a1062: a1006: Controlling the evangelicals (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Joe Allen <jaallen1@bellsouth.net>


RE: a1006: Controlling the evangelicals

    I have followed the discussions on the attempts made by the evangelicals
in Haiti to discredit Vaudou and win converts.  I am only interested in the
subject  from a freedom of speech and freedom of association issue, not in
the merits or faults of a particular religion.  The constitution of Haiti
guarantees the right of citizens to associate freely  and I do agree that
laws are needed to strengthen that commitment of religious freedom.
    The intentions behind Joel Drefuss' posting may be noble, but some of
his recommendations, if followed, not only will give Vaudou a special status
it may not need,  they represent a state micromanagement of the issue.

    J. Dreyfuss:" I would create a law that no religious group make
conversion a requirement for receiving any form of social service: food,
service, health, education or vocational training."
   If associations and religious groups do not receive state funding, they
have the right to decide the conditions under which someone will be admitted
to or receive help from the organization.  In the United States you could
not pass such a law.  Every day organizations discriminate legally in this
country.  However, refusing to assist a person in danger using the same
criteria is a crime.
    J. Dreyfuss:" Any conversion to another religion would require an
affidavit of free will witnessed by someone not associated with the cult."
    Imagine:  You just created a new ministry or increased the staff of an
existing ministry, and in the process you inconvenienced the people who
wanted to convert.  You
also created an expense in addition to wasting  their time.  They will need
a "recepisse" from " Le Bureau des Contributions" and a public notary to
validate the document.  Since decentralization is not yet a reality, the
poor soul that finally realized that Protestantism was not for him after all
will have to go to the nearest city get his papers in order to convert to
Vaudou.  I assume that you also want to use the Archives Nationales to store
the information and will issue an official  " certificate of conversion".
    J. Dreyfuss:" Any harassment or denigration of vaudun practitioners
would be a violation of freedom of religion..."
    I agree that harassment is an offense, but denigration may be a matter
of free speech.  Anyone should be free to express their opinions about any
religion, whether we like it or find it unpalatable.

    I think it is time in Haiti for the majority of Vaudou practitioners to
behave like they are a majority religion in the land.  It is time that
highly visible people in Haiti,  who happen to be Vaudou practitioners,
support their religion openly and give it the boost it needs to fight
stereotypes of all sorts.   The solution is not micromanagement.
   Joseph A. Allen DDS
    Miami, FL