Why repression is much better for the Church than flirting with authorities

In Russia, Muslims are gaining more and more influence. Photo: UOJ

From the perspective of representatives and believers of the Russian Orthodox Church, a prevalent thesis today is that Ukraine is governed by a godless authority, while Russia is seen as entirely Christian. Russian Orthodox individuals take great pride in their president attending religious services and observing all rites, and they note that officials across the country strive to follow his example by building churches, providing financial support to the ROC, and so on. Many perceive this as a sign of the "reincarnation" of an Orthodox empire led by an Orthodox tsar.

Based on this view, Russians criticize Ukrainians, saying that instead of supporting Russia, which supposedly offers an abundant environment for the Orthodox faith, they are fighting for their godless country.

At the moment, everything really looks like this: in Ukraine, the authorities persecute the Church, whereas in the Russian Federation they support it. However, as we know, "everything flows, everything changes."

At the end of 2022, in a report at a diocesan meeting, Patriarch Kirill spoke about a “significant threat” from migrants, who “bring along an increase in crime and conflicts not only on domestic, but also on national and religious grounds, creating closed enclaves with shadow economies and even autonomous social systems, inhabited by people who live in isolation and are often hostile to the indigenous population.

According to the primate of the ROC, "the influx of a significant number of individuals with different customs can seriously alter the life of our people, including posing a threat to the preservation of its spiritual foundations and traditions."

"Many rightly ask questions: what values, what way of life do migrants bring? How do they treat the indigenous population of our country, our sacred places, our diverse people, our history, and our traditions? Isn't it time to talk about the need not only for the quantitative preservation of the nation but also for the preservation of its identity?" addressed the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church those present.

Although the head of the Russian Church did not specify which confession he sees as a threat to "conflicts on religious grounds," there is no doubt that he was referring to Muslims. And in the time that has passed since the speech, it cannot be said that the situation has improved.

We present a compilation of news about Muslims in Russia for the last month alone:

During Eid al-Adha, over 300,000 people prayed in mosques in Moscow and the surrounding region. Approximately 200,000 Muslims gathered around three mosques in Moscow (streets adjacent to them), with nearly 70,000 at each mosque.

On July 17, in Naberezhnye Chelny, a Muslim stabbed a visiting Russian citizen, shouting "Allahu Akbar."

On July 21, a column of Muslims marched through Moscow shouting "Takbir, Allahu Akbar!" to protest the security forces' inspection of one of the mosques.

On July 28, Muslims arrived at the St. Victor Warrior Russian Orthodox Church in Kotelniki to perform Friday prayers after security forces reported a "bomb threat" at their mosque, located in one of the residential buildings.

In the middle of July, a scandal erupted in one of the residential complexes in Moscow involving a group of Chechens who prohibited residents from walking their dogs because dogs are considered unclean animals by Muslims.

And these are just conflicts with religious implications. Additionally, there are numerous everyday conflicts where Muslim migrants oppress the local Russian population. People tend to avoid talking about it openly, but Russian social media is filled with such messages. For instance, blogger and priest of the Russian Orthodox Church, Father Sviatoslav Shevchenko, reported that in his hometown of Blagoveshchensk in the Russian Far East, a group of Muslim migrants expelled Russian teenagers from a football field so they could play themselves. This is one of the less serious examples, as there are cases with much more tragic outcomes.

Gradually, following the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, the leadership of the Church also begins to speak about the 'Muslim threat.' For example, Bishop Savva (Tutunov), the vicar of Patriarch Kirill, stated that in Russia, migrants without knowledge of the language too easily obtain passports, and he cited a case involving the murderer of a 'Russian woman'.

"We can continue to point to France, but are we sure that in a few years, we will endure nationalist riots as ironically and without significant consequences as the French? Will it end up with just a couple of hundred cars being burned?" the hierarch poses a question.

In another publication, he writes that the proliferation of mosques poses a threat to the preservation of the spiritual traditions of Russians: "Are guests from Central Asia coming here to work or to occupy our country?"

The same Father Sviatoslav Shevchenko speaks more extensively about this problem: 'You know, I have repeatedly written that the proportion of Muslims in non-Islamic regions of Russia is constantly growing. In the future, we may face a situation where representatives of Islam will become the overwhelming majority in the country. Because of our sins, God may give our land to them – people who welcome large families, do not have abortions, take care of their physical shape, and honor their faith.

There is a popular wisdom that a Russian peasant will not cross himself until the lightning strikes. It is quite possible that only when becoming a minority in their own country, Russian people will finally wake up to stop drinking excessively, to start doing sports, give birth to children, and turn to the faith of their ancestors – Orthodoxy. We may be eventually compelled to stick together in groups to survive. Then the Lord will help us look at patriotism differently."

And this is not just his personal opinion. Several years ago, Russia made sarcastic comments about similar problems in Europe, which accepted a large number of Muslim migrants. Now, Russians are facing a similar situation. And what will happen when Muslims come to power? What if someone like Kadyrov becomes the president of Russia? Despite all the "peacekeeping" statements, Muslims have very low tolerance for Christianity and Christian shrines. It is enough to remember "democratic" Turkey, where in 2020, Hagia Sophia and other ancient Byzantine churches were converted into mosques. Moreover, Taliban officials publicly say that the task of Muslims is to "break and destroy crosses."

Therefore, there is a significant probability that in the event of Muslims coming to power in Russia, the Russian Orthodox Church, which has sunk into a "warm bath" of symphony with the authorities, may face very difficult times comparable to the rise of the Bolsheviks a century ago. At that point, all talk about the "Third Rome" may seem like a bitter mockery to Orthodox Russians.

Such a catastrophic scenario is inevitable, sooner or later. After all, Christ never said, "My kingdom will come to 1/6 of the land, and it will stand until the end of time." No, He said the opposite: "My kingdom is not of this world... My kingdom is from another place" (John 18:36). Moreover, He warned His disciples: "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also" (John 15:19-20).

In other words, any attempts by Christians to "integrate" into the world are destined to fail because the world does not accept Christ and will ultimately always hate His followers. This suggests a straightforward conclusion: the Church should not befriend those in power, especially at the expense of the Savior's commandments. Those who forget this will be dealt severe blows.

It cannot be said that Ukraine, which is rapidly losing its population, is not facing a similar threat. It is. However, currently, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is persecuted by the authorities, is much more viable than the Russian Church, which is pampered by the authorities. It's like comparing two athletes, one of whom exhausts himself with challenging training, while the other "accumulates strength," which in reality leads to accumulating fat while lying on the couch. This does not mean that Christians in Ukraine are "better" than those in Russia; it is just that God has taken away the "couch" from the UOC and sent the Church to the "gym." Ultimately, this benefits the Church, making its flock ready for any trials. Should the UOC expect more trials down the road? No doubt.

Of course, no one but God knows what tomorrow holds. Anyway, at this moment, Christians in Ukraine are better prepared for that "tomorrow". Meanwhile, Christians in Russia had better think about whether they are doing everything right. It may happen that while Russians are dying in Ukraine, fighting against "Banderas" and "gays," there will be no one to protect their churches from being "converted" to Islam at home. Will Orthodox believers of Russia be able to rise to their defense then? Will they be able to get off the couch?

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