Christian Freedom International

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI (Christian Freedom International) -- Christian leaders are concerned that Russia is returning to a “Soviet era” persecution of Christians.

After the Soviet communist regime crumbled in 1991, Russia adopted a constitution that, in theory, allowed for freedom of religion. However, in reality “old guard,” draconian regulations are reappearing.

The most recent incident involves the Soviet-style, reconstituted Ministry of Justice’s (MOJ) “Council for Conducting State Religious Expert Analysis.”

As reported by the Norway based Forum 18 News Service, the MOJ’s choice of members to the Council includes “anti-cultists” and controversial scholars of Islam. The Council is chaired by Alexander Dvorkin, Russia’s most prominent “anti-cult” activist, who has described the faith of some Protestants as “a crude, magical-occult system with elements of psychological manipulation.”

The powers of the Council were recently widened allowing it to investigate the activity, doctrines, leadership decisions, literature, and worship of any registered religious organization and recommend action to the MOJ.

There is a recently formed Internet movement, “No to Inquisitors,” which hundreds of Russians have managed to join. The protesters have called on the MOJ to either dissolve the Council or ask Dvorkin to submit his resignation. Neither is likely.

If the Council is given free rein, it is likely to recommend harsh measures against certain religious organizations, especially Christian groups.

For example, at the Council’s first meeting, Dvorkin named the Russian Bible Society as a possible target for investigation.

The Russian Bible Society
The Russian Bible Society is a non-denominational organization for translating and distributing the Bible in Russia. The stated mission of the Bible Society “… is to confess Christian faith and propagation of the Word of God.”

The main goal of the Bible Society in Russia is to make the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford. The Bible Society works with Christians of all denominations.

The Bible Society in Russia is currently the largest publishing house of Biblical literature in Eastern Europe and cooperates with all Christian churches, religious organizations, and even secular agencies in the mission of printing and distributing the Holy Scriptures.

The full-scale Bible translation into the Russian language began in 1813 after the establishment of the Russian Bible Society. The first full edition of the Bible including both Old and New Testaments was published in 1876.

The Russian Bible Society, since its establishment in 1813 and up to 1826, distributed more than 500,000 Bibles and related Christian books in some 41 languages throughout Russia. Several times in the 19th and 20th centuries, activities of the Society were stopped by the harsh policies of the Soviet government.

The Society was restored in 1990-1991 after a long pause connected with the “Soviet era” restrictions.

The Law “On Freedom of Conscience and Associations”
In 1997 the Russian government enacted a controversial, draconian law “On Freedom of Conscience and Associations.” The 1997 Law is complicated and place many restrictions on religious minorities considered “non-traditional.” As a result, many new Christian churches have either shut their doors or gone underground.

The 1997 Law created three categories of religious communities (groups, local organizations, and centralized organizations) with different levels of legal status and privileges.

The most basic unit is a “religious group,” which has the right to conduct worship services and rituals and to teach religion to its members. A group is not registered with the Russian government and consequently does not have the legal status to open a bank account, own property, issue invitations to foreign guests, publish literature, enjoy tax benefits, or conduct worship services in prisons, state owned hospitals, and the armed forces.

A “local religious organization” can be registered if it has at least 10 citizen members and is either a branch of a centralized organization or has existed in the locality as a religious group for at least 15 years. Local religious organizations have legal status and may open bank accounts, own property, issue invitation letters to foreign guests, publish literature, enjoy tax benefits, and conduct worship services in prisons, state-owned hospitals, and the armed forces.

“Centralized religious organizations” can be registered by combining at least three local organizations of the same denomination. In addition to all the legal rights enjoyed by local organizations, centralized organizations also have the right to open new local organizations without any waiting period. Centralized organizations that have existed in the country for more than fifty years have the right to use the words “Russia” or “Russian” in their official names.

However, the 1997 Law also gives officials the authority to ban “religious groups” -- for any or no reason -- and thereby prohibit all of the activities of such religious communities. As a result, many Christian groups meet in unregistered, underground house churches. This onerous provision has been used to close down Christian churches.