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 | "France … shall ensure the equality of all citizens before the law … It shall respect all beliefs." Article 2, Constitution of France. |
| "This is sowing the seeds for profound religious intolerance in France. If and when it is exported, it will spread an anti-religious contagion...When I read the plain body of the language, you can take virtually any denomination and in a variety of situations you can dissolve it. You name it, the Catholic Church, you can dissolve it." Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) commenting on the 2001-MAY law on sects. |
Overview:
This series of essays deals with two major violations of personal freedom in France:
| Over a period of centuries, the country of France has transitioned from having a state church, to being neutral on religion and cherishing religious freedom, to being staunchly secular and opposed to religious expression. Recent restrictions on religious expression appear to be a violation of the country's constitution. |
| The Anti-Cult movement (ACM) teaches that many new religious movements are profoundly evil and dangerous. They convert their members into a near-zombie state, and heavily exploit them. Although has been largely discredited in the United States due to lack of evidence that these evils exist, it seems to have achieved a strong foothold in some European countries and in China. |
Topics covered in this section:
| Attacks on new religious movements |
| Attacks on personal religious freedom |
References:
- Anonymous article, "Religious Groups Face French 'Blacklist'", Action Magazine, The Rutherford Institute, Charlottesville VA, Vol. 2, No. 5, 1997-MAY
- Judah B. Schroeder, "Representatives from 15 European Union countries decry discrimination against Jehovah's Witnesses in France: Canada, Japan, Switzerland, and the United States join efforts to visit embassies," Watch Tower Public Affairs Office, 1998-JUN-30.
- Mark Kellner, "Then They Came for Me," Column in The Washington Times; exact date unknown
- Associated Press, "Jehovah’s Witnesses would be the object of a tax assessment," 1988-JUN-29
- "Jehovah's witnesses pay a price for lack of cult status," The Independent (London UK), 1998-JUL-9. News section, Page 13.
- News Release, "France: New Dramatic Developments in the Sect Issue," Human Rights Without Frontiers, Brussels, Belgium, 1998-JUL-7
- Free Minds, "France Moves to Tax Religion!" advertisement in the New York Times, 1998-JUL-5. See: http://www.freeminds.org/news/nytimes.htm
- "Establishing an Inter-ministerial Mission to Fight Against Sects," (English translation) at: http://www.cesnur.org/decree98.htm
- Quoted in Martin Weightman, "Religious Hysteria in France," European Human Rights Office, Church of Scientology, 1998-NOV-17.
- "Religious Intolerance and Discrimination," speech delivered by Human Rights Without Frontiers to the OSCE Implementation Meeting in Warsaw, 1998-OCT-28. See: http://www.greekhelsinki.gr/english/pressrelease/hrwf28-10-98.html
- "Report of the Inquiry Commission into New Religious Groups," 1995-DEC-22 at: http://www.assemblee-nat.fr/2/cenq/rap-enq/2cca.htm This is the original document; in French. An English translation is available at: http://cftf.com/french/Les_Sectes_en_France/cults.html
- "1997 Annual Report of the Inter-ministery Observatory on Cults" is at: http://www.multimania.com/tussier/ois2.htm (original document; in French)
- "France: New discriminatory law proposal," Foundation for Religious Freedom news release, 1999-DEC-17.
- ReligionToday news summary for 2000-JUN-15
- "Rights groups fear French cult bill would curb religious liberty," Newsroom, 2000-JUL-5. Online at: http://www.cesnur.org/testi/fr2K_july1.htm
- "French 'Cults law' draws fire from religious groups," CNSNews.com, 2000-JUL-14, at: http://www.cesnur.org/testi/fr2K_july2.htm
- "French Baptists concerned about religious freedom," Evangelical Press News Service. Online at: http://www.mcjonline.com/news/00b/20000817e.htm
- Paul Holmes, "Congressman assails French law on sects," Reuters, 2001-JUL-9.
- "Jean-Louis Langlais is the new President of the French Mission," Center for Studies of New Religions (CESNUR) at: http://www.cesnur.org/2002/fr_MIVLDS_mi.htm
- "French Muslim group courts showdown over headscarf law," The Peninsula, Qatar, 2004-JUL-27, at: http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/
- "School expels girls for refusing to remove Muslim headscarves," Toronto Star, 2004-OCT-20, Page A12.
- Elain Ganley, "Muslim girls barred for wearing bandannas, group says," Associated Press. Published in the Toronto Star, 2004-OCT-22, Page A15.
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Copyright © 1996 to 2004 by Ontario Consultants on
Religious Tolerance
Essay created: 1996-SEP-27
Latest update: 2004-OCT-24
Author: B.A. Robinson
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