At Expense of All Others, Putin Picks a Church

The New York Times printed an article At Expense of All Others, Putin Picks a Church wherein Russia has shifted attitudes yet again and is showing heavy favoritism for the Russian Orthodox Church. You can link to the article here.


Protestant denominations such as Lutherans, Methodists, and Seventh-day Adventists are being harassed. The Jehovah's Witnesses have been singled out for special harassment.


The article says:

Here in Stary Oskol, 300 miles south of Moscow, the police evicted a Seventh-day Adventist congregation from its meeting hall, forcing it to hold services in a ramshackle home next to a construction site. Evangelical Baptists were barred from renting a theater for a Christian music festival, and were not even allowed to hand out toys at an orphanage. A Lutheran minister said he moved away for a few years because he feared for his life. He has returned, but keeps a low profile.

(I am indebted to Mr. Steve Timm of SDANet for bringing this to my attention. This posted is adopted from his original email on the topic.)