Blasphemy in the Russian Orthodox Church

You probably heard of that outrageous incident in Russia where a punk rock band violated the sanctity of the Russian Orthodox cathedral just outside the Kremlin walls. The band Pussy Riot went into the cathedral when it was open for prayer and played a song asking the Virgin Marry to rid them of Vladimir Putin.

The Church leadership was outraged, calling for "divine retribution" against the members of Pussy Riot. Their calls were answered as the band members were prosecuted as "hooligans" that committed a "hate crime" against the Church. Just writing those words is so ludicrous that it is almost amusing until you consider that the Russian court just sentenced the women of Pussy Riot to two years in a "prison colony" for playing their song in the cathedral.

Keep in mind that they did not damage anything in the cathedral; they just played a song that asks the blessed Virgin to "drive away Putin." And they mentioned that the Church's chief saint is the "head of the KGB." All in the aftermath of an election that many accused Putin of stealing. You can watch Pussy Riot's crime here.

Church leaders were very successful in generating outrage among parishioners. About 40,000 turned out for a day of prayer organized by Patriarch Kirill. He told every media outlet he could find that the Church is being persecuted by evil segments of Russian society.

"It's disgusting what they did. Our priests can talk about forgiveness, but I don't have to," said Lyudmila Tarasova, visiting Moscow from the city of Murmansk in the Arctic Circle.

"They should be sent out of Russia. They spat on us. They're not Russians, they're swine."

Something about this case just doesn't pass the smell test. We are supposed to believe that it is outrageous to invoke the name of a sacred figure in making a baldly political statement. That is interesting, particularly in light of the fact that Patriarch Kirill had called Putin "a miracle of God" just before the sensitive election. To recap: band invoking the Virgin Mary to criticize Putin is very bad but Patriarch Kirill invoking the name of God to praise Putin is very, very good.

While the members of Pussy Riot can be accused of being less than ideally reverent in a house of worship (they used a vulgar word for fecal matter), Kirill was guilty of blasphemy. The name of God is sacred and any claim of blessing on Putin comes from Kirill, not God. Putin is an authoritarian leader that once headed the KGB and had the Church on his hit list. So the miracle must be that Putin now sings the praises of Church leaders. Hallelujah!!

Kirill has not only been criticized for his cozy relationship with Vlad Putin, but the man of God has been living lavishly on someone's dime.

He has been accused in the media of leading a lavish lifestyle, and the Church apologised in April for doctoring a photograph of him to remove what bloggers said was a luxury wristwatch.

He has also come under scrutiny over a dispute linked to a Moscow apartment he owns, although he denies any wrongdoing and dismisses talk of a lavish lifestyle.

"I wasn't as offended by those girls as much as I am by some of our Church officials, who drive around in fancy cars and drop $1,000 for dinner at a fancy restaurant next to Christ the Saviour," said Dmitry Zykov, 45, outside of the Kazan Cathedral.

It looks to me like the person mocking God was the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. He reeks of Mammon and serves Putin and the powerful with all his heart. And yet the women that called attention to his blasphemy, not to mention the less than miraculous nature of Putin's treatment of political opponents, are being sent to a gulag.

Patriarch Kirill is dividing the body of Christ along political lines. The believers in the Church are divided over whether Pussy Riot or Putin represents the true evil in Russia. It looks to me like Kirill is the punk responsible for blasphemy in the Church.

Isn't it ironic whenever there is an ethical issue swirling around some religious leader, a scapegoat is suddenly found to deflect attention away from the leadership? And isn't it fascinating how quickly religious leaders claim that religion and religious freedom are under attack. Religious liberty has become the new favorite buzzword among religious leaders these days. The best way to rally the faithful is to claim persecution by "secularists," "atheists," "homosexuals," and "Islamic extremists."

At least Christian leaders in America stick to public policy issues and avoid invoking the name of God in ways to favor a political party or leader. Otherwise, the body of Christ would be divided along political lines. In other words, God would be asked to serve Mammon in ways that weaken the body of Christ.

I never doubt the reality of evil. I am just surprised where I find it. Of course, Jesus warned us about false teachers and prophets. He wasn't kidding.