RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Russian religious leaders suggest changes in Putin's law on sacred scriptures

RELIGIOUS LEADERS REQUEST IMPROVEMENT OF LAW ON SACRED BOOKS

RIA Novosti, 20 October 2015

 

Representatives of traditional religions requested an expansion of the list of sacred texts which cannot be examined for evidence of extremism, at a session on Tuesday in the State Duma of the Committee on Affairs of Public Associations and Religious Organizations.

 

"In Islam, besides the Quran there is also the Sunna, which is not mentioned in the draft law. It is important that historical writings not be forgotten," said Rushan Abbiasov, the first deputy chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia. He emphasized that Muslims are ready themselves "to initiate a ban on books that cause schism."

 

This draft law could become a splendid instrument of stability and an example for many countries, thinks priest Roman Bogdasarov, the vice-chairman of the synod's Department for Relations of Church and Society of the Moscow patriarchate. He also emphasized that it is necessary to substitute for the term "Bible" in the text of amendments the definition "Sacred scripture of the Old and New Testaments" and to add to the list of texts the resolutions of ecumenical and local councils, canonical rules, and works of saints and liturgical texts, without which "the existence of Orthodoxy is impossible."

 

Andrei Glotser, the press secretary of the chief rabbi of Russia, suggested including in the draft law works of medieval Jewish theologians. "It makes sense not to examine all books that are older than 100 to 150 years for the presence of extremism," he noted.

 

Rabbi Zinovii Kogan, the vice-president of the Congress of Jewish Religious Communities and Organizations of Russia (KEROOR) for relations with state and public organizations, suggested that it is essential to accompany each edition of sacred texts with commentaries and interpretations. He supported the inclusion in "the presidential list of texts" not the whole Torah but only the books of Tanakh. "In it there is everything that is canonized by the Christian church and Islam," the rabbi emphasized.

 

Meanwhile, the first deputy of the ruling bishop of the Russian Associated Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith, Bishop Konstantin Bendas, thinks that "at this stage it is logical and correct to confirm in law the four fundamental books of the four traditional religions of Russia, and it is possible to return in a year to a discussion of whether it is necessary to expand the list." He said that expansion of the list of sacred texts that are not subject to examination for extremism now may be dangerous.

 

On 23 October, the State Duma will consider the presidential draft law according to which the Bible, Quran, Torah, and Kangyur, their contents, and quotations from them may not be considered to be extremist materials. (tr. by PDS, posted 20 October 2015)

 

EVALUATION OF SACRED TEXTS REQUIRES INTER-RELIGIOUS COMMISSION

RIA Novosti, 20 October 2015

 

It is necessary to create an inter-religious commission on the federal level for competent expert analysis of sacred texts and their examination for the presence of extremism, representatives of traditional religions of Russia declared at a round table at the international news agency Russia Today.

 

On 23 October, the State Duma will consider a presidential draft law according to which the Bible, Quran, Torah, and Kangyur, their contents, and quotations from them may not be ruled to be extremist materials.

 

"If one is talking about expert analysis of some texts, then it is necessary to recruit for it not only some secular specialists but also people for whom reference to God is an essential part of their life. This is already being done at the level of inter-religious councils," said the vice-chairman of the Department for Relations of Church and Society of the Moscow patriarchate, priest Roman Bogdasarov.

 

He recalled that in 1998 the Inter-religious Council of Russia was created whose presidium includes the heads of all traditional religious communities. When necessary, an expert group is formed within the council. The Council for Harmonization of Inter-ethnic Relations exists in the presidential administration of the RF and similar bodies exist within the State Duma and Public Chamber of Russia. In addition, inter-religious conferences are created within each governor's administration that include representatives of religious communities of one or another region.

 

In his turn, the first vice-chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia, Rushan Abbiasov, agreed that in the evaluation of religious texts it is necessary to take into account not only the opinion of secular experts but also of theologians and religious leaders. He emphasized that such evaluation should be given "only on the federal level," for example at the Inter-religious Council of Russia.

 

Andrei Glotser, a representative of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, considers that the Russian federation may serve as an example for many countries in questions of inter-religious cooperation, although there remain problems in the expert analysis of religious texts. "It is important to define who will be members of expert groups since it is possible to trust one or another specialist. In our country there are very few people who really know the religious tradition of one or another culture at the highest level. New expert councils lack such people. From my point of view, at the present time we have enough people only at the federal level," Glotser explained. (tr. by PDS, posted 20 October 2015)


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