As a manuscript

KULAKOV Vladimir Vasilievich

RELIGIOUS FACTOR AND

NATIONAL SECURITY OF RUSSIA

(based on materials from the Southern Federal District)

Speciality 09.00.13 – religious studies,

philosophical anthropology, philosophy of culture

for an academic degree

candidate of philosophical sciences

Moscow 2006

The work was carried out at the Department of State-Confessional Relations of the Russian Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation

Scientific adviser - Candidate of Historical Sciences

Official opponents - Doctor of Philosophy, Professor

Candidate of Philosophy

Leading organization– Border Academy of the FSB of Russia

Scientific Secretary

dissertation council

general description of work

The relevance of the research topic about caused by the emergence at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries of qualitatively new threats to Russia’s national security associated with the change in the role and influence of the religious factor, both in the foreign and domestic policies of the state.

The strengthening of the role of the religious factor in our country in recent years is due to the whole complex of socio-political changes that have occurred. The collapse of the USSR, economic instability and stratification of society, the emerging ideological vacuum, and the value disorientation of large sections of the population intensified the influence of the religious factor on the country's population.

The liberalization of state-confessional relations was accompanied by the active penetration of missionaries of various religious movements into Russia. This contributed to the formation of a special type of threat to national security. The Russian national security concept directly states that: “Threats to Russia’s national security in the border area are caused by economic, demographic and cultural and religious expansion neighboring states onto Russian territory,” and further: “In the domestic political sphere, Russia’s national interests consist... in neutralizing the causes and conditions that contribute to the emergence of political and religious extremism, ethnic separatism and their consequences.”

In the Southern Federal District, problems associated with the development of extremist activities of religious organizations of the two most active directions are particularly acute.

From the south and southeast, the spread of Islamic radical fundamentalism began, claiming to establish its influence not only in traditionally Muslim regions, but throughout the country. Propaganda and the use of violence to achieve one's political goals are clothed here in a religious form. The religious and political extremism of these movements in recent years has become one of the most serious threats to the national security of our state.

On the other hand, no less a threat to Russia’s national security is posed by a certain part of the so-called “new religious movements” (NRMs) or syncretic religions of the “New Age”. Exported primarily from the USA and Western Europe, they instill a new globalist, anti-Russian and anti-state ideology. At the same time, Russian analogues of this kind of movements began to emerge.

The extremist wing of the NRM is represented by organizations that promote the rejection of traditional morality and socially useful work and often lead to the destruction of families and harm to the physical and mental health of people. Many of these religions have a hidden commercial orientation and operate on the principle of network marketing.

These changes dictate the need to develop adequate approaches and effective methods to ensure Russia’s national security.

Currently, the study of new non-traditional threats to national security is just beginning. In each specific region of Russia, the influence of the religious factor has its own characteristics.

The religious situation in the Southern Federal District is particularly complex and at the same time insufficiently studied.

The relevance of the dissertation research is determined by the need to study both theoretical and practical aspects of the influence of the religious factor on national security and to develop recommendations for overcoming emerging threats.

The degree of research of the problem. Special scientific works devoted to the consideration of new threats associated with the religious factor, and, above all, with the expansion of religious forms that are non-traditional for Russia, began to appear at the turn of the 20th – 21st centuries. These are the works of A. G. Krivelskoy,

The relationship between religious and political factors in public life, their mutual influence was discussed in the works, , All authors point to the interconnection and certain conditionality of the political, economic, ethno-national component in the system of general political processes and the relationship of the religious factor with them.

The authors of these works point to the large-scale multidimensional changes taking place in the modern world and consider the content and direction of geopolitical processes. Particular attention is paid to the place and position of Russia in the changing globalizing world.

Problems of Russia's national security modern stage in connection with new geopolitical realities were studied in the works. These researchers highlight various factors associated with globalization and the struggle of various forces for the redistribution of spheres of influence. Among the various threats to Russia's national security at the present stage, almost all authors point to the emergence of informational, ideological, and including religious threats.

Extremism appealing to religion has become the subject of scientific consideration by such authors as, , and others. Discussive issues continue to be the development and use of a special terminological apparatus, criteria and characteristics of the phenomenon under consideration, its origins and transformation trends.

The problem of extremism associated with the activities of radical Islamic fundamentalists has acquired particular prominence in recent years. Analysis this phenomenon was carried out in research, Malashenko A. V. In these works, a division is made according to a number of identified characteristics between Islam, as a world religion, and radical Islamic fundamentalism, as an extremist distortion of the foundations of traditional Islamic culture.

The nature and characteristics of new religious movements that have signs of extremist activity were studied by Khvyli, Deacon A. Kuraev.

In the 90s, several collections of conference materials devoted to the consideration of this problem were published.

The works of Suslova E. S. Analyzing various aspects of the religious situation in the Southern Federal District and, above all, in the North Caucasus, the named authors show the ways of expansion of the radical Islamic fundamentalism, methods of activity, features of manifestation and transformation at the present stage.

Thus, these works touch on many issues and aspects of problems related to this topic. However, the categorical apparatus necessary for a clear and clear understanding of the essence of the issues under study still requires clarification and justification. The problems associated with the threats of religious extremism in the south of Russia, and specifically in the Southern Federal District, have been extremely poorly studied. There is no coherent vision of the problem, the content and direction of the necessary countermeasures from the state and society.

Object dissertation research is the influence of the religious factor on national security.

Subject of study- forms and methods of influence of the religious factor, generating threats to national security in the form of extremism of radical Islamic fundamentalism and extremism of new religious movements.

The purpose of the dissertation is a comprehensive study of the forms and methods of influence of the religious factor on the emergence of threats to national security in the Southern Federal District of the Russian Federation.

Research objectives:

Consider and clarify the concept of “religious factor”;

- explore the place and role of the religious factor in the context of qualitatively new threats to Russia’s national security at the present stage;

To identify the specifics of manifestations of religious extremism in the Southern Federal District of the Russian Federation;

Analyze the reasons and features of the formation of extremist religious groups and movements;

Develop and justify a system of measures to overcome threats to Russia’s national security caused by religious factors.

METHODOLOGICAL AND THEORETICAL BASIS OF THE RESEARCH:

The theoretical and methodological basis of the research consists of the principles of complexity, comprehensiveness, objectivity and specificity of consideration of problems, methods of comparative historical and sociological analysis. The study is based on the work of domestic and foreign researchers on issues related to the influence and characteristics of the religious factor in the context of problems of ensuring national security.

Particular importance is attached to the completeness and differentiation of the characteristics of the objects under study, using the empirical and analytical basis of the study.

The main scientific results obtained personally by the applicant:

This dissertation is one of the first attempts to comprehensively study the multidimensional influence of the religious factor on the state of national security in Russia using the example of the Southern Federal District.

The scientific novelty of the dissertation lies in the fact that it:

The concept of “religious factor” is considered and clarified;

- analyzed the role and place of the religious factor in modern Russia, in connection with the emergence of new threats to national security;

The reasons and features of the formation of extremist religious groups in the Southern Federal District have been identified;

The process of spread and forms of manifestation of religious and political extremism have been studied (using the example of organizations of radical Islamic fundamentalism and one of the unregistered New Age cults - the Anastasians movement in the Southern Federal District);

A system of measures to overcome the threats of religious and political extremism has been developed and justified.

Theoretical and practical significance of the research is to substantiate comprehensive approaches to the study of threats to national security associated with the religious factor. The dissertation materials can be used to compile methodological and educational manuals, teach general lecture courses on the problems of religious and political extremism to law enforcement officers, government and administrative authorities, sociologists, political scientists and religious scholars. The results of the study can form the basis for developing a system of methods to counter religious and political extremism, both in the studied region and beyond.

Approbation of research results. The dissertation was discussed and recommended for defense at a meeting of the department of state-confessional relations.

Reports and messages on the research topic were voiced by the author at the All-Russian conference “Islam and Christianity: on the way to dialogue” (Moscow, November 24, 2005) and at the international conferences “Dialogue of cultures and interreligious cooperation” (Nizhny Novgorod, September 7-9 2006), “Traditional religions, sovereign democracies and Russian civilization”, (Moscow November 22, 2006).

Structure and scope of the dissertation: the dissertation consists of an introduction, three sections, a conclusion, a list of references and applications.

MAIN CONTENT OF THE WORK

The introduction substantiates the relevance of the research topic, analyzes the degree of its development, formulates the purpose, objectives and methods of the research, reveals the scientific novelty, theoretical and practical significance of the work.

First section - « The place and role of the religious factor in the system of threats to Russia's national security" - is devoted to the analysis of the concept of “religious factor”, types of religious factors, their role and features of the manifestation of new threats to Russia’s national security in the system.

“Religious factor” (from the Latin factor - doing, producing) is a term that defines the influence of religion, as a social institution, on other, non-religious aspects of social life. Religion, as a social institution, performs a number of functions in society. The most important functions of religion are, inter alia, ideological, regulating, integrating and disintegrating. The religious factor can play a different role, depending on the specific historical and socio-political situation in society. During periods of social crises, the religious factor becomes one of the most influential forces used by various social and political groups in their own interests. In this work, the researcher’s attention is focused on identifying the reasons for the change in the role of the religious factor in modern Russia and its influence on the situation in the southern Russian regions.

The fundamental change in the place and role of religion in the life of the peoples of our country is associated, according to the researcher, with a number of reasons. The most important among them are internal, political-ideological and external, geopolitical. The first must include the collapse of a single, powerful state of the Soviet Union, the weakening of the power vertical at the level of government of the country, the weakening of local socio-economic policy, the emergence of nationalist separatism, the loss of previous ideological ideals and guidelines, the emergence of an ideological vacuum, the search for new national-political and worldview identities. The second group of reasons is associated with the new world geopolitical realities that emerged at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, a new round of struggle between the major powers for spheres of influence and control on a global scale. Having examined in detail the causes and consequences of the changing geopolitical realities, the author notes that the situation is becoming significantly more complicated due to the growing influence in recent times of radical Islamic fundamentalism and the extremism of new religious movements.

One of the theses of the National Security Concept is that today “...threats to the national security of the Russian Federation in the international sphere are manifested in the attempts of other states to counteract the strengthening of Russia as one of the centers of influence in a multipolar world.” Consequently, the most important condition for national security is the independence of its domestic and foreign policies from the influence and pressure of other states.

The concept highlights the quality the most important condition security: “...ensuring civil peace and national harmony, territorial integrity, unity of legal space, law and order,” and further: “National interests in the spiritual sphere consist in preserving and strengthening moral values society, traditions of patriotism and humanism, cultural and scientific potential of the country"

In other words, we are talking about preserving and strengthening the integrity of the state in its territorial, cultural, historical and spiritual space.

This presupposes freedom from the threats of extremism, terrorism, any forms of violence, interethnic and interreligious hostility. Meanwhile, the current situation shows that the use of the religious factor by foreign states has created in modern Russia a set of problems associated with the emergence of threats to national security at all of these levels. The active work of Arab and Turkish emissaries representing specific organizations and movements of radical Islamic fundamentalism, various NRMs of foreign and domestic origin use the religious factor to achieve other, non-religious goals. These goals are, first of all, political goals that create threats to the preservation of the integrity of Russia, the independence of its foreign and domestic policies, the stability and balance of social life.

In modern geopolitics, issues of control over territory have begun to be understood as control over space. This form of control is understood as the subordination and use of not only geographical, natural, but also human resources. Consequently, no less effective than the conquest of territories is the subjugation of geopolitical spaces through the use of informational, ideological, and religious factors. The establishment of geo-ideological and geo-missionary control is becoming new tools for conquering spheres of influence.

A feature of the modern international situation is the growing confrontation between secular ideologies and religious and political ideologies that are increasing their influence. First of all, this concerns the ideologies of radical Islamic fundamentalism. On the other hand, this includes the globalization ideology of the West, which appears in the religious sphere in the form of universalist commercial cults. Consequently, in the modern world the religious factor acts as an effective weapon of political influence.

In this regard, social security should include the concept of “spiritual security”. It should be noted that the very definition of the concept of “spiritual security” is just beginning to be developed in the humanities, although the issue of spiritual threats in Russia today is especially acute.

The religious factor has not only an indirect, but also a direct influence on social attitudes. Thus, under the influence of these attitudes, the fundamental spiritual foundations of society are formed, ensuring the national security of the country or, conversely, creating the most effective threats in the context of modern geopolitics.

In the second section - “The reasons for the emergence and forms of manifestation of religious and political extremism” - the reasons for the emergence of new threats to Russia's security related to the religious factor are analyzed from the point of view of external, geopolitical and internal, socio-political prerequisites. This section provides a detailed analysis of the religious situation in the Southern Federal District, identifies and shows the methods and forms of activity of extremist associations of two types: radical Islamic fundamentalism and the extremist wing of new religious movements, using the example of one of them.

The practical influence of the religious factor depends, first of all, on its political orientation. From this point of view, Islam, like any religion, does not pursue exclusively political goals. Being one of the world's oldest religions, modern traditional Islam itself is becoming an object of aggression from radical associations of Islamic fundamentalists. Groups and movements hiding behind Islamic slogans in fact pursue not religious, but political goals, threatening stability, including traditional Islamic territories and peoples.

The current geopolitical situation is determined by the ideological expansion of radical Islamic fundamentalism from two main centers: Saudi Arabia and Iran. The dissertation author analyzes in detail the most typical methods of penetration and introduction of extremist organizations into territories previously not under their control.

The Southern Federal District of the Russian Federation is one of the most indicative territories in connection with the problem of the emergence and escalation of religious and political extremism in the form of radical Islamic fundamentalism.

1. Confession of the principle of “takfir”, that is, accusing everyone who is not part of this direction of unbelief. Even believing Muslims are considered “kafirs”, “guiaurs”, “jahillis”, that is, atheists and pagans, if they do not share the views and positions of this extremist group.

2. Preaching the necessity, legality and religious obligation to use any form of violence against the “infidels” up to their complete destruction. Extremists preach cruelty and aggression as the main virtues of a fighter for the purity of faith.

3. Complete denial of everything modern, aggressive rejection of the ideas of rights and freedoms of citizens, as it is understood in the ideology of modern Western liberalism and democracy.

4. Active propaganda of the complete subordination of “true Muslims” to the rules and orders preached and implanted by radical fundamentalists.

Analyzing the specific situation in one of the largest regions of Russia, the dissertation author presents a detailed picture of the religious situation currently existing in the Southern Federal District, taking into account both officially registered and a number of unregistered religious associations, some of which can be characterized as extremist.

The author examines the situation in those territories of the Southern Federal District in which the activities of radical Islamic fundamentalists have become most widespread in recent years. The work provides a detailed overview of the situation in the territories, identifying the characteristics of extremist activity of the type under consideration and the measures taken to overcome it.

However, it is not only radical Islamic fundamentalism that poses the threat of religious and political extremism in modern Russia. According to the dissertation author, no less dangerous is the extremist wing of new religious movements.

Both trends, associated with the active use of the religious factor, pose threats to Russia’s national security at the present stage in different ways, but to the same extent.

The work examines the phenomenon of new religious movements in modern Russia, as one of the religious factors that create new external and internal threats to the country's national security.

By “new religious movements” in this case we mean the so-called “religions of the new century” or New Age movements, reflecting the ideology of the globalizing West. The threats to national security they generate include: strengthening the influence of the West, erosion of the traditional historical spiritual foundations of Russian society, replacement of the historically established model of national and cultural self-identification with a motley spectrum of various pseudo-eastern, neo-pagan, universalist and other worldview models. A negative consequence of the emergence and spread of various NRMs in post-perestroika Russia, according to the author, was the strengthening of disintegration processes in society.

Fostering tolerance through the education and enlightenment system.

The dissertation author points out that the fight against extremism in all forms, levels of its manifestation by all possible ways should be accompanied by widespread propaganda of the traditional spiritual heritage of the peoples of Russia. One of the effective methods of ensuring Russia’s national security may be the formation public opinion in relation to religious and political extremism, its essence and threats.

IN conclusion The main results of the study are summarized, conclusions and practical proposals based on its content are formulated.

THE MAIN PROVISIONS OF THE DISSERTATION ARE REFLECTED IN THE FOLLOWING PUBLICATIONS:

1. Kulakov extremism: on the issue of the admissibility and scientific correctness of the term // State Service: Scientific and Political Journal, 2006. No. 6(44). 0.4 p.l.

2. Kulakov and religion // United Scientific Journal. 2006. No. 15(29). 0.6 p.l.

3. Kulakov, the role of the religious factor and geopolitical aspects of Russia’s national security // United Scientific Journal. 2006. No. 25 (185). 0.5 p.l.

The concept of national security of the Russian Federation. Approved by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 24 dated January 1, 2001. As amended on October 5, 1999. Section 1.

See: Kolosov geopolitics: traditional concepts and modern challenges// Social Sciences and modernity. 1996. No. 1; Krivelsky expansion against Russia. M., 1998; and others. The religious factor in the socio-political life of Russia // Renewal of Russia: a difficult search for solutions. Issue 2. M., 1994; Nikitin religion // Questions of philosophy. 1994. No. 3; Trofimchuk and problems of national security of Russia // State, religion, church in Russia and abroad: Inf.-analyst. Bulletin No. 1.M: RAGS, 2002; , Svishchev. Chelyabinsk, 2004.

See: State, politics and religion: an evolutionary process. M., 1999; him. Army and religion. M., 1999; him. Religious factor and geopolitical aspects of security. M., 1999; About terror and terrorism: nature, essence, causes, manifestations // Security. Information collection. 2001. No. 7-12; Kudrina terrorism: essence, forms of manifestation, methods of counteraction. Diss. ...cand. watered Sci. St. Petersburg, 2000; The religious situation in Russia: realities, contradictions, forecasts // Free Thought. 1993. No. 5; The insight of the religious factor into the emergence of political extremism and terrorism // Modern terrorism: state and prospects. M.: Editorial URSS, 2000; , Saidbaev and religion // Socio-political sciences. 1991. No. 9; , Furman and politics in mass consciousness // Sociological Research. 1992. No. 7; Shvedov V. Religion and politics // International life. 1992. No. 5.

See: Vozzhenikov security of Russia: methodology of comprehensive research and policy of ensuring. M., 2002; , Zolotarev conceptual provisions of Russian national security in the twenty-first century. M., 2000. Zolotarev paradigms of national security of Russia. M., 1999; Mayorov L. Priorities of the concept of national security of Russia // International life. 1997. No. 10; Manilov of national security // Military thought. 1996. No. 1; Panarin – psychological support of Russian national security. M., 1998; Pirumov problems of ensuring national security of Russia. M., 1996; Passerby safety: a problem of theory. M., 1997; Schubert security of Russia: constitutional and legal aspects (comparative legal research). M., 2001.

See: Bashirov - political extremism and terrorism as a threat to Russia’s national security // Peace and Harmony. M. 2005. No. 1(22); Burkovskaya with extremism and problems of protecting human rights // Human rights in Russia and human rights activities of the state. St. Petersburg: Legal Center Press, 2003; Vlasov: essence, types, prevention. M.: RAGS, 2002.; Zhuravsky extremism: reality or fiction? // http: /www. /article2080.htm; his Religious extremism and fundamentalism: problems of definitions // http /www. /article2269.htm; his own Religious extremism in the conflict of interpretations // Information and Analytical Center “Sova” 10.29.2003; Zaluzhny problems of countering extremist activities in the sphere of state-confessional and interfaith relations//Legal problems of state-confessional relations in modern Russia. M., 2004; Kudryavtsev legal counteraction to extremist manifestations in the activities of religious associations // Freedom of conscience in Russia: historical and modern aspects: conference materials M., 2005; Kurbanov and the politics of terror // Makhachkala: peoples of Dagestan. Makhachkala, 2002; Lopatkin is religious // Political Encyclopedia. T.2. M.: Mysl, 2001; Nikulin religious and political: socio-psychological aspect//http:/www. /rus/f14/k2/students/hopes/13.htm; Nurullayev – political extremism: concept, essence, ways to overcome // Ten years on the way to freedom of conscience. Problems of implementing the constitutional right to freedom of conscience and the activities of religious associations. M.: Institute of Religion and Law. 2002; Pain nature of extremism and terrorism // Social sciences and modernity. 2002. No. 4; Ponkin I. In Incitement of religious hatred: legal analysis. Diss. Candidate of Sciences, Political Science Sci. M., 2002; Telyakavov as an object of political science research. M., Border Academy of the FSB of the Russian Federation, 2003: Extremism in the religious sphere. M.: Border Academy of the FSB of the Russian Federation, 2003; Labels of religiously motivated extremism //http ///page/stream-exchange/index-5960.html.

See: Political struggle in the CIS countries. M.: Panorama, 1992; Abdulatipov of Islam in Russia. M.: Mysl, 2002; Aruchs in modern Islam. Makhachkala, 1999; Bashirov: theory and practice // Peace and harmony. 2005. No. 4(25); Gereykhanov, the situation in the North Caucasus and its consideration in the management activities of the bodies and troops of the Federal Border Guard Service of Russia (philosophical and political analysis): Abstract of thesis. dis... . Ph.D. Philosopher Sci. M.: AFPS, 1999; Dobaev and radicalism in modern Islam in the North Caucasus // Islam and politics in the North Caucasus. Rostov-on-Don, 2001; Kudryavtsev religious extremism in the North Caucasus // Central Asia and the Caucasus. 2000. No. 3(9); Malashenko is being turned into a weapon of ethnopolitical conflicts // Russia and the Muslim World. 1995. No. 6; him. Political deadlock or development alternatives // Asia and Africa today. 1994. No. 1; Saidbaev and religion. Socio-political sciences. 1999. No. 9.

See: Balagushkin modern not traditional religions: origins, essence, influence on the youth of the West. M., 1983; Prophets of the "New Truth". M., 1986; Satan rules the roost there. Kyiv, 1990; Garaja and religion // Science and religion. 1991. No. 3, 5; Grigoriev’s “New Age” and the modern state. Krasnoyarsk, 2000; Grigoriev religious movements and the state in modern Russia // Legislation on freedom of conscience and law enforcement practice in the sphere of its action: Materials of seminars. M.: Institute of Religion and Law, 2001; Gurevich religions in Western countries and their influence on youth. M., 1985; Khvylya-Olinter crime and destructive religious sects // News of the methodological center of professional education on the coordination of scientific research. 1997. No. 1; Bajan religiosity. Krasnoyarsk, 2000; Dvorkin. Nizhny Novgorod, 2002; (I. Kulikov). New religious organizations in Russia of a destructive, occult and neo-pagan nature. Belgorod, 1999; Kuraev A. Lessons in sect studies. M., 2003.

See: Arukhov conflicts in the North Caucasus in the light of the theory and practice of jihad // Islam and politics in the North Caucasus. Collection of scientific articles, Rostov-on-Don, 2001; Ivanov of social threats and instability // Social security of the state, society, personality: state, problems, prospects. M., 1996; The Kritsky factor in the ethnopolitical situation in the North Caucasus / Religion and politics in modern Russia. M., 1997; Kisriev E. Islam in the socio-political life of Dagestan // Muslims of a changing Russia. M.: ROSSPEN, 2002; Kublitskaya factor in the ethnopolitical situation in the North Caucasus // Religion and politics in modern Russia. M., 1997; Levshukov extremism in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic // Islam and politics in the North Caucasus. Rostov-on-Don, 2001; Malysheva factor in modern armed conflicts: Developing countries of Asia and Africa in the 70-80s. M., Nauka, 1991; Matsnev: genesis, essence, evolution. M., 1995; National harmony and national extremism in modern Russia: historical roots, realities, prospects. Materials from the “round table”. Saratov, 2000; “Enclavization” of the territories of the North Caucasus region: the content of the process and research problems // Violence in modern Russia: Abstracts of reports of a scientific conference Rostov-on-Don, 1999; Suslov and problems of national security in the North Caucasus. Diss. Ph.D. philosopher n. M.: RAGS, 2004; Khanbabaev in Dagestan // Islam and politics in the North Caucasus. Collection of scientific articles, Rostov-on-Don, 2001.

National Security Concept of the Russian Federation, Section 1.

Ibid., section 2.

Svishchev. Chelyabinsk, 2004.

In this article, the author defines the religious security of the Russian Federation. The author of the article also puts forward the idea of ​​the need to study the place of religious security in the national security system of the Russian Federation, as well as its constitutional and legal foundations.

In offered article the author makes definition of religious safety of Russian Federation. Тhe author of the article also puts forward the idea about the necessity of research of a place of religious safety for the system of national safety of the Russian Federation, and also its constitutional-legal bases.

Key words (Criterions):

constitutional-legal - constitutional

religious crimes- religious crimes

religious safety - religious safety

religious sphere

national security - national security

For the first time, legislators in Russia started talking about religious security in the context of national security in the mid-90s of the last century. An example is the appeal of the State Duma of the Russian Federation “To the President of the Russian Federation about the dangerous consequences of the influence of some religious organizations on the health of society, families, and citizens of Russia” dated December 15, 1996. This appeal suggested “ consider the religious security of Russian society an important priority of national security along with military, political, economic, environmental and social" The reason for this appeal was numerous facts of anti-social and anti-state activities of some religious associations, which is a direct threat to the national security of the Russian Federation.

Today, there is numerous evidence that some religious associations are actively used as a cover and often as an instrument for the activities of foreign, in particular Western, intelligence services on the territory of the Russian Federation.

In confirmation of the fact that the religious sphere in the West has always been given high importance in strategic planning, including when planning military operations, the following statements can serve.

In 1941, when developing plans for the destruction of the USSR, Goebbels wrote: “We can crush the Red Army, we can chop off huge territories from them, we can stop their factories, but until we put our own priest in every village, until they let us divide by faith, this people will in any case be able to rise from the ashes.” Former assistant to the US President for National Security Z. Brzezinski stated: “After we ended communism, our main enemy is Orthodoxy...”.

In 1997, a meeting took place between Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II and US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. The only task that Albright set for herself at the meeting was to ensure that foreign religious associations have complete freedom of action in Russia, which is proof that and today Western states, in their anti-Russian activities, rely not least on the religious sphere .

And this is not surprising, since, in our opinion, religious motivation in human activity is the most stable and strong, and the fate of entire nations often depends on it. We are convinced that modern society The geopolitical potential of religion is underestimated, which threatens to approach the moment when the religious factor decides the fate of the entire world community.

Thus, today we can say with confidence that the Russian national security system is vulnerable without identifying religious security as a separate institution.

In recent years, various authors have increasingly turned to the problems of religious security. In particular, the political, social, philosophical, and military aspects of this issue were studied. Attempts have been made to study the legal mechanisms for ensuring religious security. At the same time, the term religious security itself has not yet been introduced into scientific circulation and has no official definition., which is a complex and controversial issue. In addition, none of the researchers have practically studied the place of religious security in the national security system of the Russian Federation, as well as its constitutional and legal foundations.

In Art. 6 of the “National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation until 2020” contains the following definition of national security: “national security” is the state of protection of the individual, society and state from internal and external threats, which makes it possible to ensure constitutional rights, freedoms, a decent quality and standard of living for citizens, sovereignty, territorial integrity and sustainable development of the Russian Federation, defense and security of the state."

In the Federal Law of the Russian Federation “On Security” dated 03/05/1992 N 2446-1 (as amended on 06/26/2008) in Art. 1 contains a legal definition of security, according to which security is “the state of protecting the vital interests of the individual, society and state from internal and external threats.” The legislator further explains that vital interests are “a set of needs, the satisfaction of which reliably ensures the existence and opportunities for the progressive development of the individual, society and state.”

The legislator includes the following as security objects: the individual - his rights and freedoms; society - its material and spiritual values; the state - its constitutional system, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Thus, the legislator distinguishes three levels of security objects - the individual, society, and the state, respectively, and religious security must be ensured at all of the above levels - at the level of the individual, society and the state as a whole.

In addition, in the Federal Law of the Russian Federation “On Security” in Art. 3 also provides a definition of a threat, which is understood as “a set of conditions and factors that create a danger to the vital interests of the individual, society and state.” We believe that it is necessary to include religious ones in this set of conditions and factors.

It should be noted that when studying all security problems, including religious ones, the problem of security threats arises as a fundamental one. An analysis of regulatory legal acts dedicated to security shows that “threat” is the starting point of all reasoning and definitions.

On this basis, we believe that religious security objects must be considered in connection with the threats that pose a danger to these objects.

Threats in this case can be defined as a set of conditions and factors that create a danger to the vital interests of the individual, society and the state in the religious sphere. The religious sphere includes all social relations where religion is a condition orfactortheir origin and existence.

In Art. 37 of the “National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation until 2020”, religious extremism, as well as the growth of criminal attacks against individuals, are highlighted as the main sources of threats to national security.

The Federal Law “On Combating Extremist Activities” dated July 25, 2002 No. 114-FZ [as of April 29, 2008] defines religious extremism as: “...incitement of religious hatred; propaganda of exclusivity, superiority or inferiority of a person on the basis of his religious affiliation or attitude to religion; violation of the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of a person and citizen, depending on his religious affiliation or attitude towards religion; obstruction of the legitimate activities of religious associations, coupled with violence or the threat of its use; committing crimes for the reasons specified in paragraph "e" of part one of Article 63 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation;..."

Analyzing the above definition, we can conclude that religious extremism largely concerns the sphere of intolerance towards representatives of a particular religion, but then the activities of numerous Satanist associations, whose members commit a lot of different crimes, in particular sacrifices, remain behind the “brackets.” animals and people which we consider it appropriate to call religious crimes.

Concerning religious crimes, in particular, human sacrifices, then for a Satanist it does not matter who the subject of the assassination attempt is a believer, or even an atheist, anyone can become a victim. From this we can conclude that religious crimes, in particular, human sacrifice remains outside the field of religious extremism, but also poses a significant threat to society.

It must be noted that developing a list of threats to religious security in itself seems to be an extremely difficult task, which should be the subject of a separate study.

Also, threats within the meaning of the Federal Law of the Russian Federation “On Security” can be divided into external and internal.

Threats external to the individual in the religious sphere traditionally include violations of freedom of religion. As we noted above, a person may be in danger in the religious sphere even if this person has nothing to do with religion. In particular, people may suffer when a religious association commits extremist activities terrorist attack, or, for example, followers of the Satanic association can use almost any person as a victim. In both cases, the victims may be people who have nothing to do with religion, which, however, is unimportant for the subjects of the crime. Or, for example, in some religious associations, such rights of citizens as the right to physical and mental health, to have and raise children in a family, decent education, the right to property, etc. may be violated. But nevertheless, these offenses will relate to the religious sphere, since the conditions, motives and factors for their commission will be purely religious.

But, in addition, in our opinion, the individual is also threatened by internal endogenous dangers. For example, the danger of misunderstanding the laws of spiritual and religious life, which could result in the emergence of another inherently destructive religious association.

The state should be involved in the prevention and elimination of such dangers, since according to Art. 2 Federal Law of the Russian Federation “On Security”, it is precisely this that is the main subject of ensuring security.

In particular, the state can solve this problem by organizing high-quality religious education for the entire population of the country or, in some cases, by isolating from society persons who have a distorted understanding of religious life.

Society may be threatened by various kinds of dangers in the religious sphere. This, in particular, is the activities of various religious associations of extremist and destructive orientation of foreign and domestic origin. At the same time, special attention should be paid to the fact that the Federal Law of the Russian Federation “On Security” especially highlights the spiritual values ​​of society among security objects. It is noteworthy that in the few works dealing with the problems of religious security, society in the narrow sense of the term is most often considered as an object of security, but often such objects of security as the state and the individual are not considered at all.

In particular, S.V. Kozlov defines religious security as “ state of stable existence, reproduction and original development of confessional traditions of all peoples of Russia". And further he explains that “the main object of protection in the course of ensuring religious security is confessional identity, which is based on stable systems of moral and value preferences. The loss of authority of traditional religious organizations leads to the fact that destructive religious experience gains unlimited influence on society. In this regard, not only the indisputable significance of religious traditions as a social constructive component must be recognized, but also the exclusivity of the religious experience of the nation whose security is being considered. we're talking about» .

Despite the unacceptably narrow understanding of religious security proposed by S.V. Kozlov, we completely agree with him that the loss of the existence, reproduction and original development of confessional traditions poses a serious danger for Russia. This danger can be caused both by those external to Russian society and internal factors. Wherein negative impact on Russian society in the religious sphere can be twofold.

On the one hand, this is the activity of numerous foreign destructive religious associations, which can lead to a split of society into small groups based on religious principles, and on the other hand, this is the activity of inherently secular structures of foreign states, which, using religious factors, actively contribute to the process of maximum polarization Russian society in this area. But this question concerns the next security object - the state.

Today we can clearly state the fact that the dangers arising in the religious sphere can threaten the constitutional order, sovereignty and territorial integrity of any state and, in particular, the Russian Federation. A study of the internal documents of some religious associations shows that many of them strive for global domination or the creation of new theocratic states on the territory of existing ones. In this sense, a follower of such a religion will under no circumstances defend the interests of the Russian state.

Thus, we can conclude that religious security has the same objects as security in general: the individual, society, and state. At the same time, the state acts as the main subject of ensuring religious security.

Before formulating the final definition of religious security, let us turn in particular to the proposed definitions that exist in this regard.

A.I. Kazannik proposed to consider religious security as “ system of guarantees of freedom of conscience andreligions within the country, the state of protection of vitalinterests of the individual, society and state from religious extremism and spiritual aggression". But the system of guarantees of freedom of conscience and freedom of religion is an integral part of the legal basis of religious security, and therefore this definition can be considered not entirely correct.

EAT. Shevkoplyas proposes to use the following concept of religious security: “ state of protection of vital interestsindividuals, communities and states from religious extremism, occultism and spiritual aggression". In this case, in our opinion, the author narrows the list of threats to religious security, in particular, does not take into account religious crime, from which security objects need protection.

According to E.S. Suslova, religious security is “ Security from threats and protection of national interests in the spiritual sphere". In this case, as, indeed, with E.M. Shevkoplyas, in the proposed definitions it is supposed to protect objects of religious security in the spiritual sphere, which gives us a number of questions, in particular, what do these authors understand by the term “spiritual”.

As we mentioned above, the legislation of the Russian Federation has the term “spiritual”. In particular, it is used when defining one of the areas of national security in the Federal Law “On Security” when defining security objects at the societal level. In this connection, the question arises about the identity of the terms “spiritual” and “religious” and the question about the appropriateness of using the term “religious security”; wouldn’t it be more correct to use the term “spiritual security”?

It must be said that these terms are not identical. The term spiritual is more comprehensive in content than the term religious. The religious sphere (from the Latin religio - piety, shrine, object of worship) usually includes a worldview and attitude, as well as corresponding behavior and specific actions (cult), based on belief in the existence of God or gods, the supernatural. In addition to the religious component itself, the spiritual sphere usually includes music, art, philosophy and other objects of the world of culture, which, in fact, constitute the objects of security in other spheres, in particular information. Therefore, it seems to us more acceptable to use the term not spiritual, namely religious security.

Accordingly, E.M. Shevkoplyas and E.S. . It would be more correct for Suslova to use the term “religious” in the definitions they propose.

In addition, E.M. Shevkoplyas notes in his definition that security facilities must be protected from the occult, with which we agree. But occultism and various occult trends are part of the threats in the religious sphere, and there is no need to highlight them specifically in defining religious security.

Yu.V. Slastilina offers the following definition of religious security: “the state of protection of the right to freedom of religion from undue influence from other persons, religious associations and the state.” With this definition Yu.V. Slastilina unjustifiably narrows the list of objects of religious security to the right to freedom of religion, which needs protection.

But, in most of the definitions analyzed above, there are the objects of religious security that we have identified - these are the individual, society and the state.

Thus, based on the above reasoning, we can formulate the concept of religious security. Religious security is a state of protection of the vital interests of the individual, society and state from internal and external threats in the religious sphere.

In conclusion, it should be noted that various areas of national security are closely interconnected and mutually complement each other. Each type of national security can manifest itself quite clearly in the sphere of action of the other. Religious security is no exception.

Thus, there cannot be military security if followers of religious associations used by foreign intelligence services for intelligence purposes penetrate into the armed forces. A person will never be safe if satanic organizations openly operate in a given society. Or you can’t talk about information security if there are religious associations in society that claim that TV and computers are tools of the devil. There are quite a lot of similar examples.

We noted that security also presupposes the possibility of developing a security facility. And in this case, the religious factor can also be decisive. Thus, modern experimental science could only emerge in societies dominated by Christianity. Whereas in societies with a different religious orientation, for example, in pagan ones, the necessary prerequisites for the emergence of experimental science were absent. And in modern society one can observe a certain correlation between the dominant religious worldview and the level of development of science and technology. A similar situation can be observed in the economy.

Thus, the religious sphere covers a huge volume public relations, on whose safety national security as a whole depends. The modern world is giving rise to new threats to religious security that require comprehensive neutralization. In this sense, religious security is one of the key elements of national security and needs to be separated into a separate institution.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Weber M. Selected works / Trans. with him. Comp., total. ed. and after. Yu. N. Davydova; Preface P.P. Gaidenko. - M.: Progress, 1990. - 808 p.

2. Kozlov, S.V. Legal mechanisms for ensuring religious security: dis. ...cand. legal Sciences: 23.00.02. - Rostov n/d: RSL, 2007. - 138 p.

3. Kuraev A., deacon. Tradition, Dogma, Ritual. Apologetic essay. - M.: Publishing House of the Brotherhood of St. Tikhon, 1995. - 416 p.

4. Nikiforov A.K. God is betrayed by silence. Voronezh: Publishing department of the Voronezh-Lipetsk diocese, 2002. - 210 p.

5. Slastilina, Yu.V. Freedom of religion in the Russian Federation: legal regulation and ensuring religious security: dis. ...cand. legal Sciences: 12.00.02. - Omsk: RSL, 1999. - 215 p.

6. Soviet encyclopedic dictionary / Ch. ed. A. M. Prokhorov. 2nd ed. - M.: Sov. encyclopedia, 1983. - 1600 p.

7. Suslova, E.S. Religion and problems of national security in the North Caucasus: dis. ...cand. Philosophical Sciences: 09.00.13 - Moscow: RSL, 2004. - 152 s.

8. Shevkoplyas, E.M. Criminal legal protection of freedom of conscience in Russia: dis. ...cand. legal Sciences: 12.00.08. - Omsk: RSL, 1999. - 194 p.

Resolution of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation dated December 15, 1996 N 918-II State Duma “On the appeal of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation “To the President of the Russian Federation about the dangerous consequences of the influence of some religious organizations on the health of society, families, citizens of Russia” // Collection of legislation of the Russian Federation. 1997. No. 1. Art. 52.

Quote by: Nikiforov A.K. God is betrayed by silence. Voronezh: Publishing department of the Voronezh-Lipetsk diocese, 2002. P. 60.

Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 12, 2009 N 537 “On the National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation until 2020” // “Collection of Legislation of the Russian Federation”, 05/18/2009, N 20, art. 2444.

It should be noted that this definition is much more specific than what was given in the “Concept of National Security of the Russian Federation”, which stated: “The national security of the Russian Federation means the security of its multinational people as the bearer of sovereignty and the only source of power in the Russian Federation." See: Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated January 10, 2000 N 24 “On the Concept of National Security of the Russian Federation” // Collection of Legislation of the Russian Federation. 2000. No. 2. Art. 170; In addition, the “National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation until 2020” eliminates many of the shortcomings of the previous document, the “National Security Concept of the Russian Federation.” Thus, there is no longer talk about the harmful consequences for Russia of the expansion of only foreign religious associations, as a result of which religious associations of domestic origin that are dangerous to society were left out. The new document talks about the danger that religious associations in general can pose, without limiting their circle only to foreign ones.

Slastilina, Yu.V. Freedom of religion in the Russian Federation: legal regulation and ensuring religious security: dis. ...cand. legal Sciences: 12.00.02. - Omsk: RSL, 1999. - P. 75.

Science was born at the turn of the 16th - 17th centuries in the Christian Western Europe. Despite the fact that some pre-scientific knowledge existed in other cultural communities, science was not born there. This was due to the lack of necessary conditions in them. And only in Christianity were everyone the necessary conditions for the birth of a scientific picture of the world. In Christianity, it was testified that the world was created by God, therefore it is real and accessible to study, that the world is not evil, since it was created by the Merciful God, the God of Love. At the same time, the world itself is not God, therefore the study of the world is not blasphemy and not a desecration of the sacred, as it could be interpreted, for example, in ancient society. The world is one, because it was created by one God, which gives confidence in the unity of the laws operating in the Universe.

But all the above prerequisites turned out to be insufficient. All of them were present in some other religions, but, nevertheless, science could not develop there. They lacked faith that the world was sufficiently independent of God. For the birth of science, faith in God Love is necessary, Who gives the world the freedom to be itself. Such faith fully existed only in Christianity.

The prerequisites for the emergence of science existed in antiquity. But here, too, the sacralization of nature, its deification, made it impossible scientific activity. Here, too, man was not free in his actions in relation to the surrounding reality.

A similar thing happened in Chinese tradition. The loss of faith in a single Creator led to the fact that the human mind could no longer lay claim to knowledge of nature.

And only in Christianity does the world, including the human world, have a much greater degree of freedom than in other traditions. See for more details: Kuraev A., deacon. Tradition, Dogma, Ritual. Apologetic essay. M.: Publishing House of the Brotherhood of St. Tikhon, 1995. 416 pp.; Tarasevich I.A. Christianity and the emergence of European science. Tobolsk, 2002. 68 p.

See for more details: Weber M. Selected Works / Trans. with him. Comp., total. ed. and after. Yu. N. Davydova; Preface P.P. Gaidenko. M.: Progress, 1990. 808 p.

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Federal Agency for Education

NOU VPO "Nizhny Novgorod Institute of Management and Business"

Faculty of Law

Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences

in the discipline "Life Safety"

on the topic: "Religious security"

Completed by: student

Podlesnaya Maria Petrovna

Scientific adviser:

Lukonin Alexei Nikolaevich

Nizhny Novgorod - 2014

Content

• Introduction
• Conclusion

Introduction

From ancient times to the present day, there has been a religious factor in intra- and interstate relations, which can be either positive, playing a consolidating, national liberation, peacekeeping role, or destructive, deepening the contradictions existing in society, infringing on the rights of national minorities, and chauvinism. In conditions of political, social and economic transformations, it is gaining increasing influence on processes in the state and becoming an integral attribute of public life. A peculiarity of Europeans, including Russia, is their commitment to Christianity and democratic values, but religion can either promote or hinder integration processes. Therefore, at present we can note increased attention to religion in the search for common features for the entire European community in many areas: in the axiological, political, legal, system of ensuring collective security.

Religious organizations, managing significant material and by human resourses and having a direct influence on the electorate, have now become an important element of the Ukrainian socio-political sphere. However, it happens that they defend not so much the interests of religion, society and the state, but their own corporate interests, and sometimes the interests of another state or its individual political forces. Historical experience convinces us that insufficient attention and legal regulation, as well as uncontrollability of the processes that occur in the humanitarian sphere, in general, and religious life, in particular, can lead to serious socio-political conflicts, and therefore, ultimately, pose a threat realizing national interests and strengthening national security.

Religious security: theoretical and legal aspect

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; Let you have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth below, or that is in the water under the earth; You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, and showing mercy to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments. (Ex. 20: 2-6) Bibliological dictionary: In 3 volumes - T. 2: K - P. - M.: Alexander Men Foundation. - 2002. .

The Holy Scripture reveals to us the highest value - God, who is the source of all good for man and society, and also indicates the path to achieve this good - obedience to the commandments of God, as a result and manifestation of love for one’s Creator. The Decalogue of Moses also indicates the sanction for disobedience to the Lord and His commandments - curse up to the fourth generation. Only God Himself can have mercy and save from punishment a person who has violated the commandments of God. And since no one can perfectly fulfill all the requirements of the Creator, not one of us meets God's standard of righteousness, then we all need Christ the Savior. This Christian basis prosperity and security of individuals and the entire society. As we see, it depends on meeting the biblical standard of our relationship with God. This relationship in modern, from the days of ancient Rome, terminology is called religion. This term has a Latin root: “religare” - to bind, “relegere” - to collect (Cicero), “religio” - piety, holiness, and denotes a person’s connection with the Absolute he recognizes, that is, God, through coordinating his life with the will of this Absolute , to achieve a certain good.

The totality of these benefits of the entire society represents national interests. Some of these interests relate to the religious sphere and are protected by the national security system. Threats to national security are existing and potentially possible phenomena and factors that pose a threat to the vital national interests of the country. Some of these threats, accordingly, relate to the sphere of religious relations

Relationships with religion should be considered only from the point of view of personal safety. But first, some statistics. As of January 1, 2010, 23,494 different religious associations belonging to more than 40 denominations were registered on the territory of Russia. Of these, centralized - 433, local - 22,176, religious educational institutions - 193, monasteries and farmsteads - 434, religious institutions - 258 Information about religious organizations registered in the Russian Federation // Religare.ru, 19.12.2009. Federal Law of September 26, 1997 No. 125-FZ “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations” made it very difficult to identify sectarian communities among registered communities, but we can assume an approximate order of numbers, if there are about 800 sectarian organizations in France, and in Britain - around 2000. German researchers have calculated that " new to the gods" More than 2 million Germans pray with them.

It is also known that the Muna sect (one of the most powerful in the world) had its representatives in more than 50 cities of Russia. According to Western estimates, in Moscow and St. Petersburg alone it included about 20 thousand people. Judging by how unceremoniously preachers from various countries behave in Russia with its thousand years Christian tradition, we can draw a conclusion about how they actually relate to other people’s faith and history Gostyushin A. Encyclopedia of extreme situations. - M., 1999. .

The various sects can be divided into several main groups:

§ foreign Protestant movements (American ones are especially numerous);

§ exotic sects of non-traditional (“eastern”) persuasion - both foreign and Russian;

§ “new religions” - posing as “improved” traditional confessions (including “improved” Orthodoxy) or a successful combination of all confessions;

§ small occult groups, usually associated with psychics, magicians, sorcerers, etc.

§ Satanists.

A seemingly harmless event - a visit to a sect out of curiosity - most often quickly turns a person’s life into an extreme situation. A well-developed method of managing a person leads to a loss of will and a complete change of interests. It is incredibly difficult to leave the sect; very often such attempts end in suicide or mental illness. It is believed that the time allotted for leaving is about six months. But as in protecting against most other dangers, the best measures here can be considered preventative.

How do sects differ from world religions? Experts usually name several main signs:

§ rigid internal organization; Moreover, personal subordination does not immediately become noticeable to a member of the sect - ultimately, the believer begins to be led not by God, but by the one who speaks on behalf of God; By the way, usually the complete structure of a sect is not known to everyone who is part of it;

§ personal cult of the head of the sect: as a rule, he calls himself the only one to whom the truth was revealed; under the pseudonym Maria Devi Christos, the head of the Yusmalian Marina Tsvigun declared herself “the living God” and the mother of the Universe in 1993; the official self-name of the head of the Japanese sect “the teaching of truth Aum” is His Holiness the Reverend Teacher Shoko Asahara; even little-known “prophets” do not deprive themselves of titles - so a certain El Oachim Monoshes modestly introduces himself as the Master of Universal Consciousness, etc.;

§ world religions preach the unification of people, sects sharply separate them (often hiding behind talk of universal brotherhood), and not only the rest of humanity, but also loved ones are declared “strangers”: only like-minded people become the sectarian’s family, and in some sects the worst enemy is declared mother and even long-dead relatives;

§ extensive economic requirements for an ordinary member of the sect; when talking about the uselessness of material wealth, it somehow still turns out that a person brings his own property (or even someone else’s) to the sect or works for the sect: sometimes this is the imposition of literature or tickets to religious shows on passers-by, sometimes prostitution, and in the Muna sect - there was even free work in its peculiar “collective farms” and factories. In 1995, German “teachers,” for example, received over 18 billion marks from the sale of shirts from their bodies and other wearable items alone.

The psychophysical technique of influencing people that sectarians use is very interesting. For example, such a technique as “love bombing” (by Moon): a person who carelessly gives his phone number to a benevolent preacher is literally bombarded with offers to come to meetings, seminars, etc. And if he comes, he is bombarded with compliments, surrounded by a dense wall of attention and love. The heart thaws, and the first “lessons” are easily laid into it.

Often “truths” are embedded in the human psyche, having previously treated his body with many days of fasting and lack of sleep, and exhausting exercises - “plastic prayers” or “meditations”. There is information that some sects use hypnosis and not yet entirely clear mechanisms, which can most accurately be called programming of people. There are also those who use drugs and other “chemicals” in rituals. The criminal methods of the Aum Shinrikyo sect, which became known in 1996, can be considered a typical variant.

Traditional sectarian technique - religious shows. Holy inspiration is given here as a psychophysical reaction familiar to any disc jockey to simple crowd control techniques (joint chanting, loud compliments to the audience, general swaying, holding hands, exposure to sound and light, etc.). Often, simultaneously with the shepherd on stage, the hall is processed by his associates, who are already leading individual conversations with the audience and agree on the next meeting Zhuravlev V. “The End of the World” at the end of the tunnel. Neo-Buddhist sects: the reality of the threat // Man and the Law. - 2000. - No. 7 (8). - P. 58-61. .

Religious security technology

The confidence of the current Russian that any road leads to the Temple, that any “spirituality” is good, makes him defenseless against any guru who approaches him with any kind of “scripture” in his hand. This means that it is time not just to declare one’s sympathy for the “spiritual treasures of Orthodoxy,” but to make an effort to actually become acquainted with them.

And for this it is necessary to know some kind of “safety rules”, the observance of which is desirable when coming into contact with religious preaching.

Rule one. It is necessary to remember forever that “spirituality” is a two-faced word. It only points to inspiration as a source of knowledge or a source of motivation. But it does not guarantee the good quality of what exactly is communicated to a person. There is inspiration for good. There is an inspiration of evil. And the worst thing: dress-up games are a favorite pastime of dark spirituality.

Rule two. If you have not yet found the determination or inner experience necessary to enter a serious religious life, if you feel not only an atheist, but simply a person deprived of the gift of faith, still make your choice. Not in the sense that immediately, right now, read the Creed. No, choose and realize what you don’t want to believe in and what religious tradition you don’t want to be in under any circumstances. Try to say in your heart: “If I ever need to turn to God and to faith, I would like to pray like an Orthodox Christian, but I would not want to become a member of such and such sects.”

Rule three. Always ask your interlocutor to introduce himself. Faust's troubles became inevitable when he was satisfied with Mephistopheles' evasive answer ("What is your name?" - "Petty question!"). Don't be satisfied with the preacher's self-introduction (“We are the Church of Christ!”). Ask him to tell him more clearly about the history of his community, force him to clearly express his attitude towards Orthodoxy. In this way you will protect your freedom of choice - for many preachers precisely want you not to notice at first that they are offering you a choice and renunciation of the traditional faith of your people.

Rule four. Keep in mind that a religious mission is often hidden behind purely secular names. If you are invited to free courses in English, it will almost certainly turn out that this is another sect that is simply going to read the Bible (or the Book of Mormon) to you in English, quietly explaining that you should live as you are told in these lessons. As a result, people pay for “free courses” with their souls, and then with money - because in most Protestant communities the principle of “tithe” applies: mandatory regular contributions for church needs. Another favorite cover is “ecological forums”, “communication schools”, etc. Steiner's pagan occultism is covered, for example, with the sign of the humanitarian movement "New Acropolis". The Muna sect operates under the guise of the International Education Foundation and the International Movement of Women for World Peace.

Rule five. Remember that the unexpected cordiality shown to you by your new acquaintances is not always a manifestation of sincere goodwill. You are not of interest to sectarians in themselves; It’s not what you have now that makes them happy. Often it's just the joy of new prey. The cordiality and delight they show you often goes beyond reasonable limits. But they have the same meaning - to tie you to yourself, to a new community, to new acquaintances. The Moon sect has a term that very accurately expresses the essence of these relationships with new acquaintances: “love bombing.” “Didn’t anyone tell you that you were so smart!”; “I’ve never met a more sensible girl in my life!”; “Where did you get such a knack for dressing!”; “It feels like you know incomparably more than what they give you at your school!”

Rule six. When talking with a preacher, try to find out not only what his faith has in common with other faiths, but also the differences. They may seem insignificant to you, but the preacher himself may insist on their insignificance. But in the end, if they are so insignificant, why did they separate themselves from the whole Church because of them? Remember the French proverb: “The devil is in the details.”

Rule seven. If the arguments of your interlocutor from a non-Orthodox community seem convincing to you, still hesitate to make a final decision. For example, if you are told that the Bible prohibits painting icons and praying for deceased parents, find a priest, or a person knowledgeable in the basics of Orthodox theology, or at least a relevant book, and listen to the arguments of the side accused by your new acquaintance.

Rule eight. Do not form your idea of ​​a particular denomination only on the basis of anecdotes about the unworthiness of its ministers. Compare not the sins of people, but the fundamentals of creeds.

Rule nine. Do not consider talking about religious differences to be a manifestation of “religious fanaticism” or “intolerance.” A philosopher who explains how Kant’s teaching differs from Nietzsche’s philosophy will not seem to you to be a bearer of totalitarian consciousness! Studying the history of philosophy, limiting itself only to talking about the fact that Kant and Nietzsche were Germans, and in addition - philosophers and both wrote something on issues of faith - is a superficial and therefore useless activity. Studying the history of religion only to say that all religions called for peace and love is, in addition, an unsafe activity. The difference between religions is a historical fact.

Rule ten. When they tell you that Teacher such and such has found a way to unite all religions, pay attention to the strange circumstance that any preaching of unification first of all provokes another division. Remember that any such initiative really aims to get you out of your usual religious environment. Reverend Moon did not unite Christians and Hindus. He has only created a separate movement whose members are neither one nor the other and look down on ordinary believers.

Rule eleven. Recognize the right of each religious community to determine its own boundaries. If you hear that the Pope has declared such and such a teaching to be outside the scope of Catholicism, do not assume that you know Catholicism better than the Pope, and do not seek to correct it. In the same way, if you hear that Orthodox theologians do not agree with some teaching of the Pope, believe that they have an equally inalienable right to determine what is consistent with Orthodoxy and what is incompatible with it.

Rule twelve. Just be sober. Do not confuse the psychic enthusiasm that is natural during large gatherings, accompanied by loud music and energetic speech, with the sacrament of Christ's entry into the shrine of the human heart. If you find yourself at a meeting of sectarians, then at least do not go out in response to their final call to the stage to accept their “baptism”. After all, if you succumb to the crowd effect and, at the end of an exalted sermon, agree to become a member of a sectarian community, you will excommunicate yourself from the Orthodox Church Kuraev A. “Missionaries on the School Doorstep.” - M., 1995. .

religious security sect

Conclusion

And in conclusion, I would like to note a few more important tips from A. Gostyushin. The relatives of a person who has fallen into a sect must, first of all, not make the main mistakes: hope that it will “go away on its own,” waste time, and also sharply and rudely deny his new hobby. Instead, you can show the attractiveness of traditional values. Try to recall the attractiveness of previous secular interests, create a new joyful environment, awaken consciousness to reality, “ground” perception - including family events, travel, and general activities. Create a situation in which this person must urgently help someone, etc. Only after signs of doubt appear (for example, about the purity of the goals or the personality of the sect leader) can you very carefully - preferably using the example of another - begin to talk about why the chosen path leads to error. At the same time, you will have to hide your emotions and your personal pain.

Well, in order to have enough strength to rescue a person from a sect, from the very beginning you need to come to terms with the fact that it will take a lot of time, tune in to a difficult and long struggle - it cannot be different, because this is a real struggle for the soul of a person.

List of used literature

1. Federal Law of September 26, 1997 No. 125-FZ “On freedom of conscience and religious associations.”

2. Bibliological dictionary: In 3 volumes - T.2: K - P. - M.: Alexander Men Foundation. - 2002.

3. Gostyushin A. Encyclopedia of extreme situations. - M., 1999.

4. Zhuravlev V. “The end of the world” at the end of the tunnel. Neo-Buddhist sects: the reality of the threat // Man and the Law. - 2000. - No. 7 (8). - P.58-61.

5. Kuraev A. "Missionaries on the school threshold." - M., 1995.

6. Information about religious organizations registered in the Russian Federation // Religare.ru, 12/19/2009

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Characteristics of the car from the point of view of necessity. Recommendations for the operation of transport for traffic safety. Driving style and driver's seating comfort affect safety. Rules for operating a car during everyday trips and trips.

abstract, added 04/16/2011


Rules and requirements for trekking participants. Safety rules before leaving a camp or populated area. Schedule and order of movement of the group. The principle of gradualism when choosing objects for climbing. Safety rules when meeting wild animals.

course work, added 08/04/2010


Organization and implementation of fire extinguishing, conducting classes and exercises in strict accordance with the requirements of the Fire Service Combat Regulations in terms of ensuring the safety of work. Safety precautions when performing service, tasks and functions.

practice report, added 09/11/2015


Types of threats and methods of their implementation. Division of physical security of personnel, goals and objectives of its activities. Technical means of security and personal safety. Personal safety rules. Safety measures in extreme situations.

course work, added 04/09/2004


Danger to workers' health when performing assembly and welding work. Defeat electric shock. The amount of resistance of the human body. Purpose of protective grounding. Providing assistance to a person injured by electric current.

abstract, added 04/05/2017


Description of the stages of preparation for a school trip: choosing the order and schedule of the route, safety with children, educational elements, organizing children's leisure time. General safety requirements: injury, fire hazard, biological effects.

abstract, added 05/17/2011


Safety when operating vehicles. Safety precautions when operating a bulldozer, scraper, grader, motor grader. Malfunction of equipment, devices, tools, machines. Mechanized method of loading and unloading operations.

abstract, added 05/06/2011


Basic properties of gases and safety measures when handling them. Physico-chemical properties of liquefied hydrocarbon gases. Analysis of the characteristics of their effects on the human body. Technical specifications installations for odorization of liquefied gas.

abstract, added 12/08/2013


Requirements of interindustry rules on labor protection during the operation of electrical installations. The procedure for registering work performed in the order of current operation. Additional security measures. List of measures during high voltage testing.

The socio-political situation in recent years is characterized by dramatic changes in the public consciousness of the Russian population. The overthrow of communist ideology, which occupied a dominant place and determined the formation of the spiritual image Soviet man, led to an ideological vacuum, which, on the one hand, contributed to polarization public consciousness, and on the other - to the revival of religious consciousness. Today, religion is increasingly perceived as an essential element national culture and as the embodiment of universal moral values. This trend is typical for all sectors of society.

This is manifested in the facts of increasingly close mutual influence politics and religion when politicians they are increasingly turning to the authority of the church in solving state problems, and religion is becoming politicized and is beginning to have an increasingly significant influence on political life. These facts are recorded by the public consciousness, as evidenced by the media, statistics, sociological research, etc.

Religion itself, as a phenomenon of modern social life in Russia, does not, in our opinion, pose a danger either to the individual, or to society, or to the state. Moreover, to some extent, in conditions of instability and spiritual crisis, it acts as a favorable factor, but at the same time, it forces us to carefully study this process and re-evaluate many aspects of Russian social life.

In this regard, it is important for life safety specialists professionally involved in the security of Russia to know the real religious situation in the country and soberly assess the spiritual and moral potential of religion and religious organizations and their influence on public life and security of Russia. At the same time, we should pay the most serious attention to the activities of religious sects that have recently proliferated in our country. The destructive activity of a number of them makes us wary, because... their influence can sometimes bring enormous harm to the spiritual health of a person and society. This is especially true for religious organizations with a pronounced extremist orientation, such as Wahhabism in Chechnya, which has become a serious problem in the North Caucasus and is increasingly spreading its influence to other regions of our country.

Based on this, the purpose of this lecture is, firstly, to analyze religious situations in Russia and its impact on the country’s security, and secondly, to show the main ways to protect a person from the influence of totalitarian sects and manifestations of religious extremism.

An essential feature of the development of social life in Russia, and indeed of all new state formations on the territory of the former USSR, is the revival of the religious consciousness of the population. This can be judged by the following characteristic features.

Firstly, according to sociological surveys, in fact, in one decade (from 1980 to 1991) the number of believers increased threefold and, according to various estimates, ranged from 33 to 55%. A noticeable increase in Orthodox believers occurred after events related to the 1000th anniversary of the baptism of Rus' and especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Currently, Orthodoxy remains the most widespread religion in Russia. 73.6% of Russians identify themselves with him. 4% of Russian citizens declared their adherence to Islam. Less than 2% profess non-Orthodox Christianity or belong to other faiths. 18.5% consider themselves atheists, and only 2.3% found it difficult to identify themselves religiously.

Secondly, the percentage of believers among young people, especially educated ones, has increased sharply. It exceeded the level of religiosity of middle-aged people. In religious communities, an increasingly prominent role is played by educated, theologically versed middle-aged or young believers who do not limit themselves to participating in religious rituals. They, as a rule, devote a lot of time to mercy and charity. Their socio-political activity also increased.

Thirdly, the rapid increase in the public consciousness of the prestige of religious organizations operating in the country, the emergence of religious political parties and movements.

Fourthly, instead of the unsightly practice of the past, which consists in administration in matters of religion and atheism, frequent oppression of believers and the inculcation of atheism, the free, ever-expanding activity of the church is actively carried out in various spheres of public life.

Fifthly, in religious denominations and religious organizations form their own social doctrines. Church hierarchs, clergy, and the masses of believers are increasingly giving a moral assessment of the socio-political processes taking place in the country, and are not inclined to blindly trust both religious and political leaders.

However, despite the importance of the changes taking place, there are also other trends, the essence of which is that the strengthening of pro-religious aspirations is outpacing the growth of faith itself, and the positive process of understanding religion as an element of the culture of the people, as one of the factors shaping national-ethnic self-awareness , as a bearer of enormous moral potential and universal human values, is sometimes accompanied by the costs of a kind of religious boom. This is manifested in the activities of those who use religion for selfish purposes, in the fascination with mysticism that has nothing to do with faith, in interfaith rivalry, unceremonious invasion into the delicate spiritual life of citizens of foreign religious associations, which have enormous financial resources, in drawing religious organizations into current politics, into interethnic and interethnic conflicts, etc.

The reasons and nature of the increase in interest in religion, as well as the increase in related phenomena, are multifaceted. Objective and subjective, domestic and international factors come into play here. Therefore, only an impartial analysis, free from ideological and religious biases, can give a clear picture of these phenomena and a prognostic assessment of their development trends.

Of course, within the framework of this work it is impossible to identify in all aspects all the causes and trends of the religious revival observed to one degree or another in all social groups, regions, and confessions. Therefore, we will dwell only on some of the reasons for the increased influence of religion.

These are, first of all, socio-political and legal changes in the country. The rejection of the monopoly of communist ideology and the proclamation of pluralism in the field of spiritual life eliminated the official and unofficial prohibitions in the religious sphere that had existed for decades, as well as administrative and moral persecution of believers. In recent years, progressive legislation on freedom of conscience and religion has been adopted. All this allowed religious communities and organizations to emerge from a state of oppression and stagnation, and believers to freely perform religious rites. These favorable political and legal changes are also evidenced by statements by religious leaders of all faiths operating in the territory of the Russian Federation.

The growth of religious consciousness is also influenced by such factors as social confusion, political instability, interethnic conflicts, deterioration of the economic situation and environmental situation of the country in general and regions in particular. The current situation creates in people a state of frustration, a feeling of fear, doom and defenselessness. Having lost faith and become disillusioned with countless unfulfilled promises, they turn to the authority of religion and the church in search of reliable social guidelines. This is largely facilitated by the resulting spiritual vacuum caused by the decisive rejection of those ideals and values ​​that have guided society for more than 70 years and on which several generations of people were raised. This vacuum could not be filled with any valuable system of secular ideas and values, understandable and accepted by the people, capable of captivating and encouraging them. In these conditions, religious communities and organizations offer their guidance and support in both personal and public issues, having for this purpose both an integral worldview and centuries-tested humanistic principles of human coexistence.

A significant factor in increasing the religiosity of modern Russian society is the desire of the people to overcome the lack of spirituality and the moral crisis of all segments of the population. Morally unspoiled people, striving to live according to their conscience, seeing that the ideals on which they were brought up are crumbling, turn to religion and the church as a bastion of moral values, tested by time. In these humanistic, universal values ​​and principles, in the centuries-old religious tradition of nurturing spiritual purity, they see protection from those attitudes and norms (corruption, speculation, drunkenness, pornography, etc.) that have been elevated to the rank of almost the highest values ​​by many modern political leaders of Russia and were widely propagated by the media, but they really corrode the soul, breed moral hopelessness, cruelty, unbridledness, despair, and fear.

Historical traditions are also of no small importance in increasing the influence of religion. Patriotic activity of the Orthodox Church in crisis and turning points in the history of Russian society (formation Russian state, liberation from the Tatar-Mongol yoke, the Patriotic War of 1812 and the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945) always helped him survive. The historical memory of the people has captured this progressive activity of the church, and today, in times of crisis, many are again turning to it as a reliable social force, a traditional institution capable of useful and good - spiritual and social - deeds for the people.

The socio-psychological reasons for the increase in interest in religion include the fact that during periods of national disasters and people's adversity, there is an increase in national self-awareness, which causes people to crave for domestic, national values, including religious ones. This phenomenon is clearly recorded in social studies conducted in all regions of Russia (for example, more than 60% of non-religious city residents believe that religion is necessary to preserve national identity) and serves as the basis for patriotic and religious movements, although sometimes seeking special privileges for their nation and religion.

Along with the listed reasons for the activation of religious consciousness in Russia, which are of a national nature, the general ones inherent in the modern world as a whole are now making themselves felt. Among them, in our opinion, two are the most important.

Firstly, the need to limit the inhumane, destructive consequences of progress caused by the elements of human nature and social relations, through an appeal to religion. For many people, it is protection from evil, not only social and moral, but also generated by the development of science, technology, and soulless reason, which have brought humanity to the brink of environmental disaster.

Secondly, the search for a peacekeeping ideology, which is identified in the minds of most people primarily with religion, capable of resisting violence, cruelty, bloodshed and destruction characteristic of many regions modern world. It is religion, in their opinion, that puts human life above aggressive pseudo-values ​​that threaten the world.

These are the main reasons that, in our opinion, determine the strengthening of the influence of religion. However, as modern social practice shows, the craving for religion is characteristic not only of believers in the traditional sense of this concept. To ideas supreme court, truth, goodness, love, a significant part of Russian citizens are now converted. This is evidenced at least by an analysis of speeches in the media and publications in the press of national figures, artists, and political leaders.

Sociological surveys and simple observations show a significant spread of such phenomena as external participation in religious life, fascination with religious symbols and paraphernalia on the part of generally non-religious people, as well as a craving for non-traditional religiosity, mysticism, and various manifestations of the occult. In our opinion, this is an expression of a kind of opposition and antipathy towards existing socio-political practice and spiritual reality.

At the current stage, negative phenomena associated with religion and attitudes towards it have also arisen in our society. This is primarily manifested in the politicization of religion. A survey conducted by VTsIOM in 1993 showed that more than 50% of Russians were in favor of the government deciding the most important state issues together with representatives of the church, and only 25% - that the church should not take part in making such decisions.

The politicization of the church is also evidenced by such facts as its involvement as an arbiter in political conflicts between various branches of government in September-October 1993, between warring factions in various “hot spots” in Russia and the CIS, regular and demonstrative visits to churches by leading politicians during church holidays and voyages around the country with wide coverage of this in the media, concluding agreements with church hierarchs. This is also manifested in the fact that clergy become regular participants in many state television programs, often making fundamentalist claims that various kinds of values ​​are transferred to religious institutions, museum exhibits, buildings and premises of general cultural significance are restored and built, and often at the expense of states, new churches. And all this in conditions of a very unstable economic and financial situation in the country.

Hardly anyone doubts that this is not just a tribute to fashion, not an attempt to revive Russian traditions, not a suddenly awakened religious feeling, but high politics caused by the search for social and ideological support by the current leadership of the country.

The politicization of religion can also explain the attempts of some politicians to attract representatives of foreign religious organizations as allies for carrying out market reforms. Sometimes these attempts evoke a feeling of real spiritual expansion. Western, Eastern and other religious movements, starting from the late 80s. They are literally imposing their individualistic worldview on our divided and confused society and are trying to firmly establish themselves in an empty ideological niche.

Thus, the sect of Pastor Moon proposed a number of dizzying projects to the Union leadership (the Tokyo-London transcontinental highway, an auto giant in the Khabarovsk Territory, etc.) subject to the provision of most favored nation treatment for the widespread propaganda of their faith. And it should be noted that this sect achieved its goal even without the implementation of these projects. By the mid-90s. it had its representatives in more than 50 cities of Russia. In Moscow and St. Petersburg alone, according to Western estimates, there were 20 thousand members of the Muna sect. During this period, the “2x2” TV channel and the “Mayak” radio station collaborated with the Japanese sect Aum Senrike not without profit. The Mayak radio station, for example, used funds from this sect to update the equipment of all its studios. Currently in major cities In Russia, and primarily in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Scientology (the Church of R. Hubbart) quite successfully spreads its influence, which even its former adapters consider a threat to our society. A serious danger is now posed by Islamic fundamentalism in the form of such a movement in Chechnya as Wahhabism.

The explanation for the success of this expansion is, firstly, the protectionism of a number of political leaders and commercial structures who defend the harmlessness of such cooperation, justifying it with the development of democracy, freedom of information, the need to form religious consciousness among Russians, forgetting about the danger of the final loss of our spiritual roots and national values. After all, even in the West, the generosity with which we open our arms to these religious movements is perceived with irony and bewilderment. Secondly, this success can be explained by the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church was unable to withstand this onslaught, because for centuries it was under the tutelage and control of the state and did not develop the necessary determination in pursuing its religious orientation and the ability to respond in a timely manner to changes in the socio-political situation. And thirdly, the explanation for this must be sought in the general confusion, lack of spirituality, low level of knowledge about religion, and the extremely unsatisfactory general culture of all layers of Russian society. That is why you can often meet citizens who consider themselves Orthodox, but at the same time attend various sects hostile to Orthodoxy and Christianity in general, without even knowing it.

Speaking about the negative phenomena associated with the use of religion in interests far from it, it is necessary to pay attention to another trend. Currently in Russia there are some signs that a certain part of its society is moving in the direction of “Orthodox extremism”, i.e. merging Orthodox paraphernalia with intolerance and even violence towards other faiths. Russian history already knows examples of such a merger in the form of the Black Hundreds. The path to it lies through the nationalization of religion and violence in its name against people of other faiths and dissidents. And although, according to VTsIOM, the share of supporters of an advantage for the Orthodox is relatively small (10-20%), the danger of this still exists. Moreover, it may increase with the intensification of Islamic fundamentalism both outside Russia (Azerbaijan, Central Asia, Iran, Algeria, etc.) and on its territory (Tatarstan, Bashkiria, Chechnya and a number of other regions of the North Caucasus). Christian and Islamic fundamentalism, as well as other radical religious movements such as the “White Brotherhood” can become a catalyst for a religious split in society and plunge the country into a new, even more terrible than social and national conflict.

In the conditions of today's ideological vacuum, the lack of spirituality of the majority of our society, which is oriented towards purity, of course it is possible and necessary to use the positive potential of religion. But in resolving religious issues, fuss and interference by incompetent, unscrupulous, pragmatic and cynical officials, power-hungry and revenge-seeking clergy are unacceptable. Fundamentalist claims, calls for clericalization of social and personal life, as well as the imposition of atheism in the recent past, are a violation of the principle of freedom of conscience and cannot bring satisfaction to true believers. Sincere Faith does not need public demonstrations or whipping up excitement around it.

Numerous religious shows (consecration of enterprises, institutions, educational institutions, military barracks and military equipment, participation of priests in political events, etc.), ostentatious religiosity, often used to obtain utilitarian and pragmatic benefits. It is no secret that if previously it was advantageous to be a member of the Communist Party and to profess Marxism and atheism, today for many it has become prestigious to be a believer. Religious beliefs and communist ideals are equally alien to such people. They are the ones who can cause irreparable damage to the unity of society, its spiritual and cultural potential. It was these “shifters” who deprived several generations of our society of the religious part cultural heritage, and now they are rejecting the other, secular part of it, which also has centuries-old traditions. Denial of both heritages is fraught with spiritual inferiority and degeneration of society. Such phenomena give every reason to believe that religious organizations can again turn into a socio-political appendage of the state, becoming a bargaining chip in the political struggle for power.

A reliable counteraction to this should be the consistent implementation of the principle of freedom of conscience, the separation of state issues from religious ones. This is all the more necessary in a multi-confessional society such as Russia.

Currently, there is an urgent need to improve legislation on freedom of conscience and religion, to clearly define the relationship between secular and church, state and religious, to approve legal and ethical standards of behavior for religious and government officials. There still remains to be a detailed legal development, taking into account world experience, Russian traditions, current realities, issues of teaching religious studies at school, in universities, the introduction of the institute of priests, etc. Moreover, the problem here is not only in legal decisions, but also in creating real conditions for their implementation . Otherwise, taking into account our reality and the mentality of Russian officials, it may turn out that the adoption of relevant laws will create more new problems than solve existing ones.

In conclusion of the first question, I would like to give at least a rough forecast of the possible development of the growth of religiosity of the Russian population. If we assume that the political and socio-economic situation in the country does not change dramatically in the near future, then a further increase in religiosity is unlikely to be observed. It will most likely remain at approximately the current level. This is evidenced by sociological research data conducted by VTsIOM, which shows that from 1990 to 1993. the share of believers among respondents increased from 20-30% to 50-55%, and the share of atheists decreased from 55 to 25%. Moreover, the peak of growth occurred in 1990 - early 1992, and already from the second half of 1993 there was a decline from 63% to 57%. Currently, about 80% of Russians consider themselves believers and 18.5% - atheists. The validity of such a forecast is evidenced by the experience of history both in our country and in other developed countries of the world. It shows that introducing the main segments of the population to one or another worldview is a very complex process, and it cannot be carried out artificially, at the behest of fashion.

Research by VTsIOM also records a state that is characteristic of our society, which is going through a transition period, when social and moral ideals have been lost, and ideological uncertainty and insecurity are increasingly making themselves felt. Modern research indicate the vagueness and fuzziness of religious definitions in the mass consciousness. Thus, among respondents who declared their belonging to Orthodoxy, only 51.3% of respondents believe in the existence of God and another 26.1% reported that they believe in the existence of a higher power, spirit, 5.2% stated their disbelief in the existence God, and 17.4% found it difficult to answer. On the other hand, 27% of respondents who consider themselves atheists believe in the existence of God, a higher power, a higher spirit, and reason; only 43.5% of atheists are strongly convinced. That God does not exist, and 29.4% found it difficult to answer this question. The situation is somewhat different for Muslims. 75.6% of respondents who consider themselves Kislam believe in God. IN higher power, spirit, mind are believed by 16.7% of respondents. 7.7% of respondents in this group found it difficult to answer. It cannot be said that Russians live an active religious life. Thus, only 3.6% of respondents visit church once a week or more often; a slightly larger number of respondents (5.8%) attend divine services once a month. On major religious holidays, a fifth of respondents (20.3%) go to church; almost the same number (23.3%) do so once a year or less. The majority of survey participants admitted that they practically do not visit the temple.

Speaking about prognostic assessments of the development trend of the religious situation in Russia, it is important to take into account all the factors influencing them, which are both restraining and stimulating in nature. We have already examined the reasons for the current strengthening of the influence of religion and there is no reason yet to believe that at least some of them will cease to operate. Moreover, the intensification of the activities of clergy of various directions, including foreign ones, who have significant material resources, will also contribute to the maintenance of religious “revival”.

Ethnic and national movements, sometimes identifying themselves with religious ones, will also play a significant role. At the same time, as practice shows, religious organizations can, on the one hand, have a pacifying effect on interethnic and interfaith relations, and on the other hand, thanks to destructive fundamental forces, contribute to their incitement. So far, in Russia, as well as other CIS countries, the potential of religion to weaken interethnic contradictions is being used insufficiently or not used at all.

If issues of faith and unbelief are resolved calmly, balancedly, not forcefully, but naturally, then in one or two generations they can become a matter of purely personal conscience, a truly free and conscious choice of citizens. By that time, it may be possible to overcome the deforming structure of today's religiosity, which is still characterized, as has already been emphasized, by increased attention to the external forms and attributes of religion, designed more for prying eyes than for the true assimilation of its content, aimed at affirming human spirituality, humanistic principles of relationships between people, internal self-restraint by moral norms.

An increase in the number of true believers who consciously share noble ideals, free from conservative fundamentalist dogmas, will certainly remove many acute and external issues for religion, especially pressing in a society where there are many faiths. Contrary to the emerging ideas that Russia, which yesterday was a country of almost universal atheism, today has become a country of universal religiosity, as research shows, is not true. Therefore, it is necessary to realistically assess the possibilities of religion and the church, to promote the social and moral revival of the country. The opinions and expectations that the role of the former CPSU should certainly pass to the church are erroneous and harmful. It would be more correct to focus on common efforts, cooperation of all movements and institutions in ensuring the unity of society. Of course, this presupposes a renunciation of intolerance, self-confidence and belief in the correctness of only one’s own ideas and views, to the exclusion of others. Militant fundamentalism has a more civilized alternative - tolerance, respect for the views of others, which, of course, does not mean ideological uniformity, but only speaks of a benevolent attitude towards

different views. Sociological research conducted on this issue shows that both society and individuals are already abandoning the tradition of adhering to a single worldview. They are already ready to cooperate and respect other views and beliefs.

Thus, for the normal functioning of society, it is extremely important that the interests of different social groups and strata are taken into account, allowing them, despite different ideological attitudes, to develop in line with modern civilization. Otherwise, in conditions of aggravation of the situation, discord and contradictions between them can become catalysts for negative processes that can affect the socio-psychological and spiritual-moral climate of both the entire society and the individual. Therefore, both society and each person, accepting the positive aspects of religion, must be able to resist the corrupting influence of totalitarian religious associations.

It should also be understood that, along with the positive spiritual and moral aspects associated with the activities of confessions, there are also religious organizations whose activities are clearly antisocial. The greatest danger at the moment is Islamic fundamentalism and the activities of Ron Hubbard's Church (Scientology).

The events of the beginning of the new millennium clearly showed the danger of religious extremism, which is represented today Islamic fundamentalists represented by the Wakhabis in the North Caucasus, the Taliban in Afghanistan or Osama bin Laden's extensive terrorist organization Al-Qaeda. The events of September 11, 2001 in the United States clearly showed what Islamic extremism is capable of. A number of politicians and scientists saw in these events the beginning of a war of civilizations, which the American professor S. Huntington once spoke about. However, not everyone considers this fact from his position. More moderate political scientists believe that the current war in Afghanistan against the Taliban and bin Laden is not at this stage a conflict between Islam and Western Christian civilization. They view it as a conflict between the United States and Islamic extremism, which perceives the United States as the bearer of the most dangerous form of cultural and political expansion. This conflict could develop into an anti-Western one if other Western countries fail to solve the difficult task of distancing themselves from the United States in this conflict and at the same time remaining loyal to them as an ally. According to these political scientists, this conflict cannot be finally resolved by military means. To do this, the roots that gave rise to it must be eliminated. The United States must abandon its role as world hegemon. And the Islamic world, in turn, is born of primitive anti-Americanism. The conclusion of supporters of this point of view is that intercivilizational conflicts are possible, but by no means inevitable in the modern world.

At the same time, if you look at Islamic fundamentalism from the point of view of its spiritual and moral impact on the minds of people, then it is very odious and dangerous. Take, for example, the example of the Taliban’s destruction of monuments of world thousand-year-old culture, their rejection of the slightest religious dissent, etc. In this regard, the fight against Islamic extremism as the most odious part of international terrorism is the most important task of all civilized humanity, regardless of its religious preferences.

Another dangerous phenomenon in the world modern religion represented by Scientology, a newfangled religion promoted by Ron Hubbard's church. Many modern religious scholars, religious leaders, and former high-ranking adherents of this religious movement consider it a threat to our entire society.

Let's consider in common features Oh what is this religious movement? The Ron Hubbard Church is an international organization that presents itself as religious but has extensive commercial activities. Its headquarters are located in the USA. Scientology, as interpreted by its adherents, is a religious-practical philosophy that leads a person to “comprehension of the truth.” “Dianetics” is the name of R. Hubbard’s main work, which is very multifaceted and is interpreted by his associates as modern science about mental health and ways to achieve success as an individual.

R. Hubbard himself was a supporter of the idea of ​​many gods and the transmigration of souls. Scientology is based on the doctrine of “thetans,” special spiritual beings. Its essence is as follows. 75 million years ago, the ruler of the confederation of planets, Xenu, exiled a group of thetans to Earth, who, having inhabited the chewing creatures, lost their self-awareness. The goal of Scientology is to return each of us to our true “tetanic” nature. The goal of auditing procedures (“audit”) is to achieve a clear and pure state - clear. And then the state of the “operating thetan”, i.e. capable of independently controlling matter, energy, space and time. Achieving such a state is supposedly associated with receiving secret information in accordance with the level of initiation achieved.

In addition to Islamic fundamentalism and the Church of R. Hubbard, Baptists, Pentecostals, Moon sects, Jehovah's Witnesses, White Brotherhood, Satanists and some others pose a certain danger to Russian society.

In this work it is not possible to consider all the methods and techniques and protection from totalitarian and extremist religious teachings and organizations. However, they are based on similar methods of influencing people - manipulating their consciousness. Taking this circumstance into account, we will try to formulate some methods of protection against this phenomenon.

The basis of any cult influence is control over people's consciousness. The state of consciousness reflects everything that happens in the individual and interpersonal interaction, in the micro- and macroenvironment that surrounds him. There are quite a few factors that contribute to consciousness becoming an object of manipulation.

TO objective factors that facilitate the manipulation of consciousness include the following.

Firstly, the deepening of the stress state in the context of a sharp change in the socio-economic conditions of Russia, political instability, which lead to an increase in people's anxiety, confusion, and desire to search for quick solutions. And this pushes a person to believe in magic, supernatural powers, with the help of which he tries to get out of the difficult situation created for him. In other words, this belief acts on a person as a defense mechanism to get rid of increased anxiety.

Secondly, many people, especially older people, have retained certain sentiments since Soviet times in terms of the idea that someone should organize communication for them. Indeed, this was previously done by trade unions, party and other public organizations, whose activities were ideological in nature, but still solved communication problems. The person received visible evidence of his group affiliation, which is very important for the individual. This human attraction is skillfully used by religious organizations, offering him emotionally rich actions at their meetings. In destructive cults

The tradition of mass gatherings, imparting a high degree of emotionality and spiritual content to them, is strictly observed.

Thirdly, totalitarian cults are very diverse both in ideological orientation and in form. However, most of them have many common features. They are united by the fact that they address the unsatisfied spiritual needs of people - the need to feel the meaning of life, understand their place in society, strive for improvement, and hope for the immortality of the soul. Official Russia is currently unable to provide any of this. Her spiritual life is characterized by a spiritual vacuum, a lack of clear, understandable and attractive spiritual values ​​and guidelines. There are also no public institutions that would be able to successfully form such guidelines. The Orthodox Church is unable to solve this problem either. The place of these institutions is instantly taken by destructive religious organizations.

On subjective factors that facilitate the manipulation of consciousness The following may be included.

Firstly, the personal characteristics of a person, which increase the degree of influence of destructive religions on him:

Search thrills, penchant for mysticism;

Difficulty in self-expression;

The desire to become “initiated”, i.e. stand out from the crowd;

Mental imbalance or reduced mental stability, including temporarily reduced (after divorce, illness or loss of loved ones, etc.);

Experience of loneliness, insecurity;

Perceiving your life situation as difficult.

Secondly, a very significant factor is the worldview

Sky immaturity, difficulty finding the meaning of life. Social practice shows that only one’s own vision of a life situation can help one understand and feel the meaning of life, for this is not only a verbal formulation. The meaning of life is also concentrated in images, feelings, experiences, memories that cannot be transferred from one person to another. The inability to understand the meaning of life largely contributes to mystical moods and avoidance of solving pressing problems.

Thirdly, humans have a fairly strong tendency to find simple solutions to complex problems. The desire to correct oneself, to rebuild, arises less often than the desire to look for someone who will fix everything without our intervention. Complex problems cannot have simple solution, but the desire to find it is often too great. Hence the desire for beliefs, magic, supernatural forces, recognition of their influence on a person, his behavior, feelings, thoughts. This is based on the reluctance, inability or lack of skill to take responsibility for one’s actions, for one’s choices, the habit of avoiding problems, and a tendency to self-deception.

Fourthly, a considerable number of people tend to wander for a long time in search of possible life goals and have difficulty choosing them. Analysis and reflection various options do not give the desired result. Often, decision-making is facilitated by an emotional state - acquaintance with a bright idea, meeting with a charismatic person. This moment can also become a turning point - the waste of energy on the search stops, all forces are directed towards moving towards the goal, which sometimes has a pronounced religious or mystical overtones.

Having clarified the objective and subjective factors that contribute to the manipulation of consciousness, we will dwell on the mechanism of manipulating it. First of all, let's look at how this happens. at the recruitment stage .

The key point to establishing control over the consciousness of those converted to a particular faith is targeted correction of his mental state. The subjective feelings of the convert at the initial stage of communication with recruiters are characterized by emotional comfort, satisfaction from the fact that there is an opportunity or hope to experience those feelings that were previously missing. Joining a cult organization gives the adherent a feeling of belonging to something big, beautiful, bright. The cohesion of the group makes it possible to feel protected, which is reinforced by the authority of the spiritual leader, who plays the role of a strict but fair father. A cult allows a person to believe in his chosenness, acquire evidence of his ability to find something exceptional, and make the right life choice. At the same time, the content of cult ideas, their constructiveness, and logic are not particularly important. The more significant the need, the satisfaction of which is promised in the sect, the stronger the emotional response will be.

Another means of establishing control over consciousness is to accept cult vocabulary and terminology, which leads to a change in the style of thinking, perception and evaluation of people drawn into simplified schemes and stereotypes.

The next remedy is transformation of the world picture, disappearance of halftones, dominance of black or white. The structure of the world is perceived exclusively in accordance with cult interpretations; the activities of the cult become the core of all human history. In this case, the most important function of consciousness - the integration of all incoming and stored information in memory - turns out to be upset, since there is no holistic picture of the world, the consistency of its constituent parts. Contradictions are inherent in the worldview of any destructive cult, which most often manifests itself in a double morality towards “their own” and other people. Awareness of contradictions is prohibited, but even when repressed from consciousness, they do not stop their destructive impact on the psyche.

An important means of mind control is selection of information about the outside world, which supports the attitude of perceiving criticism of the cult as a lie, as the wiles of the devil. In sects, the importance of intelligence is deliberately and deliberately belittled, attempts by adherents to independently and rationally comprehend the impact that befalls them are suppressed. The proclaimed thesis of expanding consciousness to the scale of the Cosmos, merging with Truth, Spirit actually leads to its deformation. The space of consciousness occupied by the social world narrows, interest in events occurring in society, at work, in the family, etc. weakens. The breakdown of consciousness also occurs at the psychophysiological level, which is facilitated by sensory deprivation and monotony (hours of prayer, meditation, repetition of simple verbal formulas, physical immobility or a rigid rhythm of movements). Overwork, restriction of many familiar sensations for a person, even a normal psyche can quickly lead to disorders: hallucinations, obsessive thoughts, narrowed consciousness, etc. Subjectively, the deformation of consciousness is perceived as “the feeling of an opening consciousness.”

Techniques are also used to control consciousness: stopping thinking" To do this, the fullest possible loading of perception (primarily visual and auditory) is organized in combination with some kind of monotonous activity, for example, long chanting. This disrupts the normal flow of thought processes, reduces the criticality of thinking and the independence of the individual.

Also used group pressure and concealment of the true goals of communication. The tool of manipulation in this case is the appearance of a feeling of guilt for arising suspicions or a feeling of intellectual insufficiency to understand what is happening around. At the same time, any attempts to understand what is happening are met with disapproval. A newcomer with a significant look may be told some incomprehensible, mysterious phrase, something like this: “The secret knowledge will be revealed when your consciousness is ready to accept the Truth.”

As a result of the above manipulations, a person involved in a totalitarian religious organization experiences cult personality change . Thanks to the flexibility of consciousness, these changes primarily occur in it. At the initial stage they are unstable and reversible. The deformation can be fixed by changes in other personality structures, which include the following.

1. Change value orientations, life goals and meaning

life. The values ​​of the cult group become dominant, and attitudes towards service arise (salvation, witnessing, merging with the deity, etc.).

2. Deepening shifts in the affective sphere, changing the dominant

a negative mental state, which manifests itself in exaltation of feelings or their muting, impoverishment of the emotional range. The feeling of guilt towards the organization increases due to the fact that one does not meet the required standards of a good follower. There is a fear of being rejected cult group, shame for one’s “sins.” Over time, a person begins to feel maladjusted, unable to live outside the group. This increases fear and anxiety. This happens because cult members are allowed only those feelings whose manifestation helps create an attractive image of the group. As a result, when leaving the sect, adherents, as a rule, are in a severe state of stress. And until someone who decides to break with the cult shows a willingness to openly discuss what is happening inside him, he remains maladapted to normal social life.

3. Changes in a number of personal qualities, self-concept, social

perception, because In destructive cults, only those personality traits are approved that facilitate total control over consciousness and behavior. These qualities intensify, which leads to loss of individuality. Suppression of individuality, in turn, inevitably leads to rigidity in behavior and cruelty in relation to other people. Most often, these changes are expressed in a cold attitude towards close people, in rejection of family, in an aggressive attitude towards others who have an opinion different from cult attitudes. Deindividualization and increasing rigidity and intolerance mutually reinforce each other.

4. Change in interpersonal relationships in the direction of limiting

maintaining a social circle only with cult members. Contacts with the outside world remain only for the recruitment of new members or for conducting commercial transactions. Irony and humor are excluded in communication and interpersonal interaction, because they are elements of human self-expression, which is unacceptable in a sect. Here, a sense of superiority over the uninitiated, the idea of ​​being chosen, is implanted, which strengthens the isolation of adherents from the world around them, their intolerance, aggressiveness, and this is contrary to the purpose of “saving humanity.”

5. Lifestyle changes, labor activity, household behavior

denia, which is associated with a lack of free time, personal life outside

organization, subordination of professional interests to the goals of the cult organization. All this helps control consciousness, leaving no time for solitude, reflection, awareness of what is happening. Under such conditions, an adherent of a destructive cult loses the ability to think critically, adequately evaluate the people around him, and reaches the point of physical and emotional exhaustion. And in this state, a person is characterized by increased suggestibility, which is what the cult leaders achieve.

The considered personal changes lead to a serious deformation of cult consciousness. In the normally functioning consciousness of a free person, the entire time perspective of the individual is reflected - past, present and future. This is not typical for cult consciousness, because it is deformed. Leaders of totalitarian cults inspire followers with the need to forget about the past, which is not connected with the ideas of the cult and serving it. The events of the present are reflected in fragments; not all events of the surrounding world reach the adept. Such consciousness is necessary to make people easier to manage.

Endless prayers, reciting the same verbal formulations, psychophysical exercises, and the entire world of life of an adept generate monotony, which leads to a prolonged state of stress and neuroticism of the individual. And in a neurotic consciousness, the range of perception of the present is narrowed, the ability to fully experience human joys is weakened. The past is perceived as a series of mistakes and bad luck. A future in which everything will finally be resolved and dreams will become reality is eagerly awaited. A ban is imposed on statements about one’s poor physical condition in cults, and therefore it is repressed from consciousness, but at the same time an adequate idea of ​​one’s own physicality is also violated. And without this component, a full sense of the present time, its clear awareness, is impossible. The focus of cult consciousness has been moved to the future, where, as a well-deserved reward for a long and persistent struggle against the evil forces of the environment, a completely different life will begin with one’s own imperfection. This attitude to life arises in people with an underdeveloped or suppressed sense of initiative, with a faded desire for life goals.

And in conclusion, I would like to dwell on how a person can avoid falling into the networks of totalitarian religious organizations, and if this has already happened, how can he get out of them?

There can only be one piece of advice regarding the first question: “Think, think and think, when suddenly people on the street come to you with offers to help you achieve health, happiness and harmony, they offer to go to meetings and debates, where they will talk about the fight against evil and the triumph of justice, or rent an apartment at half price from some “kind” grandmother, get a job in a Scientology or other religious center to do clerical work with the prospect of growth, etc.” Such proposals can become a “mousetrap” from which it will be very difficult to get out.

As for the second question, experts offer the following recipes for leaving sects of this kind. In their opinion, sects are a disease not only of a person, but also of society, which means that it is necessary to think about healing this illness together, taking into account the experience of people who have gone through this, got rid of their influence themselves and want to help others. And their experience shows that help should consist of the following.

First of all, we need complete isolation of a person fleeing contacts with sectarians, just as they isolate their victims from outside world, not allowing you to watch TV, listen to the radio, read the press, books, answer the phone, etc., but just the opposite. It is necessary to provide a person with information about the world around him. However, in this case, there is often a need for an apartment in which a person could be hidden from intrusive “brothers and sisters.”

The initial stage of a person’s entry into normal life should become a period of rehabilitation - restoration of physical and spiritual strength. To put it simply, a person needs to be warmed, fed, and given the opportunity to sleep. Here you cannot avoid the help of a psychotherapist, because... the person is in a state of stress and fear of persecution, he is tormented by doubts about the correctness of his action in leaving the sect. But his communication with a psychotherapist should not be associated with the practice of his former “teachers”. You may also need help from other specialists - lawyers, sectologists, doctors, etc.

And even after rehabilitation, a person needs constant help from specialists, family, loved ones, and friends. The process of entering normal life is not so simple.

Thus, one of the means of protection against sects and cults of a totalitarian orientation is knowledge of the mechanisms of involving people in organizations of a similar orientation, which are based on both objective and subjective factors of manipulation of consciousness. The impact of these factors leads to serious personality deformation. Preventing people from being drawn into destructive sects is one of the most important tasks of society, acting as an element of ensuring personal security.

Literature:

1. Constitution of the Russian Federation. – M.: Legal literature

ratura, 2000.

2. On freedom of religion: Law of the Russian Federation. – M.:

Legal literature, 1997.

3. Anti-Scientology. Criticism of doctrinal foundations and technologies

Hubbardism / Edited by: A.A.Skorodumov, A.N.Shvechikov. Ch. ed. A.I. Subetto. – St. Petersburg: Publishing house. center of St. Petersburg State Medical University, 1999.

4. Ivanenko S. Religion and politics in modern Russia // Dia-

log. 1993. No. 8-9.

5. Mchedlov M. Religious situation in Russia: realities, contradictions

chiya, forecasts // Free Thought. 1993. No. 5.

6. Nikitina L.G. Politicization of religion // Questions of philosophy. 1994. No. 3.

7. Fundamentals of religious studies: Textbook / Yu.F.Borunkov, I.N.Yablokov, M.P.Novikov and others; Ed. I.N. Yablokova, - M.: Higher School, 1994.

8. Orthodox Church. Modern heresies and sects in Russia /

Ed. Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga JOHN. - St. Petersburg: Publishing house "Orthodox Rus'", 1995.

9. Religion and democracy: on the way to freedom of conscience. - M.: Publishing group "Progress - Culture", 1993.

10. Yakovenko I. Orthodoxy and the historical destinies of Russia // General

natural sciences and modernity. 1994. No. 2

Religious Security

The socio-political situation in recent years is characterized by dramatic changes in the public consciousness of the Russian population. The overthrow of communist ideology, which occupied a dominant place and determined the formation of the spiritual image of Soviet people, led to an ideological vacuum, which, on the one hand, contributed to the polarization of public consciousness, and on the other, to the revival of religious consciousness. Today, religion is increasingly perceived as an essential element of national culture and as the embodiment of universal moral values. This trend is typical for all sectors of society.

The reasons and nature of the increase in interest in religion, as well as the increase in related phenomena, are multifaceted. These are, first of all, socio-political and legal changes in the country. The renunciation of the monopoly of communist ideology, the proclamation of pluralism in the field of spiritual life, eliminated the official and unofficial prohibitions in the religious sphere that had existed for decades, administrative and moral persecution of believers, and the adopted progressive legislation on freedom of conscience and religion. All this allowed religious communities and organizations to emerge from a state of oppression and stagnation, and believers to freely perform religious rites.

However, along with the flourishing of traditional religions, a huge number of various religious sects emerged, exercising control over the consciousness of people. The state of consciousness reflects everything that happens in the individual and interpersonal interaction, in the micro- and macroenvironment that surrounds him. There are quite a few factors that contribute to consciousness becoming an object of manipulation.

TO objective factors that facilitate the manipulation of consciousness include the following.

Firstly, the deepening of the stress state in the context of a sharp change in the socio-economic conditions of Russia, political instability, which lead to an increase in people's anxiety, confusion, and desire to search for quick solutions. And this pushes a person to believe in magical, supernatural forces, with the help of which he tries to get out of the difficult situation created for him. In other words, this belief acts on a person as a defense mechanism to get rid of increased anxiety.

Secondly, many people, especially older people, have retained certain sentiments since Soviet times in terms of the idea that someone should organize communication for them. Indeed, this was previously done by trade unions, party and other public organizations, whose activities were ideological in nature, but still solved communication problems. The person received visible evidence of his group affiliation, which is very important for the individual. This human attraction is skillfully used by religious organizations, offering him emotionally rich actions at their meetings. In destructive cults

The tradition of mass gatherings, imparting a high degree of emotionality and spiritual content to them, is strictly observed.

Thirdly, totalitarian cults are very diverse both in ideological orientation and in form. However, most of them have many common features. They are united by the fact that they address the unsatisfied spiritual needs of people - the need to feel the meaning of life, understand their place in society, strive for improvement, and hope for the immortality of the soul. Official Russia is currently unable to provide any of this. Her spiritual life is characterized by a spiritual vacuum, a lack of clear, understandable and attractive spiritual values ​​and guidelines. There are also no public institutions that would be able to successfully form such guidelines. The Orthodox Church is unable to solve this problem either. The place of these institutions is instantly taken by destructive religious organizations.

On subjective factors that facilitate the manipulation of consciousness The following may be included.

Firstly, personal characteristics of a person that increase the degree of influence of destructive religions on him:

Ø search for thrills, a penchant for mysticism;

Ø difficulties in self-expression;

Ø the desire to become “initiated”, i.e. stand out from the crowd;

Ø mental imbalance or reduced mental stability, including temporarily reduced (after divorce, illness or loss of loved ones, etc.);

Ø experience of loneliness, insecurity;

Ø perception of your life situation as difficult.

Secondly, a very significant factor is ideological immaturity, difficulties in finding the meaning of life. Social practice shows that only one’s own vision of a life situation can help one understand and feel the meaning of life, for this is not only a verbal formulation. The meaning of life is also concentrated in images, feelings, experiences, memories that cannot be transferred from one person to another. The inability to understand the meaning of life largely contributes to mystical moods and avoidance of solving pressing problems.

Third, humans have a fairly strong tendency to find simple solutions to complex problems. The desire to correct oneself, to rebuild, arises less often than the desire to look for someone who will fix everything without our intervention. Complex problems cannot have a simple solution, but the desire to find one is often too great. Hence the desire for beliefs, magic, supernatural forces, recognition of their influence on a person, his behavior, feelings, thoughts. This is based on the reluctance, inability or lack of skill to take responsibility for one’s actions, for one’s choices, the habit of avoiding problems, and a tendency to self-deception.

Fourth, a considerable number of people tend to wander for a long time in search of possible life goals and have difficulty choosing them. Analyzing and thinking about various options does not give the desired result. Often, decision-making is facilitated by an emotional state - acquaintance with a bright idea, meeting with a charismatic person. This moment can also become a turning point - the waste of energy on the search stops, all forces are directed towards moving towards the goal, which sometimes has a pronounced religious or mystical overtones.

Having clarified the objective and subjective factors that contribute to the manipulation of consciousness, we will dwell on the mechanism of manipulating it. First of all, let's look at how this happens. at the recruitment stage.

The key point to establishing control over the consciousness of those converted to a particular faith is targeted correction of his mental state. The subjective feelings of the convert at the initial stage of communication with recruiters are characterized by emotional comfort, satisfaction from the fact that there is an opportunity or hope to experience those feelings that were previously missing. Joining a cult organization gives the adherent a feeling of belonging to something big, beautiful, bright. The cohesion of the group makes it possible to feel protected, which is reinforced by the authority of the spiritual leader, who plays the role of a strict but fair father. A cult allows a person to believe in his chosenness, acquire evidence of his ability to find something exceptional, and make the right life choice. At the same time, the content of cult ideas, their constructiveness, and logic are not particularly important. The more significant the need, the satisfaction of which is promised in the sect, the stronger the emotional response will be.

Another means of establishing control over consciousness is to accept cult vocabulary and terminology, which leads to a change in the style of thinking, perception and evaluation of people drawn into simplified schemes and stereotypes.

The next remedy is transformation of the world picture, disappearance of halftones, dominance of black or white. The structure of the world is perceived exclusively in accordance with cult interpretations; the activities of the cult become the core of all human history. In this case, the most important function of consciousness - the integration of all incoming and stored information in memory - turns out to be upset, since there is no holistic picture of the world, the consistency of its constituent parts. Contradictions are inherent in the worldview of any destructive cult, which most often manifests itself in a double morality towards “their own” and other people. Awareness of contradictions is prohibited, but even when repressed from consciousness, they do not stop their destructive impact on the psyche.

An important means of mind control is selection of information about the outside world, which supports the attitude of perceiving criticism of the cult as a lie, as the wiles of the devil. In sects, the importance of intelligence is deliberately and deliberately belittled, attempts by adherents to independently and rationally comprehend the impact that befalls them are suppressed. The proclaimed thesis of expanding consciousness to the scale of the Cosmos, merging with Truth, Spirit actually leads to its deformation. The space of consciousness occupied by the social world narrows, interest in events occurring in society, at work, in the family, etc. weakens. The breakdown of consciousness also occurs at the psychophysiological level, which is facilitated by sensory deprivation and monotony (hours of prayer, meditation, repetition of simple verbal formulas, physical immobility or a rigid rhythm of movements). Overwork, restriction of many familiar sensations for a person, even a normal psyche can quickly lead to disorders: hallucinations, obsessive thoughts, narrowed consciousness, etc. Subjectively, the deformation of consciousness is perceived as “the feeling of an opening consciousness.”

Techniques are also used to control consciousness: stopping thinking" To do this, the fullest possible loading of perception (primarily visual and auditory) is organized in combination with some kind of monotonous activity, for example, long chanting. This disrupts the normal flow of thought processes, reduces the criticality of thinking and the independence of the individual.

Also used group pressure and concealment of the true goals of communication. The tool of manipulation in this case is the appearance of a feeling of guilt for arising suspicions or a feeling of intellectual insufficiency to understand what is happening around. At the same time, any attempts to understand what is happening are met with disapproval. A newcomer with a significant look may be told some incomprehensible, mysterious phrase, something like this: “The secret knowledge will be revealed when your consciousness is ready to accept the Truth.”

As a result of the above manipulations, a person involved in a totalitarian religious organization experiences cult personality change. Thanks to the flexibility of consciousness, these changes primarily occur in it. At the initial stage they are unstable and reversible. The deformation can be fixed by changes in other personality structures, which include the following.

1. Changes in value orientations, life goals and meaning

life. The values ​​of the cult group become dominant, and attitudes towards service arise (salvation, witnessing, merging with the deity, etc.).

2. Deepening shifts in the affective sphere, a change in the dominant mental state, which manifests itself in exaltation of feelings or their mutedness, impoverishment of the emotional range. The feeling of guilt towards the organization increases due to the fact that one does not meet the required standards of a good follower. There is a fear of being rejected by the cult group, shame for one’s “sins.” Over time, a person begins to feel maladjusted, unable to live outside the group. This increases fear and anxiety. This happens because cult members are allowed only those feelings whose manifestation helps create an attractive image of the group. As a result, when leaving the sect, adherents, as a rule, are in a severe state of stress. And until someone who decides to break with the cult shows a willingness to openly discuss what is happening inside him, he remains maladapted to normal social life.

3. Changes in a number of personal qualities, self-concept, social perception, because In destructive cults, only those personality traits are approved that facilitate total control over consciousness and behavior. These qualities intensify, which leads to loss of individuality. Suppression of individuality, in turn, inevitably leads to rigidity in behavior and cruelty in relation to other people. Most often, these changes are expressed in a cold attitude towards close people, in rejection of family, in an aggressive attitude towards others who have an opinion different from cult attitudes. Deindividualization and increasing rigidity and intolerance mutually reinforce each other.

4. Changing interpersonal relationships in the direction of limiting the circle of communication only with cult members. Contacts with the outside world remain only for the recruitment of new members or for conducting commercial transactions. Irony and humor are excluded in communication and interpersonal interaction, because they are elements of human self-expression, which is unacceptable in a sect. Here, a sense of superiority over the uninitiated, the idea of ​​being chosen, is implanted, which strengthens the isolation of adherents from the world around them, their intolerance, aggressiveness, and this is contrary to the purpose of “saving humanity.”

5. Changes in lifestyle, work activity, everyday behavior, which is associated with a lack of free time, personal life outside the organization, subordination of professional interests to the goals of the cult organization. All this helps control consciousness, leaving no time for solitude, reflection, awareness of what is happening. Under such conditions, an adherent of a destructive cult loses the ability to think critically, adequately evaluate the people around him, and reaches the point of physical and emotional exhaustion. And in this state, a person is characterized by increased suggestibility, which is what the cult leaders achieve.

The considered personal changes lead to a serious deformation of cult consciousness. In the normally functioning consciousness of a free person, the entire time perspective of the individual is reflected - past, present and future. This is not typical for cult consciousness, because it is deformed. Leaders of totalitarian cults inspire followers with the need to forget about the past, which is not connected with the ideas of the cult and serving it. The events of the present are reflected in fragments; not all events of the surrounding world reach the adept. Such consciousness is necessary to make people easier to manage.

Endless prayers, reciting the same verbal formulations, psychophysical exercises, and the entire world of life of an adept generate monotony, which leads to a prolonged state of stress and neuroticism of the individual. And in a neurotic consciousness, the range of perception of the present is narrowed, the ability to fully experience human joys is weakened. The past is perceived as a series of mistakes and bad luck. A future in which everything will finally be resolved and dreams will become reality is eagerly awaited. A ban is imposed on statements about one’s poor physical condition in cults, and therefore it is repressed from consciousness, but at the same time an adequate idea of ​​one’s own physicality is also violated. And without this component, a full sense of the present time, its clear awareness, is impossible. The focus of cult consciousness has been moved to the future, where, as a well-deserved reward for a long and persistent struggle against the evil forces of the environment, a completely different life will begin with one’s own imperfection. This attitude to life arises in people with an underdeveloped or suppressed sense of initiative, with a faded desire for life goals.

And in conclusion, I would like to dwell on how a person can avoid falling into the networks of totalitarian religious organizations, and if this has already happened, how can he get out of them?

There can only be one piece of advice regarding the first question: “Think, think and think, when suddenly people on the street come to you with offers to help you achieve health, happiness and harmony, they offer to go to meetings and debates, where they will talk about the fight against evil and the triumph of justice, or rent an apartment at half price from some “kind” grandmother, get a job in a Scientology or other religious center to do clerical work with the prospect of growth, etc.” Such proposals can become a “mousetrap” from which it will be very difficult to get out.

As for the second question, experts offer the following recipes for leaving sects of this kind. In their opinion, sects are a disease not only of a person, but also of society, which means that it is necessary to think about healing this illness together, taking into account the experience of people who have gone through this, got rid of their influence themselves and want to help others. And their experience shows that help should consist of the following.

First of all, we need complete isolation of a person fleeing contacts with sectarians, just as they isolate their victims from the outside world, not allowing them to watch TV, listen to the radio, read the press, books, answer the phone, etc., but everything is the other way around. . It is necessary to provide a person with information about the world around him. However, in this case, there is often a need for an apartment in which a person could be hidden from intrusive “brothers and sisters.”

The initial stage of a person’s entry into normal life should become a period of rehabilitation - restoration of physical and spiritual strength. To put it simply, a person needs to be warmed, fed, and given the opportunity to sleep. Here you cannot avoid the help of a psychotherapist, because... the person is in a state of stress and fear of persecution, he is tormented by doubts about the correctness of his action in leaving the sect. But his communication with a psychotherapist should not be associated with the practice of his former “teachers”. You may also need help from other specialists - lawyers, sectologists, doctors, etc.

And even after rehabilitation, a person needs constant help from specialists, family, loved ones, and friends. The process of entering normal life is not so simple.

Thus, one of the means of protection against sects and cults of a totalitarian orientation is knowledge of the mechanisms of involving people in organizations of a similar orientation, which are based on both objective and subjective factors of manipulation of consciousness. The impact of these factors leads to serious personality deformation. Preventing people from being drawn into destructive sects is one of the most important tasks of society, acting as an element of ensuring personal security.