Leaders of Traditional Religions in Georgia Do Not Support Legislative Initiatives of the CoE

Patriarchate of Georgia and representatives of the traditional religions of Georgia oppose adoption of the draft-law prepared by the CoE Parliamentary Assembly on Discrimination on Sexual Grounds and Identification of Gender. In regard with the initiative, they spread common statement: “At the next session of the parliamentary assembly of the CoE scheduled on January 25-29, 2010 in Strasbourg the draft-law on Discrimination on Sexual Grounds and Identification of Gender is planned to be discussed. The draft-law aims to legalize homosexualism, bi-sexualism and other sexual deviations. At the same session, a document will be adopted according to which abortion will be declared to be woman’s right and source to plan a family. Europe, which is part of ancient Christian world and whose culture is full of religious inspirations, shall not support legalization of sexual deviations. Homosexualism, bi-sexualism and others are considered to be grave sins not only in Christian religion but in almost every confession because it causes transformation of a person, spiritual and physical degradation.  Here natural question is raised: if we claim that this immorality is acceptable because of human rights protection and personal freedoms, why should we then condemn drug-addiction, pedophilia, suicide and other abnormal activities? We can say the same about abortion. Nobody has right to kill a child during pregnancy regardless the age of the embryo. S/he has same rights as adult person from the very moment of conceiving. Representatives of the Orthodox Church of Georgia and all other traditional confessions in Georgia, who consider themselves to be part of civilized world, appeal to the members of the Council of Europe not to vote for the initiatives. We hope, the delegation of the parliament of Georgia will not support these draft-laws and even if those documents are enacted by the CoE parliamentary assembly, Georgia will not join the document,” it was said in the statement.

Representative of the Patriarchate of Georgia Mitropoulos Gerasime Sharashenidze, representative of the Holly Church in Georgia Monsignor Claudio Gujeroti, representative of the Armenian Church Eparchy in Georgia Episcope Vazgen Mirzakhanian, interim Rabin of Georgia Abi-Melik Aleksandre Rosenblatt and plenipotentiary representative of Caucasus Muslim Department in Georgia Akhundi Ali Aliev signed the statement.

News Agency “Pirveli”