The initiative to introduce religion as obligatory subject in schools runs counter to the constitutional principle of separation of church and state and will polarize the society according to religious and ideological criteria, consider Moldovan nongovernmental organizations. At the same time, the Church says the initiative is not aimed at transforming the state into a religious one like in medieval times, but at dealing with ignorance and immortality among the youth. The teaching of religion in schools was the subject of the public debates “Inclusion of the Bases of Orthodoxy in School Curricula: good intention or discrimination?”, which took place at Info-Prim Neo on May 14. Priest Vadim Beresteanu from Cahul stressed that the necessity of making religion a compulsory subject derives from the reality. “The present immorality results from the lack of knowledge about religion. We went through Bolshevism, collaborationism and are now attacked by masons. We do not demand that the state become religious. We plead for teaching 'secular' religion in schools,” he said. The bishop of the union of Baptist churches of Moldova Ion Miron does not agree with the Moldovan Metropolitan Church's intentions. “I think it is against the Constitution and the Education Law to introduce religion in schools. The Church was separated from the state in order to preserve harmony in the society. But this compulsory subject will divide the students and they will be discriminated by other religions. This is inadmissible in a public education institution,” Ion Miron said. As alternative, he proposed studying the Bible. The head of the Resource Center “Young and Free”Antonita Fonari, the secretary of the National NGO Council of Moldova, said it is the Sunday schools or the church that should be a place close to religion for the people, not the school. Arcadie Barbarosie, the head of the Public Policy Institute, spoke about the related speculations of the politicians. “The politicians will use the given topic in their speeches, but we do not want more arguments in the society. The time when the state imposed the ideology is over. The Constitution separates the church from the state. The state will be equal for all when it does not interfere,” Arcadie Barbarosie said. A week ago, the Moldovan Metropolitan Church announced its intention to collect signatures in support of a legislative referendum on the introduction of religion in schools as obligatory subject. At least 200,000 signatures are needed in order to initiate the referendum. The Ministry of Education says religion can be introduced only as optional school subject. Minister of Education Leonid Bujor said the Government is expecting proposals from the Moldovan Metropolitan Church and the Bessarabian Metropolitan Church over the issue. Religion could be taught as optional subject from September 1, 2010.