The rest of the world made a collective shudder on July 22 when Bulgaria decided to close 250 churches and 50 police raided a church in Sofia. You can just see the rolled eyes of diplomats, and the shaking of heads across the world, because after 14 years after Communism, Bulgaria still does not "get" democracy.
The news of the church raids and ensuing fights were splashed across the world's newspapers, shocking millions of people. Bulgaria gave itself a collective black eye.
The Government's actions were the worst publicity Bulgaria has created for itself since the bad old days of hyper-inflation and the Mafia running the country in 1996-97. It also sends a very strong message to the EU that Bulgaria is nowhere near ready to join.
For some strange reason, the Bulgarian government feels that religion is something to be controlled. The legislators can be compared to a drunk with a never ending hangover.
But this hangover is from Communist times, not booze. They still don't get it. Religion is not something to be controlled. The government is. Religion has never been dangerous in Bulgaria. Only the government has.
Religion in every democracy and true republic is something apart from government. Any government simply has no business getting involved in controlling, regulating or otherwise interfering in religion in any way, shape or form.
To do so is to violate a basic human right. Didn't we see this happen in Bulgaria already from 1944-1990? Didn't we have show trials of pastors in 1947? What about the Christians thrown in concentration camps such as Belene and others at this time? How many had to die? Yet, Bulgaria still does not get it.
And why does the government STILL have laws concerning religion on their books dating from 1947 that the Communists wrote? It is to control religion in Bulgaria.
The problem in Bulgaria is the government is part of the problem, not the solution.
Let's look back on last century and see what the two most evil systems in government did.
Naturally, this would be fascism and communism. The fascists, during and before WWII killed at least 10 million people. Yet, they were simple minor leaguers compared to the communists.
From the Russian Civil War in 1917 until today, between 100 million to 600 million people died as a result of communism. The fact of the matter is that people are STILL being killed due to communism in North Korea, Cuba, Burma and Communist China.
Please take note that this is NOT a religion, but a system of government. Obviously, the most evil and hellish one ever devised by man.
Yet in Bulgaria, the mentality from the Communist era has not changed or ended. Thus their attempt to control and regulate religion. It was two perverted systems of government that killed over 600 million people from 1917 to today, NOT Christianity or any other religion. Bulgarian legislators, please take note.
Due to a very foolish law passed in 2001, the Bulgarian government has the right to interfere and control religious activity in Bulgaria. Both the EU, the American government and the Helsinki Committee have condemned this law as wrong as well as the actions that resulted from it in the past. This isn't to mention what this law did on July 22.
What a disgrace! Can you imagine the thoughts going through the policemen's minds when they were closing churches and getting involved in church affairs? What they must have though! They must have been ashamed to enforce such a stupid law.
Wouldn't it be better too, for the government to throw out this law and have the police fight the Mafia instead? It is simply incredible. Doesn't Bulgaria have something better to do?
Obviously, 14 years after the end of Communism in Bulgaria, something is very wrong. Anytime any government gets involved in religious affairs, they are simply demonstrating that they are not a democracy or a republic, regardless of what their constitution might say.
Internal church or other religious affairs are simply no business whatsoever of any government. It is a church problem, to be settled by the church itself. It is simply no one else's business - especially not the government.
Bulgaria would be wise to realise this before the once again shoot themselves in the food and clearly demonstrate to the world that they are not ready to join the EU.
Keith W. Brown
The news of the church raids and ensuing fights were splashed across the world's newspapers, shocking millions of people. Bulgaria gave itself a collective black eye.
The Government's actions were the worst publicity Bulgaria has created for itself since the bad old days of hyper-inflation and the Mafia running the country in 1996-97. It also sends a very strong message to the EU that Bulgaria is nowhere near ready to join.
For some strange reason, the Bulgarian government feels that religion is something to be controlled. The legislators can be compared to a drunk with a never ending hangover.
But this hangover is from Communist times, not booze. They still don't get it. Religion is not something to be controlled. The government is. Religion has never been dangerous in Bulgaria. Only the government has.
Religion in every democracy and true republic is something apart from government. Any government simply has no business getting involved in controlling, regulating or otherwise interfering in religion in any way, shape or form.
To do so is to violate a basic human right. Didn't we see this happen in Bulgaria already from 1944-1990? Didn't we have show trials of pastors in 1947? What about the Christians thrown in concentration camps such as Belene and others at this time? How many had to die? Yet, Bulgaria still does not get it.
And why does the government STILL have laws concerning religion on their books dating from 1947 that the Communists wrote? It is to control religion in Bulgaria.
The problem in Bulgaria is the government is part of the problem, not the solution.
Let's look back on last century and see what the two most evil systems in government did.
Naturally, this would be fascism and communism. The fascists, during and before WWII killed at least 10 million people. Yet, they were simple minor leaguers compared to the communists.
From the Russian Civil War in 1917 until today, between 100 million to 600 million people died as a result of communism. The fact of the matter is that people are STILL being killed due to communism in North Korea, Cuba, Burma and Communist China.
Please take note that this is NOT a religion, but a system of government. Obviously, the most evil and hellish one ever devised by man.
Yet in Bulgaria, the mentality from the Communist era has not changed or ended. Thus their attempt to control and regulate religion. It was two perverted systems of government that killed over 600 million people from 1917 to today, NOT Christianity or any other religion. Bulgarian legislators, please take note.
Due to a very foolish law passed in 2001, the Bulgarian government has the right to interfere and control religious activity in Bulgaria. Both the EU, the American government and the Helsinki Committee have condemned this law as wrong as well as the actions that resulted from it in the past. This isn't to mention what this law did on July 22.
What a disgrace! Can you imagine the thoughts going through the policemen's minds when they were closing churches and getting involved in church affairs? What they must have though! They must have been ashamed to enforce such a stupid law.
Wouldn't it be better too, for the government to throw out this law and have the police fight the Mafia instead? It is simply incredible. Doesn't Bulgaria have something better to do?
Obviously, 14 years after the end of Communism in Bulgaria, something is very wrong. Anytime any government gets involved in religious affairs, they are simply demonstrating that they are not a democracy or a republic, regardless of what their constitution might say.
Internal church or other religious affairs are simply no business whatsoever of any government. It is a church problem, to be settled by the church itself. It is simply no one else's business - especially not the government.
Bulgaria would be wise to realise this before the once again shoot themselves in the food and clearly demonstrate to the world that they are not ready to join the EU.
Keith W. Brown
