Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, rector of the Moscow church of Saint Theodore the Studite and member of the Public Chamber:
I am happy that many Orthodox Christians, Jews, Muslims, and protestants have spoken out with rather harsh criticism of this bill. This speaks to the fact that both our religious and our public life are alive. People have not knuckled under to commands coming from governmental bodies and they have spoken out rather vigorously and critically. This is very good. I hope that all controversial questions will either be clarified after the publication of the bill or be removed.
Of course, in principle the country needs to be protected from destructive pseudo-religious phenomena, from dangerous sects, from extremism hiding behind religion, and from external influences that can be destructive, and especially from those influences that are extremist and terroristic. But one should not throw the baby out with the bath water.
It is necessary to do everything so that good-intentioned people, especially those belonging to religious traditions well known in Russia, would be able to speak freely on topics connected with religion, to express their views, and to disseminate them. The same applies to agnostics and atheists.
Me: It’s horrible, violates freedom of conscience and expression. Hopefully get veto and sent back for change
OK, Here is another Orthodox Freeper completely against this bill.
Clearly, in spite of what some have said, this is NOT about Muslim propagation (although it would include that), it is about silencing competition with the Orthodox Church.
Come on Russia, Orthodoxy can hold it’s own in a free exchange of ideas. Stop this totalitarian nonsense.
And those of you who want to limit free speech in this great country, stop advocating the same thing here.
Start studying Islam in depth as I have and be ready to present thoughtful rebuttals to their weak arguments.