INQUISITIONAL INFORMATION
On Religious Confessions

   Article 43 of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania asserts that “State recognizes traditional churches in Lithuania and religious organizations and other churches and religious organizations - if they have support in a society and their teaching and rituals do not contradict law and morality”. Nine traditional religions in Lithuania are enumerated in Article 5 of the RL Law on Religious Communities and Associations :
         Latin tradition (Roman) Catholics
         Greek Orthodox (uniates)
         Evangelic-Lutherans
         Evangelic-Reformers
         Russian Orthodox (Eastern Orthodox Church or Russian Orthodox Church)
         Russian Orthodox Old Believers
         Judaists (Jews)
         Muslims Sunnis
         Karaites

   Without these main confessions several tens of local communities of non-traditional religions which are often called sects are registered in Lithuania.

    A sect is an organization that has a spiritual leader who may change its doctrine (sometimes he is recognized even as messiah or incarnated god). The sect always declares that it is possible to be saved only by being its member; out of it arises hostility to the surrounding world. Some destructive sects were prohibited in USA, Great Britain, Germany:

    Scientology Church currently is active in Russia (based on L.Ron Hubbard‘s teaching),

    Unification Church (leader - Korean Sun Myung Moon),

    Osho centers.

   These organizations attempted to act as mafia groups by manipulating enormous amounts of money; attempted to capture secret documents of USA Army and CIA, to get into commercial and governmental institutions of Western states.

   Especially fanatic sects are:

    Peoples Temple (leader J.Jones), practising mass suicides;

    The Path of Truth (leader - Japanese S.Asahara),

   Members of various satanistic cults who use drugs, drink their own or others blood, enjoy torturing and kiling of people, try to desecrate christian churches and cemeteries. Their signs are - upturned cross, swastika, pentagram. The most known satanistic groups: Satan‘s Church, Cult of Black Magic, The Third Temple of Baal, Temple of Set, The Leaders of Satan’s Army.

   Members of some dangerous sects have been already visiting Lithuania, sometimes without announcing their organizational dependence.

   The sects registered in Lithuania that citizens complain often are Jehovah’s Witnesses (very active antichristian sect) and Community of Krishna Consciousness, The Word of Faith (The Word of Truth, The Word of Love) - very antagonistic to Catholic Church.

   Because in some traditional religious communities the proceses of renewal or division happen, therefore a duration of visits of the religious leaders of these confessions from abroad have to be adjusted with the centers of such traditional confessions in Lithuania (their list and addresses annexed).

   Annexes: 1. Centers of traditional Lithuanian confessions,
                        2. A list of destructive sects. (2 pages)

   A Government Advisor
         on Religions‘ Issues                                                        P.Plumpa

   March 8, 1996

   DESTRUCTIVE SECTS THAT ARE EXPANDING ABROAD

         - Scientology Church
         - Unification Church (founder S.M. Moon)
         - Osho centers
         - International Church of Christ
         - Peoples Temple (founder J.Jones)
         - The Path of Truth (founder S.Asahara)
         - Satan‘s Church
         - Cult of Black Magic
         - The Third Temple of Baal
         - Temple of Set
         - Leaders of Satan’s Army
         - The Great White Brotherhood
         - Community of Unified Vissarion‘s Faith.

SECTS ACTIVE IN LITHUANIA, ACTIVITIES OF THOSE LITHUANIAN
CITIZENS COMPLAIN THE MOST

         - Jehovah’s Witnesses
         - Community of Krishna Consciousness
         - The Word of Faith (The Word of Truth, The Word of Love).