> I don't think China or Russia are for example. We have an absolutely horrifying clerical renaissance here in Russia. Church gets a lot of media attention, a

> I don't think China or Russia are for example. We have an absolutely horrifying clerical renaissance here in Russia. Church gets a lot of media attention, a lot of general public attention, a lot of lawmakers' attention. By recent polls, 75% of Russians consider themselves orthodox christians. Just two examples of how this influences everyday life: 1. There is a university called MIFI (aka National Research Nuclear University Moscow Engineering Physics Institute). For a long time there was a statue of a wayfarer on their campus with the following words "Дорогу осилит идущий" (I don't know English equivalent, literally: "The one who walks will overcome the path"). This statue, nicknamed "An Eternal Student", was considered an unofficial symbol and words an unofficial motto of MIFI students. However, right before patriarch Kirill visit to the institution, statue was replaced by a cross. Before and after pic: http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/statixaos/16015392/2819/original.jpg http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/statixaos/16015392/2819/origi... Also, later they announced they were opening a theological faculty there. In a nuclear research university. 2. A road accident happened in Moscow. Drunk hieromonk Ilia was driving a Mercedes G-wagon (!) at 140 kmph and crashed into a Skoda. Afterwards he crashed into three road workers, two of whom died. Putting aside how monk can own and drive expensive cars, mysterious things began to occur to this case. For some reason, no one bothered to take his blood sample or arrest the young monk, who was taken by (allegedly) unknown person home. In the court a person, who wasn't even present at the crash, told the judge that it was Skoda that crashed into and killed road workers. Video records from the case showing Mercedes were, wait for it, "destroyed by a computer virus". For no apparent reason, after all this Ilia decided to confess to everything. Also, the case of pussy riot, who were given prison time for disorderly conduct and many, many different annoying things.