Adventist religious liberty advocates monitor situation, meet with government officials in country
July 13 UPDATE: During the early morning hours of July 12, Hungary's parliament adopted the "Law on the Right to Freedom of Conscience and Religion, and on Churches, Religions and Religious Communities." The law is poised to "de-register" numerous currently registered faith groups that count fewer than 1,000 members and grants the country's parliament the right to recognize future religious organizations by a two-thirds vote.
John Graz, Adventist world church director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty, said the move represents a step backward for the country. Graz said he remembers Hungary's enthusiastic support when he visited the country in 1997 to gain its support in organizing the International Religious Liberty Association. "I was impressed by the openness of the officials at the time. They wanted to turn the page of Communist ideology. Less than 15 years later, things have changed," Graz said. "I hope that those who believe in religious freedom will again change, but this time toward the right direction."
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Religious liberty experts say a proposed law in Hungary would saddle the country's minority religions with a burdensome registration system, discriminating against small faith groups based on their size and historical significance.
If passed, the legislation would "represent a serious setback for religious freedom in Hungary," jeopardizing the registered status of more than a hundred religious organizations in the country, the Institute on Religion & Public Policy said last month.
Many religious groups that previously obtained official recognition under Hungary's 1990 Religion Law would lose registration, face a narrower definition of "religious activity" and meet more stringent conditions to re-register. One condition would require religious groups to prove a decades-long history in the country and count more than 1,000 members.
"Smaller or newer faith groups, which don't belong to the dominant religious tradition, can find themselves without legal standing and without a 'voice' to protest their treatment," said John Graz, secretary-general of the International Religious Liberty Organization.
"It has been demonstrated, time and again in many other places, that attempts to regulate religion in this way almost invariably lead to discrimination," he said.
Early last month, several Seventh-day Adventist church leaders met with top government officials in Hungary to seek clarification about the legislation and gain assurance that the Adventist Church was not in danger of losing registration.
More than 5,000 Seventh-day Adventists worship in some 100 churches in the central European country. While the proposed law is not expected to adversely affect the church, "as Adventists, we care deeply about religious freedom for every person -- not just those of our own faith," Graz said. The Adventist Church will continue to monitor the situation, he said.
Hungary, which emerged from Communist rule in 1989, has experienced increased religious activity in recent years, with more than half of its population now identifying with the Roman Catholic faith.
While the country's constitution protects religious freedom and government officials claim the proposed law would not establish any state means of controlling or supervising churches, some observers say it threatens Hungary's reputation.
"If passed, this law could degrade Hungary's standing as a country that respects and protects basic human rights," said Dwayne Leslie, IRLA deputy secretary-general. "This attempt to 'regulate' religion is simply incompatible with a free, democratic society," he said.