[Conservative til I die]

In both cases I had quick replies from those of your church which were hateful of Russia.

No one hates Russia, at least not me. I'm even about 1/8th Russian myself.

I actually admire Russia's move towards freedom and capitalism, and if they're going to maintain some sort of official religion, I'd rather it be Orthodoxy rather than Islam or the old Soviet atheism.

However, I'll call a spade a spade, and when Orthodox patriarchs start telling Catholics and others to get lost because Russia is "our turf," that's religious gangsterism. Could you imagine if say, Presbyterians told Catholics to get out of America because it's their turf?

[Titanites]

No one hates Russia, at least not me.

Based on the fact that my diocese provides full support of a mission church in eastern Russia, I'd posit that we actually love Russia.