Bhutan Budges
For the first time in Bhutan's history, the long-isolated Buddhist nation's government seems ready to grant official recognition and accompanying rights to a miniscule Christian population that has remained largely underground.
Chhoedey Lhentshog, the authority that regulates religious organizations, discussed at its December meeting how a Christian organization can be registered to represent its community, according to agency secretary Dorji Tshering.
Thus far, only Buddhist and Hindu organizations have been registered and thus are permitted to openly practice their religion and build places of worship.
Asked if Christians were likely to enjoy the same rights soon, Tshering replied, "Absolutely"—an apparent paradigm shift in policy, given that Bhutan's National Assembly banned open practice of non-Buddhist and non-Hindu religions in resolutions passed in 1969 and 1979, respectively.
"The constitution of Bhutan says that Buddhism is the country's spiritual heritage, but it also says that his majesty [the king] is the protector of all religions," he added, explaining the basis on which the nascent democracy is willing to accept Christianity as one faith among its citizens.
According to a source who requested anonymity, the government is likely to register only one Christian organization, and would expect it to represent all Christians in Bhutan—which would call for Christian unity in the country.
The government's willingness to recognize Christians is partly aimed at bringing the community under religious regulation, said the anonymous source. Thus, its policy shift is evoking a mixed response among the country's estimated 6,000 Christians.
Last month, a court in south Bhutan sentenced a Christian man to three years in prison for screening films on Christianity. The government is in the process of introducing a clause into the country's penal code that bans conversions by force or allurement.
Though never colonized, landlocked Bhutan has historically seen its sovereignty as fragile due to its small size and location between India and China. It has sought to protect its sovereignty by preserving its distinct cultural identity based on Buddhism and by discouraging social tensions and unrest.
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Bimal Gurung
It is shown like Bhutan is trying to play a face saving game in the 21st century, when the government talks of recognizing christainity as one of the religious group and at the same time imprisoned an innocent man just for showing a filim that is related to Christ. It is not that we run a religious race but rather have respect for each other as human being and leave religion to the interest of individual. Because education will open door for each one to read and understand other religion and Bible as well and in doing so they will know what the reality is. People round the world already knows that the only saviour is Lord Jesus but it is taking time for them to be in His grace.
Original Anna Anna
6,000 Christians underground in Bhutan and they are considered extremists among millions of non Christian Bhutanese. Underground Christians promoting witch hunts bringing about the death of one women and the West never hears it when non-democracy anti-Christians love to scream about this kind of stuff. Interesting in a country where Christians aren't legal and one Christian is thrown in jail for showing films that one would consider the "rule of law" is truly good law and should be respected by anybody including Buddhists and Hindus. By the way, natives in America had a culture that skinned the enemy alive in and out of war, kidnapped people especially women and children from other tribes to replace their own lost in war or disease until the colonists came and converted them to Christianity. Now they would never think of kidnapping or skinning people. Sometimes bad cultures need to be changed. Otherwise we would all be living underneath backword cultures of death and control.
B. Takin
Yangchen, I think I know of your music. Please accept my compliment on your voice and on your courteous counsel to me. I agree with you that it is a drag when Christians do not respect nor value the culture of others. I notice that many people who experience true, wonderful, personal, salvation in Jesus often cannot keep the good news to themselves. No one taught my friend S. Tamang to share his story of meeting Jesus. He was excited to call his relatives in US cities and in Nepal and did it on his own. I believe that many people will stand on the day of judgment in grateful confidence - free of the fears and uncertainties they had in their former dharma. Any of us can in humility place faith in the death of Jesus and live in peaceful relationship with God. There is no other way to have our sins paid for and no other way to be found righteous on that terrible and glorious day. I am also sad to hear your report of overzealous Christians Bhutan. True peace to you!