We have recently discussed how Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia have arrested and flogged atheists under medieval Sharia legal systems. However, the most recent case is not out of the Middle East but rather Russia. Viktor Krasnov has been arrested for simply stating his belief that “there is no God” during an argument on social media. For his atheist views, Krasnov has been charged with “offending believers feelings.” He is the latest victim of the political alliance of Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church.
We previously discussed how Putin’s government shut down atheist sites as part of its alliance with the Russian Orthodox Church. In return for draconian laws and prosecutions of religious and social dissidents, the Church has thrown its weight behind Putin and his authoritarian government. That unholy alliance was in full view with the abusive prosecution of the band “Pussy Riot” for a protest performance at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior in February 2012. The law was passed after that notorious case.
Viktor Krasnov has committed the crime of discussing his view of faith as well as his statement that the “Bible is a collection of Jewish fairy tales” on European social networking site Vk.com in 2014. He is now on trial in the city of Stavropol in southern Russia. Adding to this nightmare, Krasnov was forced into a month-long psychiatric check during the investigation. After declaring him sane, he is now being prosecuted because he is sane but also an atheist.
The shocking rollback of both civil liberties and the freedom of the press in Russia has been shocking. The use of state power to crush critics of both Putin and the Russia Orthodox Church has moved the country back into time. In combination with military expansionist policies, Putin’s authoritarian rule is becoming painfully familiar to students of history.
Source: NBC
Praise the Lard and pass the ammunition. The Germans are coming.
Now we are going to have Russian Communist Catholics coming to our shores to preach the gospel. They may be of an Eastern Orthodox stripe. Be careful out there.
The “right” what Glenn? Or, should I ask, the “right” of what? That comment could be anyone depending what your reference point is.
do know
Now we know why the right loves Putin,
Glenn – I do not know anyone on the right who “loves” Putin. However, I do not plenty who are nervous about him.
Why do we never see bare chested Russian Orthodox priests in the pictures with Putin? Just asking.
It is fascinating that in the 21st century and with all evidence to the contrary readily available, there are those still believing that human nature evolves. The only thing that evolves are the various institutions the people create to keep our human nature in check. We once had (and could have again) a model constitutional republic that began with a great vision for equality and security of unalienable rights. Sadly, over the last 100 years we have been regressing away from that vision towards authoritarian rule. Instead of equality and unalienable rights it’s the social justice movement (masquerading as an equality cause) attacking unalienable rights. The people then clamor for “their” authoritarian to be in power and be damned what measures are enacted to provide that measure of ‘security”. This is how nations fail, they create this Frankenstein of a weaponized, bureaucratic state that ultimately leaves no one secure in their lives, their liberty or their property. We can only regress so far before the people will have had enough and they will take matters into their own hands.
It is obvious that secular power and religious power are aligning, a la the middle ages. This seems to be the case in most backward nations, and Russia is a backward nation. It has been subdued in one way or another for almost all of its existence. Russia could never afford a circus such as can be found in Washington. Its people are not evolved enough to be able to laugh at themselves. All this said and done, what is with the hat on the head of that pope type? Does he think he is a cathedral or something? Is their a hierarchy of hats for these buffoons? The haut couture world should be inspired.
When I visited Russia in 1990 and saw the double eagle everywhere again I knew where Russia was heading. That double eagle is also the symbol of Czar and Orthodox Church united.
What wankers are those Russkies!
Here in the US, you only get in trouble, lose your job, or lose your business for failing to praise the gods of diversity and transgenderism and gay marriage.
Religion is the opiate of the people. By the people, for the people, to control the people. Now shut down these comments and pass the plate.
@bams
Or maybe the commies and Putin figured out that when you take religion out of the picture, you are taking out the glue that holds your society together. Take out religion and things are far worse than they were with religion. That is one thing I see happening to America. More and more of us have nothing to believe it in the way of a higher purpose, sooo we take drugs, drink, screw around, watch porn, abort babies, steal, grift, whatever to pass the time as opposed to getting married, having babies, raising babies, and then helping to raise grandkids.
Japan is about to go through the scenario of what happens when you let people do exactly, precisely what they want to do, and what they did was to read Rapeman Mangas, and sit around playing with themselves. The result is that their population is starting to decline. America ain’t far behind, unless we let a bunch Catholic Hispanics in to goose it up for a few generations.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Naive of you to be shocked.
In my opinion, part of the reason for the crackdown is because Putin is now desperately attempting to portray Russia–once a place in which the freedom to openly practice one’s religion was forbidden–as an oasis of stability, where all faiths freely operate and exist within a safe and welcoming environment, untouched by the previous widespread discrimination and persecution synonymous with Communism. Why? Because he is actively and aggressively courting foreign investment. Obviously, anything contradicting that much sought after image, will be dealt with accordingly. Nothing like a crackdown of freedom to prove the existence of freedom.
A very close friend of mine, who hails from the former Soviet Union and arrived in the US approximately 25 years ago, receives a couple of Russian channels on her television and is constantly shocked by the programs being broadcast out of her former home country. Concerts, filled with religious songs and dances, are now freely shown–something which was unthinkable–an impossibility–a couple of decades ago.
Chinggis say, yes, there is God. His name is Putin. (Ras)Putin. Worship him or die. Just like Burning Bush, look into (Ras)Putin’s ice and see his sole, which is size 11, extra wide. In Russia they test (Ras)Putin’s heart – hook up heart to EKGB machine. If test shows blood made of ice, he is alive.
Very ironic twist of fate in a formerly godless, atheistic, Communistic society. You have mentioned Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church moving Russia back in time coupled with Putin’s military expansionist policies. While I will be the first to denounce religious and political fascism, in all due fairness to Vladimir Putin, a man I have come to admire on many fronts, let us NOT forget WHY Russia has been compelled into military expansionism. Thanks to our own imperialistic government hellbent on global hegemony, by the overthrowing Ukraine’s democratically elected president and installing a neo Nazi puppet president, and fomenting civil unrest and civil conflict in that country, it has forced Putin’s hand. Let us not forget the West’s motive. To make the Ukraine another NATO state and surround Russia with NATO states and install military hardware and missiles to bring Russia “to heel” to quote a phrase popular with Mrs. Clinton. The goal is to marginalize Russia with sanctions and to demonize Putin. Putin will have nothing to do with the New World Order and this pisses off the West. I can not blame Putin for his political actions and the growing alliance between Russia and China to counterbalance American aggression and Obama’s so called “pivot to Asia”. As the United States becomes ever so much more aggressive and bellicose, it is not surprising to me that nations in the cross hairs of Washington are beefing up their military. The United States will do anything to maintain its military superiority and superpower status in the world as it flirts with provoking a WW III conflict that could incinerate the Earth. While it is deplorable that Putin had “Pussy Riot” arrested and incarcerated and he has resorted to religious oppression, let’s not lose sight of the larger picture as to why he has moved in the direction of military expansionism. It is in direct response to NATO’s encroachment on territories bordering Russia agreed by Bush Sr. and Gorbachev to be off limits. Basically the West is out of control and we can not fault President Putin for pushing back against American and European reckless and aggressive behavior.
Russia is trying to hold of its society and restore some sanity. Religion is a realistic necessity, and smart alecks who attack religion, don’t help things. It’s hard enough to hold a society together without nincompoops attacking the glue.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
to bounce back so quickly – I guess this explains the Soviet uprising
How things have come full circle in Russia.
His defense should be that he is a Communist. Putin: Do you know what that is?