USA, Canada /
Prayer, relgious symbols OK in public in Québec! Poland watches. [99]
Anybody can think up a 'religon' on his computer and start solicitng funds. Is that a legitmate religon or a scam?
None of the three religions mentioned are 'thought up' on a computer
BTW, being registered or not does not affect 'legitimacy'. It is about tax breaks. Even the Church of England, as respectable as it gets, don't have the requisite number of Polish citizens as member in order to register. The only reason they are able to rent premises was that during the month when the registration law was passed (after extensive lobbying by the Polish episcopate of the RCC) there was a royal visit impending and it would have been an embarrassment to the Tadeusz Mazowiecki government if they were hosting the Queen and had just banned the religion of which she is head.
Satanism in Poland is not one of the registered denominations nor is Scientology.
The first of these is split into various denominations at least two of which do have sufficient members in Poland and could certainly register as a religion - for doctrinal reasons (to do with never accepting tax breaks for churches) they both prefer to be registered as societies instead, as is their right. The second one you mentioned is currently banned however their volunteer service has a presence here. Both are certainly legitimate religions.
