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Do You Appreciate Religious Freedom?

By Awake! correspondent in Estonia

PÄRNU is a port city and holiday resort in the small Baltic country of Estonia, a former republic of the Soviet Union. The city has a population of over 50,000. The people now enjoy a freedom to practice the religion of their choice—a freedom that they did not possess a few years ago. On June 17, 1995, the Pärnu Leht, a local newspaper, noted that Pärnu has 11 religions and that the paper planned to publish a series of articles about them.

The first article explained: “We are starting with the congregation whose activity has apparently affected all of us—Jehovah’s Witnesses—who now have their meetings in the hall of a brewery. . . . In 1931 the Bible Students started to call themselves Jehovah’s Witnesses, and that’s the name they have until today. There are more than five million of Jehovah’s Witnesses all over the world. The headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Estonia is situated in Tallinn.”

The article continued: “The congregation of Jehovah’s proclaimers was established in Pärnu a year and a half ago. At the beginning there were 25 members; now it has grown to 120 . . .

“The first impression is quite positive. People—mostly young couples—are friendly, neatly dressed, and open-minded. It is astonishing that the children were so disciplined, because it is not easy for a little child to sit in one place for an hour and a half—but they did.”

Describing how Jehovah’s Witnesses differ from other religions, the newspaper explained: “They emphasize the Paradise that lies ahead. Also it is notable how well the congregation know the Bible, and they cite it at every possible moment.” In conclusion the article said: “Those 120 people, who are Jehovah’s proclaimers, have made their decision; and they are sure that it is the right one. Their faith and its proclamation is the focus of their life.”

Not everyone in Pärnu was pleased with this first in a proposed series of articles on the religions of the city. On July 8, 1995, the Pärnu Leht reported: “We wish to publish a petition that we received from four churches in connection with the beginning of a new column.” This petition, or letter, to the newspaper was signed by representatives of the Orthodox Church in Estonia, the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Estonian Union of Evangelical Christians and Baptists, and the Estonian Methodist Church.

These four religious representatives complained: “It seems extremely strange to us that you started the series with an article about Jehovah’s Witnesses.” Moreover, they said: “In connection with this series, we would like to state that we consider it impossible to give an interview to Pärnu Leht.”

The religious representatives concluded: “In a community where many are confused because of obtrusive pressure from various new religions and sects who propagate ‘spirituality,’ we see the need for publications to take into consideration the local religious picture and to be able to distinguish historical churches from sects and extremist movements. The members of the Estonian Council of Churches, which represents Christian churches who enjoy ecumenical cooperation, should provide a clear enough guiding light for this.”

However, following this letter, the writer for Pärnu Leht provided these sobering thoughts: “Everything we consider right may not be right. And God’s viewpoint and opinions about various congregations may not be the same as the viewpoints of these four honorable churches, and vice versa. None of us are infallible, not even the churches with centuries-old traditions.”

How do you feel about the changed attitude toward religion in former republics of the Soviet Union? We are confident that truth-seeking people everywhere appreciate the religious freedom being enjoyed there.

[Map on page 23]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

FINLAND

Helsinki

Baltic Sea

ESTONIA

Tallinn

Pärnu

LATVIA

Riga

LITHUANIA

Vilnius

RUSSIA

St. Petersburg

Moscow

BELARUS

Minsk

[Pictures on page 24]

The congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Pärnu