Posted on 03/16/2015 8:44:58 AM PDT by marshmallow
Kaliningrad, March 16, Interfax - Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia speaks of a special role of the Kaliningrad Region in the dialogue between Russia and the West.
"The region was organized not only as Russia's strategic outpost urged to prevent "attacks against the East," it should become Russia's spiritual outpost in Europe - not the region most subjected to western influence, but the region, which is ready for dialogue with the West more than others and introducing to this dialogue our spiritual values," the patriarch said on Saturday at the forum of the World Russian People's Council (WRPC) in Kaliningrad.
According to him, today is an appropriate moment for such an honest dialogue, including joint meditations about values, "as once shared Christian foundation of Europe, either Western or Eastern, today is being destroyed."
The primate notes that Russia still preserves a spiritual foundation, insists on the importance of spiritual values and "has much to say to our western partners."
The World Russian People's Council is an international public organization founded in 1993. The head of the Council is Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia. In 2005, the WRPC was granted a special consultative status at the UN.
What is his record on religious freedom in Russia?
Does a Christian have to join the Orthodox Church, or are other churches second-class status?
The Russian Soviet Atheists will use the Religion of Christianity to their own means to get their own ends.
Clio, the Muse of HIstory, has a rollicking sense of humor! Wouldn't it be a riot if Christian Russia--of all places--became the salvation of the world!
He’s made a pretty anti-Christian bargain.
They want to go from being a supposed Christian country, to an atheist country, to now the greatest Christian country.
At best they seem to play some ceremonial game with Christian imagery, Christianity as Americans knew it before mass immigration, seems to have never really taken hold there.
Russia is a Christian nation like Hillary is a Yankees fan.
Ummm... Russia was a Christian country for almost 800 years before the United States existed.
“The Russian Soviet Atheists will use the Religion of Christianity to their own means to get their own ends.”
Memo: It’s not 1955 anymore.
[ “The Russian Soviet Atheists will use the Religion of Christianity to their own means to get their own ends.”
Memo: It’s not 1955 anymore. ]
Tell that to the FCC, they think it is 1935....
Ummmm.
“They want to go from being a supposed Christian country, to an atheist country, to now the greatest Christian country.
At best they seem to play some ceremonial game with Christian imagery,”
At least this explains why the west wants to go to war which otherwise has no explanation.
Would this be a Christianity dedicated to Christ, his teachings, and the Divine faith of Christianity, a faith unattached to the state? Or would this be the Putinista-controlled faith of Russian Orthodoxy for the purpose of ideological control?
I discovered almost two years ago that Putin (Russia) had been positioning himself as the defender of the faith (eastern Orthodox). A conversation with a Bulgarian revealed a hatred and mistrust of non-caucasians I found remarkable. It is part of their theology and it is significant when they speak of Russian speaking, Russian culture, Russian heritage. Many in Europe are of this mindset and side with Russia on many issues. Especially in the context of a dying church in Europe - Russia is trying to revive it through the state. Don’t forget, the first Crimean War was in part a fight between the Catholics (France/England) against Eastern Orhtodoxy and influence over Turkey (the Sick Man of Europe). I believe it is a string pulled by the communists to wedge against the Muslims - manipulation at the highest order as I also believe the Islamo-communists are working together. Nothing upset my Bulgarian friend worse than stating Putin couldn’t have invaded Ukraine unless Obama said it was “Ok”.
I found your post confusing. By non-Caucasians, you’re talking about, I assume, people not from the Caucasian region? And the idea that Bulgaria, a nation that suffered much under Communism and the Soviet Union, sees a former KGB Colonel as a paladin of Christ seems beyond credulity? Also how many of these Bulgarians are you getting your insights from?
"Don’t forget, the first Crimean War was in part a fight between the Catholics (France/England)against Eastern Orthodoxy."
I consider that unlikely. The superficial aspects of religious rivalry were --- I offer this as my opinion --- entirely subsumed under the larger commercial and imperial rivalry between the Ottoman Empire and it allies (Britain and France) vs Russia for control of the Black Sea.
At that time (mid-19th century) the French regime was largely anti-religious (secularism, laïcité) and Britain was still legally suppressing and repressing Catholicism, while not (I think) much motivated by Anglican, Methodist or Calvinist piety.
I could be wrong, but I remain unconvinced that either France or Britain represented --of all things--- Catholicism.
But there's a lot I don't know, of course.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.