When I read the report of the new anticult's french law in several US newspaper's article, I realize how you are misinformed about this law.
I will comment some quote of the article we can found at
"Ignoring criticism from mainstream church leaders and foreign governments, especially Washington, France's National Assembly has passed a law "to reinforce the prevention and repression of groups of a sect-like character."
First, not all "mainstram church leaders" criticized this new law, the Catholic's church has stopped to criticize it, and some critics are only "personnal" critics and not an official critics of this law.
I love this phrase "foreign governments, especially Washington" has criticized this law. The autor should said "ONLY Washington".
"Second, it enables courts to order that officially designated cults be dissolved if two leading members are convicted of crimes such as fraud and child abuse"
What the autor has forgotten to say, is that you must prove that the leader has made this crime not alone, but because this is the policy of his church. You must prove that there is a link between the crime and the "church". For example, you can't dissolve "the catholic church" if several priest has conviced of child abuse, but if you could prove that the hierarchy has hidden the fact, you can, that's why the Catholic's church has officialy declared that they will stop to hide pedophil's priest to the justice. Is it something against "liberty of believe" ? We have two case of child abuse with Jehovah's witness and where the hierarchy has hidden the fact to the justice (case of Dijon and Pezenas), the JW should make the same thing as the Catholic's church if they want to have no problems in the future.
"Critics of the legislation say its language is too vague, leaving such terms as "sect," "dependence" and "pressure" undefined.
The respected French daily Le Figaro pointed out that the lifestyle of a Carmelite nun could fall afoul of the legislation."
How can they says that the law is "too vague" and in the same time that a "Carmelite nun could fall afoul of the legislation" ? Do you know an ex-Carmelite nun who has said that she was manipulated ? What kind of "pressure" could have suffered a catholic nun ?
"Others have said the law's vague language might describe some commercial marketing techniques."
LOL, typic watchtower style. Who have said that ? Could they explain why ?
"These groups are having difficulties elsewhere, too."
What kind of difficulty ? When you fraud IRS, you paid, that's all.
" In fact, the word evangelical -- a Christian term for preaching the Gospel (or good news) of Jesus Christ -- has come to be nearly synonymous with religious proselytizing"
Proselytizing is permit by french's law, even by this new law.
"Scientologists, seeking to counter this label and the baggage it carries in Germany, have likened themselves to the persecuted Jews of the Second World War."
Where are the pogrom ? Is there a deportation of scientologist ? When an entreprise make fraud in France, it is punished, the scientology is above the law ?
"In Belgium, a list of designated cults includes groups that most North Americans consider to be relatively benign, such as the Amish, the Seventh-Day Adventists, the Assemblies of God and the Jehovah's Witnesses"
Where is this list ? The Belgium's rapport has NO officiallist and France will make no other list because this is a fault that even the anticult has recognised as a fault. The only list on the Belgium's rapport is a resume of all the movement cited by the witness and scholars during the hearing of the commission not an official list.
""There is a very strong anti-religious bias that has emerged in Europe. "If you are an evangelical, you're a nut," Christopher Smith, a U.S. congressman who chairs the human-rights-monitoring Helsinki Commission, told the Washington Times recently."
And the Human Rights Ligue (LDH) has never criticized this law contrary to what it was said in some newspaper's article, the only Human's Right association which has criticized this law is a ... Scientology's association.
Bye
Charles