Battle against the cults reaches Parliament

Madrid, November 22nd, 2006.

Various social groups have joined together to form the 'Association against Sectarian Manipulation' to lobby the government to do more to prevent the harmful influence of cults.

The proposal they plan to put forward has been drawn up by ex-MP Juantxo Domínguez and calls for a permanent monitoring organization to be set up to keep an eye on groups which might coerce or threaten people. He says such an organization “is fifteen or twenty years late”, given that in 1984 and 1989 the Lower House passed a motion agreeing to its creation. The need for some kind of monitoring of the cults is shown by the fact that there are around 200 operating in Spain.

The lobby is also calling on the government to support those who try and help the victims of cultish practices. Often the needs have to do with personal recovery and social rehabilitation for people who wish to end their links with sects. Similarly, the Association calls for better cooperation with other European countries, particularly their police forces, in the sharing of information about how and where dangerous groups operate. Juantxo Domínguez complains that “psychological manipulation” is not considered a crime, as it is in other countries such as France. He says this initiative is designed “to protect people from manipulation by these groups”, to be “open, pluralist and tolerant, not anti-religious but neither allowing the inadmissible to occur.”

At the same time, a Sociology lecturer at Granada University, María del Mar Ramos, has published a study on the arrival and departure of new religious movements in Spain. She alleges that there is “an immense legal vacuum” with regard to what happens when people want to leave such groups. Dozens of groups exist in Spanish cities with very little regulation over their activities or the relationship they develop with their members. Ramos claims that sometimes people who try and leave such groups run into trouble with no legal protection available to them.

Ramos interviewed 48 cult members, ex-members and relatives of members, and discovered that youngsters and pensioners are the most susceptible to being 'captured' by such a movement. However, the lecturer added that “we are all susceptible to joining new religious movements.” More work needs to be done in distinguishing between genuine 'religious groups' and cults, as Evangelical Churches have often been confused with sects in modern Spain.

Source: Abc. Editing: ACPress.net


Over half the population 'hardly ever' go to Mass

Madrid, November 9th, 2006.

More than 77% of Spaniards call themselves Catholics, but more than half the population hardly ever go to Mass, according to a survey carried out by the Sociological Investigation Centre.

When asked how they describe themselves in terms of religious belief, 77% said Catholic and 12.9% said unbelievers. A further 6% replied 'atheist', 1.7% believers of other religions, and 2.4% did not answer the question. Over half of those interviewed said they hardly ever go to Mass or religious services, excluding weddings, first communions or funerals.

13.9% however said they go to church almost every Sunday, and 2% several times a week. 19.4% go 'several times a year', and 11% once or twice a month.

Source: Agencias Editing: ACPress.net


First evangelical social project to receive state funds

Madrid, October 17th, 2006

Diaconía, the social arm of the Federation of Evangelical Organisations, operates as an adviser and umbrella to evangelical social projects all over Spain, as well as coordinating the response to national or international disasters. Its brief also includes the support of local churches in their efforts to help the needy. It has just been awarded 15,000 euros by the government for its work with children through the 'Actúa' programme. This is the first time an evangelical organisation has been granted state funds through the charitable option on tax returns whereby people may assign 0.5% of their tax to go to help non-governmental organisations engaged in social work. The government decides how to share out this money among the different social projects it deems worthy of support, and until now had never included an evangelical project.

Groups may apply to the government for their projects to be considered, and this year was the fourth time Diaconía had applied – hitherto without success. This then is a historic moment as it shows the government's horizon is widening to include non-Catholic projects, and also points to the growing experience gained in the Protestant world of project coordination. The 'Actúa' programme encompasses various evangelical groups, and this year presented five different projects, all engaged in the improvement of children's quality of life. Three of them have been granted funding, all of them in Madrid.

Source: Diaconía. Editing: ACPress.net