Multiculturalism - Our strength or our weakness > Russian Orthodox Patriarch blasts multiculturalism

 

Western countries have adopted the slogan 'Diversity is our strength!'  I'm not sure who invented that term or on what basis it was established, but one could easily argue that the opposite is true. 

Here, the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church explains what is wrong with multiculturalism.

Christian leader blasts multiculturalism

The traditional spiritual values of the Russian people are being “crossed out,” Patriarch Kirill has said

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia speaks during the opening of the 33rd International Christmas Educational Readings in Moscow. © Sputnik / Stanislav Krasilnikov

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has warned about attempts to use multiculturalism to turn the country into a “nationless and faithless” society.

The traditional spiritual values of the Russian people are sometimes being “not just trampled upon, but literally crossed out,” Kirill said during a speech in Moscow on Tuesday, as cited by the official website of the church.

It happens despite the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022 signed a decree clearly stating that “Orthodoxy plays a special role in the formation and strengthening of traditional values,” he reminded churchgoers.

“Crosses on pictures with churches and even in state symbols are being shamefully rubbed out. Although, one should not be ashamed of the cross, but of one’s own rootlessness and forgetfulness,” the patriarch stressed.

READ MORE: Russian army needs more priests – Church

He sounded the alarm over the alleged persecution of Christian humanities faculty lecturers at the country’s universities, saying “it turns out that even in the teaching of Russia’s history there can be ‘too much religion.’”

“They are repeating the idea that Russia is a ‘multinational and multi-confessional’ country like a mantra. Nobody would have argued with this if in practice this formula did not turn into an attempt to reformat our Fatherland into a nationless and faithless society,” Kirill stressed.

Russia is home to 195 peoples, who speak between 277 and 295 dialects, according to the country’s Ministry of Science.

A study carried out by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTSIOM) last year suggested that the vast majority of Russians considered themselves Orthodox Christians (66%), followed by Muslims (6%), Buddhists (1%), Protestants (1%), Jews and Catholics (both less than 1%). Another 13% said that they were non-believers.

If you dig deep into the universities, you are likely to find many of that 13% of non-believers. You might also stumble across some hint of George Soros since every Western country where Soros is active is becoming more and more antiChristian and antisemitic.

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Young Russians Falling Away From Orthodox Christianity for Atheism and Islam - Is it a Sign?

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Poll reveals big drop in number of Russians who claim to be Orthodox Christians as Islam becomes more popular with country's youth

23 Mar, 2021 14:29

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill conducts a service marking the 12th anniversary of his enthronement,

at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, in Moscow, Russia. © Sputnik

The number of atheists in Russia has doubled from 7% to 14% in just four years, with less than half of those under the age of 25 declaring themselves to be Orthodox Christian, compared to 66% for the population as a whole.

That’s according to a new poll from WCIOM, which revealed that faith in a Christian God is dropping with each generation.

On the contrary, Islam has held steady, remaining at around 6% of the entire population. Unlike Christianity, the popularity of the Muslim faith is far more prevalent in the young than the old, with under 25s having double (12%) the proportion of believers compared the country as a whole.

During the Soviet era, religion was officially banned, and church property was seized by the state. In the following decades, Orthodox Christianity rose in popularity, with the Russian Academy of Sciences estimating in 2013 that 79% of Russians were believers. However, in recent years, polling has shown a decline in the number of religious citizens.

According to the study, in 2017, 7% of Russians called themselves atheists. This has now risen to 14%. This has come at the expense of Orthodox Christianity, with the 2017 figure of 75% dropping to 66%. Islam has held steady at 6%.

Other recorded religions included Buddhism (1%) and Protestantism (1%), with Catholicism receiving 0%.

Interestingly, the age ranges most likely to consider themselves atheists are 18-24, 25-35, and 60+. The figure for the oldest group may reflect a generation growing up before the fall of the Soviet Union, where state atheism was an official policy.

Last summer, Russian citizens voted in favor of a packet of amendments to the country’s constitution. One of the most controversial additions was to explicitly mention faith in God as a core belief of the country.

"Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition" - 2 Thess 2:1-3

Pavel Datsuk Pleads Directly to Putin to Intervene in Arrest of Rebel Orthodox Leader Shiigumen Sergius

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Ex-NHL star Datsyuk calls on Putin to intervene after arrest of rebel priest

who called Covid ‘pseudo-pandemic’

11 Jan 2021 13:32

Sergius was arrested in December but has been supported by Datsyuk. © Sputnik / Reuters

Former Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk has turned to President Vladimir Putin to ask him to look into the details of the “outrageous situation” involving Shiigumen Sergius (aka Father Superior), who was arrested in December.

The letter addressed to Putin, signed by the former NHL star and others, described the priest’s detention as “total lawlessness” and claimed Russian special police forces attacked Ekaterinburg’s Central Urals Monastery in violation of the law and injured many people.

“Extreme circumstances forced us to personally address you, as the guarantor of the Russian Constitution,” it read.

“On the night of December 29, several hundred armed people stormed the monastery using special-purpose equipment.

“Without showing any documents and bringing any accusations, they forcefully took Shiigumen Sergius out of the monastery. After that they rioted the monastery’s territory,” it added.

The letter said that over 500 people, including women and children, who were inside the building were forced to spend several hours in temperatures of -26C (-14F).

Datsyuk, who was among many public figures to sign the letter and attended services held by Sergius, said the priest was wrongfully accused of crimes he has never committed.

Russian police officers detained the priest after footage of his sermon leaked online.

In the video, Shiigumen Sergius is seen talking about people who committed suicide and asking his parishioners, including underage people, whether they were ready to die for Russia.

The priest was accused of inciting people to suicide, infringing on rights and religious freedoms and usurpation of power.

I don't know the details of this sermon. If he indeed was inciting people to commit suicide then he needs to be locked up. On the other hand, any Christian church that does not preach the doctrine of 'dying to self', that is, 'dying to the lusts of the flesh', is no church at all. This has nothing to do with physical death but is a moral and spiritual process.

He has been accused of being anti-semitic which cannot happen in a church operating in the Holy Spirit. Yes, I know Martin Luther wrote an anti-semitic paper one time, but it was shortly after the death of his beloved youngest daughter, which affected him very deeply. I suspect he was angry at God and deflected it onto God's chosen people.

The priest made the headlines last year after he was banned from conducting religious duties because of his claims that the Covid-19 outbreak was a “pseudo-pandemic” and that it was being used as an excuse to microchip the public.

Sergius also complained that the closure of churches in Russia during the coronavirus crisis was done under pressure from “the atheistic authorities.”

2 Officers, 1 Worshiper Killed in Attack on Orthodox Church in Chechnya

War on Christianity - Islam storms church in Chechnya

Two officers and a worshiper were killed as armed militants attempted to storm an Orthodox church in Russia’s Chechnya. The attack was thwarted by law enforcers, who shot dead four militants.

The Church of Michael the Archangel in Grozny, the capital of Russia’s Republic of Chechnya, was attacked on Saturday by a group of gunmen, who attempted to take parishioners hostage.

A female worshiper told RIA-Novosti that the shooting outside the church began during the evening service, which was attended by around 15 people.

“One of the men rushed to block the door with a chair… we were holding the door,” the woman said, adding that shots from what she thought were pistols and machine guns were fired.

She also said that the priest’s children were playing outside when the attack began, and his wife had to rush from the church to lead them to safety.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said that two officers were killed at the church, while one worshiper also lost his life. Knives and a sawn-off shotgun were recovered from the militants after they were eliminated.

“The professionalism of the police officers guarding the church prevented more serious consequences of the attack and avoided a large number of casualties,” the Investigative Committee said on its website.

The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, also confirmed the elimination of the militants as a result of a “swift security operation.” Three of the killed militants were residents of Chechnya, while the leader of the gang was from “one of the neighboring regions,” he added. 

Kadyrov also said that "there is intelligence data that the militants received the order [to carry out the attack] from one of the Western countries."

Mufti Ismail Berdiyev, chairman of the Coordination Center of North Caucasus Muslims, has condemned the attack, which he said was aimed at destabilizing the situation in Chechnya.

“It was deliberately done during the holy month in order to destabilize the situation. It’s the month of Ramadan now. It’s the time when not only wars are forbidden, but even foul language is outlawed,” Berdiyev told TASS.

And yet, in most Islamic countries, where Christian churches are permitted, they have to be guarded by police continuously, even in Ramadan.

The attack was “yet another attempt by pseudo-Islamic extremists to pit Orthodox Christians and Muslims against each other,” said Vladimir Legoyda, head of the Synodal Information Department of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Regime Change Leads to Chaos & Persecution of Christians – Senior Russian Cleric

Did you know there was a conference of 130 countries this week on Christian persecution, in Washington? This is the first I have heard of it. Certainly, you will not hear about it from main-stream media. But if such a conference were held about transgender rights, it would be front-page news. 

MSM's anti-Christian bias is showing again!

Metropolitan Illarion of Volokolamsk, vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia 

© Ekaterina Chesnokova / Sputnik

The policy of regime change “in the name of democracy” gives terrorists control over vast territories and makes Christians flee and suffer, Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev told RT during his Washington visit.

One of the top clerics of the Russian Orthodox Church and head of External Church Relations, Hilarion Alfeyev, spoke to an RT correspondent after the World Summit in Defense of Persecuted Christians, which took place in the US capital.

The forum gathered representatives of more than 130 countries to testify on the persecution of Christians around the world.

Alfeyev noted that events in some states have “one and the same scenario,” in which an existing regime is accused of various crimes and the leader is ousted for being ‘undemocratic.’

“The regime is overthrown in the name of democracy, but instead of democracy… political chaos comes,” he told RT.

This allows terrorists to seize territory, jeopardizing Christian communities and causing people to flee as they are persecuted in their own land.

“This is precisely the situation that is used by terrorists to gain control of huge territories. This happened in Iraq, this happened in Libya,” he said, adding that great amounts of people have left those countries and many Christians there are still in danger.

“In Iraq under Saddam Hussein there were 1.5 million Christians, now there is probably one tenth of this quantity left and even those who are left are in constant danger. In Libya there was a strong Christian community, there is practically none of it left,” he said.

He added that he does not support any particular regime, but they can maintain “certain balances” between various religious and ethnic groups. The destruction of these balances leads to “tragedy for the Christians of Middle East.”

“It is largely due to the actions of previous administrations of the United States that the situation in the Middle East developed in this deplorable direction,” he said.

In 2003, the US-led invasion of Iraq started under a false pretext to eliminate weapons of mass destruction allegedly possessed by leader Saddam Hussein. The weapons were never found, but Hussein was deposed and later executed. Following the invasion, Iraq suffered a growing insurgency, which led to the spread of terrorism, and eventually, Islamic State, which has been particularly ruthless in their persecution of religious minorities, including Christians.

The UN-authorized intervention in Libya in 2011 led to the overthrow and murder of the country’s leader, Muammar Gaddafi. Libya still does not have a unified government, and is torn apart by rival groups and radical jihadists.

Alfeyev also had the opportunity to speak with US Vice President Mike Pence ahead of the meeting in Washington.

“If there are several anti-terrorist coalitions which are fighting against one another, then the problem will remain and this is precisely what terrorists want. If the countries [are] able to set their political differences aside in order to act as allies in one anti-terrorist coalition, then it would be possible to win over terrorism,” he told Pence.

He also said that the Russian Orthodox Christian leadership supports Russia-US cooperation in restoring peace to Syria.

When asked why the US media does not pay much attention to the persecution of Christians, he said that many of them “are in the hands of those in opposition to the current President of the country.”

Alfeyev noted that he was rather surprised by the level of “anti-Trump hysteria” in the US media.

Christmas 2015 Deadly for Believers in Philippines

CBN News

News you didn't see on CNN

Philippine Christmas lantern

Christmas a was a very deadly time for Christians in the Philippines. Father Sebastiano D'Ambra told Aid to the Church in Need that 14 people were murdered on Christmas day and a grenade was thrown at a chapel.

Nine Christians were also killed on Christmas Eve. The murders were committed by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.


The Christmas holiday itself was banned in some Muslim nations.

Morning Star News reports the Somali government banned Christmas and New Year's celebrations since they "could damage the faith of the Muslim community."

Faith that fragile is hardly 'faith'!

The Southeast Asian nation of Brunei also forbid Christmas, threatening fines and prison time for wearing a cross, lighting candles, putting up decorations, or sending Christmas cards, AsiaNews reported.

Tajikistan banned Christmas trees and gift-giving in schools after already having banned Russia's version of Santa Claus—Father Frost.


Christians in Crimea targeted

In Crimea, which was taken from Ukraine by Russia, "Russian occupation authorities" are threatening all religions outside the Russian Orthodox Church, according to the U.S. State Department.

The report said, "In the areas they control, the (Russian-backed) separatists have kidnapped, beaten, and threatened Protestants, Catholics, and members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate.

More than 1,100 religious communities that were recognized under Ukrainian law are no longer allowed under Russian law.