Thank God we have freedom of speech and freedom of religion in the U.S. Literally. Because somehow, it seems that God is playing a very interesting role in world religion right now.
On Friday August 17, the feminist punk rock band Pussy Riot was judged guilty in Moscow of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred,” and sentenced to two years in a penal colony. Can anyone imagine that happening in the United States? Certainly, we can all take sides in the Chick-fil-A controversy, and make our opinions known, in media as ordinary as print and as outrageous as “kiss-ins.” But getting arrested for speaking out would be unheard of. Think of Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, who dared express his opinion as an elected official--if he were in Russia, he'd be in danger of getting sent away to a penal colony for challenging the czar of Chick-fil-A.
Background on the Pussy Riot case
For those following the Pussy Riot news reports, here’s a brief recap. Three members of the Pussy Riot punk rock band entered Russia’s Christ the Savior Cathedral and staged a guerrilla performance to condemn the Orthodox Church’s official political endorsement of President Vladimir Putin. The Patriarch of the Orthodox Church had come out in support of Putin, who won the March 4 presidential election despite alleged voting irregularities. The Pussy Riot members, inside the church, donned brightly colored hoods and began to dance in front of the altar—all while being filmed for a video that went viral on the internet. Their song and “punk prayer” included the lyrics, “O Birthgiver of God, Get Rid of Putin” and an expletive as a refrain.
The Pussy Riot members defended their action, saying they weren’t performing in a church, but in a building that’s more of a commercial enterprise because of businesses that operate there. (Talk about the moneychangers in the temple!) Unfortunately, the judge rejected that explanation and pronounced them guilty as charged.
Oh-oh, Orthodox
While in the U.S., we defend our right to free speech and freedom of religion, we also have this thing called separation of church and state. Few religious leaders (especially top leaders, on the same level as the Patriarch of Moscow) would risk putting their good name on the line to support a politician. They would also stand to risk losing tax-exempt privileges, because the IRS would be after them in a second.
Historically, however, the Orthodox church in Russia has always had close ties with the government (except for the communist years), dating back to the days of the Czars. The church, too often, had had a tendency to do the Czar’s bidding, so religion played second fiddle to political practicality. The current patriarch’s endorsement of Putin seems to be a replay of those earlier times.
But the ironic thing is, out of all the denominations in the world, the Orthodox can be one of the most conservative, unchanging, “establishment” churches one can find. Having a group like the Pussy Riot challenge this monolith of staid, humorless religious power is a bold, radical event. In some ways, it’s a little like opening the doors to a well-guarded secret society. The repercussions among both faithful and critics are bound to be serious and wide-ranging.
In the U.S., Orthodox congregations here are no doubt watching these events play out with some concern. Of course, the Russian Orthodox in American have long since severed ties with Russia, intentionally assuming an independent, autonomous status that could in no way be considered affiliated with, influenced by, or ruled by, the Russian church. The move toward independence happened around the time after the Russian revolution, to avoid any possible appearance of collusion with the communists.
But there’s still that deep cultural bond that is traced back to the old country. Older generations may still remember their parents’ or grandparents’ stories of what the church was like in pre-revolution Russia. How can one not have some sort of emotional connection to “the faith of our fathers”? And that emotional link, no doubt, would have many American Orthodox up in arms over those upstart Pussy Riot people desecrating their religion.
On the other hand, there are many others in this country, like the members of the Occupy Wall Street movement, who voiced their extreme displeasure with the verdict on August 17 by staging their own protest in New York City.
There are those here in the U.S. would certainly feel angry if something similar happened here—for instance, a punk band interrupting a service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, or at one of the major Protestant churches. But at the same time, what does a person do when one disagrees with some political stand the denomination leader takes? Stand idly by—or instead, protest in some fashion, either quietly and diplomatically, or outrageously and expletively, and then work for change?
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