The Russian Orthodox Church, The Atomic Bomb, and Nanotechnology

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleРусская православная церковь, атомная бомба и нанотехнологии
3. Language term Russian
4. lemma author Asliturk, Miriam
5. lemma category Ecumenism and dialogue > Education - Orthodox view on technology and engineering - Modes of interaction > Conflict
6. Publication date 28-06-2018
7. lemma work Антонюк, Георгий [Author]. Русская православная церковь, атомная бомба и нанотехнологии
8. lemma manifestations Научный форум dxdy: Математика, Физика, Computer Science, Machine Learning, LaTeX, Механика и Техника, Химия, Биология и Медицина, Экономика и Финансовая Математика, Гуманитарные науки
9. Keywords Russian Orthodox Church - Scientists - Soviet Union - atomic bomb - nuclear weapons - atheism - scientifc progress - Scientific method - Clergy
10. Url Click Here
11. Citations
    1. <p>Антонюк, Георгий (2011). Русская православная церковь, атомная бомба и нанотехнологии. <em>Научный форум dxdy. </em>Retrieved from: <a href="https://dxdy.ru/topic8988.html">https://dxdy.ru/topic8988.html</a>  </p>
12. Lemma body

    1. The author shares his concerns about the close relationship between the Russian Orthodox Church and state power in Russia, as well as the Church’s interference in areas such as science and education. The author believes that any religion is potentially dangerous as it not only tries to explain the world and substitute science but also to guide human communities: nations, states, social groups, and individuals. Sincere adherents of any religious faith strive to explain the world not only for themselves but also for others using mostly unverifiable ideas and thus rejecting the scientific approach. At the same time, religious people’s minds are conditioned by the religion they practice. The most dangerous thing, according to the author, is when such people have political power in a state which has weapons of mass destruction. In this case the situation becomes dangerous for all humankind.

       The author believes that in Russia, clericalization represents one of the main obstacles to scientific progress. It is accompanied in his view by the passive and even defeatist attitude of many scientists toward the Church. This situation has to be changed by rejecting the idea of dialogue between science and religion. Such dialogue, according to the author, regardless of its content, is an indirect recognition of the fact that religion posesses objective knowledge of reality. However, it is only science which is capable of objective cognition of the world.

       In today's Russia, the author posits, science and scientists are marginalized. In the spiritual sphere it is the Russian Orthodox Church that is most influential and seeks to control the entire society, including science and scientists as well as education. According to the author, the influence the Church has over the emerging consciousness of children can deprive Russia of many generations of creative people because the peculiarity of religious faith lies in its unquestioning acceptance of dogmas. The author points out that the USSR was a leading scientific power only because of the materialistic, dialectical, and antimetaphysical approach adopted by its educational system.

       The author, writing in 2007, on the eve of presidential elections in Russia, concludes that the Russian Orthodox Church is trying to promote an Orthodox Christian candidate in order to increase the Church’s influence and get access to Russia’s nuclear weapons. According to author, the Church has a predominant focus on the interests of the Russian ethnos and the East Slavic superethnos identified in accordance with the ideology of pan-Russianism. It also has a messianic vision of its role which means that if the Russian Orthodox clergy gets access to the nuclear button it will transform Russia into a totalitarian theocratic, nationalist and therefore fascist state, and consequently will become a strong threat to the existence of humankind.