The Struggle for the Soul of Eastern Europe – REALity

REALity   Volume XXV Issue No.2 February 2016

Countries in Eastern Europe are being targeted by outside forces, both from the west and the east, in order to influence the policies of these countries.

Once countries have been dominated and controlled by a foreign power, as occurred in Eastern Europe, which suffered under communist Russia’s domination for over forty years, they become fiercely determined to remain independent and free from outside domination ever again. As a result, there is a significant struggle taking place today in Eastern Europe over the future of these countries.

Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary, although members of the European Union (EU), refuse to follow the directives of the EU to conform to its liberal policies on abortion, family and homosexuality. Instead, these countries insist on implementing their own pro-life/family agenda.  The UN and the US, as well as the George Soros Foundation, are also placing pressure on these countries, at every opportunity, to support the anti-family/life agenda.

It is not just on family policies that these countries are defying the EU: they are also doing so on other issues, such as the Syrian Refugee problem. The EU insists that all its members open their borders to allow the refugees to settle in their countries.  This is not happening.  Instead, many of the east European countries are deliberately establishing barriers, including, quite literally, walls, to keep out the streams of refugees from crossing their borders.

In contrast, German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, the daughter of a Lutheran pastor who grew up in East Germany, has established a welcoming, open door policy for refugees, because of her Christian belief that it is important to assist the needy, the hungry and the homeless. Also, Ms. Merkel wants to demonstrate that Germany in the 21^st century is very different from Germany in the 20^th century, with its sordid history of the Holocaust.  However, Ms. Merkel, who is jokingly referred to as “Mother Merkel” by Germans because of her practical, common sense approach to issues, has failed to take into consideration in her refugee policy the conflict of cultures that arises when 1.1 million refugees are admitted to Germany, as occurred in 2015.

This conflict of cultures exploded during the New Year’s revelry in Cologne, when more than 800 German women, being surrounded by Muslim men, were groped, sexually assaulted and robbed.

The refugees from Syria and North Africa, who were attending the New Year’s celebration, did not understand that the more revealing attire worn by Western women does not mean that they are undeserving of respect. The refugees regarded the women as immodest and brazen, and, thus, easy prey.  Similar attacks on women occurred in other cities in Germany and other European cities during New Year’s Eve celebrations, although they were on a smaller scale.

This clash of cultures in Cologne and elsewhere has caused enormous political damage to Ms. Merkel, both within Germany and also within her party, the Christian Democratic Union. Many in her party are now demanding policy changes re the refugees.  The party will be meeting at the end of January to review the situation.

The Baltic States

The Baltic States in Eastern Europe consist of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, and they are experiencing difficult times because of pressure from Russia and the West. These Baltic countries were formerly under the control of Communist Russia, which settled Russian citizens there.  

Russia is trying to re-assert its influence by way of a combination of intimidation and bribery. At the same time, the EU and other Western countries, such as the US, as well as the UN, are pressuring the Baltic countries to assume Western anti-family/life values.

It is ironic that, although the Baltic countries are resisting Russia’s influence, Russia is also opposing Western values, especially on homosexuality.

There are seven east European countries, which have passed legislation in support of traditional marriage. They are, in addition to Lithuania and Latvia, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Croatia.  Latvia has adopted the Declaration of the World Congress of Families on the Natural Family.  In December 2005, Latvia passed a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union between a man and a woman.  In 2014, Estonia passed the Registered Partnership Act, which has caused a great deal of civil unrest in that country.  The vast majority of Estonians are not in favour of this legislation, according to polls.  The largest demonstration in Estonian history, against the Partnership Act took place in front of the Estonian Parliament in December 2015.

A petition of 45,000 persons was also forwarded to Parliament protesting the “homosexual agenda in its advancement of the radical redefinition of the family”.

Georgia

The country of Georgia is located between Russia and Turkey, between the Black and Caspian Seas. It has deep ties with Russia, both culturally and historically.  It also shares with Russia a strong commitment to the Orthodox faith.  Georgia was a former satellite of Russia, but is now an independent country, determined to remain so, despite 20% of its population being Russian because of previous re-settlement by Russia.

Georgia has also been inundated by propaganda from the West. This has resulted in children being taught “gender identity” in the schools.  Abortion is also a serious problem.  With a population of only four million people officially, there are 40,000 abortions performed annually; but there are 120,000 unofficially.  The pro-family government in Georgia, however, recently passed legislation increasing maternity support laws and provided a monthly allowance for every third child born into a family, as well as other measures to offset the West’s worst practices that were adopted by the country’s previous socialist government.

In order to assert its Christian roots, Georgia will be hosting The World Congress of Families X, to take place May 15-18, 2016 in its beautiful capital city of Tbilisi. Visit their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/wcf10/

Eastern Europe is struggling to be independent of Western style, anti-family/life policies, and to maintain its independence from foreign control (mainly Russian). It is engaged in a life and death struggle for its soul.  The years ahead will be very challenging for them.