Giriraja, January 8, 1977, Bombay: […] They’re questioning whether we deserve the tax exemption as a charitable trust. They’re saying that we are not charitable; we are religious. And religious is not exempt from income tax. So the question is whether we have to change our constitution to fit their idea or whether to establish a separate trust or whether to defend that our present…[…]
Prabhupada: Therefore the botheration came, in Germany. He was waiting for sending the money for food distribution. In the meantime, they created trouble. Anyway, we should be free like that. Spend all money immediately. I say that, that don’t keep any more money in the bank. Spend it. Full conversation
Churches divided on Hungary’s new religion law
(RNS/ENInews) — Christian leaders in Hungary are divided over a restrictive new law on religion, with larger denominations welcoming its curbs on church activities and smaller groups voicing fears for their future.
“We wanted a new law to make it more difficult to establish churches here — and we’re happy the present government has now done something,” said Zoltan Tarr, general secretary of the Hungarian Reformed Church, which claims around a fifth of the country’s 9.9 million inhabitants as members.
The new “Law on the Right to Freedom of Conscience and Religion, and on Churches, Religions and Religious Communities” was enacted July 12 with backing from Hungary’s governing center-right Fidesz party.
Under the law, only 14 of 358 registered churches and religious associations will be granted legal recognition, while others will have to reapply for legal registration after two-thirds approval in parliament.
However, the final law was “very different” than a draft shown to faith groups in May, said Laszlo Debreceni, a leader of Hungary’s Church of God, which traces its roots to 1907 but was stripped of recognition under the new law.
“I don’t think anyone will come and tell us we can’t worship God,” Debreceni said. “But it will raise serious issues that some churches are now on the approved list and others not.”
Under the law, religious groups will need at least 1,000 members and a 20-year presence in Hungary to be recognized. The Hungarian Methodist church and Islamic community were among those stripped of their previous legal status.
The law recognizes Hungary’s predominant Reformed, Roman Catholic, Lutheran and Orthodox churches, as well as the Jewish community.
— Jonathan Luxmoore
In 1975, Sivarama brahmacari under Satsvarupa Swami GBC, due to some pressures on them from Manitoba authorities because of their unlawful and aggressive sankirtana techniques, closed down the whole Gour Nitai temple, one of the greatest small and medium book distributors and devotee-makers of the time.
Before the insane American devotees came to our city, we had had over three years of excellent results and were blossoming here. The Movement was not in Canada the 25 years required for official recognition as a religious group, so street soliciting was restricted, and we tempered ourselves accordingly before the abusive American fry-em-up methods were introduced.
I contacted the civil authorities some years later and they were very apologetic for enforcing the laws, but frankly GBC Swami Sivarama’s burn-out tactics ruined everything for us here, damage long done already. Winnipeg, a culturally rich city, still suffers from there being no bonafide temple here. The recent event in Hungary, of the movement being not recognized , seems a fair repeat of the Manitoba situation. Will Sivarama shut down and move back to USA? I doubt it, he has too much invested, and hopefully has learned something by now.
Had there been a real committment to Canada Iskcon instead of exploitation by greedy persons, things could have been much different. The mentality still reigns that one or two unqualified phonies act like they own the society , having stolen everything from Srila Prabhupada’s Canadian devotees and having been entrenched in office for decades, ousting all SP disciples and and making the society their own personal fiefdom and cash cow.
Wininipeg residents who may come across this are invited to contact me asap to restart in Winnipeg.