Is Russian dignity an emerging reality or still an oxymoron? Good question. It was posed in the aftermath of the first December rally for honest elections by Janet Keeping in the title of her article posted on the Internet. http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Russian+dignity+emerging+reality+still+oxymoron/5932526/story.html
She is not quite sure about that: “But now maybe – just maybe – Russia’s degrading history is about to be overcome and Russians may finally insist on being treated with dignity and respect by the state.”
Russia is definitely still a mystery for foreign analysts. Janet Keeping has an explanation why “a society that produced the insightful genius of Chekhov tolerates despotic leaders such as Vladimir Putin well into the 21st century”. She believes the “answer lies in Russia’s almost unimaginably awful history. Russians have always been treated as slaves of the state, or just plain cannon fodder for one military or political misadventure after another”. That is quite disputable of course, but Putin himself pointed out in his traditional end-year question-and-answer TV show that if the post-election large-scale political protests are the result of “Putin’s regime”, it is normal. Thank God! It means there are at least tens of thousands in Russia who have been finally set free. It’s easy to imagine the joy people experience when they get freedom and dignity. When I was asked what made me go to the first rally for honest elections in Moscow I said it had been curiosity. But what I saw there – namely some positive energy of the people – made me want to take part in the following rally. For me it was especially significant taking into the account the fact that it was scheduled for Christmas Eve according to the Gregorian calendar. It’s the time when the Good News is preached especially intensively. People loved by God express hopes for changes and the willingness to make a difference in the world. Jesus came to this world to teach us how to live our lives with faith and dignity. He showed us how a human being can rise above the human self-centeredness to a higher level of consciousness. That was His gift to us. God’s gift. Jesus gave us an example how to restore human dignity once designed by God who created us in His own image. Keeping His eyes open to the source of eternal life Jesus resisted devil’s temptations such as power and possessions, treated others with respect, helped those who are in need, and finally died in pain to pay for people’s sins.
Rulers like King Herod downgraded human dignity so low that it wasn’t a problem to sacrifice human lives in order to maintain power. When Jesus was born the king was so scared of the threat to his throne that he ordered to kill all children of Jesus’s age since he didn’t know how to find Jesus. The situation when “the goal is justified by any means” is not out of the ordinary nowadays either. We want to get what we want whatever it costs. We easily forget about dignity if it gets in the way of our desires. In other words nothing seems to be beneath human dignity anymore. When people steal, give or take bribes, tell lies (very often blatant lies) and when they leap over ticket gates at railroad stations there is no dignity in it. But they don’t really care. They only care when they occasionally get caught and punished. And then they do it again hoping to get away with it. People with Christian consciousness know that they won’t avoid God’s judgment so they behave themselves. It isn’t only fear. It’s a desire to please God, who they love and worship. It shapes their lifestyles and motivates their actions. So the simplest solution to our problem could be nationwide Christian faith. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high.” (Leviticus 26:13).
Human dignity as a rule doesn’t permit people put up with injustice and lies. It encourages them to stand up to corrupt authorities, abusive people, etc. There is an opinion that it isn’t quite Christianlike though. Peter (in 1 Peter 2:13-14) writes: “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.” However some authorities obviously don’t carry out that mission. On the contrary they often ignore God’s commandments when for example they blatantly lie. I am sure it is also against God’s will to let someone cheat you. If we do, it means we don’t have that sense of dignity. We are God’s creation and we are supposed to love ourselves. In Romans 13:9 we read that all commandments are summed up in one rule: Love your neighbor as yourself. Even if someone has low self-esteem he or she doesn’t self inflict hunger, pain, cold. They wear decent clothes, try to get a comfortable place to live in, and they don’t want to get hurt or cheated. So naturally we have to do something to meet these needs. And if we love our neighbors we must do something to help them.
Dignity, which I believe is a God-given quality, is universal and it’s something no nation can do without. Russian dignity will have a good chance to come about and stay for good if God is with us. That will be the best kind of dignity. According Fyodor Dostoyevsky: “Maybe the main preselected mission of the Russian in the fate of the entire humanity is only to preserve this Godly image of Christ in its complete purity, and when the right time comes, to reveal the image to the world that has gone the wrong way”.
She is not quite sure about that: “But now maybe – just maybe – Russia’s degrading history is about to be overcome and Russians may finally insist on being treated with dignity and respect by the state.”
Russia is definitely still a mystery for foreign analysts. Janet Keeping has an explanation why “a society that produced the insightful genius of Chekhov tolerates despotic leaders such as Vladimir Putin well into the 21st century”. She believes the “answer lies in Russia’s almost unimaginably awful history. Russians have always been treated as slaves of the state, or just plain cannon fodder for one military or political misadventure after another”. That is quite disputable of course, but Putin himself pointed out in his traditional end-year question-and-answer TV show that if the post-election large-scale political protests are the result of “Putin’s regime”, it is normal. Thank God! It means there are at least tens of thousands in Russia who have been finally set free. It’s easy to imagine the joy people experience when they get freedom and dignity. When I was asked what made me go to the first rally for honest elections in Moscow I said it had been curiosity. But what I saw there – namely some positive energy of the people – made me want to take part in the following rally. For me it was especially significant taking into the account the fact that it was scheduled for Christmas Eve according to the Gregorian calendar. It’s the time when the Good News is preached especially intensively. People loved by God express hopes for changes and the willingness to make a difference in the world. Jesus came to this world to teach us how to live our lives with faith and dignity. He showed us how a human being can rise above the human self-centeredness to a higher level of consciousness. That was His gift to us. God’s gift. Jesus gave us an example how to restore human dignity once designed by God who created us in His own image. Keeping His eyes open to the source of eternal life Jesus resisted devil’s temptations such as power and possessions, treated others with respect, helped those who are in need, and finally died in pain to pay for people’s sins.
Rulers like King Herod downgraded human dignity so low that it wasn’t a problem to sacrifice human lives in order to maintain power. When Jesus was born the king was so scared of the threat to his throne that he ordered to kill all children of Jesus’s age since he didn’t know how to find Jesus. The situation when “the goal is justified by any means” is not out of the ordinary nowadays either. We want to get what we want whatever it costs. We easily forget about dignity if it gets in the way of our desires. In other words nothing seems to be beneath human dignity anymore. When people steal, give or take bribes, tell lies (very often blatant lies) and when they leap over ticket gates at railroad stations there is no dignity in it. But they don’t really care. They only care when they occasionally get caught and punished. And then they do it again hoping to get away with it. People with Christian consciousness know that they won’t avoid God’s judgment so they behave themselves. It isn’t only fear. It’s a desire to please God, who they love and worship. It shapes their lifestyles and motivates their actions. So the simplest solution to our problem could be nationwide Christian faith. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high.” (Leviticus 26:13).
Human dignity as a rule doesn’t permit people put up with injustice and lies. It encourages them to stand up to corrupt authorities, abusive people, etc. There is an opinion that it isn’t quite Christianlike though. Peter (in 1 Peter 2:13-14) writes: “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.” However some authorities obviously don’t carry out that mission. On the contrary they often ignore God’s commandments when for example they blatantly lie. I am sure it is also against God’s will to let someone cheat you. If we do, it means we don’t have that sense of dignity. We are God’s creation and we are supposed to love ourselves. In Romans 13:9 we read that all commandments are summed up in one rule: Love your neighbor as yourself. Even if someone has low self-esteem he or she doesn’t self inflict hunger, pain, cold. They wear decent clothes, try to get a comfortable place to live in, and they don’t want to get hurt or cheated. So naturally we have to do something to meet these needs. And if we love our neighbors we must do something to help them.
Dignity, which I believe is a God-given quality, is universal and it’s something no nation can do without. Russian dignity will have a good chance to come about and stay for good if God is with us. That will be the best kind of dignity. According Fyodor Dostoyevsky: “Maybe the main preselected mission of the Russian in the fate of the entire humanity is only to preserve this Godly image of Christ in its complete purity, and when the right time comes, to reveal the image to the world that has gone the wrong way”.
"So the simplest solution to our problem could be nationwide Christian faith."
ОтветитьУдалитьBut you appear to assume that the entire nation would be happy to embrace Christianity. How is that democratic? Don't you think the people of the Russian Federation are tired of being told what to believe?
"Dignity, which I believe is a God-given quality, is universal ..."
So anyone who does not believe in God has no dignity?
1 Actually what I meant is that if we want to live in a crime-free or almost crime-free siciety, Christians (due to their accountability to God) are less likely to do something illeagal or morally inapropriate. Besides, true Christians consider getting involved in sinful activities beneath their dignity.
ОтветитьУдалить2 "So anyone who does not believe in God has no dignity?"
I didn't say that. I think dignity is a quality that was given to all of us (both believers and non-believers) by God. According to my faith all people are God's creation. We Russians officially rejected God about a century ago and we lived without His guidance for so long that we often can's tell right from wrong. So now we need to try to regain that lost sense of dignity based on God's values and with God himself in the picture.
1) given the make-up of this country, how can you possibly contemplate imposing one single religion on the entire population? Are you suggesting that people from other faiths are likely to break the law or be 'morally inappropriate' whatever that means? Who or what gives you or anybody else the right to set standards or judge others?
ОтветитьУдалить2)you can't possibly suggest that non-believers are given anything by God. To do so is to disrespect their rights to believe in whatever.
1a "How can you possibly contemplate imposing one single religion on the entire population?"
ОтветитьУдалитьI'm not contemplating imposing one religion. I only said it could be a solution to the problem if all people were Christians. No, you can't make anyone accept Christ.
1b "Are you suggesting that people from other faiths are likely to break the law or be 'morally inappropriate'?"
No, I'm not. What I'm saying is that I know the set of Christian values can help make the world a better place to live in: no crime, no lies, etc. People who fear God behave themselves. I believe Gos has a right to judge us because He created us.
2 "you can't possibly suggest that non-believers are given anything by God. To do so is to disrespect their rights to believe in whatever."
I do respect their right to believe in whatever. And I expect them to respect my right to believe that they were created by God.