Posted on 12/18/2017 6:19:35 PM PST by marshmallow
The Moscow Patriarchate’s chief ecumenical officer praised a non-sectarian class in religions in Russia’s schools and called for the course’s extension beyond fourth grade.
“If our children do not know religious teachings, they can involuntarily become an easy prey for terrorists,” Metropolitan Hilarion, the chairman of the Department of External Church Relations, said in an interview with Ekaterina Gracheva of the television station Russia-24.
“We must always remember that terrorism cannot be motivated by religion,” he continued, though “there are people who cover their criminal acts with religious rhetoric.”
After stating that Orthodox children should learn about Islam, and Muslim children should learn about Orthodoxy, the prelate criticized the “anti-religious ideology which is always gaining more ground in the West,” where “the revolution of man against God is in substance propagated and encouraged” in “a variety of modes and images.”
First, said Metropolitan Hilarion, comes the rejection of God, or the idea that one can choose or not choose to believe in God; then comes the idea that one can choose one’s gender, rather than accepting one’s God-given sex as male or female.
UNTIL they break free from Putin’s corruptions, they have NO moral high ground.
Both Western and Eastern Christians need to get their act together. And each country, each culture, each denomination (Protestant/Orthodox/Catholic) has a special role to play and unique prism into the Gospel.
Say what you want about Putin, but the Russian church is unabashedly theistic and the culture puts a lot of emphasis on tradition.
Orthodoxy shows no sign whatsoever of giving in to feminism, homosexual agenda, or pro-choice.
You are correct! Russian citizens and even its leaders have more respect for the Judeo/Christian religions than America has had for the last half century. America has lost its way when it comes to religion and the effects are becoming more apparent every day. When you remove God from a community it is on a sure path to self demise, its only a mater of time.
Give the Orthodox leadership CREDIT for speaking out in regards to decline of Christian faith in the west.
The narrative is a misnomer because its not as though Orthodox values are triumphing in Russia “more than” the West.
Russia and Eastern Europe have the highest abortion rates in Europe. Russia has the fastest growing HIV epidemic in Europe. Not to mention one of the lowest birth rates. Corruption levels in government are akin to third world dictatorships. Economic equality is among the worst in the world. Cheating and bribery are common practice including among clergy who came of age in Soviet auspices. There are more Muslims in Moscow than any other European city, and more entrenched Islamic republics in Russia than elsewhere in Europe. Russian-speakers make up the largest percentage of foreign ISIS recruits.
Western missionaries, who have had more luck drawing youth (including in the Russian Muslim republics in the Caucuses) to Christ than the Orthodox church can now be fined or jailed for proselytization under the new Yarovaya Law signed by Putin in 2016...so.
No. Lets get the narrative straight.
Communism hates Christianity but it will say anything to gain power.
Reposting this. Please also look up divorce rates in Russia: its double that of Western places. And mortality rates of Russian men due to alcoholism..do research on all the social crises I bring up if you are not planning on living there soon, or talk to native Russians yourself:
The narrative is a misnomer because its not as though Orthodox values are triumphing in Russia “more than” the West.
Russia and Eastern Europe have the highest abortion rates in Europe. Russia has the fastest growing HIV epidemic in Europe. Not to mention one of the lowest birth rates. Corruption levels in government are akin to third world dictatorships. Economic equality is among the worst in the world. Cheating and bribery are common practice including among clergy who came of age in Soviet auspices. There are more Muslims in Moscow than any other European city, and more entrenched Islamic republics in Russia than elsewhere in Europe. Russian-speakers make up the largest percentage of foreign ISIS recruits.
Western missionaries, who have had more luck drawing youth (including in the Russian Muslim republics in the Caucuses) to Christ than the Orthodox church can now be fined or jailed for proselytization under the new Yarovaya Law signed by Putin in 2016...so.
No. Lets get the narrative straight.
Every country in the world have its share of problems and Christians everywhere have the duty to bring the light of Christ regardless be the Churches eastern or western.
Orthodoxy has been both the solution and the problem in modern Russia. Its handling of the HIV crisis there as we speak has been dismal. The epidemic is really at a tipping point and something on the radar of a lot of Russians now. (Thank God - as it will hopefully start to turn the tide. The government is normally in denial but has started to he more open about the actual statistics in terms of registered patients...which are quite alarming.)
A lot of the pro-life momentum has been spurred by influences from the “evil” West. The pro life movement in Russia receive many of their cues from American Evangelical activists and pro-life groups in terms of how to engage the public, how to run a crisis pregnancy center, how to counsel women in abusive situations etc...and yes births finally do outnumber abortions....but still rates twice as high as they are in the U.S. even though they technically have more restrictions.
Also worth noting, on the eve of presidential “elections” in March, a few days ago at his annual press conference: Vladimir Putin confirmed his commitment to keeping abortion legal:
The 2016 Yarovaya Law banning proselytization and missionary work is justified under the guise of banning “extremists” and terrorism - and indeed there has been a crackdown on cults like Scientology, Mormonism, and Jehovahs Witnesses. Hare Krishna is also a major post-soviet phenom...but American Baptist missionaries have also been jailed/fined. And Franklin Graham cancelled a major conference in Moscow when the law passed.
And yet the Putin regime props up and funds entrenched Islamic governments in the outlying regions: like the Kadyrov regime in Chechnya - notorious for human rights abuses.
The demographic crisis means the economy is heavily reliant on the labor of Central Asian migrants - most of whom are Muslim.
So Muslims are protected more than Western Christians. I am not saying persecution is at Stalinist levels...but as with everything in Putin’s Russia - the echoes of the Soviet Union reverberate with an ever increasing crescendo.
There are many genuine people of faith in the Russian Orthodox Church. But the institution has never undergone the necessary reforms to fully divorce itself from the anti-christ nature of the State under which it operates.
And lastly: The pointing fingers at the West when its weak is a common way of deflecting attention off the massive corruptions of the State. The “spiritual values” trope deceives the outside world - and is meant to strike doubt into the sacred institutions of democracy and freedom - which Russians have struggled and failed to achieve. And above all, the hypocrisy continues to postpone the long overdue collective repentance over the evils and horrors of communism...
In today’s Russia, it is not on uncommon to see a portrait of Stalin side by side to an icon of a saint or Christ. Both are acceptable figures to be revered...
Regardless of the church one attends, we need to be lights in a very darkened world.
Second it.
“” “And yet the Putin regime props up and funds entrenched Islamic governments in the outlying regions: like the Kadyrov regime in Chechnya - notorious for human rights, abuses.” “”
Do you realize what was Chechen regime before Kadyrov? What exactly ‘regime’ do you want to see in Chechnya? Please, tell us, but we want concrete answer, not your typical ‘It is up to Chechens’. You might have figured out what do they need since you are so well-informed on what they don’t need.
“” “A lot of the pro-life momentum has been spurred by influences from the “evil” West. The pro life movement in Russia receive many of their cues from American Evangelical activists and pro-life groups in terms of how to engage the public, how to run a crisis pregnancy center, how to counsel women in abusive situations etc...and yes births finally do outnumber abortions....but still rates twice as high as they are in the U.S. even though they technically have more restrictions.
Also worth noting, on the eve of presidential “elections” in March, a few days ago at his annual press conference: Vladimir Putin confirmed his commitment to keeping abortion legal:” “”
Hmm. I am sure your type would consider abortion ban another ‘human rights abuse’ worthy of another round of sanction. So-called ‘anti-gay’ laws which are everything but anti-gay or abuse were.
As for so-called Western pro-life groups surprisingly their activities were good for nothing during Yeltsyn regime when NGOs were rampant. The moment evil Putin came to power to ‘crackdown’, them abortion situation has started to improve. Yet it is nothing to see here.
“” “In today’s Russia, it is not on uncommon to see a portrait of Stalin side by side to an icon of a saint or Christ. Both are acceptable figures to be revered..” “”
Where? No photoshop please.
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