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We are a Christian Fellowship meeting in North London with a strong interest in teaching the Bible and understanding our time in
the light of Bible prophecy
An article in 'English Churchman' (13/7/01) draws attention to the prospect
of all religious organisations in the EU having to be registered. A
conference in The Hague on 24-5th June discussed registration and regulation
of religious and 'faith groups' throughout the EU. An insider told the
'English Churchman': 'One of the papers read at the conference put forward a
detailed registration plan. Every religious organisation, independent church
or faith group would have to register with a new 'Faith Commission.' Cults
and sects considered to be using 'mind-altering' techniques would not
receive registration and would be subject to as yet undefined penalties and
restrictions.'
Registration opens the way for state control of religion. It was practised
in the Soviet Union and many evangelical churches ended up being
unregistered and therefore subject to persecution and arrest of leaders,
because registration meant having to compromise on essential doctrines of
the faith. Already in France an 'anti-sect' law has been passed that
proposes restrictions on religious institutions which the government deems
'dangerous'. The law is vague in how it defines cults and can be used
against legitimate evangelical groups as well as against extremist
organisations like the Solar Temple group whose mass suicide prompted
widespread concern about the issue in France.
Friends working in evangelism in France give examples of how attitudes are
changing as a result of the law. 'A Pentecostal Church in Grenoble had to
reimburse a woman's tithes as she brought the church to court after
resigning as a member. People are saying publicly on the evening news that
one of the first signs of a cult is use of the Bible. 'Baptists' are
specifically mentioned as dangerous, because of the emphasis on tithing,
conversion, believer baptism and promises of 'abundant life' in Christ.
Anything concerning young people and children is under severe scrutiny.'
A report to the French Assembly by the anti-sect commission (22/12/1995)
presided over by M Alain Gest served as one of the reference points for the
framing of the law. In comparing 'legitimate' churches with cults the report
states: 'In order to extend its audience a Church is ready to compromise
with the State. The Cult group on the other hand is on the fringes of
society in general and tends to refuse all dialogue with it. The cult has
the same attitude concerning other religions, which means ecumenism could be
the criteria for distinguishing Churches from cult groups.'
According to the French statement above the 'legitimate' church will be
willing to compromise with the state (i.e. it will accept the overriding
authority of the EU) and will be ecumenical in its nature. In this context
ecumenical clearly means more than accepting union with Roman Catholicism.
It means accepting that all religions are valid ways of salvation. Therefore
those who challenge the EU (especially those who believe its emergence has
something to do with the rise of Antichrist as prophesied in Revelation 13
and 17) will be deemed cults, as will those who want to share their message
with people of all faiths and none.
This is amazingly similar to the system of religion in the Roman Empire in
which all religions were permitted to operate as 'religio licita' (legal
religion) provided they accepted the overall authority of the Emperor as
divine and kept the 'Pax Romana' (Roman peace) by taking an ecumenical view
of other faiths. The faith, which was outside of this system, was true
Christianity, which refused to bow the knee to the Empire and Caesar,
believing that Jesus Christ is Lord. As the early Christians set out on the
programme to bring the glorious message of the Gospel to all people whatever
their beliefs, they came into collision with the Roman Empire. The EU is
emerging as the revived Roman Empire so it should not surprise us that we
see similar patterns emerging for religious control. It is significant that
France is leading the way in this. Since the time of the French humanist
philosophers Voltaire and Rousseau and the French Revolution of 1789, France
has played a leading role in promoting the anti-Christian humanist philosophy,
which now dominates Europe.
EU to register churches?
