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
The most telling point is that you have not tried to disprove one statement I made about the recruiting drives that you make in Orthodox countries. Says a lot.
Historically, that is inaccurate. Of the thirteen original states, eleven had established Churches. Most (if not all) were actually Anglican, and NOT Fundamentalist.
I believe that there is absolutely no Constitutional basis for mandatory public education. But if the law, as defined by the representatives of the majority, did eventually mandate the teaching of Protestant Fundamentalism, I would simply leave the country and move to Spain. Who knows? . . .Maybe I would convert to Orthodoxy and move to Russia.
In any case, the state in America has, in fact, mandated the teaching of the anti-religion of secular materialism in its public school. If given a choice between whether my taxes would go to support Protestantism or secular materialism, I'll take the former.
Me too.
You cannot have Orthodox Christianity without the Gospel. Again, you clearly do not understand the Orthodox Church yet you are so willing to condemn it. And you wonder why they don't want folks such as you spreading such lies around their nation?
Their hatred cannot stand the light of truth.
I can attest to the accuracy of what you say here from my experience with missionary work in Haiti.
I first went to Haiti with a friend and his evangelical/pentecostal/born-again/bible-only/independant/fellowship church. They made this great sales pitch of going to a little coastal village in Haiti that had never had the gospel preached there, and the only church was a voo-doo church.
The first day in this fishing village, we were driving through town, and I saw a church steeple in the distance. I asked the evangelical/pentecostal/born-again/bible-only/independant/fellowship church pastor, "What is that building over there""
"Which one?" he repled.
"The one with the steeple behind the palm trees."
"Oh that...that is the Catholic Church."
Turns out, that church has been serving this village for over a century.
But the Gospel, according to these bigots with whom I was traveling, and had to spend the coming week, had never been preached there.
What a joy that trip was. Boy, was I naive. It was my first real world introduction to the harsh reality of the real, hard core anti-Catholic bigotry so prevalent on this forum.
And its one I never forget in my own efforts here.
Yours is a perfect summary of the dirty little secret of evangelization among evangelicals, who criticize the Mother Teresas of the world for charitable work among "heathens" but whose own charitable work despises and rejects those who reject their simplistic false reformation Gospel.
You mean like the kind I described in #96?
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