Posted on 01/22/2018 12:31:07 PM PST by GoldenState_Rose
It is now well over a year since Vladimir Putin's Russia passed 'anti-missionary' laws and more than 180 cases have since been brought.
Activities ranging from prayer meetings in homes, posting worship times on a religious website and praying in the presence of other citizens have been interpreted as 'missionary activity' with Christians making up the vast majority of the law's victims.
One case is that of Donald Ossewaarde, an American Baptist preacher living in Oryol, who was expelled for hosting a church meeting in his house.
Having lost appeals throughout the Russian judiciary system, Ossewaarde's case is now with the European Court of Human Rights. Although confident he will win there, Ossewaarde is convinced he will never be allowed back into Russia.
Speaking to Christian Today at a conference run by ADF International, a legal charity that represents Ossewaarde, he explains his conviction the Church was behind his arrest.
'I know that they have profited from what has happened to me,' he says. 'They are obviously the ones who benefit the most from going after any other form of Christian.'
But the one religious group not affected by the so-called Yarovaya law is the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Russian Orthodox Church is used 'as a political' tool, he says, by Putin whose history raises questions about the sincerity of his faith.
'It is all a façade,' he says, bemoaning Putin's propaganda success in presenting himself at home and internationally as a champion of conservative Christian values by opposing homosexuality and abortion.
'I think that is all just for show. He portrays himself to the Russian people as a moral leader, a Christian leader. I think that is just a façade he puts on because he knows it sells well.'
(Excerpt) Read more at christiantoday.com ...
Putin says "Communist ideology similar to Christianity, Lenin's body like saintly relics."
https://www.rt.com/news/415883-putin-communist-ideology-christianity/
Russia's Crackdown on Evangelism Leads to Prosecution of Mostly Christians 1 Year After 'Anti-Missionary' Law
https://www.christianpost.com/news/russias-crackdown-evangelism-leads-prosecution-christians-1-year-after-anti-missionary-law-195265/
Thousands fast and pray after Putin signs law banning evangelism outside of churches.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/07/12/thousands-fast-after-putin-signs-law-banning-evangelism-outside-churches.html
Franklin Graham Cancels Persecution Summit in Moscow over Repressive Law
http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2016/august/franklin-graham-cancels-christian-world-summit-in-moscow
“The Russian Orthodox Church is used ‘as a political’ tool, he says, by Putin whose history raises questions about the sincerity of his faith.”
The Russian Orthodox Church has always guarded its territory zealously. No further explanation is needed to explain the expulsion of a Baptist missionary.
Many Americans would be insulted if the Russians started sending missionaries here. We’re the ones who send missionaries, not the ones who need them. Why wouldn’t the Russian Orthodox feel the same way?
Then what about John Calvin’s?
Anyone who knows anything about him knows this. He was raised by the NKVD/KGB/FSB.
Missionaries spreading what? They’ve been sending them since at least the 30’s.
I’m Catholic and especially as an American, would never advocate the same to happen to an Orthodox priest. (Quite the contrary I attend Orthodox liturgies on their holidays.) I sometimes attend Evangelical Bible studies also.
Putin would have worked for the Okhrana, if the Romanovs were still in power.
“...not the one who needs them” Your assumptions are wrong. While the US sends out the most Christian missionaries, we also receive the most missionaries.
And yes, we need all the help we can get.
Quite a few lessons were learned from John Calvin dear cmj - which is why religious freedom and the forbidding of an established government church is enshrined in which Amendment of our “matchless” Constitution?
THE FIRST.
This is in the interest of Christians, not to our detriment.
His people killed the Romanovs.
Uh, yeah. Russian Orthodoxy is the state religion of Russia. Any one who visits there should know that going in.
And anyone who visits Russia should also know going in that people in Russia do not have the same freedoms that we have in the United States. That's just a fact.
Putin would have sided with whomever was in power.
Yes he would.
Catholic, Evangelical, AND Orthodox groups have helped tackle Russia’s most pressing social ills from its HIV crisis (the rate has skyrocketed in this past decade alone infecting 1% of the Russian population) - rehab centers for alcoholics and drug addicts (life expectancy and male mortality in particular is of grave concern in Russia) and crisis pregnancy centers.
Orthodox groups have gotten their cues and methods of pro-life activism from Americans who’ve had a hand in helping shape the movement in Russia also. (Which after China, historically has the highest abortion rate in the world.)
There was relative religious freedom for over two decades following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Many countries, from China, to Korea, to Germany, to Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan have banned specific religious groups and proselytization. Certainly not ideal, but we don’t view any of them as enemies.
Hell, American soldiers are even sent to die for the needs of Saudis and Afghanis.
Is George Soros paying you per each anti-Russian post you make?
So you say, but the state religion was still Russian Orthodoxy.
As long as a state has a state religion, religious freedom is an illusion.
They may hate each other, but Putin and Soros have one thing in common.
George Soros is not a Christian.
“And yes, we need all the help we can get.”
I was speaking of attitudes, not the state of men’s souls.
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