Calvin Synod Herald, 1988 (88. évfolyam, 1-5. szám)
1988 / 2-5. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD-8-NEW LAWS IN CHURCH - STATE RELATIONS IN HUNGARY In 1990 a new "Ad on Religious Exercise”, the Hungarian legal statutes governing religious activity, will be drafted. The church-state relationship was brought to the forefront at a December 1987 session in the Hungarian Parliament, and public discussion has been helped along by the Hungarian Television, which presented two "TV specials” in which ecclesiastical, denominational and political leaders were interviewed. Currently, relations between the State and the churches is regulated by agreements and low-level decisions made in the late forties and early fifties (during the "Stalinist era), and some "active” laws are left over from decrees and statutes brought about in the nineteenth century. In an interview on Hungarian Television, Bishop Károly Tóth of the Reformed Church expressed positive feelings about the developements in this area, and feels the updating of laws will better define the place of the church in Hungarian society, thus allowing for more opportunities of service in society. Of special concern, Bishop Tóth mentioned the churches role in public instruction, cultural life, education, and the social activity of the church. Bishop Tóth also looks forward to the new legislation making it possible to build churches in the new suburbs, which, he said, "has been - to put it somewhat leniently - cumbersome during the past decades. Then it is our wish”, he added, "that the new legislation would make possible for our pastors regularly to visit the hospitals, institutions of social help, prisons, penitentiaries, places where people live in dire need of spiritual comfort, help and assurance. 1 think this would also be in the interest of our society as a whole.” "The social usefulness of the church is not clarified. We ask for a point-blank answer to the question whether the activity carried on by the church is a useful one or not. Our convinced answer is in the affirmative.” Presiding Bishop Dr. Gyula Nagy, of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, stated: "From the start, for quite a long time, it was lack of mutual confidence that marked churchstate relations. But the last forty years have revealed that mutual trust is the best regulating principle. What we expect of the new (law) is- that it abstain from over-regulating things and from meddling in every detail, and- that it express confidence in the churches and the faithful, just as we too trust that the state and general society have the best will toward the churches.” Chief Rabbi Dr. Alfréd Schoner noted that "Some time ago we used to meet the formulation: from the enemy ‘status’, through indifference, the churches have attained REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA the relationship of creative cooperation. Now it is time to define precisely and in minute detail what this expression 'creative cooperatiion’ actually means.... clearly and unequivocally...” Representing the government, State Secretary Imre Miklós, president of the State Office for Church Affairs, said: “1 think it is still more important to note a growing interest in and demand for religion. 1 don’t see anything extraordinary about this. History shows a close interdependence between the life of society and the successive thought systems. Why should this be otherwise today? If we watch in particular the life of young people, then we see that they have been disappointed with their ideas, they are disallusioned, we also see an ideological uncertainty and 1 could go on listing some components of today’s state of affairs...” "All possibilities must therefore be assured for religious people... for freely sending their children to religious instruction... The charitable activity of the churches is also needed... In my judgement the time is not far away when in Hungary, too, the principle of an alternative to military service (concientious objector status) would be introduced..." TAXES LIFTED ON CHURCHES At its Fall session the Hungarian Parliament passed sweeping changes in relation to taxes the Church must pay the government. Dr. Károly Tóth, Bishop of the Reformed Church, was one of those giving testimony at the session. The new laws would exempt from personal income tax money donated to churches, old people's homes, nurseries and institutions for mentally handicapped children. As part of the change in the law, churches will no longer have to pay "purchase tax” on the building, renovation and provision of public utilities in manses. SUMMER CAMP FOR KIDS The Lutheran Church in Hungary organized an educational preparatory camp for young refugees from Transylvania. Held at the Lutheran Church manse at Tápiószele for two weeks this past summer, there were 25 participants. Teachers led the sessions to prepare the refugees from Transylvania for their new schools in Hungary. The camp, under the leadership of the Cegléd pastor, was supported both financially and in its activities by local governmental institutions and organizations.
