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With the pre-election period when politicians are particularly subject to public pressure, the Latvian Lutheran Church (LELB), which would like to amend the LELB law, did not approve it for the Saeima, announced that she would ask Lutherans to ask questions to the Saeima. Electoral Poll
While respecting the fact that the church is separate from the state in Latvia, the LELB notes, however, that church members are also citizens of the state. ;State. And like all citizens of Latvia, Lutherans have the right and the duty to participate in the Saeima elections. In order to answer the LELB questions twice, potential members would think twice, the LELB also recalls that it represents about 700 000 inhabitants of the country. So many parish churches have the consecrated and baptized inhabitants of the country. As the LELB does not disclose the church for the moment, the LELB recommends to its clergy, churches or occupation, not to express its position on specific political parties, with the responses received from the candidates to the deputies received
.
A similar initiative was already in place
For the first time, the LELB proposed for the first time a similar initiative before the 7th Saeima elections in 1998, when the LELB law was not yet adopted, but his need was already real. discussed as well as any amendments to the law on religious organizations adopted by the 6th Saeima. The fact that these questions with the politicians, the LELB wanted to recall their wishes and the potential impact on the election results, is shown twenty years ago by the parties to questions
for example, if the party will support the development of the churches, but others wonder if the candidate party would support a bill on the application of the zero-rated value-added tax to church deacons and church members. restoration work and restoration of the chapels. Elena Prikule, spokesperson for public affairs, said: "People's lives have become more dynamic, information is more and more interesting and they are becoming more informed."
Why does the LELB question politicians again? a lot, and it changes quickly. In addition, we must still try to understand which message is a false message, which is correct. Similarly, not always, after reading party programs, it is clear what values the specific political force represents. This causes serious difficulties in making choices in the spirit of God. The ability to ask specific questions and obtain answers can help make choices based on Christian values. She also points out that the church fails to elect one or the other party, but encourages them to make an informed choice. see party programs to make choices according to the teachings of the Bible and the Church.
The Re: Baltica study, in which research journalists found that the religious organization is running out of time, shows that the LELB can be used to achieve the desired results. Meanwhile, has been able to mobilize a large number of people who have signed on the Mya Voice website against the so-called Istanbul Convention. Religious organizations, through the various means of addressing their supporters, succeeded in obtaining more signatures on the Istanbul Convention in three days than in 1965 and 1965
Expertises
Skeptics of the influence of the Church in Latvian society are experts in sociology and politics. Arnis Kaktins, the head of the SKDS research center, thinks there is no church without influence, but this is not significant.
"I would say that the church does not have too much influence. In principle, the effect is on every bit of information that appears in the space At the same time, I would not overestimate the significance of this impact.If we look at the data from the survey, then we like it or we do not like it, Latvian society n & # 39; It is not too religious, so that a large part of society is ready to follow religious leaders, "says A. Kaktins.The harry religious organizations such as the New Generation message and Prieks, whose leaders can influence the choice of their supporters in politics, but the traditional denominations in Latvia, one of the most secular European countries, do not have such an influence, wants to remind the authorities of their existence, because the LELB is facing internal problems that can not be solved without the help of legislation "19659006" They have problems as a rival organization has emerged and the Church of Archbishop Janis Vanags is trying to dictate the political agenda.
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