Atheists of Serbia Organization Calls on State To Stop Clericalization of Society

Belgrade (Photo: PrintScreen YouTube)

The Atheists of Serbia association called on Sept. 15 on the state to "stop the clericalization" of society and protect the secular character of the state, which is defined by the Constitution and the laws of Serbia.

"We voice our exceptional concern over a string of aggressive, chauvinistic, clero-fascist excesses by members of the government, opposition and Serbian Orthodox Church on the eve of this year's Europride," the organization said in a statement. It accused the Serbian Orthodox Church of "actually encouraging more aggression and calling for more evil" instead of its role as a shepherd and calm hostilities and spread love.

"The Serbian Orthodox Church is not, though, the cause because we must look for the reasons in places that let hate speech and calls for violence into the public space," the statement said. The organization called the Church's so-called liturgies  "the pinnacle of hysteria," i.e. "bizarre walks by several thousand conspiracy theorists, anti-vaxxers, clero-fascists, aggressive rightists and free-style primitives."

The organization accused Serbian Orthodox Church patriarch Porfirije (Peric) of "even though he has taken a vow of celibacy" i.e. devoted himself to  a life without marriage and children, calling for the defense of marriage and progeny and "making up that the existence and marches of LGBTIQ+ persons threaten the aforementioned along with scientific facts on human sexuality." It added that Porfirije did not mention at all "the imposing of religion on children and the christening of babies."