DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Call to prayer

**SypeKifef** · 01-02-2008, 09:41 PM

Effie,

I presume there aren't too many problems for evangelicals (and presumably other religious groups in Greece) NOW precisely because of the legal case I referred to. Being a part of the E.U., Greece has to generally abide by its laws. "

This strikes me as simplistic, given that Estonia and Latvia are still doing a fine job of harrassing their Russian-speaking minorities and the central institutions of the EU are doing nothing. In fact the recent history suggests that it is rather difficult for the EU to force a state to do anything much once it is inside the "club".

Certainly membership of the EU has had a great effect on Greece. But I would attach equal importance to the changes in the Greeks' views of how these things should be done, following their experience of the Junta. This is of course the background to Greece's membership of the EEC in the first place, and its willingness to implement its laws. Or at the very least, there is a dialectic between the two.

I would be interested to see answers to Andreas' question on pluralism and the Fathers (I am certainly not in a position to provide them). It seems to me though that there is a distinction between persecution and restricting the right of groups to propagate their belief in any way they please. The first has, I think, occurred in Orthodox countries, and I do not defend it. But is the second the same? Of course it is given certain common ideological or jurisprudential assumptions, but that I guess is where the debate starts, and it is one that I am far from clear about myself.

01-02-2008, 09:41 PM	#28
SypeKifef Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 571 Senior Member	Effie, I presume there aren't too many problems for evangelicals (and presumably other religious groups in Greece) NOW precisely because of the legal case I referred to. Being a part of the E.U., Greece has to generally abide by its laws. " This strikes me as simplistic, given that Estonia and Latvia are still doing a fine job of harrassing their Russian-speaking minorities and the central institutions of the EU are doing nothing. In fact the recent history suggests that it is rather difficult for the EU to force a state to do anything much once it is inside the "club". Certainly membership of the EU has had a great effect on Greece. But I would attach equal importance to the changes in the Greeks' views of how these things should be done, following their experience of the Junta. This is of course the background to Greece's membership of the EEC in the first place, and its willingness to implement its laws. Or at the very least, there is a dialectic between the two. I would be interested to see answers to Andreas' question on pluralism and the Fathers (I am certainly not in a position to provide them). It seems to me though that there is a distinction between persecution and restricting the right of groups to propagate their belief in any way they please. The first has, I think, occurred in Orthodox countries, and I do not defend it. But is the second the same? Of course it is given certain common ideological or jurisprudential assumptions, but that I guess is where the debate starts, and it is one that I am far from clear about myself.
	Quote