Saints in Demand In Russia as Church Asserts Tie to State

The Washington Post ^ | Friday, April 20, 2007 | Peter Finn

[A. Pole]

[...]

Everyone wants a patron saint. "It's like a wave we are witnessing," he said. He pulled out a recent letter from the church's patriarch, Alexy II, approving a request from Rus, a special forces police unit long involved in controversial counterterrorism operations in Chechnya, that the legendary 13th-century military commander and saint Alexander Nevsky be named its patron.

[...]

Moribund during the Soviet era, the Orthodox Church has been reborn as a powerful force in Russian life, building congregations across the country. The church has also become increasingly identified with a strand of patriotism that celebrates a strong centralized state and is skeptical of Western notions of democracy, human rights and pluralism. Its most prominent adherent is President Vladimir Putin, whose faith is part of his public persona.

The church's increasingly close relationship with the state and the adoption of Orthodox symbols by public entities have unsettled followers of some of Russia's other traditional religions, particularly its large Muslim population.

Some critics contend that Orthodoxy is becoming a state religion by sleight, through such steps as making the teaching of Orthodox culture mandatory in some regions this school year. The move violates the separation of church and state required by the Russian constitution.

[...]

"What I mean," he continued, "is that there are many units in the army who have gotten these patron saints and special prayers and icons, and they are building chapels. For Muslims, it is not comfortable to serve in a unit with a religious coloring. And that is destabilizing."

[...]

Professions of faith, beginning with Putin's, have become commonplace among Russia's ruling elite. And Orthodoxy is increasingly seen, by both the church and the state, as a critical ingredient in the formation of a cohesive national identity.

[...]

[A. Pole]

"Everyone wants a patron saint."

[NonValueAdded]

St. Basil, patron saint of hoteliers and St. Sybil, patron saint of shrews.

[yankeedame]

St. Basil, patron saint of hoteliers..

I thought that was St. Regis

[pleikumud]

Is this the beginning of the Holy Russian Empire? Or Russia aping the Muslim practice of joining Islam with the state?

[A. Pole]

Or Russia aping the Muslim practice of joining Islam with the state?

It is Muslims who are imitating and distorting Christian practices (Islam is much younger religion) like Ramadan and Great Lent (with eating a lot of food after sunset), women covering heads (adding covering of face) etc ...

Christian civilization began when Roman state abandoned pagan gods and embraced Christian religion. Even today many Western states have established state church - like England for example.

The Separation of Church and state is a DISTORTED Christian idea - of the Two Kingdoms - of God and of Caesar. When The Church is completely separated from Western states/governments OTHER religions will take her place. Maybe Militant Secularism or Islam.

[pleikumud]

Religious fanatics of all stripes are dangerous, whether Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, or pagan. The Greek gods are just as valid - it’s all fantasy.

[A. Pole]

Religious fanatics of all stripes are dangerous, whether Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, or pagan.

What about anti-religious fanatics? Who just in the last century murdered more people than everybody else in entire history?

The Greek gods are just as valid - it’s all fantasy.

Even Greek pagan gods were something much more profound than a fantasy. I find your view to be barbaric and yes - fanatical. This is one step from Bolsheviks turning churches into stables, cinemas, beer pubs, museums of science and religion or Taleban destroying statues of Buddha.

[NonValueAdded]

Not in Torquay

[Savage Beast]

Well, while they're deciding on their patron saint, the Russians had better toss out the birth control pills and get busy increasing the population. If the Russian population continues to decline at its present rate, in a matter of decades there won't be enough Russians--even with the help of the Russian Winter--to stop the Chinese and the Muslims from carving up Russia like so much Poland and sending a second wave of Russian refugees fleeing westard (where they'll bump into a wave of Spanyards and French fleeing eastward).

This is the most convincing argument yet against birth control and legalized abortion.

[pleikumud]

Religious differences are a major cause, if not The major cause, of wars.

[A. Pole]

Religious differences are a major cause, if not The major cause, of wars.

Wrong! The DIFFERENCES in all major matters are major cause of wars. Be it religious, cultural, economic, ethnic etc

Were WWI or WWII caused by religion? Was the US Civil War caused by religion? Was the Hundred Years War caused by religion?

[don-o]

Very interesting...read later

[paudio]

Religious differences are a major cause, if not The major cause, of wars.

How many people died from religious teachings? How many people died from WWI, WWII, and also, Cold War? Conflicts among non-religious philosophies (nationalism, communism, facism, capitalism, etc.) have killed much much much more people than conflicts caused by / among religious philosophies.