France’s Protestant Committee for Human Dignity (CPDH) recently sent a letter to its members, excerpted here and translated for English readers. This letter reports on the controversial new law on separatism. While intended to curb the growth of extremism and resulting terrorist attacks, which have plagued France in recent years, this law has chilling implications for Christian churches and homeschooling families.
Dear friends of the CPDH,
…the law “consolidating republican principles” marks a shift in the state's relationship with worship, to the point where, quite rightly, the National Council of Evangelicals of France (CNEF) spoke of a “laïcité de surveillance” (surveillance secularism).
This increased control and the accompanying reduction in freedoms will result in:
Religious associations must register with the prefect every five years;
Their accounting obligations are increased. Foreign donations of more than 10,000 euros must be specially declared. The prefect may object to these when he considers that a fundamental interest of society is at stake;
Associations or foundations, which request a public subsidy, will have to undertake to respect the secular character and the principles of the Republic (gender equality, human dignity, fraternity ...) in a "republican contract of engagement". If they violate this obligation, the grant will have to be repaid. Compliance with the contract becomes a condition for obtaining an authorization or recognition of public utility;
The schooling of all children in a school becomes compulsory at the start of the 2022 school year. Homeschooling will be subject to authorization (no longer only to declaration) and granted only for four reasons: state of health or disability of the child; practice of intensive sporting or artistic activities; family homelessness; situation specific to the child motivating the educational project. But thanks to pressure from associations defending freedom of education, full authorization until 2023-2024 has been provided for families already practicing family education in satisfactory conditions.
To learn more: consult the government site (French).