Russian Religious News

In February, I did a post on a "new Messiah" to hit the scene who happens to be Russian. Today, I noticed news accounts of a situation involving members of a "doomsday cult" in Russia.

In case you did not see the news, it is a simple story. Followers of self-declared prophet, Pyotr Kuznetsov, had entered a cave in November to await the end of the world. The 35 person group included both adults and children; two children were identified as aged 8 and 14.

Now, however, melting snow is threatening the structural integrity of the cave area with governmental officials concerned about a complete collapse of the cave burying the group. Some of them emerged from the cave on Friday, more left today, and priests from the Russian Orthodox Church and the governmental officials are trying to convince the rest to leave. The story does not indicate whether there was any religious significance of the cave or what they believed would actually happen when the end of the world came.

I wonder about folks who believe so passionately in something I consider so false. But, I imagine some of those with deeply held and passionate beliefs wonder about my lack of belief.

This does raise interesting questions. Was the government right to intervene? Do the members of the group feel that their eternal salvation is now compromised because they left the cave? If they were not going to harm anyone else, should the government have acted at all? Should one's religious beliefs trump any other consideration? Think hard before answering these questions because they could apply to you someday.