LDS advocates chasten Lebe

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    By KEVIN ELZE

    After many U.S. lawmakers expressed their disgust over remarks made by General Alexander Lebed, the new Security Council Chief of Russia has apologized for criticizing the LDS Church, according to wire reports.

    Last week Lebed equated The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with “mold” and “filth” and said the religion should be banned. Lebed also omitted the Jewish faith as an acceptable part of the religious life in Russia. Both religions should be outlawed, he said.

    Don LeFevre, spokesman for the LDS Church, said in a news release, “We are disappointed by General Lebed’s comments which clearly are based on a misunderstanding of the church’s role and its activities in Russia. It is unfortunate that members of the church have been unfairly categorized in this way, and we look forward to an opportunity to provide him with accurate information.”

    This comes after many members of congress called for the U.S. government to re-evaluate its assistance program to Russia to determine whether it promotes values consistent with America’s assistance program.

    Sens. Robert F. Bennett, R-Utah; Joseph I. Lieberman, D-Conn.; Harry Reid, R-Nev.; Arlen Specter, R-Pa.; and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; asked Clinton to reexamine the United States’ financial assistance to Russia in letters to J. Brian Atwood, administrator for the Agency for International Development, and Warren Christopher, Secretary of State.

    According to the letter to Atwood, section 498A(a)(3) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 requires the president to take into account the extent to which Russia respects the “rights of minorities and the rights of freedom of religion” before any assistance can be given.

    The letter stated, “We note with very deep concern that … General Alexander Lebed … made a series of outrageous and defamatory comments, including equating The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with a Japanese terrorist cult.”

    In the letter to Christopher, the senators said, “As Senators … we are most offended that such statements by Mr. Lebed, or any other Russian official, indicate no tolerance in Russia for religious freedom or dissent of any kind.”

    The letter went on to say that this incident demonstrates that Russia has made little progress toward the development of a civil society.

    “Russia’s new security czar has attacked my faith. He has attacked the faith of America’s 6th largest church,” Hatch said at a news conference.

    Bennett said Lebed’s religious comments also involve democracy.

    “We know from history … that the first casualty of tolerance for a regime moving in the direction of totalitarianism is always religious tolerance and then immediately following that comes an attempt to destroy any political dissension,” Bennett said.

    “Such behavior demonstrates that, despite the presence of electoral institutions, Russia has made precious little progress toward the development of a civil society. Indeed, Mr. Lebed’s statements may have demonstrated that the emperor of Russian ‘democracy’ has no clothes,” the senators said in the letter to the secretary of state

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