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In reply to the discussion: Russian Orthodox Church organises against Pussy Riot punks [View all]Jack Rabbit
(45,984 posts)It seems to be something that some people believe is fashionable nowadays. Not being one of those, it bothers me.
It reminds one a little bit of what that eminent critic of Russian society and culture, Fyodor Dosteyevsky, wrote about in the story of the Grand Inquisitor embedded in The Brothers Karamazov. Dostoyevsky may have been using the Roman Catholic Church as a stand in for the Russian Orthodox Church. In any case, for those not familiar with the story, the Grand Inquisitor condemns a stranger to death, knowing full well that the stranger is Christ returned to earth. He tells Christ that is it necessary to kill him all over again if the Church is to maintain its authority. Authority, not Christ, is what is tantamount.
So, authority goes unquestioned because if it is challenged, then it is no authority. The Church backs Putin, who rigs elections and murders his opponents the way it once backed the Romanovs, who plunged the nation into unnecessary wars, freed surfs only belatedly and winked at pogroms.