Renowned Russian TV Anchor Believes That Conversion to Orthodoxy is Russia's Greatest Tragedy
July 22, 2010
Interfax
The famous Russian TV anchor Vladimir Pozner believes Russia's troubles are caused by Orthodoxy and the Russian Church.
"I think that one of the greatest tragedies for Russia is conversion to Orthodoxy," Pozner said in his interview posted by Vladimirpozner.ru website.
He believes it is the Church that instills "fear of the West, considering the West something dangerous and immoral."
"The Russian Orthodox Church most of all reminds me of the Communist Party with a political bureau of metropolitans and general secretary who is called the Patriarch. I believe the Russian Orthodox Church has inflicted colossal harm to Russia," Pozner said.
According to him, Russia, unlike Western Europe did not have a Renaissance, while Western Europe had it "as they managed to give up dark components of the Church."
"The Orthodox Church interferes in politics, but it has nothing to do in it. In school education, it is extremely aggressive," the journalist believes.
Pozner said he is a biologist, a physiologist by education and it is quite evident for him that "there's nothing after death."
He also said that he didn't consider Russia as his country.
"As for me, to much extent my home is France and not America in general, but New York where I grew up. I like a lot of things in Russia, but to say that I like Russia... I like it, but as something alien, not mine. It's not mine. I still feel myself a little bit as a stranger," the journalist said.