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The Russian Orthodox Christian Church, from which President Vladimir Putin draws his base, is calling for a law to ban homosexuality in Russia. Today, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, the Church’s spokesman, noted that one-third of all Russians believe homosexuality is an illness.
“I am convinced that such sexual contacts should be completely excluded from the life of our society,†Chaplin (top image, left), speaking of homosexuality, told Russian news site Izvestia. “If we manage to do this through moral pressure, all the better. But if we need to revert to assistance from the law, then let us ask the people if they are ready for this.â€
More than 40 percent of Russians are Orthodox Christians.
“There is no question that society should discuss this issue since we live in a democracy,†the Archpriest said. “Therefore it is the majority of our people, and not some external force who must determine what we consider a criminal offense, and what not. In different societies at different times to same-sex sexual relations were treated in different ways, but the most common was the attitude to them as a crime.”
Homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia in 1993. Chaplin would like to see those laws reinstated. Russia would then become the 84th country to criminalize homosexuality.
Image via Wikimedia