Senior teacher Chepiga O.I.

Bytursinov state-run university of Kostanay, Kazakhstan

New religious trends in Kazakhstan

What is a new religious trend? It is a religious or spiritual group, which appeared relatively recently, or which has still not received public recognition as a religion, denomination or "church."

Wide spread occurrence of new religions is determined by many reasons. In particular, the religious beliefs of a large part of the population are not sufficiently strong for historical reasons. Religion became part of everyday life of most citizens of Kazakhstan and other post-Soviet States just at the beginning of 1990's. The legacy of an atheistic epoch was the fact that many people have not clear conception of their religion and their religious practices’ demands are implemented unconsciously. For example, for the part of believers belonging to the Christianity is often limited to the carrying of the cross, and affiliation to Islam is limited to the denied from eating pork. Many of our citizens visit different religious centres (churches, mosques) only on high days and holidays, in their everyday life they have not any form of connection with religion. Mystical atmosphere also cloaks our society. All sorts of fortune tellers, magicians, shamans occupied the pages of newspapers and magazines, there are also a transfer of the occult content on TV. To cut a long story short, religion is often substituted for another surrogate.

History of new religious schools in Kazakhstan. Religious life of Kazakhstan in recent decades is characterized by rapid growth of the number of religious organizations and the emergence of denominations’ number that were not previously represented in our country. They were particularly evident in the 90-ies of the 20th century. However, the appearance of new trends began in the Soviet era, when, due to active missionary occupation, the influence of different schools of oriental orientation (Baháí, Hare Krishna,"transcendental meditation" organization), charismatic branches of Protestantism, a Jehovah's witness, "Dianetics" and many others became noticeable.

Division between traditional and non-traditional religions is established in the scientific and educational literature, in practice of the activities of State bodies and in the mind of every citizen.

Talking about Kazakhstan, Sunni Islam of Hanafi mazhab and Orthodoxy belong to traditional religions. Catholicism, some trends of Protestantism (such as Lutheranism) and Judaism are traditional religions for individual ethnic groups. The reason for this fact are the long history of their distribution; the relevance of this faith with ethnicity, and, consequently, the relevance with the national history and culture (Islam-Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Tatars, etc., Orthodoxy-Russians, Ukrainians, Byelorussians; Catholicism-Poles, Germans, Lithuanians; Lutheranism-Germans; Judaism - Jewish, etc.), traditionalism of spiritual and moral values and the so-called "orthodoxy" of this doctrine (that is, they are members of the "classic" doctrine). The adherence of traditional religions is kept within families from generation to generation, and this religions themselves are represented as the keepers of the people’s culture.

The religions, which were appeared relatively recently (in the 19th or 20th centuries); and which are not connected clearly with a certain ethnic group belong to non-traditional religions. Their dogma, as a rule has not usually close coupling with the history and culture of the State or the individual ethnic groups. Some of them deliberately oppose themselves to the State and society, as well as to the positions of the dominant society's religious communities. The dogmas of non-traditional religions, it goes without saying, that they have conflicting views with the canonical doctrines. The main instrument of non-traditional religions’ wide spread is an active missionary activities.

The first phase started in the 30-50-ies of the 20th century. At that time the followers of a number of denominations, such as Jehovah's witnesses, seventh day Adventist, Pentecostal, various representatives of some other denominations were expelled on the territory of Kazakhstan. Since that time and until the collapse of the Soviet Union, this unions were able to survive despite persecution and strict ideological pressure under the rule of the atheistic policy of the authorities.

The second phase began from the end of the 1980 's. and continues to this day. The collapse of Communist ideology has led to the situation of the spiritual vacuum that was filled by a variety of ways. There was the interest in Oriental cults, the occultism became propagated. Faith became a sort of fashion item. Against this background, the activation of new religious sects, many of which were concentrated in major cities (Almaty, Astana, Karaganda, etc.) was detected.

Such organizations as “the society for Krishna Consciousness”, “Church of Vissarion”, “transcendental meditation”, “Unification Church” suddenly became famous. Due to the publications in the press Satanists became known, also the manifestations of neo-paganism appeared.

Making an Analysis of new non-traditional religions (religions of the "new age") we can discover the following problems:

1) Mass invasion of non-traditional religions has led to the disruption of the balance of religious trends in the country. Traditional religions painfully react to the activity of foreign missionaries of non-traditional religious activities and accuse them of proselytizm. Thus the ground for religious and ethnic conflicts and appearance of radical groups opposed to the new religions is created.

2) Non-traditional religious groups’ activity leds to a mass departure of children and adolescents from their parents. This fact was the main reason of the formation of parent associations, which require the closure of religious organizations. Parents accuse the new religions of "brainwashing" and of deprivation of free-thought’s right. Mentality and behavior of these organizations’ members change, a number of psychopathic conditions gains. Based on these reasons the proceedings against the "White Brotherhood", "AUM Shinrikyo", etc. were instituted.

The public fund “Sai-Centre” and public associations “Occult Centre Eternity” and “Call of the Eternity” of the West-Kazakhstan area deal with the discovery and expansion of space consciousness and creativity through the teachings of Swami Satya Sai Baba, Avatar Anastasia, teacher Porphiriy Ivanov. Really this teachings are religious trends.