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“Recently, there have been some legislative initiatives that try to deny human nature and endanger the common good of society. Proposals to ratify the so-called Istanbul Convention and legalize the association are of particular concern, “the statement said.
It was signed by Archbishop Gintaras Grušas, President of the Episcopal Conference of Lithuania, Inokentijus, Metropolitan of Vilnius and Lithuania of the Lithuanian Orthodox Church, Grigorijus Bojarovas, President of the Supreme Council. Elder of the Vilnius Monastery of the Order of Joseph Basil and St. Father Mykola Kozelkivski, pastor of Trinity Church.
According to the representatives of the Christian communities, everyone is endowed with a natural dignity and, therefore, every man and woman should be respected.
“Christian communities call on everyone to recognize the image of the Creator in every human being, respect inherent human rights and do everything possible to ensure that human dignity is not overshadowed by violence,” they said.
However, according to the representatives of religious communities, although any form of violence, including against women, is not justified, the Istanbul Convention simply repeats the provisions already enshrined in Lithuanian law.
“We are convinced that it is not necessary to support the problematic Istanbul Convention, but to take all measures that allow a real implementation and, if necessary, complement the existing legal norms in Lithuania that provide for the prevention and deterrence of violence against women. “. the statement said.
It also highlights that the fight against violence should not be pursued through the imposition of “preconceived notions and opposition between men and women”, since the differences between men and women are not a problem but a gift, a society and a family based on she.
Therefore, according to them, these differences should not be ignored, and men and women should be helped to express what is essential and best in their nature.
“Therefore, culture, customs, traditions, religious attitudes that reveal what is proper to the nature of men and women are not stereotypes that should be eradicated,” say representatives of religious communities.
Meanwhile, according to them, the Istanbul Convention seeks to establish an “ambiguous interpretation” of the concept of gender, which, in their opinion, artificially separates the roles of men and women from the masculine and feminine nature that underlies them, thus creating legal preconditions. . consider only gender social construction.
“Incorporating an ambiguous concept of gender in the legislation will create the obligation to use it in other related legislation as well,” the statement read.
Representatives of Christian communities are particularly concerned about the provisions of article 14 of the Convention, which obliges signatories to include non-stereotyped and non-stereotyped gender roles in the curricula of formal education. They emphasize that the Constitution establishes the right of parents and guardians to take care of the religious and moral education of their children in accordance with their convictions.
“For these reasons, we do not support the ratification of the Istanbul Convention and the conversion of the aforementioned provisions into binding legal norms for the Lithuanian state and society,” they say.
According to the authors of the speech, the proposals to legalize society, which, according to them, are “changing the natural concept of family”, are no less worrying.
“The family is the natural basis of the State and society, and not a social or legal construction that depends solely on the will of the legislator. The family is not just a coexistence linked by emotional or patrimonial ties. It is a natural community that arises from the complementarity caused by both sexes, which is an essential condition for the emergence of a family, which distinguishes it from all other forms of coexistence ”, say the representatives of the religious communities.
They emphasize that the family is not only a condition for marriage, but also a condition for the emergence of natural parenthood, motherhood, sibling relationships, including single parents.
“The family as a primary and natural community is the most favorable environment for the growth, development and upbringing of children. It not only better ensures the natural needs of the child and the sustainability of the kinship, but also the continuity and sustainability of society. As a natural community, the family has priority over the state and is not the work of legislators, ”the speech said.
Therefore, according to the representatives of religious communities, legislators should not grant family status and legal recognition to those forms of coexistence that do not have the natural characteristics that determine the essence of the family.
“Therefore, the traditional Lithuanian Christian communities do not support associations or other legal institutes that allow the acquisition of family status for those forms of coexistence that do not have the natural characteristics of the family. Lithuanian traditional Christian communities invite legislators to choose methods of legal regulation that do not blur the line between the natural concept of family and other forms of cohabitation and ensure adequate legal protection of the actual relationships of the people leading cohabitation ”, says the speech.
The representatives of religious communities promote cooperation in the construction of a society free from violence and harassment, where human relationships are based on respect and love of neighbor.
“For the sake of understanding and dialogue, let us recognize that the diversity of beliefs and points of view lies in the common human values that unite us,” they say.
The Ministry of Social Security and Labor intends to present an updated draft law on protection against domestic violence in the spring session of parliament and declares that the ratification of the Istanbul Convention should be considered at the same time.
The Ombudsman of Seimas Augustinas Normantas also called for the ratification of the Istanbul Convention after conducting a study on the provision of assistance to people who have suffered domestic violence.
The convention has been submitted to the Seimas for ratification by former President Dalia Grybauskaitė, but the process has stalled due to political disagreement over some provisions of the document.
The Freedom Party faction hopes to introduce the gender-neutral association bill, which is currently being prepared, to the Seimas during the spring session.
In Lithuania, the union is not legalized for men and women or same-sex couples. Several previous attempts by liberal politicians to legalize civil association in the country have not reached the stage of adoption in the Seimas.
The Lithuanian Episcopal Conference has previously asked the new government not to equate same-sex couples with family or marriage.
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