RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Politicians support putting God into the constitution

SPEAKER OF ST. PETERSBURG PARLIAMENT SUPPORTS MENTION OF GOD IN RUSSIAN CONSTITUTION

Interfax-Religiia, 12 February 2020

 

The speaker of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, Viacheslav Makarov, supported the inclusion of mention of God in the constitution of the RF.

 

"I wholly and completely support the position of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. Russia is an Orthodox country. Russia is an imperial power. As we say, it is the last hope of
God on earth," Makarov told journalists on Wednesday.

 

"This is important for each believing person, regardless of which faith he belongs to. As an Orthodox person I am convinced that it is necessary to do this—in the first place for the cohesion of our society, for elevating spirituality, morality, and concern for one's neighbor. Certainly it is not simply possible to introduce such amendments in the constitution but even necessary," the speaker of parliament emphasized.

 

Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Kirill earlier devised an initiative to include mention of God in the Russian constitution.

 

"Let's pray and endeavor that God be mentioned in our fundamental law. Because the majority of Russian citizens believe in God. I am talking not only about Orthodox; I am talking also about Muslims and about many, many others. If our national anthem can have 'Native land preserved by God,' why cannot this be mentioned in our constitution?" the patriarch said at a dinner on the occasion of the eleventh anniversary of his enthronement. (tr. by PDS, posted 12 February 2020)

 

COMMUNIST PARTY NOT AGAINST GOD IN CONSTITUTION

Moral Code of the Builder of Communism was copied from the Bible

Interfax-Religiia, 11 February 2020

 

The Communist Party of the Russian Federation does not oppose mentioning God in the preamble of the Russian constitution, the leader of the party, Gennady Ziuganov, declared.

 

Responding at a press conference in the central office of Interfax to a question about the possibility of the mention of God in the preamble of the constitution, Ziuganov stated that "this is more likely the image that corresponds to the fundamental moral and spiritual values of our state," and he recalled the mention of God in the anthem of the Russian Federation.

 

In the opinion of the leader of the K.P.R.F., biblical themes were a part of communist ideology. "Whenever I study the Bible, in the epistle of the apostle Paul . . . there in the chief slogan of communism, 'whoever does not work shall not eat," Ziuganov explained.

 

"Properly speaking, to a great extent we copied the Moral Code of the Builder of Communism from the Bible. And if someone tries to say otherwise, then simply put the documents side-by-side," the leader of the K.P.R.F. concluded.

 

Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Kirill earlier devised an initiative to include mention of God in the Russian constitution. Meanwhile, the head of the State Duma Committee on Legislation and State Construction, Pavel Krasheninnikov, spoke out against it. (tr. by PDS, posted 12 February 2020)


Background article:
Moscow patriarch sparks media storm over amending constitution
February 2, 2020


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