To Deputies of the Ukrainian Parliament

Support of the Bill № 6299

During the prime ministry of J. Tymoshenko a law was passed through Parliament which legalized the occult activity of fortune-tellers, extrasensory individuals, chiromancers, astrologers etc. and granted it a professional status.

The measure taken recently by the Members of Parliament is indeed a sign of an effort at a true moral and spiritual revival of the Ukrainian nation. It concerns a bill proposed by Pavlo Unhuryan, MP, requiring that this inhumane law should be repealed and, in contradistinction to it, a new law № 6299 elaborated along with some other amendments. The response to this was the foundation of “Professional Union of Specialists in Esoteric Doctrines” in Odessa. By their divinatory and magic practices, these “specialists” deceive and manipulate even highly-placed persons in order to prevent this bill from being moved through a legislature. In manipulating the public, they make use especially of the mass media. The mass media distort the truth about the nature of this harmful amoral activity which has been the cause of numbers of family tragedies and suicides.

Examples:

- French religious sister Emmanuelle says in her testimony that after visiting an astrologer she intended to commit suicide. At the last moment she was prevented from doing so and thus saved by her own sister.

- A similar case from Slovakia: A veterinary surgeon, father of three children, a classmate of the religious brother J.T., was about to commit suicide in consequence of a negative and false prediction of his future. The religious brother J.T. saved his life at the very last moment.

- A father and son, citizens of Romania working in Prague, visited a fortune-teller. She foretold that the son was going to face bad fortune. The father committed suicide with the intention of saving his son. The son brought an accusation against the fortune-teller, but she suffered no harm.

- A certain old woman living in Lvov visited a fortune-teller about 50 years ago. The fortune-teller told her: “You shall end your life with your own hands.” Now she is fighting the temptation to commit suicide, repeating the words of the fortune-teller.

- In Slovakia, a certain mother killed her child after a fortune-teller predicted his very bad future. The mother was sentenced to prison – but not so the fortune-teller.

The adherents of occultism now mockingly offend the Parliament and purposefully confuse the public. Therefore it is necessary to establish strict control over the mass media, or, if need be, to nationalize them.

We ask how it is possible that under the former government this law was passed which approved occult activity. What was the Church doing? Head of the UGCC, ex-Card. Husar, gave no warning; on the contrary he made a gesture in support of the law, to the benefit of esotericism. In his book “Discussions with His Beatitude L. Husar ...”, he himself admits that he divines by pendulum, whereby he actually propagates divination (see pg. 63, Ukr. version). That is also the reason why the leadership of the UGCC has expressed no support for the new law № 6299 prohibiting divination and esotericism.

At this historic moment, our UOGCC is obliged to express the Church’s clear attitude towards divination and magic. More than 1000 years before the coming of Christ, Moses the lawgiver forbade in divine authority whatever practices on the basis of divination, magic or spiritism. The Word of God warns that God inflicts the punishment of a curse for these sins to the fourth generation (see Deut 5:9).

- In Ephesus, the Apostle Paul burned occult literature which totalled 50.000 pieces of silver (see Acts 19:19). In Cyprus, he called the Jewish diviner ‘son of the devil’ who perverted the straight ways of the Lord and kept the whole island under the sway of pagan darkness and in fear of demonic powers (see Acts 13:6-12).  

- In Philippi, the Apostle Paul cast a spirit of divination out of a slave girl who brought her masters much profit (see Acts 16:16).

- In Samaria, a certain magician called Simon deceived all people, from the least to the greatest, by his “charitable” actions. Only the Apostle Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, exposed him as a spiritual liar (see Acts 8).

The Old Testament strictly forbids all forms of divination, magic, spiritism and especially astrology (see Deut 18:10f). These practices of diviners and magicians were punished with death since they brought down a curse and caused decay of the whole society. God’s Word judges the Kings of Israel and Judaea by one criterion only: whether they opened up to the forms of occultism or defended God’s laws. All punishments, and the Babylonian captivity in particular, are qualified as a consequence of the acceptance of divination and magic. So concerning this sphere, both the Old- and New-Testament Church takes a clear and radical attitude expressed in a definite “NO!”. This can be altered neither by the current Church authorities nor by occultists disguising themselves with science and academic degrees.

Our Ukrainian orthodox Greek-Catholic Church (UOGCC) fully takes the attitude of God’s Word and of the Tradition, and hence fully supports the new bill № 6299 with all its amendments. The carrying of this law into practical effect will be an important step towards a moral and spiritual revival of all Ukraine. Thereby, dear Deputies, You will open the whole nation to God’s blessing and protect it against a curse.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Bishops of the UOGCC

+ Markian OSBMr

+ Metod?j OSBMr

+ Samuel OSBMr

+ Eliáš OSBMr

Lvov (Ukraine), 30th April 2010

Address: Synod of the UOGCC, 3 Sosnova St., Lvov - Bryukhovychi, 79491, Ukraine

www.uogcc.org.ua, www.community.org.ua; pidhirci.community@gmail.com