Or… those, who preach uncalled, unserved should sit

The colorful posters, which were stuck everywhere in the city, promised “recovering from wasting disease, evil eye and incantation”, “removing the curse”, “all the truth about the devil” and… a children’s holiday with the clowns in the “Miracle tent”

The “Miracle tent” action was held on the 11^th-16^th of August on Slava Boulevard by some religious organization “New Generation”. But soon it became apparent that not everyone was let into the “tent with the miracles”.

When I tried to enter the tent having my video camera on and showing my journalist’s certificate, the “ministers of miracles” stood in my way and told me: “You shouldn’t shoot here”

- Why? – I was surprised – There are a number of laws about the information, the freedom of speech and mass media, which give journalists right to make a video-record in the public places without any restrictions.

Yet, the “curse-breakers” didn’t want to communicate in a lawful manner and threatened that they were going to take the video-camera. I had to ask the Patrol and Point Duty Service squad for help. Yet, even the police men intervention didn’t help a bit – the participants of the action were definitely sure that I can not shoot just because they don’t let me do this. Their confused explanations varied: they once they told that they “got a mayor’s permission”, then that they “have leased it and pay money for it”. There were even more versions. But the point was not that the area was leased, but that thanks to the guards of the “Miracle Tent” the Laws of Ukraine stopped working on the territory of Slava Boulevard. The laws of the “New Generation” church came instead.

 The attempts of closing the objective of the video-camera or driving me from the place of the action by force went on repeatedly and only the presence of policemen restrained the “New Generation’s” eagerness. Later on came the TV survey squad, invited by people, who lived nearby and were indignant at the noise in the place of recreation, where their children used to walk. The TV-men were not let into this really miraculous tent too and they were threatened with the persecution in court because of their “putting obstacles into the divine service” and the policemen were accused of “provoking the conflict”.

The experts’ comments

It was evident that the members of the “New Generation” had reasons for protecting their “military secret” from the journalists. What did thy want to hide? What were the miracles that really took place inside the tent?

The psychologists of City center for the help to the victims of the destructive cults “the Dialogue” observed the healing service and came to the following conclusions:

- if really sick people have the illusion of recovering from their diseases, it may cause to the worsening of their state because of their refusal to continue the prescribed therapy. This is very likely to happen as the pastor claims that “You have fully recovered”. They give the unscientific direction that the diseases are the result of someone’s evil will, wasting disease or curse.

From the point of psychiatry, the scene of “exorcism”, we have watched is a mass hysterical attack, an induced one, which means that it was caused by some direct action. When a large group of people has reached some specific emotional state, it is enough for such a symptom to be shown by one person. The other people will soon have very similar symptoms. It is very disturbing that the little children are present during the cases of mass hysterical attacks, as this may cause fears and anxiety. An uncontrolled usage of hypnotic influences may be even more harmful for the children’s mind.

These influences may be also harmful for the people with mental disorders, cancer patients and patients with cardiovascular diseases because of oversaturation of the emotional sphere and of possible refusal to receive the medical help.

In the matter of the sermon we can figure out that the scenario of the believers’ lives is oversimplified and flattened, which minimizes the stress and lets them not to take responsibility for their lives and make decisions themselves. We can clearly see that the adepts don’t have even the formal illusion of making choice and their lives and desires are under the control.

It is evident that the techniques of  psychological manipulation and the methods of individual psychotherapy are inappropriately used for working with a large audience. This show may be definitely considered to be destructive and harmful for the people’s physical and mental health of those, who were present.

As the peaceful population say

Nadya Ishchenko, 25 years:

- The tent stands on the boulevard right between two houses. There’s a very loud echo and it is very noisy. The concert is being held when some people are already sleeping.

I don’t like that they came to our district. They had the similar actions at their place, and those who wanted, joined them. And here lots of children are walking without their parents. They don’t understand what is going on. It looked more like a concert, but really is a quite different thing.

Svetlana Alexandrovna:

- I live here, on Slava Boulevard, 15. I don’t understand what’s the use of this music here, on the boulevard. If somebody wants to listen, he should do it in “Salute” cinema nearby. We have little children and they should sleep at night, not listen to the music. They say this will go on till the 11 pm. I wonder if they have a permission to do this.

Ekaterina:

- This, what is taking place on the lane, is a disgrace. We have nowhere to walk with our children in the evening; they took the best place, the one where we could sit in the shadow. None of us needs the things that are going on. This tent should be closed. And they are going to stay here for five days, it’s horrible.

Alexander Vladimirovich:

- I live on Slava Boulevard, 8. I came home to have a rest and their playing their music since 5 o’clock has really annoyed me. The tent is standing in 30 meters from my house and there’s a horrible noise. I can neither have a rest nor watch TV. And there are little children and sick people and old ones in this house. And this “believer’s voice” can drive anyone mad!

The Executive Council of the city promises

The department for the internal policy of the city administration vises the public actions and arrangements. We have discussed all this disgrace in the streets with its head, Vladimir Mikhailishin:

- The organizers of the “Miracle Tent” have cheated both policemen and everyone else when they told that they have permission. The Executive Council of the city never gave it. The action was held unlawfully. When they make references to the Constitution that gives right to carry out the street processions, they knowingly ignore the difference between the street procession and the religious service. The law sets quite different requirements to them. The Law of Ukraine about the freedom of worship claims that the religious rites may be held either in the cultic buildings or if the official permission from the local authorities was received.

Now we get a mass flow of complaints from the residents of Pobeda block. But such an action can be stopped only through the court’s decision, but the moment was let pass. I promise you that in future we will control the activity of these organizations and we will try not to let them break the law and the right of the residents of our town.

Dress Rehersal

Maybe, after the beginning of this scandal, the head of the “New Generation” will decide to claim that this is the only case, “a sad misunderstanding”, which is “not worth this attention”. Yet, during the journalistic investigation of the events on Slava Boulevard, “Gorozhanin” managed to find out that this “generation” has already had the similar cases.

Since the 12^th of September, 2007, the village council, the police department and the region administration of Magdalinovskiy district started receiving the complaints from the residents of Ocheretovatoye village, who had been visited by notorious “Miracle Tent”.

Ocheretovatoye is rather a small village and is mostly orthodox one. So, in order to imitate “the popularity among the population”, the “New Generation” brought several hundreds fans from different cities. The conflict between “the exorcists” and the residents of the village led to the situation, which the village council claimed to be an emergency one. As in Dnepropetrovsk, there was no permission, moreover, the members of the executive committee, the village council and the meeting of the villagers were against the action of uncalled preachers. And just as in Dnepropetrovsk, “New Generation” didn’t recon either with the Law or with the residents of the village and the decision of the local authorities.

From the report of the meeting of the residents of the village. 11.09.2007:

“Their praying causes the neighbors indignation as they are entailed with the loud music, songs and screams”.

The head of the village asked the villagers to keep themselves from illegal actions, though during the meeting of the villagers, people expressed their desire to rake the “New Generation’s” tent away from the village.

The representatives of “New Generation” church told that they will bring everyone in the village down on their knees.

During the meeting of the residents they made a unanimous decision to prohibit the “New Generation” church doing public actions in the public accommodations.

The “New Generation” refused to fulfill the resolution of the village council and the “tents” continued their activity.

In order to make the central powers interfere, the residents promised to block the traffic at the nearest route. But the residents of Ocheretovoye failed to cut short the outrageous situation.

It seems that the same scenario will take place on Pobeda block.

After all…

During the five days of the action the organizers of the “Miracle Tent” have broken:

Article 45 of the Constitution of Ukraine, which guarantees people the right for recreation.

Article 21 of the Law “About the freedom of worship and the religious organizations” – as the religious rites in the public accommodations are held only if the permission of the local authorities was received.

Article 26 of the Law “About the Mass Media (press)” and article 171 of the Criminal code – putting obstacles into the journalists’ professional activity.

The laws “About the advertisement” and “About making changes into the legislations of Ukraine concerning the improving of the methods of precautions, curing and rehabilitation and the medicines and the folk medicine (healing). 17.05.2007” – as this is advertising and using the practices of “healing”, which have no license of Ministry of Health Care.

Article 152 of the Administrative code –infringement of landscaping of the city by posting the advertisement in the places, which are not fixed for this.

It is the city council and the city executive committee, who should protect the rights of the residents. And it is the Prosecutor’s office that should react to the violations of the Law. We ask to consider this article to be a written appeal to the bodies, mentioned above concerning the facts of violation of the Laws of Ukraine.

And we are waiting for these organs to reply essentially in the term, set by the law.

Grigory Globa