Russians launch dedicated center to fight ‘atheist extremism’ - Polidicks

[IMG]http://rt.com/files/news/20/2c/d0/00/rian_01219932.hr.en.si.jpg[/IMG] [QUOTE]A group of activists connected with the Russian Orthodox Church are setting up a center against atheist extremism which, according to them, is promoted mainly by foreign-sponsored organizations. The decision was announced this week at a meeting between city residents and deputies of a district council that was held near the pilgrimage center of the Moscow Patriarchate, in south-west Moscow. “The atheist extremism is currently rearing its head. It is sponsored by various funds and NGOs with roots outside Russian borders,” reads the first statement released by the new movement. The group claims that their enemies are opposing citizens’ lawful right for freedom of thought, conscience and religion, guaranteed by the Constitution. In particular, the activists listed incidents when certain people protested against the construction of new churches, “creating an artificial psychosis and pumping up hysteria by intimidating the public”, quoting non-existent laws and declaring all public discussions unlawful. The statement emphasized the fact that atheist extremists were often acting on behalf of local residents by creating grassroots groups, but the real masterminds preferred to remain in the dark. The Moscow City authorities together with the Russian Orthodox Church are currently implementing the so called “Program-200” – a plan according to which 200 Orthodox churches must be erected throughout the capital in the next 10 to 15 years. Russian mass media estimated the overall budget of the program at about $1 billion and financing comes from a non-government fund. The authors of the program claimed that after it is implemented there will be a church for every 20,000 residents located 1 kilometer or less from residential areas. The program is popular among the religious lobby but it has already met resistance. The Communists and the veteran pro-democracy party, Yabloko, officially voiced protests against new churches and ordinary citizens also often claimed that such a large scale of construction was unnecessary.[/QUOTE] one of the comments: [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/4oKWdSw.png[/IMG]

Funny enemies they invent themselves, 'godless liberal fascists', I'd want one of these as a pet.

Isnt the soviet russia was full atheists? How to hell they become religious again?

Like us Atheists could be daft enough to want to commit genocide of religious people. Of course there's extremists from all ends of the spectrum, but I more or less see Atheists as fairly good people with naturally humanistic values. Sure, we may belittle or ridicule religion; that doesn't mean we want to go burn down churches in the name of non-existence. That sort of goes against our views on every life being just as valuable as another, so why squander or end it because someone shares different views in how you explain the unexplainable?

[QUOTE=efecanefe;41973128]Isnt the soviet russia was full atheists? How to hell they become religious again?[/QUOTE] Only the government. You can't expect people of 1900s to suddenly give up on religion. So it kinda lived on to this day

[QUOTE=Bredirish123;41973139]Like us Atheists could be daft enough to want to commit genocide of religious people. Of course there's extremists from all ends of the spectrum, but I more or less see Atheists as fairly good people with naturally humanistic values. Sure, we may belittle or ridicule religion; [b]that doesn't mean we want to go burn down churches in the name of non-existence. That sort of goes against our views on every life being just as valuable as another, so why squander or end it because someone shares different views in how you explain the unexplainable?[/b][/QUOTE] I dunno man, I've seen quite a few people here on Facepunch actually who would do those things.

[QUOTE=efecanefe;41973128]Isnt the soviet russia was full atheists? How to hell they become religious again?[/QUOTE] It was heavily suppressed, but religion isn't something that can be eradicated forcefully.

[QUOTE=Antdawg;41973164]I dunno man, I've seen quite a few people here on Facepunch actually who would do those things.[/QUOTE] Literally never seen it.

[QUOTE=Bredirish123;41973139]Like us Atheists could be daft enough to want to commit genocide of religious people. Of course there's extremists from all ends of the spectrum, but I more or less see Atheists as fairly good people with naturally humanistic values. Sure, we may belittle or ridicule religion; that doesn't mean we want to go burn down churches in the name of non-existence. That sort of goes against our views on every life being just as valuable as another, so why squander or end it because someone shares different views in how you explain the unexplainable?[/QUOTE] That's pretty much just a generalization. Atheists are all kinds of people, some good, some bad. Just like Christians, Muslims, Jews, etc. [editline]26th August 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Raidyr;41973174]Literally never seen it.[/QUOTE] You've been here since 2007, surely you've seen a handful. I have. They're not a majority, but they can be vocal at times :v:

[QUOTE=efecanefe;41973128]Isnt the soviet russia was full atheists? How to hell they become religious again?[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=efecanefe;41973128]Isnt the soviet russia was full atheists? How to hell they become religious again?[/QUOTE] It actually wasn't, the official rhetoric surely was counter-religious and the church suffered very considerably (Mr Stalin went apeshit on the church as a political rival, things that he did were extreme), but religion in Russia didn't cease to exist and there were even no signs of that happening. Also this lobo1888 guy looks Russian to me

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;41973177] You've been here since 2007, surely you've seen a handful. I have. They're not a majority, but they can be vocal at times :v:[/QUOTE] Nope. Been here since 2007 but I guess they weren't vocal enough. I've never seen a single person advocate burning churches in the name of atheism.

[I]extremist[/I] atheism? I'm okay with fighting that, extremist anything is bad. Buuuut knowing russia this is gonna go from [I]extremist[/I] atheism to "You're an atheist?? To the gulags with you" [editline]26th August 2013[/editline] Also I've never seen people advocate the burning of churches or other religious structures, but I [I]have[/I] seen quite a few people take the "Religion is a plague/virus/cancer/otherbadthing and should be eradicated by any means necessary" position.

So is Russia now basically fascist? They seem to share a lot of the same rhetoric with fascist states.

Is it just me who is Not quite sure how you can manage to be an extremist over non-religion?, im not saying extremist athiests dont exist, just dont understand how one would go about becoming one.

[QUOTE=S31-Syntax;41973222][I]extremist[/I] atheism? I'm okay with fighting that, extremist anything is bad. Buuuut knowing russia this is gonna go from [I]extremist[/I] atheism to "You're an atheist?? To the gulags with you" [editline]26th August 2013[/editline] Also I've never seen people advocate the burning of churches or other religious structures, but I [I]have[/I] seen quite a few people take the "Religion is a plague/virus/cancer/otherbadthing and should be eradicated by any means necessary" position.[/QUOTE] There's Russian joke which isn't that easy to translate but I'll try: - Do you believe in God? - No. - That's a gay answer! Guilty of being homosexual and harming believers' feelings! To the gulag with you! [QUOTE=Tureis;41973246]So is Russia now basically fascist? They seem to share a lot of the same rhetoric with fascist states.[/QUOTE] The rhetoric is (moslty) where that ends. [QUOTE=fulgrim;41973280]Is it just me who is Not quite sure how you can manage to be an extremist over non-religion?, im not saying extremist athiests dont exist, just dont understand how one would go about becoming one.[/QUOTE] Look up Mr Stalin and his relations with the church. :)

I can see why though, they're very afraid of their religion being oppressed again. It's a knee jerk reaction, and it's going to cause a lot of problems, but the Soviet government did some very bad things to priests and other religious people during those years.

[QUOTE=wallyroberto_2;41973337]I can see why though, they're very afraid of their religion being oppressed again. It's a knee jerk reaction, and it's going to cause a lot of problems, but the Soviet government did some very bad things to priests and other religious people during those years.[/QUOTE] No, they just want to licky-lick Mr Putin's and the Church's asses and the most effective ways around that now are 1) saying gays aren't people 2) saying all Russian problems are caused by Zapad's agents 3) saying that Russia 'has its own unique culture therefore all our problems are actually not problems (like the corruption) 4) basing atheism 5) push 'Orthodox physics' bullshit in Moscow State University's curriculum for TECHNICAL SCIENCES 6) ... 7) PROFIT (I mean, real tax-payers money). These aren't religious people, religion is nothing for them, they just want to be closer to the gubmint.

What the fuck, atheism isn't an ideology or set of beliefs. It doesn't have rules or laws to be interpreted or followed. It's a lack of belief. How can you be an extremist-unbeliever in something? Extremists are generally motivated by their political or religious beliefs, but what is the extremist atheist motivated by? His lack of belief?

Mmmmm gotta love it when religious nationalism and xenophobia merge into one delicious package.

I might be mistaken but, Extreme atheism? Don't they mean radical anti-theists? A atheist is someone who just have a lack of belief due to insufficient evidence for there to be a god, a anti-theist who believes that there is absolutely no god and trust me theres a difference. It just seems like ignorance to me to lump one with the other.

[QUOTE=Tureis;41973246]So is Russia now basically fascist? They seem to share a lot of the same rhetoric with fascist states.[/QUOTE] well, it is moving towards that direction. One of the features of a fascist state tends to be a connection, rather than seperation, with church and state. But you seem to know that anyway

[QUOTE=blehblehbleh;41973395]What the fuck, atheism isn't an ideology or set of beliefs. It doesn't have rules or laws to be interpreted or followed. It's a lack of belief. How can you be an extremist-unbeliever in something? Extremists are generally motivated by their political or religious beliefs, but what is the extremist atheist motivated by? His lack of belief?[/QUOTE] His blind hate towards believers. That is of course not an atheist but a fuck, but generally he's referred to as an atheist. [QUOTE=Ziron;41973398]Mmmmm gotta love it when religious nationalism and xenophobia merge into one delicious package.[/QUOTE] gotta [I]live [/I]it

[QUOTE=Ziron;41973398]Mmmmm gotta love it when religious nationalism and xenophobia merge into one delicious package.[/QUOTE] I don't think russia would approve of a [i]delicious package.[/i]

[QUOTE=revzin;41973442]His blind hate towards believers. That is of course not an atheist but a fuck, but generally he's referred to as an atheist.[/QUOTE] Or an anti-theist.

[QUOTE=Unit-05;41973466]Or an anti-theist.[/QUOTE] That is a word too long for the guys from the OP.

I don't get why "liberal" is being used as an insult. I mean, the word is in its most utter essence positive. To be free, to be LIBERAL, to liberate. Calling someone a "liberal" in a demeaning way is a bit... well, dumb.

[QUOTE=revzin;41973476]That is a word too long for the guys from the OP.[/QUOTE] well they better start learning it because they have to start knowing the difference between atheists fighting against the church establishment and politics and anti-theists fighting the belief of a god and their believers as well instead of just lumping one with the other and saying they are all just the same

[quote]atheist extremism which, according to them, is promoted mainly by foreign-sponsored organizations.[/quote] This seems like another veiled dig at foreign-funded NGOs like Golos that have exposed massive electoral fraud or otherwise gone against Putin

you should include the source in OP, but you probably didn't because this article is 5 days old [url]http://rt.com/politics/atheist-extremism-russia-fight-789/[/url]

[QUOTE=Derp Y. Mail;41973521]I don't get why "liberal" is being used as an insult. I mean, the word is in its most utter essence positive. To be free, to be LIBERAL, to liberate. Calling someone a "liberal" in a demeaning way is a bit... well, dumb.[/QUOTE] I think it's because in the USA a lot of statists identify as liberals.