The former president of the Gideon Society in Iceland contends that Reykjavík city council has shown disrespect to his organisation by not allowing them to give the New Testament to school children.
As reported, city council recently passed a resolution that prohibits anyone from coming to schools to conduct missionary work, e.g., handing out religious literature, playing recordings or showing videos advocating a particular faith. Religious studies classes, as well as traditional holiday celebrations of a religious nature, will still continue.
Sigurbjörn Þorkelsson, the former chairman of the Gideon Society in Iceland, says that the proposal shows great disrespect for the work the group does.
“I have to admit that I am deeply disappointed by the incomprehensible approval of the majority of Reykjavík city council, which obviously first and foremost revolves around preventing fifth graders from exercising their human rights to receive the New Testament as a gift from the Gideon Society, as they have done for the past 60 years,” he writes in part.
Sigurbjörn contends that giving children the Bible is not missionary work, but merely giving a gift, and that the city never contacted the Gideon Society about the matter when they were drafting their proposal.
Buy subscriptions, t-shirts and more from our shop right here!
