'[M]any believers will find themselves in exile': Russia bans evangelism

'...the religious situation in the country will grow considerably more complicated...'

The lion roars: who is not afraid? The Lord has spoken: who will not prophesy? - Amos 3:8

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to The Moscow Times, the Federation Council (FC) approved a package of controversial anti-terrorism laws, among which "religious sentiments" are labeled criminalizing offenses.

The package was passed, leaving Russia's evangelists banned from inviting people to church, sharing their faith, or even holding Bible studies in the privacy of their homes.

Anyone wishing to share their faith must first procure a government permit but even then they are restricted to evangelizing within churches and other such religious sites.

Now no Christian will be legally allowed to evangelize in any physical location or online.

Though the FC usually passes legislation unanimously, five of the 170-strong council voted against the package - yet still it passed.

Other laws in the package include "far-reaching surveillance initiatives, harsher punishments for inciting or justifying terrorism online, and an increase in the number of crimes with which children aged 14 and 17 can be charged."

Sergey Rakhuba, president of Mission Eurasia and a former Moscow church planter, told Christian Today: "Most evangelicals - leaders from all seven denominations - have expressed concerns. They're calling on the global Christian community to pray that Putin can intervene and God can miraculously work in this process."

Oleg Goncharov, a spokesman for the Seventh-day Adventists' Euro-Asia division, wrote an open letter stating: "If this legislation is approved, the religious situation in the country will grow considerably more complicated and many believers will find themselves in exile and subjected to reprisals because of our faith."

Humanitarian group Human Rights Watch, stated the anti-evangelism law was an "attack on freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and the right to privacy that gives law enforcement unreasonably broad powers."

Despite individual and organization fines of $780 and $15,500 respectively, Russian evangelicals have decided to stand strong against the restrictive laws and choose instead to follow God's law.

Rakhuba spoke of Russia's evangelicals to report: "They say, 'If it will come to it, it's not going to stop us from worshiping and sharing our faith."

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