What gives me the study of Orthodox culture. Why does the Russian school need "the foundations of Orthodox culture"

"The introduction of the "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" is one of the most important issues on the agenda of church-state relations, which is to a large extent decisive for the fate of national education and directly affects the interests of millions of parents and their children" (Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia from the Report on the Diocesan meeting of the city of Moscow on December 23, 2011)

Why His Holiness Patriarch Kirill said that the introduction of the new subject "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" into schools is of decisive importance for the fate of Russian education? - Because modern domestic education is not only in a state of protracted reform, but also a deep spiritual and moral crisis.

It’s embarrassing for the school itself (principals, teachers) to talk about this crisis: it’s like criticizing your own educational work. And from the side of our native long-suffering school, I don’t want to condemn. She has so many problems! Take, for example, the problems of financing, the ever-complicating requirements for the conditions of education, the wave of various new instructions for the school ...

The continuous reformation of the school can be compared to continuous relocations. Imagine a situation: a family (or organization, or enterprise) has been in a state of relocation for two decades. He will not have time to take root, settle, settle down, as they already say: if you please, you have to move again ... But reforms are inevitable, the school does not choose them. Therefore, critically discussing the reform of school education is just as unproductive as proving to ourselves that the USE does not contribute to improving the quality of school education. But the spiritual and moral education of schoolchildren depends not so much on the Minister of Education A.A. Fursenko, how much from the school itself: from the director, from the teacher. Here it is appropriate to cite again the words of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill that the introduction of the subject "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" into schools is of decisive importance for the fate of Russian education.

What are the problems of teaching the fundamentals of Orthodox culture at school?

Here is a short and approximate list of them.

1. Insufficient awareness of parents about their right to choose the desired module of the comprehensive course "Fundamentals of religious cultures and secular ethics "(ORKiSE). Most parents do not know about the purpose and objectives of the subject" Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture "(OPK). They are strongly recommended the" Fundamentals of Secular Ethics ", at worst - the so-called" Fundamentals of World Religions ". So, most often there is a situation that can be described as "choice without choice".

2. Unsatisfactory training of teachers of the comprehensive course of the ORKiSE, and, consequently, teachers of the defense industry. The preparation went on in an incredible hurry, often formally, without taking into account the specifics of the subjects (so-called modules) of the new educational area.

3. Problems with the financing of the RCSE: the lack of pre-established payment for the work of teachers for teaching lessons on the RCSE, including the OPK. Schools have to deal with the restructuring and optimization of their financial capabilities in order to cut something out of the total amount of funding.

4. The notorious shortage of "hours". Due to the reduction of which subjects should the ORCS be introduced? A question formulated in this way can turn anyone against teaching the basics of religious culture in school. To strengthen the anti-religious position, it is sometimes added that schoolchildren are already overloaded with subjects and lessons.

5. The presence in the class of a small number of those who have chosen the GPC. If, for example, there are only two or three such children in the class, and ten or fifteen in the school, then it is easier to enroll them in the "Fundamentals of Secular Ethics" than to deal with the problem of dividing schoolchildren into subgroups, searching for a teacher in the defense industry, places for conducting classes and etc.

6. Absence of premises for separate teaching of the ORKiSE modules. The "output" is usually the same - enroll all children in the "Fundamentals of Secular Ethics", and then there is no need to look for an additional room for classes on a "small" module.

7. Insufficiency or absence of educational and methodological aids on ORKiSE, including on the OPK for those who have chosen this particular academic subject (module).

However, all these problems are not insurmountable: over 20 years of painful reform, the Russian school has accumulated such rich experience in overcoming difficulties that it sometimes seems that this is the main task of our school - to overcome difficulties, and not to teach children a good life and give useful knowledge.

Archpriest Boris Pivovarov

All of the above problems can be resolved only under one condition - if the most unfavorable regime for teaching "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" is eliminated in the school.

It is known that any business is realized in certain conditions: very favorable, favorable, not very favorable, unfavorable, very unfavorable. For the military-industrial complex, the regime of the greatest disadvantage was formed at school.

Why and how did this situation come about? - In my opinion, the first and main problem of introducing a comprehensive course of the ORSE into schools is the targeted opposition to the normal introduction of the GPC (within the framework of the specified comprehensive course) on the part of opponents of teaching the basics of Orthodox culture.

Where and how did this resistance come about?

Opponents of the introduction of the "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" into the school from the very beginning of the testing of the comprehensive course of the ORKiSE threatened the experiment with risks.

Their first fear was formulated as follows: "Priests will come to the school!" And this, according to opponents of the study of Orthodox culture at school, "would be a direct violation of the Constitution of Russia." At the same time, a crafty reference was made to the Constitution:

"Article 14 of the Basic Law of our country states that religious associations are separate from the state and are equal before the law. Persons with a special pedagogical education and who are professionally and permanently involved in the education and upbringing of schoolchildren can work in state and municipal general education schools. Parish clergy are excluded from state and municipal schools by the provisions of the Constitution of Russia, as well as by the existing norms of professional and pedagogical activity "(" Book for parents ". M .:" Prosveshchenie ", 2010. P. 5).

What is the untruth and slyness of this "fear"? - In an arbitrarily broad interpretation of the Constitution of Russia.

AND I. Danilyuk, the compiler of the cited "Book for Parents", states: "The arrival of clergy in state and municipal schools is excluded by the provisions of the Constitution." But if someone reads the entire text of the Constitution Russian Federation, then such words will not be found there. He will not find them there for a simple reason - they are not and cannot be in the Basic Law of our country.

Why? - The answer is given by paragraph 2 of Article 19 of the Constitution itself: "The state guarantees the equality of the rights and freedoms of man and citizen, regardless of gender, race, nationality, language, origin, property and official status, place of residence, attitude to religion, beliefs, belonging to public associations, as well as other circumstances. Any form of restriction of the rights of citizens on the grounds of social, racial, national, linguistic or religious affiliation is prohibited.

"All are equal before the law" (paragraph 1 of article 19). Hence, the statement of A.Ya. Danilyuk, who intimidates parents with the idea that “clergymen will come to school!” is anti-constitutional. Paragraph 2 of Art. 19 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the state guarantees the equality of human rights and freedoms, regardless of "official position", "attitude to religion, beliefs", as well as other circumstances.

AND I. Danilyuk, apparently, is counting on the fact that parents busy with their own problems will not check his references to the Constitution, but will take him at his word. Possibly, the author also counts on the fact that in the minds of many teachers and parents, the position that has lost its legal force is still preserved - "the school is separated from the Church." There is no such provision in the current legislation of Russia. Consequently, the Constitution of the Russian Federation is contradicted not by the arrival of a clergyman in the school, but by the anti-church statement of the compiler of the Book for Parents.

Opponents of teaching the basics of Orthodox culture arbitrarily and broadly interpret clause 5 of Article 1 of the Law of the Russian Federation "On Education": "In state and municipal educational institutions, bodies exercising management in the field of education, the creation and operation of organizational structures of political and religious movements and organizations (associations) are not allowed.

What is not allowed by the Law "On Education"? - Creation and operation of organizational structures, not only religious associations, but above all political parties. In other words, paragraph 5 of article 1 of the Law "On Education" prohibits the creation and operation, for example, of a branch of any political party or any religious association with all the positions and institutions necessary for their functioning.

The arrival of a clergyman to a school is prohibited neither by the Constitution of the Russian Federation nor by the Law "On Education". As for the regular teaching of any subject at school by a clergyman, including the "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture", there are no legislative prohibitions here either. Moreover, if a clergyman or other representative of the Church has the appropriate qualification category and training, then prohibiting him from teaching at school is a direct violation of the Constitution of Russia.

If we mention Article 14 of the Constitution of Russia, to which the "Book for Parents" refers, then we should not forget Article 28 of the Basic Law of our country: "Everyone is guaranteed freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including the right to profess individually or jointly with others any religion or not profess any, freely disseminate religious and other beliefs and act in accordance with them.

Note that this article of the Constitution does not contain a clause that it does not apply to state and municipal educational institutions, that is, to schools. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the President of the Russian Federation D.A. Medvedev on July 21, 2009 at a significant meeting with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and the leaders of Russian Muslims, Jews and Buddhists (at which the fundamental decision was made to introduce subjects of spiritual and moral culture into the Russian school) collectively cited the 14th and 28th articles of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

One of the principles of state policy in the field of education is "protection and development by the education system of national cultures, regional cultural traditions and characteristics" (Law of the Russian Federation "On Education", clause 2, article 2). Orthodoxy, according to the Law of the Russian Federation "On freedom of conscience and religious associations" (1997), has "a special role in the history of Russia, in the formation and development of its spirituality and culture." Since no one has canceled this Law, in order to protect and develop the Orthodox culture of the peoples of Russia, it is necessary to study the basics of Orthodox culture at school.

But opponents of Orthodox culture are afraid of the revival of the historical priority position of the Orthodox Church in Russia and do not want to notice the evidence of the current legislation about the special role of Orthodoxy over Russian history and culture.

Another important principle of state policy in education is "freedom and pluralism in education" (Law of the Russian Federation "On Education", clause 5, article 2). But what kind of freedom in education can we talk about if the parents of schoolchildren are intimidated by the fact that "a clergyman can come to school"?! (So, freedom and pluralism are only for atheists?)

What's wrong with the school is that Orthodox priest will come to school for a lesson in the basics of Orthodox culture? Is it really scary that he will introduce children to the commandment to honor parents, teach them to always thank their teachers, refrain from bad words, explain the meaning of the word "sacred" in the State Anthem of Russia or in the song "Holy War", and also talk about church-state holidays? Is this what schools should be afraid of?

The second "fear" of opponents of teaching Orthodox culture at school: "Will this course turn into direct propaganda of Orthodoxy?" ("Soviet Siberia". No. 217, November 17, 2011).

Let's pay attention to what we are talking about. The newspaper is not even talking about the module of the basics of Orthodox culture, but about the entire comprehensive course of the ORKiSE! The fear of opponents of the teaching of Orthodox culture before the "propaganda of Orthodoxy" exceeds all reasons in favor of the comprehensive course of the ORKiSE. And in order to "not take risks", they were already at the very beginning of the experiment ready to abandon the entire comprehensive course "Fundamentals of Religious Cultures and Secular Ethics"!

And what do the words "propaganda of Orthodoxy" come from and where do they come from? - This phrase is borrowed from the times of open persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church and believers, when N.S. Khrushchev set the task of eradicating religion in the USSR. Proclaiming plans to build communism, this theomachist declared: "We will not take religion into communism!" And to confirm his plans, he promised to show "the last Soviet priest on television" soon.

Khrushchev announced his militantly atheistic plans to the whole world - and soon he was freed from power. And by the end of the 20th century, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was recreated in Moscow as a symbol of the revival of the Orthodox culture of Russia!

Last year, when Athos monks brought the Belt of the Virgin to Russia, more than three million people rushed to this great Christian shrine. It is a pity that A.Ya. Danilyuk, the author of The Book for Parents, did not ask Muscovites standing in line at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior: do they want their children and grandchildren to study "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" at school?

But this question also begs: “Are there really millions of Orthodox parents who have already introduced their children to Orthodox faith and culture through Holy Baptism, did not thereby make their worldview choice and did not determine - by what life path do they want to send their children?" Ask the question at any school parent-teacher meeting: "Which parent baptized their children?" - You will see a forest of hands. Then ask them the following question: "Would the parents who raised their hands want their baptized children to study at school subject "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture"?

If a parent meeting is held in this way, then the percentage of parents who choose "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" will be incomparably higher than it is now. And there will be no need to puzzle over the invention of the mechanism for selecting the ORKiSE module. Moreover, if the school expresses respect for the ideological choice of parents in this way, then Protocol No. The right to education may be denied. The State, in the exercise of any functions it assumes in the field of education and teaching, shall respect the right of parents to provide such education and such teaching as is in conformity with their religious and philosophical convictions."

Opponents of the study of Orthodox culture at school incite not only parents against religion (see the "Book for Parents"), but also teachers of the comprehensive course of the ORKiSE. On the very first page of the introduction to the "Book for the Teacher" an attack is made against religion: "Religion in many of its aspects does not share the foundations of natural science and even contradicts it" ("Fundamentals of Religious Cultures and Secular Ethics. A Book for the Teacher. Grades 4-5" Moscow: "Enlightenment", 2010). From the time of persecution of faith, the Church and believers, the compilers of the "Book for the teacher" pulled out the mossy dogma of militant atheism: "Science is against religion."

Religion does not share atheistic interpretations of what is not yet known to science (problems of cosmogony, zoogenesis and anthropogenesis). Religion does not share the beliefs of the representatives of the so-called "scientific atheism", who believe that only they have the only true materialistic worldview. But to inspire the teacher that religion is contrary to science means to continue to fight religion, while declaring that there is freedom of religion.

Page 8 of the Teacher's Book contains another attack against religion: "... religion can also have a destructive potential if religious activity is directed against the foundations of social life, the accepted order and norms, as well as against the physical and mental health of a person."

Nice characterization given to religion! Who then wants to teach the basics of religious culture?! Let us note that the compilers of the "Book for the Teacher" deliberately substitute one for the other - it is not religion that has a destructive character, but sectarian and terrorist pseudo-religious teachings and currents.

The quoted "Book for Parents", "Book for the Teacher" and throwing into the public discussion on the issue of approbation of the ORKiSE such a phrase as "propaganda of Orthodoxy" - all this indicates that there is a purposeful opposition to the revival of Orthodox culture in Russia.

The school fights (should fight!) against drugs, drug propaganda, crime, violence propaganda. And the newspaper "Soviet Siberia" worries about the "propaganda of Orthodoxy." Here one involuntarily recalls another dogma of the militant atheists, which castigates religion: "Religion is the opium of the people." But while religion was being fought in the USSR for 70 years, real opium penetrated into our country, into school, into life, and on such a scale that it is difficult to compare this disaster with anything.

It is appropriate to recall what the Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation A.A. Fursenko at the XIX International Christmas Educational Readings (January 25, 2011): "This course is still being actively discussed. His Holiness said a lot about this today. Indeed, we often talk about the risks inherent in this course. We are much less likely to talk about about what risks exist if this course did not exist, and in fact, in fact, these risks are definitely not smaller, but greater.

What are the measures taken by the educational authorities and directors of educational institutions "to overcome these" fears "and" risks "in the course of testing the ORKiSE"? - Vigilant control over the observance of the "secular nature of education"!

What is this control?

In preventing clergy from attending school; in the fact that the cooperation of teachers of the fundamentals of Orthodox culture with representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church is more symbolic than constructive; there are still no methodological associations on the basics of Orthodox culture (all available methodological associations are only for all six modules at once, and due to this there is no progress in improving the teaching of the OPK).

In the virtual absence of a free choice of the subject (module) of the foundations of Orthodox culture by parents (legal representatives) and students.

That explanatory work in the means mass media is conducted "in one gate" - in favor of secular ethics.

Thus, the most unfavorable regime was formed for the introduction of the "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" into the school.

And this is at a time when the tension and anxiety associated with the spiritual and moral crisis of all mankind are increasingly manifested at school. Threatening is the mass departure of children to computer worlds, the refusal of live communication with loved ones. Blind trust of children in the information posted in in social networks allows you to manipulate their minds. The school becomes an institution providing "educational services". As a result, the image of the school, traditional for Russia, as a hotbed of enlightenment and spiritual and moral education, is involuntarily lost.

Who can be a teacher of the subject "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture"? - The teacher who has not only completed coursework and (or) retraining at APCiPPRO or NIPCiPRO, but also received a recommendation from the relevant centralized religious organization in the region.

On November 3, 2011, this principle was supported by the Interreligious Council of Russia, formed in 1998 as a public body that unites representatives of the four religious traditions of Russia - Orthodoxy, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism. The Interreligious Council of Russia recognized the importance of providing centralized religious organizations with the opportunity to recommend teachers of training courses, subjects, and disciplines of a religious-cognitive nature.

In the Novosibirsk region, the centralized religious organization of the Russian Orthodox Church is the Novosibirsk diocese. Consequently, in order to improve the teaching of "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" in schools in Novosibirsk and the Novosibirsk region, a teacher of the fundamentals of Orthodox culture needs a recommendation from the Novosibirsk diocese.

The practice of a recommendation by a religious organization to a teacher who wants and is preparing to teach subjects of a religious educational nature takes place in many European countries, for example, in Germany. And from this, neither Germany itself, nor the state education system of the country has lost its secular character. Here, in Russia, the lack of practice of recommendation by a religious organization to a teacher who wants and is preparing to teach the basics of Orthodox culture is a relic of the ideological dominance of atheism in the general education system.

The upbringing of schoolchildren largely depends on the worldview of teachers, their spiritual and moral level and patriotic mood. How younger child the greater responsibility lies with the teacher. The course of spiritual and moral education is necessary, first of all, for the teacher himself, in order to look at some things with a transformed look and think about the correctness of his judgments and actions. And the Fundamentals of Secular Ethics do not require such work on oneself. Because "individual ethics", according to the teachings of the compilers of the "Book for the Teacher", "in modern society separates from religion" (p. 16), and a person is free "to form his own scale of moral values ​​and priorities" (p. 215).

In pursuance of the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation on the introduction in 2012 in all educational institutions of the country of the training course "Fundamentals of Religious Cultures and Secular Ethics", the organization of work on the introduction of a new subject "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" into schools in Novosibirsk and the Novosibirsk Region must be improved.

For this you need:

Provide parents with a free choice of the foundations of Orthodox culture,

Provide teachers with good-quality methodological material, and students with teaching aids,

Organize informational and methodological support for the introduction of the foundations of Orthodox culture,

To improve the organization of the work of the educational institutions themselves, which teach the basics of Orthodox culture,

To create, on the whole, favorable conditions for the successful introduction of the freely chosen subject "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" into the school curriculum.

So far, unfortunately, there are no favorable conditions for the realization of the right of Orthodox parents to fully educate their children in the basics of Orthodox culture in general educational institutions.

What word should be used to characterize the existing regime of unfavorable conditions for the selection and teaching of "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" at school?

The exact word was found in the "Diaries" of the writer M.M. Prishvin for 1918-1919: not recognized!

"Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" as a school subject is not yet recognized!

Not prohibited. Not cancelled. And simply - not recognized!

The Fundamentals of Secular Ethics and the Fundamentals of World Religious Cultures are recognized, while the Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture are not.

The ministry of a teacher comes with great responsibility. Some teachers feel their responsibility before God for the children entrusted to them for the upbringing and education. To those who have not been given this, they feel their responsibility to their native history and the future of Russia. But, unfortunately, there are also teachers who consciously separate teaching from upbringing: they limit themselves to passing on to students only a certain amount of knowledge. The crisis in the Russian education system will become irreversible if the majority of Russian teachers belong to the third category.

The Russian Orthodox Church is striving with all its might to help the Russian school get out of the current crisis, but, unfortunately, the anti-religiously understood "secular principle" of education, like heavy weights on its feet, does not allow the school to move towards spiritual and moral recovery and transformation. It is necessary to regulate church-state relations in the field of education, in particular, the exact definition of the areas of responsibility of the parties in solving organizational, managerial and substantive tasks when introducing the foundations of Orthodox culture and the distribution of competencies between interested parties.

On January 17, 2012, it will be a year since the Agreement on Cooperation was signed between the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation Policy of the Novosibirsk Region and the Novosibirsk Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church in the field of education and spiritual and moral education of children and youth in the Novosibirsk Region. It also contains provisions on cooperation in terms of testing the defense industry. But, unfortunately, this document remains unknown to most schools and teachers.

In the meantime, an atheistic "secular ethic" dominates in the school. What is "secular ethics"?

The textbook "Fundamentals of Secular Ethics" for grades 4-5 (M .: "Prosveshchenie", 2010) states: "Secular ethics assumes that a person himself can determine what is good and what is evil" (Lesson 2. P. 7).

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill said in his current Christmas Message:

“Today, the main tests are being carried out not in the material, but in the spiritual realm. Those dangers that lie in the physical plane damage bodily well-being and comfort. measurement reveals the most important and serious ideological challenge of our time.This challenge is aimed at destroying the moral feeling embedded in our soul by God.Today, people are trying to be convinced that he and only he is the measure of truth, that everyone has his own truth and everyone determines for himself what there is good and what is evil. Divine truth, and hence the difference between good and evil based on this Truth, is being replaced by moral indifference and permissiveness, which destroy the souls of people, deprive them of eternal life. If natural disasters and military operations turn into ruins external arrangement of life, then moral relativism corrodes the conscience of people sheep, makes him a spiritual invalid, distorts the Divine laws of being and breaks the connection between creation and the Creator.

In conclusion, I would like to express the hope that the jubilee XX International Christmas Educational Readings in Moscow, dedicated to the theme "Enlightenment and morality: the concern of the Church, society and the state", will contribute to solving the problems associated with the introduction of the subject "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" into school. The free teaching of the fundamentals of Orthodox culture in Russian schools, as His Holiness Patriarch Kirill said, is to a large extent decisive for the fate of Russian education and directly affects the interests of millions of parents and their children.

Boris Pivovarov, archpriest

Quoted from: "Novosibirsk Diocesan Herald". January 2012. Special issue for the XV Novosibirsk Christmas Educational Readings. pp. 3-5.

At a meeting with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and leaders of other Russian religious organizations on July 21, 2009, D. A. Medvedev decided to start teaching spiritual and moral disciplines at the school. 21 regions of Russia took part in the testing of the comprehensive training course "Fundamentals of Religious Cultures and Secular Ethics" ("ORCSE"). Since September 1, 2012, this course has become mandatory for fourth-graders in all regions of the Russian Federation. The comprehensive training course "ORKSE" includes six academic subjects (modules):

"Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" ("OPK");
"Fundamentals of World Religious Cultures";
"Fundamentals of secular ethics";
"Fundamentals of Islamic culture";
"Fundamentals of Buddhist culture";
Fundamentals of Jewish Culture.

The choice of subject is the legal right of parents. This provision imposes a special responsibility on adults: indifference, thoughtlessness in determining the educational module can subsequently become a tragedy for the personality of the child, his family, and the entire state. The advice and advice of the headmaster or teacher is important, but not critical. Parents provided exclusive right protect your children from the fruits of a poor-quality educational and educational process, having made the right choice of a subject for study.

This article provides an overview of the Orthodox periodical press on the issues of choosing and studying the educational module "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" in a secular school. The materials will help Orthodox parents make a conscious choice of a subject, and they will show those who have doubts how important and useful it is for the future of children to study the fundamentals of Orthodox culture, they will explain what and how will be taught.

Why do you need to study "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" at school?

Children all over the world study in schools the culture of the country in which they live. It is well known that Orthodoxy played a key role in the formation of Russian statehood. Understanding Russian history, literature and art, everything that our ancestors lived and what distinguishes modern Russia from other countries, is possible only in the context of the Orthodox spiritual tradition.

Why "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture"?

The choice of "OPK" is due to the importance of Orthodox Christianity for the formation of Russian statehood and culture. People who are far from the Church, but sincerely striving to know and understand their native history, should have an idea about Orthodoxy. The study of "OPK" is the beginning of introducing the child to the moral and cultural values ​​preserved by the Russian Orthodox Church. "OPK" opens the world of Orthodoxy to the child - the world is endless, kind and wise.

To what extent does the teaching of "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" correspond to the legal status of a secular school?

Teaching "OPK" fully corresponds to the legal status of a secular school. The Constitution of the Russian Federation says: "Russia - secular state" What does it mean? In a broad and everyday sense, it is non-religious. The correct understanding is that a secular state is a state in whose administration no religious organization participates. For example, Germany is a secular state with a secular education system. At the same time, in all public schools in the country, children study the foundations of religion - not the foundations of religious cultures, but the foundations of their religion - from the 1st to the 12th grades without fail, they pass exams. In Italy, too, secular education, from the 1st to the 12th grade, the basics of religion are taught by priests. In the US, the School Board determines how to build their educational program: teach the basics of religion, the basics of religious cultures, or not teach. In Russia, in the mass consciousness of parents and many teachers, there is a false everyday understanding of the secular nature of education, which must certainly exclude from itself the components associated with spiritual life, with any religion. Secular education should first ask parents: “What do you want as customers of education?”, ask society and the state: “How should we teach?”. In the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the duty of citizens is to preserve the historical and cultural heritage; it is stated that no ideology can be the only and obligatory for all. This also applies to the atheistic worldview. An education devoid of religious roots, militant-atheistic education is also a violation of the constitutional rights of citizens. Our education system is separated from religious organizations not by the fact that there should be no religion per se in schools, but by the fact that public education is not controlled by religious organizations.

What is the Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture module?

"OPK" is not a religious subject (we are not talking about teaching the "Law of God", nor about forcing church services and rituals), culturological. Culture is an ambiguous word. AT this case those fundamental spiritual and moral values ​​that form the basis of self-identification of the people of Russia are implied. According to Academician D.S. Likhachev, knowledge of one’s culture is the “moral settled way of life” of a person, without which neither the individual, nor the people, nor the state can develop. The main task of the "OPK" module is to educate the younger generation in the spirit of patriotism, love for their people, for their Fatherland, for those spiritual and moral achievements that the people have been creating for a whole millennium. The family and the school, unfortunately, in an effort to acquire a certain amount of knowledge for children, have ceased to pay due attention to the upbringing of the younger generation. The fruits of such an "education" are bitter: moral guidelines in life are lost, degradation and decomposition on the face. It is enough to look at the statistics of child drug addiction, alcoholism, the level of culture, or read in the media a loud and alarming alarm about the need to act, otherwise the country and people will soon cease to exist. The “OPK” module, while observing the principle of secular education, is focused on resolving the identified problems.

Which teacher conducts classes on "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture"?

The OPK module is taught by secular teachers, whose main qualities are love for Orthodox culture and for children. An atheist or an indifferent person will not be able to instill respect for religious tradition. This can only be done by a teacher who has experience in communicating with God and people belonging to the same culture.

Will the study of "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" become a reason for conflicts among children?

There are many religions in the world, and people of different views and beliefs live together. Sooner or later, children begin to realize this. It is important that at this moment there are such people nearby who would know and love their native culture, respect the traditions of other peoples. In the OPK module, there is no polemic with representatives of other faiths or non-religious worldviews. The main task is to create an atmosphere of peace and mutual respect in society, which is impossible without our fellow citizens, and especially children, realizing the idea of ​​​​civic solidarity in the name of the common good. According to sociological surveys, in schools where the OPK module is taught, there is an improvement in mutual understanding among students, parents and teachers.

How to help children in the study of the "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture"?

Excursions to churches and monasteries, trips to ancient Russian cities, visits to museums, sacred music concerts - all this does not contradict the secular nature of education and will be useful for all participants in the educational process. A lot of interesting things can tell the children and Orthodox clergy.

What are the prospects for teaching "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" at school?

The Orthodox pedagogical community and the Russian Orthodox Church express their unanimous conviction that in the future, the "OPK" should be taught in all grades of secondary school - from the first to the eleventh.

Five Reasons to Choose the Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture Module

1. "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" - morality.

What is the most important thing in Orthodox culture? First of all - Christian morality, the ability to love God and your neighbors as yourself. Neither education, nor fame, nor prosperity by themselves give a person self-sufficiency, peace in the soul. A person who has kept himself in righteousness from youth is a happy and prosperous person: “The Lord loves the righteous” (Ps. 145:8), “Righteousness leads to life” (Prov. 11:19); “The righteous is saved from trouble” (Prov. 11:8). The Russian Orthodox Church encourages its children to choose the subject of the "OPK". Why? Historically, the culture of our people is based on the spiritual and moral values ​​of Orthodoxy. Writing came to us from the holy enlighteners of the Slavic peoples Cyril and Methodius. According to statistics, the vast majority of the population in Russia (up to 80%) are baptized Orthodox people. Culture as a phenomenon of the spiritual and moral plane is inextricably linked with the religious self-awareness of the people. There can be no non-religious culture. There is not a single people on the globe, in the history of mankind, that would create a non-religious culture. The main moral values ​​in Orthodox culture are the veneration of elders (“Honor your father and mother”), the value human life("Do not kill"), the value of family and marriage ("Do not commit adultery"), the value of private and public property ("Do not steal"). The highest moral values ​​are love, mercy, compassion, patriotism, respect for one's language, people, those traditions and values ​​that the people have lived for centuries. These concepts are discussed in the lessons of "OPK". Perhaps there is no such person who would not have an example when a career, family and even health began to rapidly collapse from immoral behavior? Parents who prefer the OPK module choose the opportunity for their children to become truly happy and successful.

2. The choice of "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" is a natural desire for believing parents.

The natural desire of Orthodox parents is to raise children within the framework of their religious culture and Christian morality. Now this wish has been realized in the school. Not all church-going parents can take their children to Sunday schools. Not all parents, for a number of reasons, can and are able to teach Orthodox education to their children, but

at the same time, they have a desire that children receive the basics of Orthodox culture. For such, the choice of the subject "OPK" is obvious and desirable. If there is no work to bring up children at home and at school, they will be brought up by totalitarian and extremist sects. About 40 sects and occult centers operate in Ryazan.

1. Spiritual and moral education should begin from an early age.

In ancient times, people knew: “What you did not gather in your youth, how can you gain in your old age?” (Sir.25:5). Spiritual and moral corrosion begins to affect a person from an early age. Waiting for children to come of age and begin their own religious and moral education is deadly for their future. A child deprived of a moral core is quickly struck by sin and passions. Crime, drunkenness, drug addiction, fornication, adultery, abortions have never multiplied like this before... Isn't all this around our children? What is their future? Now there is a possibility that children will receive already in primary school the foundations of Christian culture and morality, which will help to avoid many tragedies in life.

The highest morality is Christian morality, which is rooted in Orthodoxy. The moral height of the Sermon on the Mount, described in the Gospel of Matthew in chapters 5-7, is not attainable by any religion or sect known in the world. When and where has anyone said something more moral than Jesus Christ? “You heard what was said: love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44). There is no commandment in any religion of the world to love personal enemies. The textbook on "OPK" reveals important topics in an accessible language: "Conscience and repentance", "Mercy and compassion", "Golden rule of ethics", "Why do good?", "Christian family", etc. Is it bad that children will hear : "... love your neighbor as yourself" (Mt.22:39), "Honor your father and mother" (Eph.6:2-3), "Do not steal" (Ex.20:15)?

5. The textbook "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" is a lively, interesting and moral textbook.

The textbook was written by a team of famous authors, the general edition of the educational material was carried out by the missionary and theologian Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev. The topics of the textbook listed above convincingly show the quality of the content of the educational material from an upbringing and educational point of view, its true benefit for children. Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev, as the textbook was being written, posted chapters for public discussion on his website (http://www.kuraev.ru). It can be said that it turned out to be an Orthodox folk textbook.

Summarizing what has been said, I would like the bitter words of Nikolai Gogol not to be fair in relation to the upbringing and education of our children: “We own a treasure that has no price, and not only do we not care about feeling it, but we don’t even know where they put it ". The future of spiritual and moral education at school is now in the hands of parents. Of course, the family should be primarily involved in education, but one should not refuse from the contribution that the school can make to the morality of children. Parents, make the right choice: choose a part of Christ's treasure - Orthodox culture!

According to the materials of the Orthodox periodical press,

Mayorova Tatyana Sergeevna, Ph.D.,

Deputy Director for Academic Affairs,

primary school teacher

MBOU "Secondary school No. 66"

Russia orthodox

According to various sociological studies, 60-80% of the population consider themselves Orthodox in our country. And when it comes time to choose for their children what is more important for them to learn from the Fundamentals of Religious Cultures and Secular Ethics, only 20-30% prefer the Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture. This is despite the fact that 90% say that Russian culture is on the whole positively, and they do not intend to leave Russia anywhere.

First of all, in the fact that the vast majority of people who consider themselves Orthodox have a very vague idea of ​​Orthodoxy. If a little more than half of the nominal Orthodox have read the Gospel, then what can we say about knowledge of theology. Even the desire to get acquainted with him does not appear, why should I know that God is One in nature and Trinity in Persons? Or that the Church is understood as the Body of Christ? Or about the fact that each person carries the image of God in himself? What does this have to do with my life?

The most immediate. Because the doctrinal truths of a religion determine the culture of the people who profess this religion. Culture in a broad sense, not in the current simplified one, when it is perceived as a collection of various arts. Culture as the totality of all manifestations human activity values, skills and abilities. As something that prescribes to a person certain ways of thinking and self-expression, determines the life strategy and lifestyle of a person, forms the psychology of both the individual and the people as a whole.

The religious roots of a culture are not necessarily recognized by the bearers of that culture. A "hidden religion" is when a culture is built on ideas that were originally religious but are now secular and are the normal way of thinking and living for members of that culture. In Soviet times, when faith in God was almost completely excluded from public life, the Russian people continued to live by the moral ideals stemming from Orthodoxy. Even the "Moral Code of the Builder of Communism" surprisingly resembled the Commandments of God. As Patriarch Kirill said in his speech at the First Kaliningrad Forum of the World Russian People's Council, the core of our civilization "in the spiritual sense... is undoubtedly Orthodox Christianity, which, in fact, formed a single centralized state in the Eurasian space." The Russian world in which we live "grew" out of Orthodoxy.

It is very difficult to draw up a portrait of a bearer of Russian culture, to realize what the psychology of a Russian person is, more precisely, the psychology of “Russianness”. “You can’t understand Russia with your mind, you can’t measure it with a common yardstick, it has a special become, you can only believe in Russia.” This deep thought of the poet-philosopher F. Tyutchev has become for many a common explanation for the "mysterious Russian soul." Which is perceived by some as a universal miracle, by others as a kind of absurdity, which is Russia in the world space.

The sense of self of a Russian person bears the stamp of ecclesiastical catholicity. We feel like a united people, the words "Russia", "Russian civilization", "patriotism" are not an empty phrase for us, no matter who tries to devalue them. For real Russians, public interests are more important than personal ones: "Die yourself - help your comrades out." That is why "A friend in trouble is known" - if in trouble your neighbor betrayed you, left you - he is not a friend, and not a real Russian! A real Russian person never betrays his neighbors.

A Russian person always feels like a part of something bigger than himself. He always misses himself. Satisfying your own needs is not enough. The Russian always needs a big common goal. Without it, life is meaningless. This is how the Orthodox idea is manifested that the meaning of human life is beyond the limits of earthly life, in the Kingdom of God.

Russian culture is basically a communal culture, that is, it is built not on the idea of ​​division and opposition, competition, but on the idea of ​​unification. This is not a culture of loners, it is a culture based on interaction with all neighbors. In the depths of people's souls there is an idea that we live not only and even not so much for ourselves, but for another, and the meaning of life is seen in serving another. A Russian person is characterized by openness, kindness, benevolence towards his neighbor, a desire to serve and help him. Love and compassion, sacrifice and responsibility, solidarity and mutual assistance, perseverance in suffering and a humble attitude towards death have firmly entered our psyche. This is the action of the "genetic" memory left over from the time when the Russian Orthodox people sought to imitate Christ.

Russian culture is built primarily on spiritual foundations, material values ​​and the acquisition of earthly goods are not the main goal and meaning of life. For a real Russian person, “poverty is not a vice,” but wealth is something temporary, fickle, sometimes even unkind: “The rich eat sweetly, but sleep poorly,” “Without money, sleep is tighter,” etc. The vast majority of Russian proverbs and sayings speak of wealth as a grief and condemn it. This incarnation in everyday life gospel lines : “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”(Matthew 6:19-21). We are strangers on earth, our home is in spiritual world. And there, in the Kingdom of Heaven, no material wealth will save a person who does not believe in the Lord, who does not begin to often yu of His Body and Blood - that is, not having often and with God.

Representatives of Russian culture are characterized by moral purity, its deep need to believe in something significant, in goodness, in nobility, the need to serve something sublime. He strives for spiritual perfection, as the Gospel says: "be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect"(Matthew 6:48). The Russian world, if we compare it with the civilization of the West, is characterized by supermundaneness, otherness, the predominance of spiritual life over the life of the flesh.

An attractive portrait turned out, right? Only now it is no longer relevant for the present times, every Russian will agree with this. Quite different people surround us, and we ourselves are far from being like that.

And no wonder. Culture is assimilated by a person when he lives in this culture. And we have traditional society, based on Orthodoxy, ceased to exist a century ago. Of course, value orientations Christianity did not immediately disappear from public life. For several more decades, children were brought up in families that preserved the way of life rooted in Orthodoxy. Therefore, a society approached the Great Patriotic War in which the ideals of Orthodoxy were alive. Here is how the historian Sergei Perevezentsev answers the question of what was the reason for the victory of the Soviet Union in this terrible war: “The Russian character, brought up in the Orthodox tradition, when your main enemy is not outside, but in yourself, since your main enemy is an internal enemy. Defeat the enemy in yourself, that is, cowardice, fear, that diabolical thing that lives in a person - and this is your main battle. Having won in it, you will defeat the external enemy. Even if you died, even realizing that your life would end at that moment, you still won, because you defeated the enemy in yourself. In other words, the main victory is spiritual. This is the basis of the Russian feat - spiritual victory, absolute inner freedom and the Christian understanding that earthly life at some moments it does not play any role, because there is a battle for eternal life. Such a perception of a feat has been brought up in our people for centuries, and I hope that this is also preserved in our country.

Is it saved? Since then, three generations have grown up apart from Orthodox roots. Only in recent decades have we begun to rediscover Orthodoxy. Almost from scratch, because behind us there is no generation of grandmothers who were churched in childhood, who could pass on their experience of spiritual life to their grandchildren. No wonder our time is sometimes called the post-Christian era.

And if only this trouble. In the end, experience is a gain. And knowledge about faith is now, fortunately, publicly available. Would do it.

Europe Protestant

With the beginning of perestroika, Western civilizational attitudes began to be introduced into Russia, modern American-European culture based on Catholic and Protestant ideas about God and the world. That culture, which in the USSR was observed only in the cracks in the Iron Curtain. The atheistically minded part of the population recognized this culture as terribly progressive and envied its bearers. And so, we waited: “Do you still retain your cultural identity? Then we go to you!"

The first perestroika Minister of Education of the Russian Federation E. Dneprov in the early 90s directly formulated the task-innovation of the then pro-American reformers: “school should become an instrument for changing the mentality of society”, designed to form “market culture and market consciousness”! Education in a reformist way was to become "one of the main sources of a new social ideology capable of changing the mentality of society, a new cultural matrix that would determine the type of personality, the type of people." It was, in fact, an open treacherous call to turn children away from their national identity, culture, history, spirituality.

For almost three decades on our territory and before our eyes there has been a battle of two civilizations, Russian and Western, American, European - the names are different, but the essence is the same. And our victory in this spiritual war is somehow not visible.

Western civilization has grown on the soil of Catholicism and Protestantism - other denominations of Christianity. And the deepest essence of Western culture lies in the Catholic and Protestant vision of God, in their doctrinal doctrines.

The Catholic doctrine, primarily the perception by Catholics of the dogma of the Holy Trinity, has led to the fact that Catholicism turned out to be much more than Orthodoxy, focused on external, earthly human life. It is the Catholic countries that are the birthplace of such cultural phenomena like the Renaissance and Enlightenment. Scholasticism was born there, the purpose of which was to raise faith to a degree of knowledge. In the depths of Catholicism, an idea was formed of the high importance of a person's individuality. God, as it were, fades into the background, interest in man prevails, faith in his unlimited possibilities and dignity. From now on, man himself acts as a creator, master of his own destiny and arbiter of the destinies of the world. A cult of a universal and independent personality arose. The current understanding of humanism comes from there.

Protestantism, which emerged in Europe in the first half of the 16th century as a rejection and opposition to the Roman Catholic Church, continued the separation of people from God. The key to the Reformers' doctrine was the idea that the Lord does not interfere in human affairs. God created people, predetermined the fate of everyone - who is destined for salvation, and who is destined for death, and stepped aside ... And man is forced to solve his earthly problems on his own. This idea to a large extent determined the path of development of the civilization of the West.

How to understand whether a person is chosen by God or rejected? As a criterion, the level of a person's prosperity in society, the level of his wealth in the first place, was chosen. Now those who wanted to be saved for eternal life began to make capital in earthly life. On this basis, capitalism was formed, which, according to the ideas of the Protestants, was supposed to play the role of the Kingdom of God on earth. It all came down to building a hedonistic civilization oriented towards unlimited consumption.

Everyone wants to be among the saved, so people begin to strive for earthly prosperity, pushing others with their elbows. And here - one of the roots of individualism, which has already become the hallmark of European culture. Protestants are saved one by one, Orthodox - in the Church of Christ.

Almost all Protestants insisted that the salvation of the soul is possible only through personal faith. This means that a person can save his soul only by his own efforts. Here is another reason for the atomization of modern European culture, the lack of human unity there, which is still preserved in Russia.

Such realities of modern Western society as democracy, liberal values, tolerance, human rights, etc. are also based on the teachings of Catholicism and Protestantism. But when the coveted "paradise" on earth was built, at least "in the first approximation", the religious foundations of European society turned out to be superfluous. Religiosity, even as “lightweight” as that of the Protestants, requires from a person the tension of internal forces, a certain self-restraint. And in the consumer society, the requirement of self-restraint has become "bad form." Gradually and imperceptibly, sin ceased to be evil, a sinful life began to be considered respectable. Something has broken in the Europeans, they have, as it were, atrophied that organ that is responsible for communion with God .. As the French culturologist Jacques Baudrillard says: -duties, not-believing-in-anything.

Each great civilization lived on average for 1,500 to 2,000 years. Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Babylon, Mayan Indians, Aztec tribes. The collapse of civilizations occurs according to the same scenario: the achievement of material well-being, the beginning of great cataclysms and the appearance of barbarians. European civilization is now 2015 years from the birth of Christ and it has exhausted itself, turning away, in fact, from Christ. Now we are witnessing the "Decline of Europe", which, according to the prediction of the German philosopher Oswald Spengler, made by him at the beginning of the 20th century, will fall on 2018. The global historical process of the change of civilizations goes its own way.

"Perestroika" in Russia set one of its main goals to change the traditional cultural paradigm to the Western one. The results do not need to be described, they are visible to everyone who can see. It is now completely clear that if we lose the foundation on which our civilization stands, we will lose Russia. And to protest against the study of "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" at school means to put up with the fact that Russia will very soon join the ranks of peripheral European states that "fall short" of the liberal-democratic ideal. Instead of strengthening its powerful and deep culture, natural and integral, the culture of genuine human existence.

But this is not the worst outcome for Russia if we lose our cultural identity, which is based on the Orthodox faith. "This is just a saying, a fairy tale ahead."

The global expansion of Islam

Europe is already giving in to Muslims. The number of adherents of Islam in European countries was 6-8% even before the invasion of migrants from the Middle East, which has been intensively going on in recent years. In addition, the birth rate among Muslims is several times higher than the birth rate in Europe. Integration of Muslims, even in 2-3 generations, into European culture does not occur. The Danish psychologist Nikolai Sennels, who studied this problem, answered the question: « Is it possible for people of Muslim origin to integrate into Western societies?” replies with a resounding "no": “The psychological explanation is really simple. Muslim and Western cultures are fundamentally very different. This means that Muslims need to undergo major changes in their identity and values ​​in order to be able to accept the values ​​of Western societies. Changing basic structures in one person is a complex psychological and emotional process. Apparently, very few Muslims feel motivated to take it.”. That is, Muslims are not going to integrate at all, they retain their cultural identity. According to a 2013 survey by the Berlin Center for Sociology among 12,000 migrants in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Austria and Sweden, two-thirds of Muslims in Europe place religious precepts above the laws of the countries in which they live. According to some forecasts, the number of Muslims in Europe by 2030 will approach 50 percent of the population. According to Mikhail Delyagin, director of the Institute for Globalization Problems, the United States of America plans to create an Islamic caliphate (state) in Europe by 2030. This is, in brief, the state of affairs in the global socio-political space.

No religion today attracts as much attention and causes as much controversy as Islam. It can be called the most powerful and viable religion of our time. No other religion has such a large number of believers, passionately and selflessly devoted to their faith. Islam is felt by them as the basis of life and the measure of all things. The simplicity and consistency of the foundations of this religion, its ability to give believers a holistic and understandable picture of the world, society and the structure of the universe - all this makes Islam attractive to new adherents. Despite the abundance of various currents in Islam, among all Muslims there is a strong idea of ​​belonging to a single community of people united by a common faith, common traditions and common interests in the modern world.

The dogma of Islam is simple. A Muslim must firmly believe that there is only one God - Allah. Allah is an absolute value, but something external to a person.

Islam does not know the grace of God, given by the Holy Spirit, with the help of which Orthodox person can struggle with sins and show sincere obedience to God. He does not know how to say "no" to temptation, as Orthodox asceticism does. This means that temptations must be physically excluded from human life. Therefore, Islam is characterized by normative regulation of a person's entire life - from birth to death. This regulation is carried out with the help of Sharia (“proper way”) - a set of moral norms, law, cultural prescriptions that determine the entire life of a Muslim. Both the personal and family life of believing Muslims, and all public life, politics, legal relations, the court, the cultural structure - all this must be entirely subordinated to religious laws. Islam for Muslims is not just a religion, but their way of life.

In Islam, it is customary to consider only a fellow believer as a “neighbor” - in contrast to Orthodoxy, where this concept applies to all those in need of help, no matter what faith they may be. The reason for this difference is that Islam does not know the life-giving idea of ​​divine sonship, which fills the relationship between God and man with true warmth and love. All those who profess other religions are infidels for a Muslim (they call themselves orthodox). In the tradition of Islam - an arrogant sense of superiority and intolerance towards the infidels. According to Islamic law, non-Muslims are not full citizens in Islamic countries, even if they are natives of those countries. The Islamic State has an obligation to distinguish (i.e. discriminate) between Muslims and non-Muslims. Sharia still guarantees the infidels some stipulated rights, in exchange for which they do not have the right to interfere in the affairs of the state, since they do not support its ideology. True, an infidel can become a full-fledged citizen - if he accepts Islam, along with the Muslim way of life (polygamy, lack of rights for women, five prayers, etc.). But there will be no way back - rejection of Islam is punishable by death.

In Europe where traditional religions- Catholicism and Protestantism are weakening and being replaced by the ideology of postmodernity, the implementation of a carefully developed Sharia concept of building a "World Islamic Caliphate" is already beginning. A significant part of the one and a half billion Muslims shares the position of the Egyptian mullah Salem Abu al-Fut: the "Nation of Islam" will return and win new positions, no matter what, no matter the crisis, no matter the arrogance of the West. The West cannot but be destroyed. At one time, Allah destroyed the Byzantine Empire, destroyed the Persian, just as Allah will destroy the West. This is an unambiguous promise. Islam will not only conquer the countries of the West, they will definitely be Islamic....” The "decline of Europe" has already begun.

Islam in Russia

The age of Russian civilization is about a thousand years. Another 500 - 1000 years should be in our stock. But the departure of the people from their Orthodox roots, the adoption of post-Christian European values, makes us vulnerable to the actively spreading Islamic civilization.

The processes of Islamization of the population have already been launched in Russia "on an industrial scale." The expansion of Muslims into Russia has been going on for a long time, and the areas of residence are obviously not chosen by chance. Their numbers are growing, for example, in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, part of the Tyumen region, which accounts for more than half of Russia's total oil production. There is already a massive adoption of radical Islam by Russian teenagers, students of secondary schools. Monk John (Izyaslav Alexandrovich Adlivankin), a leading specialist of the Counseling Center, has been studying this problem for more than 10 years. Orthodox Center Saint John of Kronstadt. Below are a few quotes from his analytical study. The full text can be found at http://dpcentr.cerkov.ru/pravoslavie-i-islam/ It is very worth reading for those parents who believe that their children do not need to know the basics of Orthodox culture.

The author's expert assessment: the number of the Islamic population and immigrants from the Caucasus in one of the cities is 20-25 percent of the total number of residents, and in the educational environment - about 40% ... Similar statistics in the region as a whole.

« History shows that the Islamization of a country begins when a significant number of Muslims appear, and they begin to assert their religious rights and demand privileges. And when a politically correct, tolerant and culturally fragmented society begins to follow the lead of Muslims in their demands, some other trends begin to appear.

Upon reaching the level of 2-5% of the population, Muslims begin to engage in proselytism among the marginalized sections of the population, ethnic minorities, in prisons.

When they reach 5%, they begin to try to influence the socio-cultural atmosphere in proportion to their percentage in society. Namely: they begin to promote the concept of "halal", produce and sell products for Muslims, thereby providing jobs for themselves, organize retail chains, restaurants "for their own", cultural centers. At this stage, they also try to establish contacts with government agencies, trying to negotiate for themselves the most favorable conditions for the implementation of Sharia norms.».

When the Muslim population reaches 10%, they begin to resort to illegal methods to achieve their privileges.

When reaching 20%, local citizens should be prepared for the start of Islamic raids on the streets, jihadist patrols, burning churches and synagogues.

After the 40% mark, the remnants of the people may become victims of periodic terror. When Muslims become the majority - more than 60%, citizens - non-Muslims - will begin to be persecuted, persecuted, ethnic cleansing, will be curtailed in their rights, will begin to pay additional taxes, and all this will legally be based on Sharia provisions.

Upon reaching 80% - the state is already completely in the power of Muslims, Christian and other religious minorities will be subjected to regular intimidation, violence, and state-sanctioned purges will be carried out in order to expel "infidels" from the country or force them to convert to Islam.

And when these historically proven methods bear fruit, the state will come closer to becoming completely Islamic - 100%, it will become "Dar al-Islam" (home, land of Islam). Then, as Muslims believe, they will have complete peace, since everyone will become Muslims, the madrasah will be the only educational institution, and the Koran will be the only scripture and guide to action at the same time.

“Three or four years ago, among the students of the Ugra cities that I visited, I observed a certain confrontation - a completely natural confrontation of different mentalities and cultures, but in the last year or two - almost none. Not because it does not exist, but because the status quo of forces is already sufficiently defined. Today it can already be argued: definitely not in favor of the Slavic, Russian population. I emphasize: we are talking about the world of children and adolescents”

“Teenage “disputes” on religious topics, as a rule, end in a complete fiasco of Russians, who know very little about their faith and culture. Not only does post-Soviet indifference to religious issues play its role, but even among Orthodox Christians it is not customary to bring their inner convictions to an external discussion, unlike representatives of Islam. His young followers also do not possess any theological knowledge, but use the terminology of their reactionary polemicists, who in various ways put chopped anti-Christian phrases and concepts into their fragile minds. In specific conditions, all this acquires purely ethnic meanings. Already today, in the minds of Islamic teenagers, the concept of "Russian" is completely identified with "Orthodox" and "Christian". This is a classic of the hatred of Islamic radicals. Of course, those Russian, Slavic teenagers who were converted to Islam are especially distinguished by aggression - radical, in the vast majority of cases.

“The processes in question are part of a global confrontation. This is a well-known tactic worked out for thousands of years: the Janissaries were, as you know, children of Orthodox Greeks and Slavs raised in Islam. It can be argued without any metaphor that in the quiet, “orderly” cities of Siberia, hundreds of such “Janissaries” already live and operate - young people from Russian families who have converted to radical Islam and vehemently hate their former fellow tribesmen and their once native country. Their number is constantly increasing, because it is on them that the political bet is made ... "

“A modern young man, brought up by endless violence from TV screens, deprived of the attention of his relatives and surrounded by misunderstanding, needs support, POWER. And this "power" is illusory to the clouded consciousness of some such seekers in Islam: an aggressive self, multiplied by a sacred idea and group support, may seem like an ideal option. But this is still not Islam, not a religion that gave the world a great culture with its doctors, architects, thinkers and mystics. This is not about faith, but about self-affirmation. Young people identify themselves in these conditions as members of gangs - which often turns out in the end.

“A special role today is played even by the subconsciously operating mechanisms of “tolerance” and “liberalism”, exported by all possible means to the consciousness of the younger generation. Liberalism, which upholds the purely human right to independent choice, leads modern young people to a position that fatally detracts from the public-state institution of continuity and education. And the model of "tolerance" attached to this extends this right to everything, even to the fact that in a reasonable civilized society, in principle, it does not have this right. The aplomb of a young person formed by all this is ready for "exclusivity" even in religiosity.

And even the foundations of the traditional family world, which is amazing today, “juvenile justice”, which is an organic part of the package of liberal values, provokes a controlled rebellion of children against their parents, eventually transforming it into a rebellion against religious tradition. And this new "culture of relationships between generations" also requires a new ontological base - a religious basis. Our time has rearranged everything in reverse: at first, religion formed culture, now culture is religion. Wahhabism, like many other inadequate forms of religiosity, fully satisfies this request.

“The prospect of social claims of the masses of migrants is quite predictable; in one way or another, it proceeds from those religious beliefs that are decisive in the prevailing Islamic movements. We can talk about two global ones, and both of them are “parts of one”: the creation of an Islamic caliphate and the ban on faithful Muslims from living on the territory of a non-Islamic state. We already know the implementation of the first in the form of Wahhabism, and the second in the modern interpretation implies simply the rapid Islamization of the newly opened living spaces.

All this happens not somewhere far away and not sometime in tomorrow's time, but here and now. Centers are being formed in modern Russia, from which the coming Islamization of the country will proceed. Are you sure this doesn't apply to you? And to your children? Do you still want to talk in a tolerant European way about the rights of migrants?

Monk John writes: “I do not dare to propose small measures here to solve global issues. Yes, this is impossible, I understand very well - the indicated situation is a dead end. But then, perhaps, one should use other potentialities and remember that Russia is an Orthodox country, as representatives of Islam always remember their faith?!”

Meanwhile in our schools...

"Education" is a term derived from the word "image". Image of God. The goal of a person's life is to awaken the Image of God in himself, to become like (as far as possible) the Lord. As St. Basil the Great wrote: "Our world is a school for intelligent souls." School education shapes a person's worldview.

In recent decades, Russia has been striving to become part of the West. We discard our traditional values ​​in order to reshape all spheres of life in a Western manner. The reforms had a particularly painful impact on the upbringing of children and young people. The education of rights has become more important than the education of duties. Multiculturalism and tolerance have overshadowed respect and friendship. The cultivation of leadership, the planting of a competitive type of relationship, almost brought care and mercy to nothing. Mutual assistance was replaced by consumerism, the feeling of unity with one's people - by the desire for selfish self-sufficiency, collectivism - by individualism, patriotism was generally declared a relic of the "scoop" ...

The system of Soviet education - which, if anyone does not remember, was recognized as the best in the world, is being reshaped to Western standards. Domestic education, with its centuries-old tradition of encyclopedism and fundamentalism, is being restructured into a purely applied education, into the training of either narrow-profile specialists or “qualified consumers” in general. Here is an excerpt from the document defining the strategy for Russian education reforms: it is recommended to establish "minimum standards of citizenship", which boil down to "the ability to correctly read maps, explain in a foreign language, correctly fill out tax returns", "love for Russian art and literature, as well as tolerance for other social groups."

The education reform dealt a severe blow to the historical and cultural continuity of the Russian school, resulting in a deformation of historical memory and Russian identity, a change in the Russian mentality and a change in public consciousness. A sharp drop in the level of education and its quality - under the guise of its increase - has led (already led, look around!) To the stupidity and cultural and psychological primitivization of young people, the formation of "fragmented", "fragmentary" thinking, an extremely narrow outlook on life, focused on adaptation and the search for success. As a result, the number of people who can think analytically and on a large scale, and even more so who are able to rise to the level of comprehension of state interests, is declining catastrophically. But such people are easy to manage in the current information war. Look at the Ukrainians, who overtook us in the reform of education - how easily they managed to “fool their brains”.

As the main ideologist of modern Russian school policy said: “Every person has the right to an education that will eventually enable him to develop his own moral code”. In the Western world, this has already "passed". And they got a society of legalized bearded girls, legalized soft drugs, legally paying taxes of brothels, legalized euthanasia, legalized "families" with three parents and other abominations of the "free" world.

Now, when international tension is escalating, we absolutely need the revival of nationally oriented education, a school that would form bearers of Russian culture, patriots of their Fatherland, creators of Russian civilization. Moreover, this must be done urgently - the “point of no return”, if not yet passed, is very close. The Russian world is in danger of "early" termination of its existence. Our civilization, weakened by the adoption of European liberal values ​​based on the doctrine of "human rights", will be absorbed by the civilization of Islam, which is actively spreading its influence. Only a state built on the basis of our traditional Orthodox culture, a state whose ideology will be determined by Christian moral values, can resist this expansion. So Orthodoxy should be taught to both children and adults, and not as a cultural discipline, but as an ideological discipline, whether someone likes it or not. This is the only way to ensure the high spiritual and intellectual potential of our people, which is now a necessary condition for the survival of the nation.

But alas, it won't work. We have a secular society, religion is separated from the state, human rights will be violated ... Well, well ... We are stocking up on popcorn.

Galina Russo , candidate of geological and mineralogical sciences, catechist

Topic: Features of teaching the subject "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture"

in grade 4 "A" MBOU "School No. 154"

Slide 1,2 In the new federal state educational standard (FSES) of elementary general education, in section 1.2., it is said: "All areas of spiritual and moral development and education are important, complement each other and ensure the development of the individual on the basis of domestic spiritual, moral and cultural traditions."

Teaching knowledge about Orthodoxy, its systematic study in general education school is an integral part of a good education.

Whatever faith a student of the Russian school chooses for himself, whatever worldview his parents have, the centuries-old Orthodox culture remains the most valuable asset of all patriotically educated citizens of Russia. The issue of spiritual and moral education of children is one of the key problems facing every parent, society and the state as a whole.

GPC is a subject that is expressed in the study of the culture of spiritual life on the example of Christianity, its moral values. Studying the history of Christianity, the Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox culture, directly related to Christian spiritual experience, the child will get a reason to think about what country he lives in, what values ​​his ancestors adhered to, why people, without hesitation, went to death because of their religious and spiritual and moral principles. And most importantly, he will understand that there is something else in life besides food, sleep and pleasure. Acquaintance with spiritual culture cannot be limited to one subject. It should run as a single content line through such subjects as literature, the Russian language, history, music, fine arts, etc.

The primary school teacher is on the very first step in the spiritual and moral revival of our people. It is we, the teachers, who, not only in a separate lesson on the "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture", but in all other lessons, as well as in extracurricular everyday activities, spiritually aspire to children's hearts and souls. And children expect us, adults, to show them the way in which they can build their lives. This path is inextricably linked with the spiritual tradition - with the foundations of Orthodox culture. Every teacher is obliged to know these fundamentals in order to correctly and objectively convey the history of the Fatherland to children, to comprehensively explore and teach the work of brilliant writers and poets.

slide 3 The main goal of the course "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" I consider the formation of a spiritual and moral personality through the acquisition of spiritual experience based on the traditions of Orthodoxy.

slide 4 To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the followingtasks:

1. Establishing personal connections of the student with the Orthodox culture. It is important that Christian values ​​become the personal values ​​of the student, only with such an internal restructuring of views can good results be achieved.

2. Disclosure of the spiritual foundations of national culture. Russian culture is permeated through and through with Christian teaching, since basically the Russian classics were people of deep faith. Uncovering these fundamentals will help students to more easily integrate into the Orthodox environment.

3. Education of patriotic feelings. Orthodoxy is closely connected with patriotism, because. the fulfillment of duty to God, the Motherland and parents is fundamental for a Christian. Therefore, Orthodox and patriotic education are inseparable from each other.

4. Passion for children creative activity. Through creativity and creation, children learn to know God, the main Creator of this world.

The formation of the foundations of Orthodox culture occurs in stages: from preparation for the perception of Orthodox culture to the search for hidden meanings Bible stories and dogmatic teaching of the Church.

The development of the spiritual and moral culture of pupils is based on the followingprinciples (on slide 5)

Forms of organization of spiritual and moral education are different: integrated lessons - defense industry and literature, defense industry and the world, defense industry and fine arts, music, technology.The main methods of my work in this direction include the teacher's story, work with illustrative, audio and video material, with texts. Children perform many independent creative tasks; they visit the temple with pleasure, know how and know how to behave in the temple.

Before introducing the subject "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" into the school, a certain preparatory work was carried out with students and their parents. Most of the positive results of the survey made me happy. Since an important criterion for the introduction of a new course is its voluntariness.

MY EXPERIENCE

Our acquaintance with Orthodox culture began much earlier than the children (today 4th grade) and I began to study the subject “Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture”.

slide 6 Still in 2nd grade Having organized an excursion to the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin together with my parents and visiting the Mikhailo-Arkhangelsk Cathedral as part of it, I saw with what interest the children listened to the guide, sometimes they asked questions that were not childish. And then I realized that I myself do not know enough about Orthodoxy, although I consider myself a believer interested in Orthodox culture. I think it was then that there was an interest in the study of this subject both in children and in myself.

Slide 7 At parent meeting (it was the end of the school year) I touched on this topic, showed photos of the guys in the temple. Parents reacted positively to such a direction as spiritual and moral education through the study of Orthodox culture.

Slide 8 Conducted in classphoto contest « Orthodox churches Lower".

slide 9,10,11,12 During the summer holidays children with their parents visited different places related to Orthodox shrines: Diveevo, Murom, Vladimir, Suzdal, etc. I myself visited the monastery on about. Valaam, visited the Makarievsky Monastery, I wanted to learn more myself and tell the children. At class hours in September, the children shared their impressions: someone talked about a small church in their village, someone visited the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Turkey. We worked on the projects "The Road to the Temple", "My Guardian Angel". The last project gave me the idea to visit St. Petersburg in the chapel of Xenia the Blessed, to venerate the relics, to learn more about her life.

slide 13 Took part in the city literary competition of Christmas tales"Crystal deer-2015", ( slide 14) city ​​choir competition "Christmas Star" By the bright holiday of Easter, a reading competition was held in the class “Spring is coming, full of miracles! Christ is risen! Christ is risen!”, took part in the school competition “Easter card”. All these activities can be considered as a preparatory stage for the study of the course of the defense industry.

15 From the beginning of this academic year, we began to study the subject, the children already know quite a lot about Orthodoxy, many have begun to get acquainted with the Children's Bible. Our lessons are not limited to reading a textbook and listening to the teacher's story, the children themselves prepare messages and presentations on various educational topics, share their knowledge and experience. For example, Asriyan Susana spoke about the features of the Armenian Church, customs and holidays.

16 In October we visited the Church of St. Panteleimon in Shcherbinki II , Pechersky Voznesensky monastery. Took part in the all-RussianOlympiad for schoolchildren on the Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture "Russian World in Orthodox Culture" - received diplomasIandIIdegree. Parents support children's interest in the subject, help in preparation, because each of them is interested in their son or daughter growing up as kind, well-mannered, merciful, spiritual and moral people.

conclusions

I have been working as a teacher of the Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture for a very short time, but I can say with confidence that this subject is necessary at school. Children come to our school not just to learn to read and write, to expand their horizons, but to understand why they need knowledge, how they can be applied in life. It is our direct duty to lay spiritual principles in the hearts of the rising generation. When I was preparing for my speech, I decided to conduct a survey of students on the topic "How the course of the defense industry affects the spiritual and moral development of their personality." I asked the students to answer the questionslide 17) "What do you learn at the ORKSE lessons?". The vast majority of students in their answers talk about acquiring the skills of moral behavior:

– "learn good"

– "learning to be cultured"

– "learning to respect others"

– "learning to make friends"

– “help people”, “be considerate and merciful”

– "respect parents and elders"

– "Try not to do bad things"

– "learning love and patience"

Such children's answers indicate that the lessons of the OPK are useful and interesting for children, the tasks set are being solved, and hence the goal: the formation of a spiritual and moral personality through the acquisition of spiritual experience based on the traditions of Orthodoxy is achievable.

18. I want to finish my story with the words of the Russian teacher - Christian Konstantin Dmitrievich Ushinsky: “The main goal of educating a person can only be the person himself, and in a person the goal of education is the soul. Christianity gives life and indicates the highest goal to everyone education"

19. Thank you for your attention

In 2010, an experiment was conducted in some regions of Russia, which allegedly confirmed the "success" of a new school subject - "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture".

Nobody gave any data confirming some kind of "effectiveness", but after the statement that it should be taught to all children, a scandal erupted. As a result, they made a half-hearted decision - they introduced a new subject called "Fundamentals of Religious Cultures and Secular Ethics." There, among the modules, there is also a defense industry complex.

It is important to say that this was not in the interests of the Church. The priests wanted there to be no alternative to the OPK. Back in 1999, Patriarch Alexy II spoke openly:

“If you encounter difficulties in teaching the Fundamentals of the Orthodox Faith, name the course Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture, this will not raise objections from teachers and directors of secular educational institutions brought up on an atheistic basis.”

So they just implement this project. In fact, the OPK is a propagandistic subject where they do not talk about Orthodox culture, but rather propagate a religious cult. To be convinced of this, it suffices to look at a typical OPK lesson in a secular school ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agPFRgc458A). As you can see, the teacher does not acquaint children with culture, namely, brainwashes.

It is worth saying that the OPK is a unique subject insofar as the author is a clergyman and missionary, and not a religious or culturologist. Article 4 of the federal law "On Freedom of Conscience" states that the state:

"ensures the secular nature of education in state and municipal educational institutions."

It is not entirely clear how this can be ensured when fourth-graders are forced to religious obscurantism, taking advantage of the ignorance or indifference of the parents and the authority of the teacher.

However, one can also say that as long as there is a choice, the defense industry is slowly being abandoned. Metropolitan Kirill of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye said that this year only 14% of Ural students chose the OPK. And in the Komi Republic, only 10%. More than 80,000 people have signed on the Internet against the teaching of the OPK.

And this is despite the fact that this subject is undoubtedly supported by the authorities. After all, somehow even the head teacher of the school was fired due to the fact that, according to the priests, not enough people chose the defense industry.

What happens in these lessons? First, and most importantly, they do not say that Orthodoxy is just a religious cult, part of the history of Russia. They say there that Orthodoxy is the truth and that it is as if the biblical events are the truth, that allegedly all sorts of “miracles” actually took place, and so on.

Moreover, what is most interesting, the ROC is even sometimes promoted by teachers of other subjects, in particular, the "Fundamentals of World Religious Cultures". Alina Naumova, the mother of a student, told what happened in a lesson in a secular school:

“The director promised us that they would talk about all religions in the classes. But the teacher who teaches this course recently became a believer herself, so she tells the children only about Orthodoxy. Emphasizes the theme of "sin and punishment". Such stories frighten my son. I tried to convince her to “lower the temperature”, but the teacher advised me to go to the temple and confess. She used to teach labor, then she took advanced training courses and in vain thinks that she can explain such complex topics to children. I am not against the lessons of Orthodoxy, but I do not want my son to be frightened with obscurantist tales.

The key question is: why do we need it at school? Children should get the basic knowledge and then choose where to go next. Religion is a private matter for everyone. They'll probably figure it out on their own with time. Immediately they are pushed to make the “right choice”.

Now about the OPK. Anna Sytina from the Moscow region said what happened to her daughter after attending these "cultural" lessons:

“She began to baptize me, an atheist father, a communist grandmother and grandfather, before leaving for work. Even our cat. The daughter explained - the teacher for the defense industry said: this must be done so that loved ones do not die unexpectedly. I now demand that my daughter be released from this strange item. School should not climb into the soul of my child. She comes to class for knowledge. Everything else is not a school "diocese".

Apparently, the teacher connected "spirituality" with Woland's statement that a person is "suddenly mortal." Of course, many people think that this [ROC propaganda] only turns children away from the religious cult. However, alas, it also happens that impressionable children are simply intimidated.

The most important thing is that such teachers are not fired. It looks like they are the most valuable. After all, all these figures undergo training courses. If teachers of labor are taken there, it is even difficult to say how they are trained there. It is possible that missionary priests are doing this, who are just interested in ensuring that children choose Orthodoxy at any cost, and therefore intimidation is one of the best options.

It has been taught in schools for 3 years now. How do the majority of Russians feel about religious propaganda at school? In 2009, according to the Levada Center, almost 70% were positive about the fact that there were objects that introduce children to religion. Of course, they meant simply an acquaintance with all religions, where they tell, for example, the history of religions. However, already in 2013 only 22% supported it.

These results tell priests and officials that they need to actively promote religion. The possibility of teaching GPC in other classes of the school is already being seriously considered. Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsk Clement stated:

“We repeat the request of millions of people to include in the new standard a new educational area, within which children from Orthodox families could study Orthodox spiritual and moral culture, so that this subject is included in the main program and covers the entire period of schooling from grades 1 to 11.”

As you can see, we are not talking about a certain general program, namely the Orthodox propaganda. Pop does not even say that if these Orthodox so want their child to know the cult, they could send him either to a special educational institution religious, or Sunday school. Priests need it to be for everyone, i.e. for those who don’t need it at all.

Andrey Demidov, chairman of the teachers' trade union, about the situation with which he is familiar:

“I got the feeling that the ROC is trying to expand and deepen the EPC module at school, but parents do not need it. If the OPK will be taught right up to the 9th grade, then there will be more opponents of both this subject and the ROC as a whole. When CEC was first taught and parents were given a choice between the subject and secular ethics, many chose CEC. The school administration, under the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church, lobbied the OPK, and people, under mild pressure, agreed. But experience has shown that instead of education in the lessons of the military-industrial complex, there is an aggressive imposition of the dogmas of faith. Parents are disappointed."

But it is important to take into account that, despite the critical remarks of competent people, no one intends to cancel this subject yet. Perhaps it is precisely because of criticism that the subject is not in all classes of the school, but such an idea will undoubtedly be relevant in the near future.

“Diocesan centers orient teachers towards false goals: the churching of children, the increase of spirituality in the church sense of the word. I don’t see the methodological persistence of the institutes for advanced training of teachers in the system of the secular Ministry of Education, so that this course has a worthy scientific basis.”

What scientific basis can be discussed in this case? Subject for fourth graders. Really no one for all this time could not think that, perhaps, they begin to analyze worldview issues too early, especially since there is a division into groups when there is a choice between secular ethics, Orthodoxy or Islam. With the same success it would be possible to teach in the first class, for example, "Ontology in medieval philosophy."

But the fact of the matter is that the main task is not actually related to education. After all, children will not receive any real knowledge in these lessons. At best, they will simply waste their time, at worst, they will become believing fanatics, who were influenced by the stories of "believing" teachers.