Church: Yoga equals atheism

30 Jul 2001
Martina Pisárová

New Casus Belli: Yoga Plan For Schools

A proposal to introduce yoga as an optional course in Slovak elementary schools is an effort to stamp out Christianity in the country, say the Church and members of the ruling coalition Christian Democrat party (KDH).

The yoga proposal was put forth last year by Education Minister Milan Ftáčnik, who is an avid yogi himself and would like the courses to begin in September. But if the plan moves forward, said KDH Chairman Pavol Hrušovský, the party may seek Ftáčnik's recall.

"Yoga is an attempt to eliminate Christianity in Slovakia," Hrušovský told The Slovak Spectator July 19. "We think this is a very serious problem."

"Before this, it was Soviet Communism [which tried to eliminate Christianity]," added party mate Vladimír Palko. "Now it's Asian yoga."

The Conference of Slovak Bishops (KBS) also spoke against the yoga proposal in the form of a Sunday sermon. On July 5, the country's bishops co-wrote the "Shepherds' Letter", a sermon opposing yoga in schools, and distributed it to churches around the country.

The legacy of Slovak Anabaptists

11 Aug 2003
Zuzana Habšudová

The History Of Hutterites Can Be Found In The West Of The Country

HUTTERITES, or Anabaptists, originated in Germany in the 1500s during the reformation started by Martin Luther. Led by Jacob Hutter, hence the name Hutterites, and influenced by the lectures of Swiss reformer Ulrich Zwingli, they claimed that the baptism of new-born children was incorrect and that a person should have time to decide on his commitment to God, meaning he should be baptised in adulthood.

Having been formed as a religious sect in Switzerland, Hutterites were persecuted for their faith from the very beginning. Refusing to accept the official religion of Catholicism, they were forced to flee their homelands of southern Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, and gradually settled in Moravia, Slovakia, then Russia, and later the United States and Canada. All these places bear evidence of their settlements, and in some, such as the US and Canada, Hutterite communities are still active.

The Slovak municipalities that bear the most significant evidence of Hutterite settlements are the western towns of Sobotište and Veľké Leváre. Sobotište, which currently has around 1,600 inhabitants, used to be the centre of Slovak Hutterites. They also settled in more than 30 other municipalities in the west of the country.

Fico accuses Kiska of Scientology ties; Kiska submits criminal complaint

18 Mar 2014
Flash News

PRIME MINISTER and presidential candidate Robert Fico continues to insist that his main opponent, philanthropist and businessman Andrej Kiska, has ties to Scientology.

“Mr Kiska can submit a criminal complaint, I will not have a problem refuting it,” Fico told the press on March 18, as quoted by the TASR newswire. He added that Kiska lied to Slovakia in a live broadcast, and that “he knows people from this sect, meets with them and collaborates with them”.

Meanwhile, Kiska submitted a criminal complaint on March 18 over libel and false witness, especially regarding statements Fico made in the debates before the first round of the elections, the SITA newswire wrote.

Scientologist Wiedermann moves to another state office

15 May 2014
Flash News 

THE STATE, governed by the Smer party, is not going to recall Scientologist Martin Wiedermann, who heads the Central Depository of Securities (CDCP), but rather, he is moving to a post in another state agency, the Sme daily wrote on May 15.

The government privatisation company, the National Property Fund (FNM), confirmed that Wiedermann has become a member of the Board of Directors of the state joint-stock company Dlhopis, which takes over low value securities from citizens.

Wiedermann is a former schoolmate of the co-owners of the J&T financial group, Patrik Tkáč and Ivan Jakabovič, and they are still reportedly on friendly terms. However, J&T representatives say they have done nothing to help Wiedermann acquire the posts he has held, and they denied having any financial connections. Tkáč even told Sme that he “has been systematically dissuading Wiedermann from Scientology”.

The CDCP collects non-public information on state and private joint-stock companies, including the structure of shareholders and their personal data. The FNM maintains that Wiedermann has no authority to even review the tenders gathered in the depository.

(Source: Sme)Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reportsThe Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.

http://spectator.sme.sk/articles/view/53976/10/scientologist_wiedermann_moves_to_another_state_office.html

Scientologist at securities depository allegedly favoured firms with Scientology ties

14 May 2014
Flash News

SUSPICIOUS public tenders involving bidders who know each other and are associated with the Church of Scientology is how the Sme daily described the operation of Smer’s nominee Martin Wiedermann, who heads the state Central Depository of Securities.

During the presidential campaign when Prime Minister Robert Fico attacked his opponent, Andrej Kiska, with allegations of ties to Scientology, Wiedermann admitted that he himself is a supporter of the sect, according to Sme.

Wiedermann’s links to Scientology emerged after Fico built his campaign on the claim that scientologists represent a security risk for the state.

Sme reported on May 14 that firms with close ties to the sect have been successful when bidding in the Depository’s tenders. Two such firms, Business Success Slovakia and Kolateral, won two tenders.
Business Success Slovakia was selected to provide educational training for the Depository’s employees, worth €4,000, from January 2014, while Kolateral provided consultancy for auditing HR, systems and processes worth €19,900 from March.