God, sex and Putin

"Why did God create Putin?"

Such a stunning question in his innocent directness was recently asked by a certain Orthodox believer to the priest, whose Internet popularity has recently surpassed all conceivable limits. I say, of course, about Maxim Kaskun, the rector of the Tikhvinsky temple of the village of Lastovo, Moscow diocese. The Russian Blogosphere is already a day to be frantically replicates the videos in which about. Maxim teaches the flock on topics related to intimate relationships.

Priests broadcasting online are now not uncommon. But Maxim Kaskun is a special case. The man is still young (graduated from high school in 1997), he founded a biblical circle for five years now. At first, the listeners gathered in the dining room of the college in the Baumanskaya metro area in Moscow, and then the gathering place became and remains the house-museum of Korney Chukovsky in Peredelkino. The mug has its own site , made quite professionally and updated with enviable thoroughness.

Those who wish can order discs with lectures read in a circle, in video or audio format. And last year at about. Maxim appeared a video blog "Questions to the priest." Everyone sends their questions to this site, and the priest answers them with 3-5-minute videos. In addition, he regularly participates in the current show of the Soyuz Orthodox television channel and is actively present in all popular social networks, including classmates and YouTube video hosting. “Questions to the priest”, as stated on the site, were born last summer, but already in October they were faced with difficulties, and for three months the work was interrupted, but in January “these difficulties were overcome”.

About about. Maxim is known that he is a graduate of the Moscow Theological Seminary, ordained in 2006. He was obedient at first in the atye boarding school for children with speech disorders, then in the orphanage for blind people in Sergiev Posad.

Apparently, his activity is a media project of the Russian Orthodox Church, created as an alternative to the odious Vsevolod Chaplin. The recent resignation of the head of the press service of the Patriarch Vladimir Vigilyansky (he was “thrown into the Nizovka” to build a rural church in the village of Zaitsevo, Moscow Region) suggests that the Russian Orthodox Church hurriedly rebuilt his information policy injured by a series of unprecedented scandals. And Maxim Kaskun is an important element of this policy.

It differs from other priests missionary on the Internet in that he does not might, does not speak with the audience down, holds simply and democratically. With a slightly gloomy appearance, on occasion can grin and joke. And does not utter his teachings as the truth in the last instance, does not speak on behalf of the Church - on the contrary, stipulates that he sets out his personal opinion. By the way, Maxim Kaskun also sings , accompanying himself on the guitar.

Bloggers have a reaction to his judgments are often ironic, in order not to say a mocking one. Of course, for an atheist, every pop is a fraudster by definition. But the Orthodox audience listens to him, and therefore it makes sense to analyze his judgments more carefully.

O. Maxim is asked questions of a variety of properties: “Where is the soul during sleep?”, “How do you feel about March 8?”, “Can children give to eat hematogen?”, “Are tattoos and piercing allowed?” The priest answers patiently. He says about tattoos, for example, that the church does not have a position on this issue, but he personally does not approve. But in the Old Testament it is said: “Do not make rifles on your body and do not prick the written written” (Lev., 19:28). But then what to do with "Orthodox bikers" whose bodies are completely covered with letters? Yes, very simple: no one lives on the Old Testament law today, many of its prohibitions are outdated, but the priest personally may not approve.

Characteristic accents appear in the reasoning of Fr. Maxim about the fantasy genre. In his opinion, these are fairy tales for adults, mainly pagan ones, and "in the Western format." His adaptation causes special indignation, where “depraved power” affects the children's soul, cruelty is preached. If you want to read fairy tales - read the Russians, advises the shepherd, do not "distort yourself". Like, in our tales the good is opposed to evil, and the Western heretics have another dichotomy: it is profitable - unprofitable. True, he forgets that Russian fairy tales are completely pagan. With cruelty, they surpass any European ones. And is it so alien to the idea of ​​the benefit to the man who shared the tops and roots with the bear? But the author of the "Chronicle of Narnia" Clive Lewis is not only a novelist, but also the theologian and a brilliant Christian publicist. The author of Lewis was the author of the “Lord of the Rings” by John Tolkien. There is no need to talk about their "paganism".

Interestingly, our father answers the question "Is it permissible to Orthodox to give money to growth?" It provides that it is not sinful to work in a bank, but to give your own money in growth is a sin. Not to mention the "Orthodox businessmen" who may be offended, the ordinary bank depositor also gives money to growth - interest is dripping for him. In my opinion, the idea that the church "does not approve of usury" is nothing but a delusion or distortion of a creed. Indeed, in the parable of the talents, Jesus approves the actions of slaves who gave “silver to the traders” and thus multiplying the amount trusted by them (robber, we note, percentage!), And condemns a slave who buried his talent into the ground (Matt. 25: 14-30).

But the most acute topics that the blogosphere reacted so violently was sex and related features of physiology. O. Maxim is an opponent of not only premarital sexual relations, but also kisses. He recommends the bride and bride before marriage not to touch each other at all, not even hold each other's hand, so that the warmth of the bodies arouses them and does not push them to the greatest (they say, the harlots skillfully use the vests to seduce the righteous husband).

Meanwhile, the Bible does not have a definite ban on premarital sex. Usually in this case they refer to the Pavlovs of the message. But Paul wrote his teachings in anticipation of the close end of the world, so he believed that it was better not to enter into a marriage, but to remain as it is: “It’s good for a person to touch a woman” (1 Cor., 7: 1). At the same time, he is stipulated as about. Maxim, that this is his personal opinion. And it specifically clarifies for the girls: “regarding the virginity, I have no commandment of the Lord” (1 Cor., 7:25). It is worth adding that such a deep connoisseur of scripture and dogmas as about. Alexander Men, in his letter to a girl about sex before marriage, gently exhort her, but does not prohibit anything or appeal to the authority of the church.

But about. Maxim goes even further: he is confident in the sinfulness of petting, or, as he expresses, "intimate caresses", even if partners are legal husband and wife. This is already a pure darling. “Do not shy away from each other,” Pavel teaches. “The wife is not powerful over her body, but the husband;

And the most perfect splash made to the public a bold statement about Maxim that the ancestor Eve did not have a monthly regulatory, because the Lord "created a woman in a perfect form" and only after the fall was filled with "bodily badge". This theological discovery is not based on anything. The father does not bring any links to the Holy Scripture (he almost does not refer to either the Bible or the Church Fathers). I can only send readers to the comment of Fr. Andrei Kuraev, who exhaustively illuminated this item. The dry remnant of clarification: there is no ban on a woman to visit the temple on “critical days” (both priests answer this question). O. Maxim is convinced that there is a ban. It will be useful to notice that the issue was sent from a correctional labor colony by a woman-confined woman, who, apparently, does not have to choose when to go to church.

In a word, with about. It would be interesting for Maxim to argue, but the format of his video aircraft does not provide for any discussion.

Ah, yes: So what does the father answer the question, why did God create Putin? The answer is amazing:

And then, in order to score sinners like us ... Why did God create Putin? And why did God create Ivan the Terrible? Yes, he did not create them. They themselves made their choice, and the Lord allowed this for our enlightenment and punishment.

I subscribe to this.