21-71B){382}
		New York (212) 870-3803			Oct. 13, 1997

Continue raising issue of religious
freedom in Russia, bishop urges

	DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (UMNS) -- The issue of religious freedom 
in Russia and elsewhere must continue to be raised by United 
Methodists.
	That was the message of Bishop Ruediger Minor, who is based 
in Moscow, to the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity 
and Interreligious Concerns during its Oct. 9-12 meeting here.
	While the United Methodist Church in Russia waits to see how 
a new restrictive law there might be enforced, "what's at stake 
is much more than religious freedom, it's human rights," 
according to Minor, who also is a commission member.
	The new law, signed by Russian President Boris Yeltsin in 
September, particularly targets the Protestant and Catholic 
churches that have sprung up there during a seven-year period of 
few restrictions on religious activity.
	Minor told United Methodist News Service that until 
regulations are established for implementing the law, it is 
difficult to know exactly how the 15,000 or so United Methodists 
in Russia will be affected. "We know that Russian laws are 
usually enforced selectively," he added.
	For now, church work will continue as usual, according to 
the bishop. But, under the new law, the government could restrict 
church outreach programs in prisons and hospitals, close down 
theological training programs and bar foreign missionaries.
	A major point of concern has been the strong support of the 
Russian Orthodox Church for the new law, as a way of bolstering 
its standing as Russia's national religion and ridding the 
country of "proselytizers."
	While most Russians may be Orthodox more in name than 
practice, the other Christian denominations and sects are hardly 
a major threat to that church, Minor claimed. "If we look at the 
real influence of those groups, it's minuscule," he added.
	He rejected the idea that other Christians, including United 
Methodists, use humanitarian aid as "bait" to lure people into 
the fold.
	"What keeps people in the Methodist community is not that 
humanitarian aid and it also isn't the occasional ball-pens or 
stickers brought by foreign guests,"  the administrative council 
of the Russian United Methodist Church wrote recently to World 
Methodist Council officers.
	"It is the free and sovereign decisions of individuals to 
live their new faith in Jesus Christ within the Methodist 
community. To call that proselytism means to deny the right and 
ability of these individuals to make their own choice.
	"As Methodists, we would always rather stress the uniting 
essentials than the often dividing nonessentials," the letter 
also said. "We are ready and would be glad to enter dialogue with 
the Russian Orthodox Church about any theological question 
relevant for the Russian society today, if they would only talk 
to us."
	Minor told the commission that while Russian Orthodox 
officials long have been partners with United Methodists on the 
outside -- in forums such as the World Council of Churches -- 
they refuse to talk officially to United Methodists within 
Russia.
#  #  # 
 

 

 

DIALOGUE - 2

-MORE-

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 To make suggestions or give your comments, send a note to 
 umns@ecunet.org or Susan_Peek@ecunet.org

 This article sent to both the umethnews list <umethnews-request@ecunet.org>
 and also to the Worldwide Faith News list wfn-news <majordomo@wfn.org>
 Look at the header files to figure out which this is.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------