Russian TV: Russian legislators have set up a group to protect traditional Christian values and fight “aggressive liberalism,” secularism, violence, and drug, alcohol and gambling addiction.
Put forward by Communist MP Sergey Gavrilov and a deputy from the United Russia party, Sergey Popov, the idea received approval from the Russian Orthodox Church leadership, Interfax reports.
The point of the initiative is to use legislative instruments to counter “totalitarian and sectarian ideologies,” and “unlimited propaganda of hedonism” together with the Church, Gavrilov told the agency.
“Deputies from different State Duma parties are unanimous in their assessment of the role and importance of the Russian Orthodox Church for the preservation of the spiritual, moral, cultural and socio-political identity of the Russian Federation as a unique Christian civilization,” the Communist stated.
About 20 deputies from the Communist Party (KPRF) and the ruling United Russia are planning to join the parliamentary group, which will be headed by Gavrilov and Popov.
Gavrilov noted that the decision to create the body follows a series of scandals, including the so-called “punk-prayer” performed by feminist band Pussy Riot in Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral. That very cathedral is of course a replica of the building which was pulled down in 1931 – by order of the Communist leadership.
Categories: CHRISTIANITY, Europe, Faith, Russia
Even though well intentioned this will be clearly vioation of the principles of separation of Church and State, as the State will be favoring one religion over the others. They should encourage morality on rational grounds based on utilitarian values of such teachings, which would then lead to family values that are common between religions being encouraged in the society but on the authority of reason and rationality rather than the religion of the majority, as a result ensuring complete religious freedom for everyone at the same time.
We encourage the Russian politicians to review our collection of articles about separation of Mosque-Church and State in our Islam for the West website.