[Spotykach] clash of cultures

[Aleksei]

A pretty disgusting one. Shocking how any shit containing words "civic
society"
and "democracy" gots published. Mainstream Russian orthodox church is
a fortification of reaction and anti-semitism, as an example of their role
in the
society I just forwarded a text to Alter-EE on "Caution! Religion!" court
case.

>regards, Olga
>
>The Orthodox Are Coming
>Previous page  page 1 of 2  next page
>
>by Nicolai N. Petro
>25 March 2005
> Huntington portrays the Eastern and Western halves of Europe as profoundly
alien, and "the eastern boundary of Western Christianity [as] . . . the most
significant dividing line in Europe."

This would put Greece to Eastern Europe, and Croatia, Poland and Hungary to
West. These people
seem to always reconsider definitions of "East" and "West" according to
current political needs.

>which can be most clearly traced in the Russian Orthodox Church because of
its size and its impact on the whole Orthodox world.

Least clearly. Since Peter I, ultra-centralist ROC has been nothing put
puppet of whoever was in power.

>Unlike Roman Catholicism, Orthodoxy is highly decentralized and dispersed.
There is no supreme papal authority overseeing the 15 autocephalous Local
Orthodox Churches.

In highest level, yes. But Russian Branch is authoritarian and centralized.


> In this capacity the ROC has also had to come to terms with de facto
religious pluralism of modern Russia.

Wishful thinking...

> the leadership of the ROC decided to give up the role of the institutional
Church as a political competitor, and to establish it as a neutral arbiter.

Ha ha! They keep bashing Staroobryatsy, and other orthodox churches, such as
Foreign Orthodox Church and
True Orthodox Church. For example
after establishing of the Palestinian Autonomy, Arafat traded churches in
his area to ROC, and gave boot to ROC
which had administred them since 20's.

>The Orthodox Church does not shun the world, or abstain from politics. Its
politics, however, are non-partisan, a call to "calming of political
passions, and concern for peace and harmony" and to civic dialogue.

As long as there is agreement about necessity to slain Chechen separatists
(although to be honests, there is
also a small anti-war fraction in ROC).

>and, most recently, Ukraine.

Where they took a stance for Yanuschenko, officially announcing that those
voting for Yuschenko
will perhaps not be allowed to heaven. Writer of this is totally off the
hook!

> Clearly, Orthodoxy has been good for business.

Something I would not disagree with. And more importantly, Orthodox church
has been a great business itself,
although as much due to tax amnesties than due to business skills. For
example, they lead vodka
market in many regions.

>Nicolai N. Petro is professor of political science at the University of
Rhode Island (USA). His most recent book is Crafting Democracy (Cornell
University Press, 2004), available in both English and Russian. This article
originally appeared in New Europe Review.

Aleksei