1987. augusztus (98-100. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
... 3i4A/‘ ^ y |9g r*ay Conscientious Objectors v x Apparently nothing has hap*pened. In Hungary it is still forbidden fór conscientious objectors to de somé social work - instead of military service. To do military service without using firearms is still allowed cnly fór the members of two sects: fór those of the small Nazarene church and fór those among Jehov^ s |witnes£es who - acting contrary to teachings of their church - are willing to do military service at least in this fortn. Any other conscientious objectors, no matter what denomunation they belong to or whether they are undenominated or not^ are sentenced to imprisonment regardless°lv?hethcr they are willing to do weaponless military serm.ee or if they refuse the institution of the military altogether and are willing to do only civilian service. The situation has nct changed írom another point of view either: still the number of ycung people whc go to prison instead of doing military service^ /although the time they serve in prison is twice as long as ther^T • time in the army would be/ is higher each year than/fh&jf of those conscientious objectors who are allowed to do weaponless military service by the state. Certain signs, howtver, seem to imply that both the government and its mcst important partner in its fight against conscientious ob.jection, the Catholic Church, feel that they ha ve to modify their attitűdé" te a certain üegree. The attitűdé of the Hungárián government and the dignitaries of the Catholic Church has been criticized by increasingly more people in these years, both inside the country and abi'oad, on a religious or pacifista hasis or from the point of view of humán and constitutional rights. How, people interest-ed in the issue are trying V(?<^wss whether these changes in attitűdé imply that they are preparing somé modern, humanistic solution, worthy of a^constitutiénál state;or are they only try to silence their criticis? Let us examine the faets. The government has broken its former silence ooncerning f&h conscientious ob.jection. In Octobery ,1386 somé of the daily papers - hot including, however, the ono with the greatest circulation, Népszabadság*~pubüshed reassuring articles in which they explained at length the official point of view. These articles avoided the phrases used so fre^dently in the usual rhetorics of the military prosecutors, who usually tr.y to £Onvince people that conscientious objectors are either "iőlers" or religious fanatics /andunpatriotic persons in both cases/. The Magyar Hírlap, in an artiele published on f0ctoberj'21j^ 1986, stated that those who do weaponless military service are, aft'er all, ;,disciplined and good soldiers". Both this artiele and the one piüished by the Magyar Nemzet on [Noxmber^tT^ 1966, stated that the diserimination according to denomination is right; they try, however, to explain somehow i why Catholics are imprisoned fór something that the Nazarenes are allowed not^.'‘‘The explanation in both articles is the same: they claim that ’the official standpeint of the respective cliurches practically compels the Hungárián state to apply this diserimination. The Magyar Nemzet sets forth the views of the Hungárián Catholic Church at length and with an almost lyrical pathos: ,!This institution, v/hich takes responsibility fór the fate of the country, and regards itself as a historic church, is following its best traditions. It is following in the footsteps of such heroes of Hungárián history, -W as, fór instance, the saintly kings, who pút on their cuirosses
