Between the cross and the constitution

International | Anti-religious freedom statute tests church's faith, rule of law | Mindy Belz

In the fight to preserve religious freedom in Russia, Christians find themselves caught between the cross and the constitution. The law passed by the Duma and signed by President Boris Yeltsin last month will require most Christian groups who have worked in the country to re-register with the government and face new restrictions on their activities. But failure to enforce the letter of the law, a scenario floated by spokesmen for Mr. Yeltsin and the Russian Orthodox Church, is a strike against the very rule of law. That's a concept Christian-based American groups like Law and Liberty Trust, the Rutherford Institute, and the Krieble Institute-among others-have been trying to engraft into Russian governance ever since the fall of the Soviet system.