By George Green
When one looks at the average television photo of America they see one of two buildings; the Capitol Building (with the large dome), or the White House. When one sees Russian news on TV, the footage typically shows Red Square and the Kremlin. In both American photos there are no Churches. In Red Square alone there are more than 3. Counting all the churches and parishes in the Kremlin there are over 20.
According to data from 2008, more than half of District residents identify as Christian: 28% of residents are Baptists, 13% are Roman Catholic, and 31% are members of other Christian denominations. Residents who practice other faiths make up 6% of the population and 18% do not adhere to a religion. So a total of 96% of people in Washington DC claim to be religious; that is 577655 people, 2534 Churches, In Moscow the total is 91.294%. There are 1943741 believers, and 198000 Churches. In Washington DC there are finding the number of synagogues was difficult but appears to be 677. In Moscow there is little data on the number of synagogues but 638 is often cited. Among the Christians in Moscow are not only Russian Orthodox, who admittedly dominate in numbers, but also Baptists, Lutherans, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, and more.
Why is this important? Many if not most Americans still think that Russia is an atheist power bent on world domination. Russia has not started a war since the war to retain Chechnya. In the meantime the United States has started no less than 5 and is looking awfully close to starting wars in Iran and Syria as well. Hardly Christian behavior unless one feels the crusades, which largely involved raping and pillaging often including nuns, Christian. Indeed Christian America has attained Trotsky's concept of permanent revolution.
It is of extreme importance that when America insists Russia is an unfree state run by an evil dictator named Pyutin (How Americans can mispronounce Putin is beyond me ;Pooh Tin simple as that) that they consider they have the same colors, red white and blue, the same national bird, the eagle, the same number of Christians and Jews more less in their capitals, and many other similarities. Christians should be against all wars but especially initiating them and blind hatred for the Russian Federation, and other former Soviet Nations due to the crimes of the Soviet oppressors is simply bigotry. America prides itself on how religious, and especially Christian it is; it is high time that it recognize its Russian neighbor is no less so.
George Green
George Edward Green III has been a journalist since 1997, and written for several Technology, Financial, and Libertarian Publications. He lives near a large monastery in West Ukraine not far from Lvov.