Russia Narrows Gap Between Church And State

“In order to strengthen social stability today …(the state and the Church), probably like never before, need to act together,” Russian President Dimitry Medvedev said on Thursday, welcoming a decision by the Russian Orthodox Church to allow its clergy to stand for political office if it feels that the church's interests are threatened. When might that be? They don't specify.

Soon they'll let you have a hat like that too, Dmitry

Surprising developments, given that the church and state are officially separated in Russia. Then again, perhaps it’s less surprising when you think that both institutions are characterised by their conservative, reactionary, and authoritarian nature. Both openly support Belarussian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, for example.

Still, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s enthusiasm for a calendar of scantily clothed students published to mark his 58^th birthday might not have gone down so well with Church clergy who believe in a medieval dress code for Russian women, because the sight of bare flesh makes them… well, who knows what it does to them. Opens their minds more than they can cope with?