Who’s ‘Godless’ Now? Russia Says It’s U.S.

The Washington Times ^ | 1/28/14 | Marc Bennetts

[marshmallow]

MOSCOW — At the height of the Cold War, it was common for American conservatives to label the officially atheist Soviet Union a “godless nation.”

More than two decades on, history has come full circle, as the Kremlin and its allies in the Russian Orthodox Church hurl the same allegation at the West.

“Many Euro-Atlantic countries have moved away from their roots, including Christian values,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a recent keynote speech. “Policies are being pursued that place on the same level a multi-child family and a same-sex partnership, a faith in God and a belief in Satan. This is the path to degradation.”

In his state of the nation address in mid-December, Mr. Putin also portrayed Russia as a staunch defender of “traditional values” against what he depicted as the morally bankrupt West. Social and religious conservatism, the former KGB officer insisted, is the only way to prevent the world from slipping into “chaotic darkness.”

As part of this defense of “Christian values,” Russia has adopted a law banning “homosexual propaganda” and another that makes it a criminal offense to “insult” the religious sensibilities of believers.

The law on religious sensibilities was adopted in the wake of a protest in Moscow’s largest cathedral by a female punk rock group against the Orthodox Church’s support of Mr. Putin. Kremlin-run television said the group’s “demonic” protest was funded by “some Americans.”

[MrB]

Typical of “American” leftists as well.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I care what God thinks, though. And the condemnation of nations which permit proud, parading sodomy and the shedding of innocent blood is quite evident in our Holy Scriptures. On this count, there's no evidence that God will make new, more lenient rules due to "American exceptionalism".

Russia still has legal abortion, and practices it at much higher rates than the USA. But at least Putin is suppressing the sodomy and taking the first steps to curb the child-slaughter. Don't think this isn't noticed by Him who rules heaven and earth.

[ilovesarah2012]

Why The Manufacturing Jobs Are Not Coming Back

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2012-12-21/why-manufacturing-jobs-are-not-coming-back

Doesn’t matter who we vote for.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

I disagree.

Like your sign-on code however. :D

Buy American.

[EAGLE7]

You are misled my friend. I am no fan of Obama, buy Putin is no Christian, he’s a communist. he is using Obama as a tool to win favor with Americans. Obama and Putin follow the same god...marxism.

[ilovesarah2012]

How can we buy American when so little is made in America? When I was growing up, we made clothes and shoes and appliances and toys and furniture. Not now.

[ilovesarah2012]

I will let Putin’s actions speak and we shall see. Obama’s actions speak volumes.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

I’d like to think that Putin is sincere, but I think he simply realizes that he can rally his country thru the church better than he can otherwise.

I'll take what I can get.

America is strange. Nominally, it's overwhelmingly religious/Christian. Practically, it's agnostic.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

We need to bring back American manufacturing.

Currently a (lot) of what is sold in America, is imported from China.

China is now the largest exporter on the entire planet, and rapidly growing.

I say we need tariffs. Some disagree. We however need to do something to bring back American manufacturing.

Now.

[SoFloFreeper]

There is no argument that the West is declining into atheistic perversion.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I weep over Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, even (God help us!) Ireland, where the Catholic Church is in shocking decline --- precariously balanced against significant growth in the Asia-Pacific areas and, spectacularly, in sub-Saharan Africa.

Orthodoxy seems to be enjoying a spectacular resurgence in Russia, but as in other historically Orthodox countries, such as Bulgaria, Belarus, Georgia, and Greece, their birthrate is way below replacement and their age structure shows significantly more people over 55 than under 15.

These Orthodox also do very little by way of missions outside of their national borders. The USA may be the exception here.

I would like to understand more about the factors relating to growth and die-off of the faith in nations and churches. I certainly don't have an attitude of rivalry. As a Catholic, I can sincerely say I rejoice in the survival and advance of Orthodox Christianity.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

[gdani]

It’s nice Putin can take some time off from staged photos with his shirt off to pretend we care what he thinks.

[Viennacon]

Yes, but I think the reason for the lack of Orthodox mission work is that they have enough people to mission to in the former Soviet countries. It has grown, but it has a lot more room.

I think the age discrepancy will fix itself. It’s more of a general eastern-European problem than specifically an orthodox one. I’d hate to see the birthrate of Russian atheists. A good example is Georgia, where it was actually the Orthodox Church that saved the nation from demographic disaster, with the patriarch vowing to bless every baby personally from a family with more than 3 kids. And Russia is heading in the right direction, starting to close a lot of the abortion clinics in rural areas, ending T.V. advertising by clinics, etc.

I watched a video of the recent Orthodox ceremony where they plunge into freezing water, and the masses were quite young. Late teens, early twenties. And that’s not just a result of the nature of the activity. Old Russians are not squeamish about plunging into freezing cold water.

I think what will nourish the church in Russia is that it benefits from twin factors. The first is that the largest families of the future are going to be Orthodox which is being encouraged by the church itself. And the second factor is unlike Europe this is twinned with the children not being indoctrinated against Christianity at schools or in the media. They are in a culture where the high ranking people are mainly Christian and are very open about it.

If the growth continues, I can see initial mission efforts spreading into Kazakhstan, where Islam is weak. With the right timing, this could also coincide with initial mission efforts out of China. The thriving Christian base there believes their purpose is to mission through Central Asia and convert the Middle East. They’ll have to set China on a good course first, but they are eager to bring Christianity’s message to other nations.

I’m not nearly as fearful for Christianity as I am for our Constitutional Republic. Over history, Christianity has shown incredible resolve, but freedom has not.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I do expect Christianity to last longer than America.

"Behold, I am with you always..."

"The gates of hell shall not prevail..."

"In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph..."

But in-between-times, many souls could be lost. This is the real tragedy. Which we care called to address.

[Biggirl]

Also keep an eye on the global nations, they will be the ones to send Christian missionaries to America and the west.

[delchiante]

America has its industries...

The movie industry
The porn industry
The TV industry
The music industry
The abortion industry
The beer industry
The drug industry (legal and illegal)
The sports industries

And exports that all over the world..

[cunning_fish]

>>>Russia still has legal abortion, and practices it at much higher rates than the USA. But at least Putin is suppressing the sodomy and taking the first steps to curb the child-slaughter. Don’t think this isn’t noticed by Him who rules heaven and earth.<<<

They were pro-choice since 1920, 50 years ahead the rest of the world.
It is not that hard to mention that their abortion level, thus very high, had plummeted dramatically through a couple decades.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Yes, and thank God for that. Decades ago I met a woman --- hmm, reaching in my cluttered memory-box for her name, was it Tatiana Goricheva? ---- a Leningrad-born convert from atheism to Russian Orthodoxy. She became a religious author and was in the U.S. talking about her experiences as a Christian under the late-20th-century Communist system. Very deep, very intellectual woman.

She herself had aborted a baby or two before her conversion, then became appalled in her soul to think of what she had done. She founded a women's group dedicated to the Mother of God, to help spiritually heal women after these horrible violations, and to advocate for chastity and motherhood.

It was tremendously encouraging to think of people like Ms Goricheva appealing to the heart and soul of Russian womanhood. This was maybe a decade before the fall of the Soviet Union. I thought, the very fact that such a person exists, is such a sign of hope.

May there be many more Tatiana Gorichevas!