The State 'abuses' evangelicals and gives privilege to Catholics, says CODUE
They indicate government justifies this attitude because the evangelicals do not have a "head"
Diario Libre
SANTO DOMINGO. "In the Dominican Republic, although there is religious freedom, there is no equality, and religious equality does not exist." The affirmation is by the president of the Dominican Council of Evangelical Unity (CODUE), Fidel Lorenzo, who demands that the State give the evangelicals the place which corresponds to them, since they represent between 22% and 30% of the Dominican population.
Lorenzo said that they are not bothered by the fact that the State has signed an agreement with the Vatican, the Concordat (which dates from 1954), but he says that having to completely subsidize the Catholic Church in all its structures, programs and hierarchy, is prejudicial to other religious groups, "that pay taxes just like the Catholics, and that are an ally of the state."
He cited as an example, the inequality in the treatment of the evangelical schools in relation to the Catholic schools. He stresses that the Catholics are financed with "large amounts" in spite of the fact that they charge more than the evangelical schools (which include 800 schools throughout the country), but that the latter are left out of the shared management.
"There is a lack of justice, of the will of the State, and I would even say that even abuse by the state with its natural partner which is the evangelical church, which has done everything in order to model conduct in this society without it costing one cent," he emphasized.
Likewise, he criticized that the State constructs with public money great temples and cathedrals for Catholics, but does not do the same thing for the other denominations. "It is very easy to say, well it is that the evangelical churches are in marginal sectors, and in inadequate conditions, it is easy, because these evangelical churches are built with funds contributed by the community itself, but the big temples and cathedrals are built with money from the people's taxes," he remarked.
Lorenzo is one of those who feel that the churches should receive funds from the State, "because they carry out a role which should be the responsibility of the State," he adds a note that "as citizens we have rights." "The religious freedom should imply that I am also given the best conditions in order that I bring together and practice my beliefs that do not offend society," he said as he participated during the interview program Dialogo Libre sponsored by this newspaper, where he appeared accompanied by Manasas Sepulveda, the judicial advisor of the CODUE.
An informal relationship
At the present time, the Reverend described the State - evangelical church relationship as "informal," and he regretted that in the country there does not exist a law on religious institutions. "We have submitted one to the Congress some time ago; a law of religious institutions, in order that we are permitted to have a simple series of regulations, that also are going to permit the state to be able to manage the service which is done by the evangelical community, and even this is hard to do here, to get the Congress to approve it," he revealed. The CODUE is regulated by Law 122 - 05, on NGOs.
In the eyes of the religious leader, the lack of a political will is what is responsible for this type of a relationship to continue. "This is because it is convenient for the politicians to maintain the church under these conditions in order to be able to offer pennies and gifts to some who are not clear in the role, and thereby capitalize in a political sense," he explained.
He stressed that since the times of President Balaguer, they have used as an excuse, that the evangelicals do not have a head" with whom to negotiate, but he says that this is not so. "The evangelical community is organized, the CODUE represents 80% of the evangelical community in the country, which is to say, CODUE represents 9000 evangelical churches and 420 representative organizations."
And he stresses: "when the state negotiates with the CODUE it is negotiating with 80% of the evangelical community and they know this."
Pastor's are trained
Although he recognizes that many churches are formed very quickly and anybody can declare himself to be "a pastor," Lorenzo makes it clear that the institutions that are organized have their institutes that form leaders. He says that there are seminaries and universities that train them in theology. "No organized church ordains a pastor who has not gone through the seminary, because of this we are pushing for legality, if we have a law of religious institutions that establishes parameters, we would not have this problem today, but the state does not collaborate with this," the Reverend stated. He defended the social work of the pastors, and revealed that 80% do not collect salaries.
2016 elections
They will vote for politicians that represent them
The evangelical community in the country represented by the CODUE, has decided that for the May 2016 elections they will support only those politicians that identify themselves with their preferences.
"What we have said to the people is that they should forget the colors of the parties and that they should identify the values of the persons for whom they are going to vote," indicated the president of this conglomerate, Fidel Lorenzo.
Basically, the call has been to not vote for those "legislators or politicians that do not identify themselves with our preference." Lorenzo believes that this position also includes other non-Catholic denominations that are in the country.
Personally, he says that he is not interested in participating in politics, because "I believe we need persons who do not have commitments with the political parties." He recalls that in his speech on "A Battle of the Faith," last January 1st, pastor Ezekiel Molina Rosario called on the evangelicals to participate more in politics.
President Danilo Medina has been a "little bit timid"
The CODUE president, Fidel Lorenzo, stated that President Danilo Medina has been a "little bit timid," because during his governmental administration Public Safety has not advanced; they have not punished the corrupt "that took all the people's money, and have us living today in a more difficult situation," and also that they have not substituted the "nonfunctioning" officials.
The pastor also stressed what was positive of the Medina administration. Among the good things of the Chief of State, he cited the assignment of 4% for the education sector; his closeness and empathy with the people, as well as the economic stability of the country.
Less than 50 pastors have a license for legal weddings
The license to celebrate legal non-Catholic religious marriages in the country is only possessed by fewer than 50 pastors, regretted the Reverend.
"The Law (198 - 11) was approved, and we have had a great battle with the Central Electoral Board. They give some indications, they loosen up a little bit, but they have not really had the intention that this should develop like it was intended," he said.
The President of the CODUE deplored the fact that they had still not concluded the training process of the assistants, "who were those that fill out the forms and the registries in the offices of the Civil Registry, without which a pastor cannot perform a marriage." In addition he said that some pastors prefer to marry people just with the God's blessing.
Lorenzo said that they are not bothered by the fact that the State has signed an agreement with the Vatican, the Concordat (which dates from 1954), but he says that having to completely subsidize the Catholic Church in all its structures, programs and hierarchy, is prejudicial to other religious groups, "that pay taxes just like the Catholics, and that are an ally of the state."
He cited as an example, the inequality in the treatment of the evangelical schools in relation to the Catholic schools. He stresses that the Catholics are financed with "large amounts" in spite of the fact that they charge more than the evangelical schools (which include 800 schools throughout the country), but that the latter are left out of the shared management.
"There is a lack of justice, of the will of the State, and I would even say that even abuse by the state with its natural partner which is the evangelical church, which has done everything in order to model conduct in this society without it costing one cent," he emphasized.
Likewise, he criticized that the State constructs with public money great temples and cathedrals for Catholics, but does not do the same thing for the other denominations. "It is very easy to say, well it is that the evangelical churches are in marginal sectors, and in inadequate conditions, it is easy, because these evangelical churches are built with funds contributed by the community itself, but the big temples and cathedrals are built with money from the people's taxes," he remarked.
Lorenzo is one of those who feel that the churches should receive funds from the State, "because they carry out a role which should be the responsibility of the State," he adds a note that "as citizens we have rights." "The religious freedom should imply that I am also given the best conditions in order that I bring together and practice my beliefs that do not offend society," he said as he participated during the interview program Dialogo Libre sponsored by this newspaper, where he appeared accompanied by Manasas Sepulveda, the judicial advisor of the CODUE.
An informal relationship
At the present time, the Reverend described the State - evangelical church relationship as "informal," and he regretted that in the country there does not exist a law on religious institutions. "We have submitted one to the Congress some time ago; a law of religious institutions, in order that we are permitted to have a simple series of regulations, that also are going to permit the state to be able to manage the service which is done by the evangelical community, and even this is hard to do here, to get the Congress to approve it," he revealed. The CODUE is regulated by Law 122 - 05, on NGOs.
In the eyes of the religious leader, the lack of a political will is what is responsible for this type of a relationship to continue. "This is because it is convenient for the politicians to maintain the church under these conditions in order to be able to offer pennies and gifts to some who are not clear in the role, and thereby capitalize in a political sense," he explained.
He stressed that since the times of President Balaguer, they have used as an excuse, that the evangelicals do not have a head" with whom to negotiate, but he says that this is not so. "The evangelical community is organized, the CODUE represents 80% of the evangelical community in the country, which is to say, CODUE represents 9000 evangelical churches and 420 representative organizations."
And he stresses: "when the state negotiates with the CODUE it is negotiating with 80% of the evangelical community and they know this."
Pastor's are trained
Although he recognizes that many churches are formed very quickly and anybody can declare himself to be "a pastor," Lorenzo makes it clear that the institutions that are organized have their institutes that form leaders. He says that there are seminaries and universities that train them in theology. "No organized church ordains a pastor who has not gone through the seminary, because of this we are pushing for legality, if we have a law of religious institutions that establishes parameters, we would not have this problem today, but the state does not collaborate with this," the Reverend stated. He defended the social work of the pastors, and revealed that 80% do not collect salaries.
2016 elections
They will vote for politicians that represent them
The evangelical community in the country represented by the CODUE, has decided that for the May 2016 elections they will support only those politicians that identify themselves with their preferences.
"What we have said to the people is that they should forget the colors of the parties and that they should identify the values of the persons for whom they are going to vote," indicated the president of this conglomerate, Fidel Lorenzo.
Basically, the call has been to not vote for those "legislators or politicians that do not identify themselves with our preference." Lorenzo believes that this position also includes other non-Catholic denominations that are in the country.
Personally, he says that he is not interested in participating in politics, because "I believe we need persons who do not have commitments with the political parties." He recalls that in his speech on "A Battle of the Faith," last January 1st, pastor Ezekiel Molina Rosario called on the evangelicals to participate more in politics.
President Danilo Medina has been a "little bit timid"
The CODUE president, Fidel Lorenzo, stated that President Danilo Medina has been a "little bit timid," because during his governmental administration Public Safety has not advanced; they have not punished the corrupt "that took all the people's money, and have us living today in a more difficult situation," and also that they have not substituted the "nonfunctioning" officials.
The pastor also stressed what was positive of the Medina administration. Among the good things of the Chief of State, he cited the assignment of 4% for the education sector; his closeness and empathy with the people, as well as the economic stability of the country.
Less than 50 pastors have a license for legal weddings
The license to celebrate legal non-Catholic religious marriages in the country is only possessed by fewer than 50 pastors, regretted the Reverend.
"The Law (198 - 11) was approved, and we have had a great battle with the Central Electoral Board. They give some indications, they loosen up a little bit, but they have not really had the intention that this should develop like it was intended," he said.
The President of the CODUE deplored the fact that they had still not concluded the training process of the assistants, "who were those that fill out the forms and the registries in the offices of the Civil Registry, without which a pastor cannot perform a marriage." In addition he said that some pastors prefer to marry people just with the God's blessing.
Diario Libre
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