Russian Archpriest: Attacks on holy places done by 'madmen'

The Russian Orthodox Church has reminded people who start religious conflicts and riots that freedom of expression should have clear moral limits.

"I personally think that the continuing actions in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the appearance of a film insulting the founder of Islam, the attacks on U.S. embassies and taking down their flags, desecration of graves, and the drawing of swastikas on synagogues are links of the same chain," Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, the head of the Synodal Department for Church and Society Relations, told Interfax-Religion on Thursday.

He called the people who desecrate symbols that are extremely important to specific social groups and buildings that have always been considered off-limits such as religious buildings and diplomatic missions "madmen."

Such crimes are much more important than regular crimes because "when you desecrate a symbol held dear by some people, community, or religious group, you try to belittle and subjugate the entire group. It is not a coincidence that such actions have led to large-scale conflicts in history," Father Vsevolod said.

Continue reading at www.interfax-religion.com

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004047180339 John Adams

Christians have the responsibility to show where other religions are wrong. That does not mean that we should vandalize, desecrate or otherwise cause destruction, but to preach, create films, write, broadcast, telecast, etc. MUST be done.
Wesley

the Church of Jesus Christ fights the spiritual war not by sinking to the levels of other religions, but by transcending them showing what make the gospel different from any other belief system.