Oh no, not another new topic! About a former atheist state

[mcolafson]

"What about Russia?
Although I think Christianity in Russia deserves a separate thread. But you guys have scared me.
What about Russia?  They've had the Orthodoxy since forever.  If they're switching to straight Christianity, then they're simply exchanging one form of woo for another.  Not knowing Russian politics, I can't help but wonder if Putin is driving part of it given his hard right stance on other things. "

90% of Russians are allegedly Christians. Majority of them are Russian Orthodox ones.

3 decades ago Russia was an official atheistic state.

[The Grand Nudger]

The russian orthodox establishment doesn;t see any of the reported rise, lol.  So many more self affiliating christians but so few people in the pews suggest, to both the orthodoxy and observers...that christianity, for those who reply in the affirmative..is more a moral assumption (interpreted individually by believers as what have you) and nationalistic appeal to tradition..than an issue of belief in the orthodoxy.

They're basically russias version of our lapsed catholics, only their portion of non-practicing self affiliators is substantially higher than the portion of non-practicing catholics in the US.

[mcolafson]

The russian orthodox establishment doesn;t see any of the reported rise, lol.  So many more self affiliating christians but so few people in the pews suggest, to both the orthodoxy and observers...that christianity, for those who reply in the affirmative..is more a moral assumption (interpreted individually by believers as what have you) and nationalistic appeal to tradition..than an issue of belief in the orthodoxy.

They're basically russias version of our lapsed catholics, only their portion of non-practicing self affiliators is substantially higher than the portion of non-practicing catholics in the US.

I know Russians. It's mauve ton say that you are not Russian orthodox. But they go to church twice a year, on Easter and Christmas.
And being Russian orthodox means drinking during church holidays.

[Aegon]

The russian orthodox establishment doesn;t see any of the reported rise, lol.  So many more self affiliating christians but so few people in the pews suggest, to both the orthodoxy and observers...that christianity, for those who reply in the affirmative..is more a moral assumption (interpreted individually by believers as what have you) and nationalistic appeal to tradition..than an issue of belief in the orthodoxy.

They're basically russias version of our lapsed catholics, only their portion of non-practicing self affiliators is substantially higher than the portion of non-practicing catholics in the US.

Heh, I'm one of those people! The government still thinks I'm Catholic, I think...

[Minimalist]

Putin has a cynical hand in this.  Never forget the wise words of Thomas Jefferson.

In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own.

-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Horatio G. Spafford, March 17, 1814

[The Grand Nudger]

Well, for a regime positively building shrines to the good old days, it helps to drag up any corpse from those good ole days you can find..particularly if they're the kind of corpse that'll play ball. Putin and the orthodoxy have held hands and all but called for a new cold war. Pretty much the same schtick that gets pulled here on a daily basis.

[abaris]

Putin has a cynical hand in this.  Never forget the wise words of Thomas Jefferson.

In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own.

-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Horatio G. Spafford, March 17, 1814

It's only that I would turn the quote around in this instance. Putin knew that he needed some kind of ideological support for what he was planning. Jelzin had already prepared the soil for the return of the church. Remember that big religious celebration when the remains of the imperial family were returned? That was in 1997 I believe. Jelzin consciously played to the Imperial glory of Russia and Putin only took it to a whole new level.

I'm pretty sure that as a high ranking former KGB officer he knew all about sentiments within the people and which strings to pull to get all the diverse factions within Russia to align at some common ground.

[Minimalist]

Churches are always ready to sell out to tyrants.




All you have to do is ask.