France Bans Dangerous Religions

RELIGION IN THE NEWS

A report and comment on religious trends and events being covered by the media.  This week’s item is from United Press International with the headline: “Southern Baptist Could Face Arrest for Evangelism if French Pass Law.”Southern Baptist missionaries and lay persons who share their faith in Jesus could be imprisoned up to two years under a proposed French law that accuses religious proselytizers of mental manipulation of the public.Southern Baptists are just one of 173 religious groups labeled dangerous sects by members of France’s Socialist party.The proposed bill aims to limit the spread of what French officials have called the “mental manipulation of the public,” by evangelical and other religious groups.Morris H. Chapman, president and chief executive officer of the SBC’s executive committee said he was concerned about the proposed legislation.“It is particularly disheartening that the selfless act of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ could be equated with the mental manipulation of the public,” Chapman said.God does not desire to control the minds of men, but to change their hearts.The proposed crime which critics say could cover many religious, advertising and interest groups is to exercise serious and repeated pressure on a person in order to create or exploit a state of dependence.The bill would allow the French government to shut down a religious group when two representatives are found guilty of at least one legal infraction.Currently the International Mission Board has 40 workers in France and has had an established missionary presence in the country since 1960.Duane Hastings, spokesman for the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission said the French proposal is not surprising.“It isn’t surprising given the climate of increased repression and persecution of Christians in many countries around the world,” Hastings said.“It would behoove Southern Baptists to be aware of this proposed legislation and make their concerns known to the U. S. State Department.It is inappropriate for any government agency or faith community to attempt to intimidate or silence any other entity in the public or private expression of their faith,” Hastings noted.A senior state department official told The Washington Times the proposed law has raised concern in Washington.“In a worse case scenario it could turn out to be a nasty piece of legislation,” the official said.

Tom:

Dave as you know when they use the word, well they call it “dangerous sect.”That’s s-e-c-t another term for cult.So they are saying basically that Southern Baptists or any evangelical who proselytizes or shares his faith, shares the gospel, could be imprisoned as a cult.

Dave:

Let’s take it back Tom to where this began and it really began with the Reformation. Before the Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church was the official church and it was a state church.It was always in partnership with the Emperor, or the governor, the king or whatever.Then at the Reformation there was supposedly a break with Roman Catholicism, but now there are two state churches.Lutheranism became a state church as well, so when you go to Europe today, all over Europe, Denmark, Scandinavia, or let’s go to Switzerland.You have cantons, they are called; these are states.You either have Catholic states or Protestant states and the salaries of the Pastors are paid by the government.So a free church, this is where for example, Evangelical Free Church originated, by Free Church they meant we are not under the government; we are not partners with the government, they don’t pay our salaries and so forth.So now, the Baptists come in and they are not a government sponsored entity.They’ve either got to be Catholic or Lutheran, so now they’re a sect.But Tom what concerns me is that they can manipulate the public with their media, with their TV and so forth.They can manipulate the public by telling them that evolution is an established fact, when in fact it is not.You can manipulate the public in many ways.Tell them that homosexuality is okay and so forth, but when you try to tell them the gospel of Jesus Christ, then you are manipulating them.On the other hand, Tom there is some concern; there are some cults like the Moonies that do try to brain-wash people and control them.So I can understand on one hand the concern, on the other hand….

Tom:

The bigger concern here is if you don’t go along with what the state says you are a cult.

Dave:

Right, right.

Tom:

And Christians are really suffering in these countries, France in particular.Children are taken away from their parents because their parents are trying to teach their children the Bible; encouraging their children to attend Sunday school at an evangelical church, whatever.

Dave:

Children are divorcing their parents; in many of these places it is against the law to home school.

Tom:

It’s a growing concern not only in this country, but in other countries.We’ve talked in past programs about legislation in this country as well.Just twist it a little bit or given a shade of this or a shade of that could end up with Bible believing Christians in prison.

Dave:

It used to be the Soviet Union was the example of oppression and not allowing freedom of conscience and putting Christians in prison and so forth.Amazingly they are open.They are open to the gospel, to teaching the Ten Commandments in the public schools and so forth.In the United States you couldn’t do that and of course, it is growing in influence around the world.This oppression of people’s minds in opposition to the gospel which wants to set them free.So it’s something that we need to be concerned about.On the other hand, we’re not going to stop preaching the gospel. We do not stop preaching the gospel because the government says we can’t and we know that this is the only hope for mankind. So whether they put us in prison or kill us, whatever they do, we MUST preach the gospel.Jesus said go into all the world and proclaim the gospel and where the Spirit of God is there is liberty, not oppression.