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Post by OrthodoxBrit on Feb 23, 2013 14:31:31 GMT 2
Hi all,
Recently I have noticed a number of militant, nationalist and even pro-Nazi statements on various online websites coming from Orthodox Christians.
As well as this, comments from people within the Orthodox Church in support of nationalist communities (such as the Greek right wing parties and the Ultras in Slavic nations) which seem to support the idea that many Orthodox are in support of Nationalist and racially motivated politics.
How is this justified by groups? Does anyone know why many EO have this mindset? Is it a response to Communism or just some racist view which has emerged?
The Oriental Orthodox communities have been oppressed or persecuted by non-native communities since 451 (First the Byzantines, then the Arabs, then the Turks and in some cases British) but it is very rare to see racial and unheard of to see pseudo-Nazi symbolism from them.
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Post by JamesfromTA on Feb 24, 2013 2:39:58 GMT 2
I have to say that this is something that concerns me. I've been lucky enough to not experience this or come across this offline but sometimes when I see it online I feel like I've wandered into 4chan by mistake.
It is probably a reaction to Communism and from that with the growing of liberal ideals it may be a complete overreaction to it (they would probably fail to see me as Orthodox because (a) I'm British and (b) I'm fairly liberal minded).
In all honesty I do think that it would be beneficial for this issue to be addressed. Thankfully it doesn't seem to be a majority and more of a vocal minority but it's always good to tackle something before it picks up ground.
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Post by Vlad on Feb 24, 2013 5:17:05 GMT 2
I've spoken to a blogger on Tumblr who posts seemingly neo-Nazi aligned material. I've learned that it apparently stems from a nationalism that connects to hatred of Communism from this individual's family, due to very nasty experiences with Communists. I can believe that a lot of these individuals are simply "anti-Leftists".
Sadly enough, there are instances where these groups are supported by Orthodox Priests, most notably in Russia. I'm not sure if anyone has noticed, but there has been a symbol being waved around, being reblogged by Orthodox Christians, that says "Orthodoxy or Death' in Russian. Obviously, many people see the symbol with the skulls as a connection to perhaps the "Death to the World" zine, but it's connected to a Russian Orthodox-Nationalist group.
This obviously does not stem from Orthodoxy itself, but from Nationalism that tries to incorporate Orthodoxy into its world view.
There are some Neo-Nazis in nations such as Russia, Greece, Ukraine, etc. who declare no affiliation to Orthodoxy, and this gives me a slight bit of relief, since I believe any Neo-Nazi ties to Orthodoxy to be utter stupidity.
I think this whole issue is a matter of scapegoating. Russia's economic downfall after the fall of the Soviet Union (It's been effectively reversed, but still has an impact) has seen mass rise in far-right extremism, and immigrant communities have largely been blamed. Of course, there have been a lot of problems surrounding the immigrant and minority communities in Russia, but none that justify the actions and ideas of far right extremists.
In Greece, Golden Dawn is seeing a rise in popularity in this particular time, during the economic crisis. Again, lots of scapegoating and needless violence.
I can't help but see a pattern similar to that of post-WWI Germany. Lots of violence, scapegoating, and extremism.
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Post by OrthodoxBrit on Feb 25, 2013 1:47:20 GMT 2
It seems the thread was well timed, especially with images like this coming up...  St George slaying the 'Dragon' of sin as background to an old man (looking quite priestly) with a Gun pointing down in an assassination pose. How is this Orthodoxy? |
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Post by Vlad on Feb 25, 2013 2:16:54 GMT 2
I posted commentary on that photo. It's truly sickening.
But yes, the "Orthodox" neo-Nazis are starting to get on my nerves.
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Post by JamesfromTA on Feb 26, 2013 21:22:20 GMT 2
That image is deeply concerning.
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Post by OrthodoxBrit on Feb 26, 2013 22:42:02 GMT 2
I am confused about the man too. I see the marches of older men dressed in this way a lot, are they from the Church or former militarymen?
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Post by OrthodoxBrit on Mar 4, 2013 0:06:13 GMT 2
 Saw this one today. Even more disturbing. |
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Post by Vlad on Mar 4, 2013 0:49:24 GMT 2
Pogroms? Oh man... This is a bit too far. I don't see how a sane person can possibly support a pogrom.
It's a bit embarrassing that the pogroms are heavily associated with Russian Orthodoxy, and were supported by certain priests. Even now certain priests support ultranationalists in Russia. My Priest once told me that everyone has a cross to bear, and the Russian Orthodox Church seems to have received a rather large one.
Lord have mercy.
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