Posted on 11/22/2002 10:19:31 AM PST by Destro
Schools dust off religious studies
November 20 2002
Russia is to introduce Orthodox religious education in schools for the first time since the Tsars.
Under a controversial proposal by the Education Ministry, head teachers will be able to schedule courses in a subject called Orthodox Culture.
The Education Minister, Vladimir Filippov, has proposed the course, which will not be compulsory. Opponents of the plan say the multi-ethnic nature of Russia, home to many Muslims, Jews and Buddhists, makes it unsuitable.
In the time of the Tsars children studied divine law, a course offering Orthodox religious and moral guidance. After the revolution in 1917, religious studies were replaced by courses in Marxism and Leninism. History, geography and other subjects were tailored to suit the ideological requirements of the Communist leaders.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 education has remained secular, but in recent years the resurgent Orthodox Church has called for the inclusion of religious studies.
The timetable for introducing the new course is unclear, but officials say a 30-page document issued by the Education Ministry sets out the subject matter to be included. Topics will include the traditions of Orthodoxy, asceticism, the liturgy and the Bible, as well as religious art and literature.
The Orthodox Church says teaching religion will help counter alcoholism, AIDS, crime and drug addiction.
The Telegraph, London
In the end, maybe we won't be judged so much on having our i's dotted and t's crossed but on how we treated each other.
I don't think there is any place for slurs, but are you sure it is meant that way and not just as a shorthand? Instead of typing out "Protestant" every time.
When I was growing up in the protestant culture, it was remarkably free of negative attitudes toward catholics and I didn't learn derogatory terms from my peers or parents about them. Now I see that catholics had their own brand of prejudice and I had never noticed it before.
It's good that your upbringing was not predicated on being anti-Catholic. It is not that type of Protestant that is the problem. It is the type who insists on calling us "Romanists" or "Papists," etc.
SD
Re your second paragraph, I didn't know about any of these attitudes until I was an adult. There was more there at times just beneath the surface I'll concede, but I can't think of anyone who looked down on catholics except my mother was a little prejudiced against some aspects of it. I think my dad kept her in line about prejudice. It wasn't allowed.
Later in life, my father never pointed to catholics specifically, but he noted that so much violence in the world had been caused by Christianity. And he was right. I think it turned him off of religion almost completely.
I recall laughing at his prediction and goading my religious friends about this claim.
I guess they've got the last laugh.
Or rather to some private Jefferson's letter (where this supposed wall of separation is mentioned).
Where? In Russia or the U.S.?
In Russia, I do not think there is any legal requirement for such separation.
In the U.S., the legal case for such separation is highly dubious. The republic survived 50 to 70 years of no idea of such separation, and another 100 years or so of least common demoninator Protestantism established in our public schools without disaster.
As a Catholic (the religion that both the theory of separation of church and state and that establishment of least common denominator Protestantism were directed against), I say I find least common denominator Protestantism much less objectionable than an establishment of secular humanism, which is what displacing all religion from schools means.
After the fall of atheist (Marxist) rule in Poland public schools have regular lessons of religion. If child/parents are not religious they can have ethics class instead. If one is not Catholic the school is obliged to bring the clergyman of a given denomination. If there are too few children of a specific type - the outside joint (with other schools) classes are organised.
This way no religion or atheism is established.
That was a very rude remark. It was beneath you. Actually it was a BIGOTTED remark and is considered by me, to be bashing the Orthodox Christians of Russia and the entire world!!
You obviously KNOW NOTHING about about the Faith of the millions of Orthodox Christians, who died under soviet terror. THEY DIED FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST.
In honor of the sacrifice of those MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS OF ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS WHO SUFFERED AND DIED UNDER STALIN.....I will forgive your ignorance of the Orthodox Christian Faith and its love of JESUS CHRIST.
Thank you. It is so nice to know that someone else understands this fact.
There are many areas in America where the Christianity is dying. Those Protestant missionaries could be more useful at home, don't you think? Or if they feel like chosing the hard path they can try to work among our friends like Saudies or Pakistanis. What about that?
Of cource Orthodox Church has "prior claim" to Russia, same way as Catholic Church has "prior claim" to Spain. Russia was formed and liberated from Muslim Tartars with the inspiration of Orthodoxy same way as Spain was liberated from Muslims with the help of Catholicism. Another example is Poland which is formed and preserved by Catholicism.
I question the motives of Protestant missionaries who neglect their own countries or do not try their energy in Muslims lands. Muslim souls need your help.
The way I see it ...they just want to spread their churches and point of view....they have no sense of history or understanding of RUSSIA.
And, of course, they may perhaps be VERY jealous that ORTHODOXY is GROWING SO FAST even in the USA. Many whole evangelical church congregations have converted to Orthodoxy in the past 10 years.
I personally know 2 Methodist ministers, 3 Episcopal Priests, a Roman Catholic monk, a mennonite leader, and two Baptist ministers who converted to Ortodoxy just in the past 5 years. A Prominent Lutheran theologian/writer/university professor converted about 4 years ago.
In my town, we have 6 Orthodox congregations now....4 years ago there were 3. Two more are in the works for next year.
All that being said, wouldn't it just be nice IF those so-called "evangelical" Christians would REJOICE in the resurgence of CHRIST's HOLY CHURCH in MOTHER RUSSIA!!
I guess I am asking too much of them.
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