Gorbachev Dispels 'Closet Christian' Rumors; Says He is Atheist

[Synnical]

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080324/31660_Gorbachev_Dispels_'Closet_Christian'_Rumors%3B_Says_He_is_Atheist.htm

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev made clear this past weekend that he is an atheist after European news agencies last week claimed that he had confirmed his Christian faith during a visit to the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi in Italy.


Gorbachev, the last communist leader of the Soviet Union, confronted speculations that he had been a closeted Christian during an interview with the Russian news agency Interfax.

"Over the last few days some media have been disseminating fantasies – I can't use any other word – about my secret Catholicism, citing my visit to the Sacro Convento friary, where the remains of St. Francis of Assisi lie," Gorbachev said, according to an Interfax article posted Friday.

"To sum up and avoid any misunderstandings, let me say that I have been and remain an atheist,” he stated.

Rumors for decades had circulated that Gorbachev was a Christian after he moved to loosen restrictions on religious worship and expressed to a party congress a year before the communist state dissolved that “spiritual rebirth is as essential to society as oxygen,” according to the Chicago Tribune.

<snippage>

"But all these years, it has never occurred to anyone to list me among followers of any faith on that basis," Gorbachev noted.

Back in Russia, the Russian Orthodox Church seemed unimpressed with Gorbachev’s visit to St. Francis’ tomb.

"In Italy, he spoke in emotional terms, rather than in terms of faith," a spokesman for the Russian Orthodox patriarch Alexei II told the Russian media.

"He is still on his way to Christianity. If he arrives, we will welcome him."

Christians make up only about 17 to 22 percent of Russia’s population, according to the CIA World Factbook

Hope remains eternal. ;-)

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[lizerdbits]

1. Well that's because all atheists want to ban religion

:eyes: Therefore anyone who wants to allow people to practice any religion must be a closet faithful.

[Kolesar]

2. Yes, what a heinous assumption in the subtext of that article!

I am annoyed.

[Deep13]

3. "He is still on his way to Christianity."

Typical Christian arrogance. If he is on his way, be must have taken a detour or something. How do they know he is not on his way to animistic ancestor worship?

[onager]

4. "And if he doesn't arrive..."

"...we will just make up a big lie about his deathbed conversion anyway."

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

6. ...

[TZ]

5. Uh oh

A person who fought for religious rights and democracy is an atheist? Wonder what the Pol Pot, Stalin, Mao crowd in R/T would make of this. :rofl: