wfn.org | Leader Sounds Caution on Russia's Draft Religion Laws

[APD <APD_Info_Schweiz@compuserve.com>]

May 24, 2002
Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief
Fax +41-61-261 61 18
APD@stanet.ch
http://www.stanet.ch/APD
CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland 

Leader Sounds Caution on Russia's Draft Religion Laws
 
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA -  Three pieces of 
legislation currently being considered by the Russian 
parliament pose "definite challenges to religious 
freedom in Russia," said John Graz of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church's religious liberty 
department during an interview with Radio Free Europe 
(RFE).
 
"One bill concerns the identification of 'traditional' and 
'non-traditional' religions in Russia which legalizes
discrimination between religious groups," explained 
Graz in the April 9 interview. "We believe that the
government should not deal with such an issue that 
may lead the state to discriminate between faith
communities." The Adventist Church has always 
believed that all religions should be equal before the 
law, he said.
 
"The other two bills deal with religious extremists," Graz 
continued. "We are opposed to the drafts on
religious extremists. Our position is that you do not 
need to identify 'religious' extremists, but to deal with
all extremists in the same way."
 
Asked about relations between the Adventist Church 
and the Russian Orthodox Church, Graz said that in
general good relations were cultivated, but that the 
Adventist Church regretted the intolerance of some
local priests outside Moscow.
 
The Adventist Church's Euro-Asia Division includes 
Russia, the Ukraine and other former republics of the
Soviet Union and has a membership of 140,000 meeting 
in 1,750 churches. [Editor Jonathan Gallagher for
ANN and APD]

Reproduction Requirements: 
Reproduction of information in this article is  
encouraged. When reproducing this material, in full or in 
part,  the words "Source: Adventist News Network" 
must appear under the headline or immediately 
following the article.