The obstacle for religious education is the absence of ability to think freely
00:00, June 3, 2006 | News | Freedom of thought, conscience and religionIn “Our Lady of Armenia Boghossian Educational Center” of Gyumri 50 children get Christian education. The educational center belongs to the Catholic Church, which a little differs from the protestant faith and is closer to the Anglican Church. The head of the center whom everyone calls Sister Arusyak, can’t say clearly how many of their pupils represent Armenian Apostolic and how many Catholic Church. Here the children are educated according to the principles of apostolic religion, get them familiar with their own religion, so that they do not grow ignorant and are able to differentiate the religion offered to them and keep the faith. Sister Arusyak attaches importance to the education of youth for the formation of freethinking. “A lot of time is necessary for changing some values, mentality”- she says and points out the phenomena left from the Soviet period.
“A nation has not thought freely for 70 years. Why should it think freely now? There is a mass that will die so”- Sister Arusyak thinks so. She professes catholic values and brings as an example even the existing authorities.
“Even our today’s heads don’t think freely. They are not brought up in Europe in order to be able to think freely and not to be oppressed for thinking freely”. But it does not mean that working in that direction won’t bring changes. In the villages of Armenia populated by Catholics are taught Christianity, got familiar with its essence and principles by the representatives of the educational center. In settlements where residents profess the Apostolic Church , such work is not carried out. Apostolic Church does not approve of such mission, on the other hand the state allowed only the Apostolic Church to have access to public institutions.
“Whereas as a science it is worth getting familiar the young people with the history of all churches”-thinks Sister Arusyak and confirms that they do not have problems with either the state or the Apostolic Church . Finally, this is the country where the Apostolic Church always existed and it is strong with the state. But in the last years, as Sister Arusyak notes, some manifestations of liberalism become visible among young representatives of the Apostolic Church . “Maybe the reason is that they feel strong”,-she says. In order to change the current situation we need time. She thinks that need makes people follow sects. “One day when they are not needy they won’t go in that way. When their situation is improved people will decide”. Some things need a long time to take roots. Sister Arusyak considers the youth to be the most important circle for improvements and much time is needed work with them.