Over the past ten years, a frequent topic in PERSPEKTIVA has been religion, or more precisely, the manipulation of it. Young people often say that politics forces them to attend religious education classes at the expense of subjects that they feel are more useful in life, such as chemistry, mathematics, and others.
There are numerous examples of young people protesting because of the violence, prejudice, and coercion they associate with religious education. Lana talks about violence, Pavle about prejudice, Sofia about fear, while Helena explains what religion should truly focus on.
I know students from my school who have experienced psychological violence because they don’t attend religious education, or because of how others judge their level of religious devotion or “sinfulness.” It is devastating to see what we experience from teachers and priests alike.
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/perspektiva-banjaluka-mladi-drzava-/32865157.html
There’s an automatic prejudice from many towards those students who choose to study religious culture over religious education.
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/perspektiva-banja-luka-mladi/32875347.html
As soon as we started school, the older students told us not to be afraid if anyone judged us for attending religious culture instead of religious education.
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/perspektiva-banja-luka-mladi/32875347.html
Religion should be a refuge for those who are struggling, a link in society that helps people in difficult situations. Yet, religious leaders too often show by their actions that they are fighting for the wrong causes. In my opinion, they represent the embodiment of evil in this world. I do respect those priests who live according to the Bible and their moral compass, but unfortunately, many are deeply involved in corrupt practices and political issues that shouldn’t even be discussed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWQmb1cz5HM&ab_channel=RadioSlobodnaEvropa
Here’s an example of what happens when other classes are canceled to make room for religious education. Lukas and Marko explain:
The subject of religious studies has become compulsory for all four years. Given that we already have too many classes, one foreign language class had to be canceled to make room for religious education. I think this is an absurdity of unprecedented proportions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU1Oeif1QBk&ab_channel=RadioSlobodnaEvropa
My sister had the number of her chemistry and physics classes reduced to accommodate religious education. Chemistry and physics are fundamental sciences for a functioning society!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUGAWJ5Wdyk&ab_channel=RadioSlobodnaEvropa
Others talk about manipulation. Marko believes that society has two extremes. Dario speaks about the church’s pressure on citizens during elections, and Miloš discusses the church’s interference in politics.
The big problem is that we have two extremes in our society: one, created by the current government. This is a nationalist, party-political extreme, one that suffocates this country, its young people, its institutions, and its future. The other extreme, which we criticize far too little, comes from the Serbian Orthodox Church. Whether people want to admit it or not, we in Montenegro are condemned to live, I hope no one will be offended, among priests and thieves.
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/retrospektiva-perspektiva-crna-gora/31399493.html
I’ve seen how religion is used in crime. A priest once approached me and told me who I should vote for. Why? He has no right to tell me how I should vote. “You as a Croat…” Wait, did you just assign me a nationality? You have no right to do that! It’s unbelievable to them. Then we argued, and they lowered my grade for discipline because of it! How dare I express my opinion? But I can, why shouldn’t I? I’m a human being, and you cannot impose on me to be a Bosniak or Serb or anything else. I don’t feel that way. Then it became clear that the HDZ and the Church were the ones funding the Catholic school, and that’s what kept the school running.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU1Oeif1QBk&ab_channel=RadioSlobodnaEvropa
When it comes to the interference of the Church, specifically the Serbian Orthodox Church, in everything related to Montenegro and its influence, I believe Metropolitan Amfilohije, who was the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, played a major role in introducing religious fundamentalism.
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/retrospektiva-perspektiva-crna-gora/31399493.html
Young people say that some believers don’t see God beyond the church, that faith cannot be the determinant of a nation, and that faith should remain a personal choice. Therefore, what is God’s belongs to God, and everything else belongs to the citizens.
