The head of Synod Department on Relationship of Church and Society archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin considers that believers should be rigid and staunch in upholding of their shrines. "I actually consider that our believers in the twenties when Lenin initiated repressions against them should have answered differently, than they did. They should have answered with all force of arms and mass resistance against Bolsheviks", - the priest told on Wednesday at a meeting with students of the Higher School of Television of the Moscow State University.
In his opinion, it would be "moral business, behavior worthy of the Christian - to destroy as many Bolsheviks as possible to defend things which are sacred for the Christian and to dethrone the Bolshevist power", - “Interfax” quotes the priest.
Apparently, Chaplin knows history of own church not very well, actually it’s not surprising - he knows not much in general. Lenin didn't initiate repressions against church - that letter which they like to quote was only emotional answer to brutal murder of Bolsheviks by White Guards with assistance of priests.
Those were “Orthodox” themselves who actually destroyed temples and sent priests away - men returned from war and started establishing of the power, the Soviet one. While priests were strongly associated with oppressors, with former mode – well, they, actually were its part. As a result all suffered - both right and guilty, while Bolsheviks sttod aside, they had more important business, than to run after the priests.
Though the matter is actually is in the appeal of the orthodox priest "to destroy as many Bolsheviks as possible". I don't want to rat on Chaplin to the prosecutor's office - let them make order by themselves, priests are getting already dangerous to citizens... But what strange interpretation of Christianity which generally teaches to love own enemies!? May be it’s big mistake to consider the Russian Orthodox Church Christian church? Really there is an impression that there is Christianity and there is Orthodoxy - such aggressive pagan cult of worship of the emperor.
Though what connection is there between Bolsheviks who haven’t dethroned the emperor, but were at war with white whose leaders Kornilov, Kolchak, Denikin were even more ardent republicans, than Lenin?
The most ridiculous is that Lenin and Marx were much more Christian thinkers, than present adherents of strange modern Orthodoxy. In any case, they didn't cross the limits of humanity, didn't urge to exterminate "as many as possible” opponents physically. It’s strange that the Soviet "godless" power was able to forgive enemies - for example, even general Slashchev (remember ranks of hung up in the film "Beg" - Slashchev is Hludov's prototype) received forgiveness, returned from emigration and taught on the courses for officers "Vystrel". While Chaplin even died long ago Bolsheviks won’t ever forgive. Such Christian.
It is surprising how light Christian idea literally right in front of our eyes turns into a gloomy fanatic cult where they openly demand to kill for insult of a "shrine" - true or imaginary. More than that they are ready to kill with all the cruelty their imagination can offer.
Yes, by the way about "insult of a shrine" – when was Christ the Savior Cathedral included into a number of shrines of the orthodox world?
Well... However girls before amvony offended me much less, than the state criminals to whom the clergy renders signs of special goodwill standing on patronal holidays in the same temple with candles. I was offended by memorial service for usurper Yeltsin as earlier I got offended by his presence in this temple, I was offended that instead of following the rules kissing of the hand of the patriarch our "publicly drinking" shook hands with him - and the patriarch perceived it as due. A little bit and he would start kissing the hand of the head of the state himself... Well, this all is ahead.
Anatoly Baranov
