Orthodox views on censorship

[TheLostCoin]

So, historically, Orthodox governments have many a time tried to censor ideas, beliefs, and the persecution of people who hold onto these beliefs, which were at odds with the Orthodox Church. What comes to mind is the persecution of the non-Chalcedonians after Chalcedon in the Byzantine Empire, the persecution of Judaizing Orthodox under St. Yevgenny of Novgorod, the persecution of the Old Believers in the Russian Empire, the persecution of the Russian Mennonites / Ukrainian Mennonites, the forbidding of the establishment of Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches in Russia until St. Nicholas II, and the vast amount of literature which was subject to Russian censorship.

For example, in Dostoevsky's "Notes from the Underground," the protagonist, an insane and obsessive man, ultimately serves as the means by which Dostoevsky argues against the idea of a Socialist Utopia without Christ, which couldn't be functional without Christ - that is, it would've said that, but because Christ's advocacy is being said by an insane and obsessive man, censors removed this important passage, to which Dostoevsky basically wrote in his letters, "Those idiot censors removed the most fundamental point in my book that supports their position!"

Now, it's a very American - and fundamentally Democratic value, especially in Western Europe - to be able to have the freedom to hold the beliefs and ideas you want to, as long as it isn't a direct threat to others or the government's existence. This was demonstrated in France by the "Je suis Charlie" protests, in which after a comic portrayed Muhammad in a mocking fashion, a Muslim shot up the offices of this comic, and the population held demonstrations showing their support of the comic's right to mock Muhammad.

Is such a value compatible with Orthodoxy? Does Orthodoxy hold that the government has the right to censor ideas that are harmful to the soul? Does this fall under doctrine, or theologumenon with no definitive answer? Can one be an advocate of freedom of speech - even if that person wants to express pure blasphemy - and be Orthodox at the same time? And if Orthodoxy advocates censorship, does this hinder economic process - given the historical banning of usury - or Science - which assumes uniformitarian premises in order to make predictions, something which Orthodoxy denies by the fact of God supernaturally intervening in the world?

 

[Jonaitis]

Interesting question, TheLostCoin.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Orthodoxy is fine with free speech. if it wasn't, Orthodoxy wouldn't be in active in nations that value it.

 

[Not David]

So, historically, Orthodox governments have many a time tried to censor ideas, beliefs, and the persecution of people who hold onto these beliefs, which were at odds with the Orthodox Church. What comes to mind is the persecution of the non-Chalcedonians after Chalcedon in the Byzantine Empire, the persecution of Judaizing Orthodox under St. Yevgenny of Novgorod, the persecution of the Old Believers in the Russian Empire, the persecution of the Russian Mennonites / Ukrainian Mennonites, the forbidding of the establishment of Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches in Russia until St. Nicholas II, and the vast amount of literature which was subject to Russian censorship.

For example, in Dostoevsky's "Notes from the Underground," the protagonist, an insane and obsessive man, ultimately serves as the means by which Dostoevsky argues against the idea of a Socialist Utopia without Christ, which couldn't be functional without Christ - that is, it would've said that, but because Christ's advocacy is being said by an insane and obsessive man, censors removed this important passage, to which Dostoevsky basically wrote in his letters, "Those idiot censors removed the most fundamental point in my book that supports their position!"

Now, it's a very American - and fundamentally Democratic value, especially in Western Europe - to be able to have the freedom to hold the beliefs and ideas you want to, as long as it isn't a direct threat to others or the government's existence. This was demonstrated in France by the "Je suis Charlie" protests, in which after a comic portrayed Muhammad in a mocking fashion, a Muslim shot up the offices of this comic, and the population held demonstrations showing their support of the comic's right to mock Muhammad.

Is such a value compatible with Orthodoxy? Does Orthodoxy hold that the government has the right to censor ideas that are harmful to the soul? Does this fall under doctrine, or theologumenon with no definitive answer? Can one be an advocate of freedom of speech - even if that person wants to express pure blasphemy - and be Orthodox at the same time? And if Orthodoxy advocates censorship, does this hinder economic process - given the historical banning of usury - or Science - which assumes uniformitarian premises in order to make predictions, something which Orthodoxy denies by the fact of God supernaturally intervening in the world?

How has freedom of expression provided morality to society? We have an abundance of inappropriate contentography, movies and TV series promoting degeneracy, and transgenderism.

And the ones who promoted "free speech" to further heatheness are the same ones who want to censor traditional values or mock them.

 

[trulytheone]

One way that I view "free speech" is the same way I view the existence of modern technology: it is necessary for modern society to function (especially in airing grievances to the public so that justice may be served), but it is not always good.

 

[dzheremi]

How has freedom of expression provided morality to society? We have an abundance of inappropriate contentography, movies and TV series promoting degeneracy, and transgenderism.

And the ones who promoted "free speech" to further heatheness are the same ones who want to censor traditional values or mock them.

I don't think you're in the least bit wrong about this, but the other side is that while free speech has allowed all of this, it can also be used to counter it (for now...and can continue to be used that way, if we are willing to fight for it). I believe that at heart many, many people know that the "transgenderism" thing is a non-starter...I know that, and I even have two friends from back in my high school days who struggled with that (one of whom had surgery). In an age when you can have surgery to appear as anything you'd like, it actually invites a real discussion on traditional Christian anthropology, and how it differs from and indeed provides deep answers to the worldly anthropology that has led us to the current 'post-everything' gender craziness and other crises, such that traditionally Christian nations in the West don't even know what they are anymore.

But it is a hard conversation to have in such an environment, I'll grant you that. It's one we must have, though, in order to make any progress in freeing our societies from the mental slavery of post-modern, Facebook "like"/dopamine-in-exchange-for-the-'right'-opinion culture. All of that is passing away, anyhow. What will remain in the end is what has always been there, or should I say Who has always been there: the Truth, in the Person of the incarnate Christ Who came to save us all from our sins, and free us from the heavy chains of death. People who are made in the image of God, as we all are, and who realize that they are, as I should hope we all do, cannot be stopped by appeals to courts and made up 'rights' gained by legal fiat. Censorship is one thing, but Christianity has survived much worse than this, and has many martyrs, passion-barers, and other saints to rejoice in as a result. Perversion wrapped in a thin coating of feel-good gibberish about 'equality' and such is no match for the deep well of nourishment found in actual (not just cultural) Christianity. If I'm not mistaken, there was an Eastern Orthodox book published some years ago with a similar slant called something like "Thirsting for God in a Land of Shallow Wells". That's where Western societies are now, and it's tough, but when you know you have the depth they are looking for, it is also a great opportunity.

 

[ArmyMatt]

yep, just a nugget but the author is Matthew Gallatin.

 

[Not David]

I don't think you're in the least bit wrong about this, but the other side is that while free speech has allowed all of this, it can also be used to counter it (for now...and can continue to be used that way, if we are willing to fight for it). I believe that at heart many, many people know that the "transgenderism" thing is a non-starter...I know that, and I even have two friends from back in my high school days who struggled with that (one of whom had surgery). In an age when you can have surgery to appear as anything you'd like, it actually invites a real discussion on traditional Christian anthropology, and how it differs from and indeed provides deep answers to the worldly anthropology that has led us to the current 'post-everything' gender craziness and other crises, such that traditionally Christian nations in the West don't even know what they are anymore.

But it is a hard conversation to have in such an environment, I'll grant you that. It's one we must have, though, in order to make any progress in freeing our societies from the mental slavery of post-modern, Facebook "like"/dopamine-in-exchange-for-the-'right'-opinion culture. All of that is passing away, anyhow. What will remain in the end is what has always been there, or should I say Who has always been there: the Truth, in the Person of the incarnate Christ Who came to save us all from our sins, and free us from the heavy chains of death. People who are made in the image of God, as we all are, and who realize that they are, as I should hope we all do, cannot be stopped by appeals to courts and made up 'rights' gained by legal fiat. Censorship is one thing, but Christianity has survived much worse than this, and has many martyrs, passion-barers, and other saints to rejoice in as a result. Perversion wrapped in a thin coating of feel-good gibberish about 'equality' and such is no match for the deep well of nourishment found in actual (not just cultural) Christianity. If I'm not mistaken, there was an Eastern Orthodox book published some years ago with a similar slant called something like "Thirsting for God in a Land of Shallow Wells". That's where Western societies are now, and it's tough, but when you know you have the depth they are looking for, it is also a great opportunity.

The big problem is entertainment. People who cheered and awarded a director who raped a little girl are the ones viewed as "heroes" by society.

 

[dzheremi]

The big problem is entertainment. People who cheered and awarded a director who raped a little girl are the ones viewed as "heroes" by society.

Ugh. I take it you mean Roman Polanski? He's banned from entering the USA, as he will be arrested for his crime if he does so, but I guess there's nothing stopping people more generally for celebrating the guy. Or maybe Woody Allen...? Yeah, I don't know. Hollywood is a cesspool. There are probably many people who fit that description.

My point is that at a time when such shallow figureheads are looked to for moral guidance, and society as a consequence has lost its way in many respects, it is a time for us to redouble our efforts to connect with people who are after all in the same society with the same currents as we are, and to help to bring them up out of the muck and show them that there is another way to live that is not the empty, shallow, soullessness of whatever happens to pass for morality at this particular point in time. Consider our common father St. Athanasius the Apostolic, who spent many long years in exile from his beloved Alexandrian see at a time when people were much more focused on religion than they are now. If he could be Contra Mundum when the world was actually still at least sort of listening, then we ought not be afraid to follow in his holy footsteps, even if it feels like shouting into the void a lot of the time. There are people out there in that void -- people who know that there is more to life than the shallowness of modern culture, but have perhaps spent their entire lives being convinced by that same culture that Christianity is not the answer to anything in our age.

That is a lie, of course, but who can blame those who don't know any better because they've never experienced any better? So rather than give up, I would again put it as a challenging time in which there are more to be won over to Christ than ever before in our lifetimes (what with the rise in the 'unaffiliated'). The challenge has become greater and greater, but how much greater is the reward for those willing to labor in the vineyard.

 

[Not David]

Ugh. I take it you mean Roman Polanski? He's banned from entering the USA, as he will be arrested for his crime if he does so, but I guess there's nothing stopping people more generally for celebrating the guy. Or maybe Woody Allen...? Yeah, I don't know. Hollywood is a cesspool. There are probably many people who fit that description.

My point is that at a time when such shallow figureheads are looked to for moral guidance, and society as a consequence has lost its way in many respects, it is a time for us to redouble our efforts to connect with people who are after all in the same society with the same currents as we are, and to help to bring them up out of the muck and show them that there is another way to live that is not the empty, shallow, soullessness of whatever happens to pass for morality at this particular point in time. Consider our common father St. Athanasius the Apostolic, who spent many long years in exile from his beloved Alexandrian see at a time when people were much more focused on religion than they are now. If he could be Contra Mundum when the world was actually still at least sort of listening, then we ought not be afraid to follow in his holy footsteps, even if it feels like shouting into the void a lot of the time. There are people out there in that void -- people who know that there is more to life than the shallowness of modern culture, but have perhaps spent their entire lives being convinced by that same culture that Christianity is not the answer to anything in our age.

That is a lie, of course, but who can blame those who don't know any better because they've never experienced any better? So rather than give up, I would again put it as a challenging time in which there are more to be won over to Christ than ever before in our lifetimes (what with the rise in the 'unaffiliated'). The challenge has become greater and greater, but how much greater is the reward for those willing to labor in the vineyard.

That reminds me of St. Anthony's quote: