[CS-FSLUG] NI: The Voice of the Martyrs Canada - Country Profile - Russia, Chechnya

[Fred A. Miller]

Another perspective some of you won't like..........oh well. Sometimes we need 
to BE THERE and in someone else's shoes to know the truth. VOM does some good 
work, and I faithfully read it, but I also know that they, at times, get it 
ALL wrong.

Fred
____________________

I have no sympathy for these idiots whatsoever. As I stated in my earlier 
email, these people need to go back to kindergarten and learn to play with 
others. They come into a country, criticize its churches, interfere in its 
politics, and then wonder why they're not welcome. The only fault of the 
Russians was not to give these arrogant fools some cheese to go with their 
whine. What they needed to do was come into Russia with the attitude of 
guests and then show some respect for their hosts by learning about the 
Russian Orthodox Church and other Russian churches--start by attending their 
services and then spend some time talking with their priests and parishoners 
and learn about how they suffered torture, prison, and death for their 
Christian faith. These American "missionaries" are total wimps by comparison. 
Maybe if they spent some time talking with the pastors of the existing 
Russian churches they would understand why they should support the churches 
that are already there instead of undermining them and trying to impose 
American culture in Russia. American culture is bankrupt, so why are these 
fools trying to export it to Russia? The Russians are rightfully saying 
"thanks, but no thanks--go back and fix your own culture."

When I was in Siberia, a group of Southern Baptist "missionaries" came in and 
started holding meetings, etc. They acted like theirs was the only "true" 
brand of Christianity and criticized the Russian churches, culture, politics, 
etc. They thought that they had an American solution for every Russian 
problem. They never even bothered to contact the local Russian Baptists. I 
had a good relationship with the pastors of all of the local churches and 
attended their services as often as possible (even taking the risks 
associated with attending the illegal underground churches), so I know how 
they felt--totally insulted. I was so embarassed by these so-called American 
"missionaries" that I cut off all contact with them. The local Russian 
Baptist pastor was a real hero who had been tortured by the KGB and had his 
jaw broken by them (I saw the scars with my own eyes), the Lutheran pastor 
had been killed (so their services were led by a deacon), and the Orthodox 
priests had undergone repeated torture during the Communist years. But these 
Southern Baptist jerks thought that they were only "real" Christians in town! 
The Russian Baptist pastor finally got so fed up that he asked the 
authorities to kick them out of town--it wasn't the Orthodox or the 
government authorities. I strongly suspect that this is also the case in the 
story reported here by VOM.

I am sick and tired of American "missionaries" going to Russia and other 
foreign countries, ignoring the local churches, and trying to tell the local 
people what to do. These idiots are in obvious need of authentic Christian 
instruction, since real Christians would go in and support the local Church. 
Imagine that--loving and supporting other Christians instead of attacking 
them! What a revolutionary concept! I think some Jewish carpenter talked 
about this 2000 years ago, but they have obviously forgotten about this!

These so-called "missionaries" should be glad that they only had to deal with 
the Russian authorities--the Russians treated them more gently than I would. 
I would have turned them around at the border and thrown them out on their 
butts with instructions to serve in their own mission field--America--and let 
the Russian Orthodox Church take care of the Christian faithful in Russia.

The reality is that these whiners go into foreign countries and try to 
proselytize the faithful of the local churches. It is no wonder, then, that 
the local churches resent and oppose them. These jerks then come back and 
complain. I have utterly no sympathy for them.

If these "missionaries" had spent some time really studying Orthodoxy they 
would have realized that Orthodoxy is "real" and rich Christianity and that 
their own Protestant version is weak and impoverished by comparison.

These so-called "missionaries" had a wonderful opportunity to learn about 
authentic Christianity and they totally blew it. If only they had utilized 
the great opportunity that they had to sit at the feet of the Orthodox 
bishops and priests and learn first-hand about the martyrs for Christ in the 
former Soviet Union under the Communists. They would have learned about 
full-strength Christianity, not the watered-down version of American 
protestantism. I'm a person who doesn't fool around. I drink full-strength 
coffee--espresso--not the watered-down American version. And I feel the same 
about Christianity--I want full-strength authentic Christianity, not the 
watered-down version offered by American protestants.

If these "missionaries" had taken the time to study with the local priests 
they would have come back and taught real Christianity to Americans. What 
fools! What a wasted opportunity! Reading this made me so sad I wanted to 
tear my clothes in mourning. But then I remembered that these idiots were 
thrown out of Russia and the faithful were spared from their influence, so I 
celebrated Christ's victory.

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