In the Church called to stop criminal case about the insult of feelings of believers in those cases where the defendant has repented. What are the feelings of believers, how to protect them and whether it is Christians – reflects Archpriest Vyacheslav Perevezentsev, rector of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the village of Makarovo (near Chernogolovka, Moscow region).
Photo: Natalia Vvedenskaya / Facebook
- The law on criminal liability for insulting religious feelings of believers. Review of the Legal service of the Moscow Patriarchate
- The Metropolitan of Rostov mercury on criminal punishment for insulting the teacher in Front of us a serious problem of public morality
- Photo of Ksenia Sobchak – insulting the feelings of believers?
To pretend that it does not concern us, is just a lie
Archpriest Vyacheslav Perevezentsev
These or similar reflections probably would be good in principle. These are very important topics on which we can have different opinions, if not one “but”. Now, when we reflect, we find arguments, we argue, to our compatriots come by the investigators, initiating a real criminal cases in which they face do not have probation.
Real time for virtual images! And all of this on our behalf to protect our feelings. Isn’t it insulting to us?
In Ancient Russia was such a right in a higher spiritual entities to intercede for convicted or disgraced. This right was confirmed at the all-Russian local Council of 1917-1918. Not my job to remind you who and who should bacalbasa, but to be silent anymore.
I am glad that the Church, albeit very carefully, through their official representatives start talking about this serious problem. The main thing to start to do and then pretend that it doesn’t concern us, it is impossible, because it is just a lie.
Recently we celebrated the tenth anniversary of the death of the great Christian writer and thinker of the twentieth century, Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Is it not in anger and today he wrote almost 50 years ago:
“When violence breaks into a peaceful human life, its face glows with self-confidence, and it carries the flag, and shouts: “I am the Violence! Move, make way – crush!” But violence quickly grows old, a few years – it is not self-confident, and to hold, to look decent – certainly causing his allies Lie. Because: violence is nothing to hide behind, but a lie, and the lie can be maintained only by violence. Not every day, not on every shoulder bags abusing his heavy paw: it demands from us only obedience to lies and daily participation in lies – and that’s loyalty.
And here lies neglected us, the easiest, the most accessible key to our liberation: personal non-participation in lies! Let lie all coated, let them lie about everything, but in the smallest upremsya: let owns, not through me!”
Feeling at all different – so what protects the law
“The law about the insult of religious feelings” (article 148 of the criminal code), more precisely the amendments adopted in June 2013, has been causing confusion, and even outrage, not only atheists, but also believers themselves. Of course, we know since the time of Saltykov-Shchedrin, “the severity of Russian laws is softened by not having their performance”, but lately we see that criminal cases brought under this law, it becomes more and more. And this is, I think, not to disturb us, Orthodox Christians. Because prosecutors are accusing our fellow citizens on this article, are convinced that it is defending our feelings, the feelings of the Orthodox Christians.
I won’t go into details, in fact, a very difficult question – what should be such a law, and whether it is necessary generally. Know that such laws exist in most countries of the world. I know that in those countries that live under Sharia law for crimes of this kind relies strictest punishment, including the death penalty. I know that in European countries, as a rule, this is not criminal prosecution, as it was with us until 2013. I agree that adjusting the area of interreligious, interethnic relations, and to avoid inciting this hate, aggression, violence, and a state needs to watch that.
But I’m not a lawyer, not a scientist, I am an Orthodox priest and therefore can only share the confusion that I have and not only me, calls this the law as a Christian.
The feelings of believers, for example, Orthodox Christians – whether they be offended? No doubt. There is no doubt that we, Orthodox Christians, very different, and hence the feeling is different.
One of us may be offended by a satirical picture, denouncing the clergy, posted on someone’s page in social networks, and the other will be offended if, as if protecting his feelings, that person will go to jail.
And the first believers, I have never personally met, but I admit that they are, and the second met, and a lot. So what the believers must uphold the law?
There is no doubt that some feelings we, as Christians, should be the same. What? This question is answered perfectly by the Apostle Paul almost 2000 years ago:
“You must be the same mind which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2, 5).
I must say that these words are perfectly familiar to all the Orthodox, not even have graduated from theological schools, because they are read at the divine Liturgy the Theotokos for every holiday and such, as you know, is not enough.
What was worrying the Savior and who accused Him of blasphemy
I don’t know if offended by the Savior during His earthly life, but was indignant – Yes, it was. What is It resented? Those who said that he has a demon? Or the ones who shouted “Crucify Him”? Maybe those who nailed Him to the Cross and metal lots, dividing His robe? No, not them, or say, is not this he resented.
He resented those who “His Father’s house made a house of merchandise” (Jn. 2, 16), or those hypocrites, “who shuts the Kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in, and wanting to enter do not allow” (Matt. 23, 13), those who “eat houses widows and hypocritically long pray” (Matt. 23, 14), those who “forgot judgment, mercy and faith” (Matt. 23, 23), those who love “the uppermost rooms at feasts and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the marketplaces and to have men call them: “Master! Master.”” (Matt. 23, 5-7).
Maybe I don’t understand something, but I think the defendants in passing the law on insulting the feelings of believers, it is not like those who resented the Savior.
And He, our Lord Jesus Christ was held as the accused that is the case on blasphemy.
“…Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, He has spoken blasphemy! what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard His blasphemy. What do you think? They answered: he is guilty of death” (Matt. 26, 65-66).
And our very faith, our gospel, the word of the Apostle Paul, is “temptation and madness” (1 Cor. 1, 23). And if so, then be sure to be abused and was tempted by the preaching of the gospel and also to the Prosecutor? Or we can insult, we can not?
Do we need to keep our feelings guarded, the Prosecutor’s office
And last but maybe most important. Why state such a law, more or less clear, but is it necessary to Orthodox Christians? Do we need to keep our feelings guarded, the Prosecutor’s office? This question has a long history. It was widely discussed at the Religious-philosophical meetings in St. Petersburg in the early twentieth century. Many of the great Russian thinkers of the time in these meetings was trying to convey to the powers that be that the violence of the state in matters of faith denies the Lord established the test of freedom. Heard they were, Konstantin Pobedonostsev ordered to disperse the meeting.
However, after a very short time, the authorities had to make concessions in these matters, but most likely, it was too late. Archpriest George Florovsky, after the “Russian catastrophe”, so smykal this situation:
“In his inspiration of the Trustee “police state” inevitably turns against the Church. The state not only takes care of her. The state takes from the Church, takes on itself, takes on her own task. Assumes undivided the task of caring for the religious and spiritual welfare of the people. And if you then trust or entrust the care again the spiritual order, in the order and on the title of the state delegation, and only to the extent of that delegation and instructions of the Church is given in the context of national public life their place, but only to the extent and motive of public utility and need.”
A hundred years before these lines of the great A. S. Pushkin, according to the testimony of his close friend Pyotr Vyazemsky, seeing that Good Friday in the Kazan Cathedral there are soldiers on watch at the shroud, wrote the line, which comprehensively gave us the answer to today questions:
When great was done in celebration
And in agony on the cross was out of Deity,
Then on the sides of the life-giving tree
Maria-sinner and the blessed virgin
Stood, pale, weak two wives,
In the immeasurable sadness shipped.
But at the foot of the cross now,honest
Like the porch of the ruler of the town,
We vividly put in place the wives of the saints
In the gun and the kiver two fearsome sentries.
What, tell me, protective guards? –
Or the crucifixion breech load,
And you boitaca thieves or mice? –
Il crease the importance to give to the King of kings?
Il the auspices of the save mighty
Lord, crowned with thorns prickly
Christ, obediently betrayed his own flesh
The whips of the torturers, the nails and the copy?
Ile fear, the ink is not offended
Whose penalty the whole race of Adam redeemed,
And, so as not to press the strolling gentlemen,
To let not told here common people?
1836