Mormons check the good book for advice on how to conquer Zilina
His Excellency Mr Vallee thinks Mormons are discriminated against in Slovakia:
U.S. Ambassador Supports Registration for Mormon Church in Slovakia
U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia Rodolphe M. Vallee is trying to obtain support for the official registration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (alternatively known as the Mormons) in Slovakia, it was reported on Sunday. During talks in Trnava on November 3, Vallee presented his ideas to the Archbishop of Bratislava-Trnava Jan Sokol. Vallee says that he supports an open society that doesn't discriminate against anyone due to their religion. At the same time, Archbishop Sokol informed Vallee of his views on the registration of denominations, stating why he can't agree with the efforts of the U.S. embassy.
The Catholic Church has previously been dead set against the Mormons, telling Catholics that it would be a breach of their baptismal vow if they signed petitions for the state to accept Mormonism as a religion.
Mr Vallee is exaggerating a bit if he says Mormons are discriminated against. Mormons are perfectly free to practise in Slovakia. They are even free to try to convert people and you can often meet them and debate with them in the street in Zilina (see picture above).
It's not clear to me what they gain besides kudos from being a recognised religion. It's also not clear what not granting them recognition protects us from. I found this old freedom of religion act from Federal days (1991) on the web [pdf in English]. This law doesn't say the state that they have the right to set up schools and indoctrinate young people or the right to launder dirty money. Basically, it just says the state can't interfere in their affairs. Some things, like the right of clerics to visit the dying in hospital it seems cruel to deny to Mormons.
Of course, there is the Conservative argument that the state should grant recognition to bodies that encourage desirable characteristics. That is why they give tax breaks to heterosexual families and not to gay couples, allegedly. Mormonism isn't Slovak, so don't give it any encouragement, they will say. I don't have a lot of time for that. In any case, all sorts of weird New Age sects have no problem spreading their ideology here since they go under the radar by turning their religion into a health thing. Try yogic flying exercises to bust stress! Are the Mormons really more pernicious than that?
All that said, I find it odd that the US ambassador should be lobbying on behalf of a very rich sect. I thought these Americans separated church and state.
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