Archpriest Dmitri Smirnov Proposed that Schools Add the Subject “The Meaning of Life” to their Curriculum

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On Tuesday, Archpriest Dmitri Smirnov, the First Deputy Chairman of the Patriarchal Commission on Family and Maternal Assistance, thought that Russian schools should teach a new subject, “The Meaning of Life”. During a lecture at Northern State Medical University in Arkhangelsk, according to the local diocese, Fr Dmitri said, “Algebra and geometry are good, geography and biology are nice, and Russian literature is delightful, but they don’t address the main problem”. In his opinion, it’s tragic that mankind pursues false goals. “In our country, it’s particularly noticeable… all too many people are mostly sullen and unhappy. Life doesn’t bring them joy… this terrific gift, to use the colloquial expression, ‘goes down the drain’”{идет коту под хвост, literally, “the cat goes under its tail”, its Russian idiomatic analogue: editor}.

According to Fr Dmitri, every baptised Christian must “change the meaning of their life and its direction, to realise their responsibility before God and society for their actions”. Touching on the theme of large families, he expressed regret that many people are afraid to have children, and “dodge having them, which is criminal”. He pointed up, “Perhaps, they think that they can’t support children properly. I support 50 orphans. The state doesn’t give us any money, not a busted kopeck, but there wasn’t a single day that these kids didn’t have enough to eat and have proper clothes to wear. Everything works out; God helps… through people’s good will, of course. None of my three children’s homes are in want”.

26 March 2013

Interfax-Religion

http://interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=50558

Editor’s Note:

Fr Dmitri isn’t a greasy and smarmy eunuch from the Blunder’s set in Bolshaya Ordynka. He’s a tough “rough diamond” street sort who’s the liaison between the MP and the forces and the police (one of his dedes was a White officer). Anyone who wanted to give Marat Gelman the belt for his blasphemous exhibitions has my vote (he also hates Neoliberalism and Crapitalism, which ain’t bad, either). His thesis is simple and straightforward. Our goals are skewed; therefore, we screw up our lives. You can follow Fr Dmitri, or, you can follow Victor Potapov and James Paffhausen (who cheerlead for the rightwing advocates of American consumerism). It’s your choice…

BMD

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