Categories
Brooklyn

Trump’s DOJ Shut Down Investigation into Tom Homan Accepting $50k Bribe


“Border czar” Tom Homan reportedly accepted a $50,000 bribe in an FBI sting last year, indicating to undercover agents posing

Categories
Brooklyn

Koinonia


On December 18, 1996, The New York Times carried an interview with Jean Griffith. Jean is a Black woman who lives in Brooklyn and is grieving. A gang of white

Categories
Brooklyn

Ukraine war live: Zelensky calls for tough sanctions on Russia ahead of Trump meeting



Categories
Brooklyn

One less thing for parents to worry about this week: LUNCH TIME! This year, school meals are free for every student in New York. Healthy bodies = healthy minds!



Categories
The News And Times Blog

Putin, ROC, and homophobia


Putin, ROC, and homophobia

Vladimir Putin and Patriarch Kirill: mentality and psychology of the Russian Byzantian “Symphonia” are in their common homophobic roots. – Google Search google.com/search?q=Vladi
The phrase “mentality and psychology of the Russian Byzantian ‘Symphonia’ are in their common homophobic roots” refers to the alignment between Vladimir Putin’s government and the Russian Orthodox Church under Patriarch Kirill, suggesting their shared opposition to LGBTQ+ rights is a key element of their relationship. This alliance draws on historical concepts of Byzantine governance and promotes “traditional values” to bolster nationalist narratives. [1, 2, 3]
Byzantine symphonia and Russian ideology

The concept of “symphonia”: This Byzantine model defines a harmonious interdependence between state power (the emperor) and divine authority (the patriarch), with neither being fully subordinate to the other. In this arrangement, the state handles secular matters and the church manages divine ones. Critics argue that in modern Russia, the church has sacrificed its moral independence by aligning too closely with Kremlin power.
A tool for power: For Russia’s rulers, the historical concept of Byzantine “caesaropapism”—where the emperor was also head of the church—justified absolute authority. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Moscow’s rulers claimed the mantle of the “Third Rome” and the heir to the Roman Empire, adopting the title “Tsar” (from Caesar) to cement their power. Today, this tradition helps legitimize Putin’s ambition to restore Russian dominance. [4, 5, 6]

Putin and Kirill’s alliance

Mutual support: Patriarch Kirill has been a vocal and long-time supporter of President Putin, even calling Putin’s rise to power a “miracle of God”. In return, Putin has provided the Russian Orthodox Church with significant state support, increased media visibility, and the return of state assets.
Weaponizing religion: As political allies, Putin and Kirill present their combined vision of a culturally rooted Russia standing against a “decadent” and “sinful” West. During the war in Ukraine, Kirill has framed the conflict as a “metaphysical struggle” against “evil forces,” providing a spiritual justification for the invasion. [1, 7, 8, 9]

The common thread of homophobia

State-sanctioned homophobia: Both Putin and Kirill have publicly condemned homosexuality, with their views aligning with a broader political and religious campaign to promote “traditional values”. Key actions include:

“Gay Propaganda” laws: Russia first passed a law in 2013 banning the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships” to minors, later expanded in 2022 to apply to all citizens.
Constitutional ban on same-sex marriage: In 2020, Russia amended its constitution to define marriage exclusively as a heterosexual union.
“Extremist” designation: In 2023, the Supreme Court labeled the “international LGBT public movement” as an “extremist organization,” effectively criminalizing LGBTQ+ activism and simple expressions of solidarity, like displaying a rainbow flag.

Psychological and political role: The focus on homophobia serves several purposes for the Putin-Kirill alliance:

It defines a “moral enemy” in the West, which is portrayed as threatening Russia’s cultural and spiritual identity.
It creates a common rallying point, uniting nationalist and religious conservatives around a shared “traditional values” narrative.
It reinforces a rigid, top-down hierarchy consistent with the autocratic political traditions inherited from the Byzantine model. [1, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16]

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1] reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/pulpit-propaga
[2]
sciencedirect.com/org/science/ar
[3]
time.com/6236822/russia
[4]
dailyhistory.org/How_did_the_By
[5]
coreknowledge.org/wp-content/upl
[6]
forbes.com/2009/02/20/put
[7]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriarch
[8]
facebook.com/groups/1438524
[9]
washingtonmonthly.com/2022/05/04/as-
[10]
nbcnews.com/id/wbna32564110
[11]
theconversation.com/30-years-of-lg
[12]
theconversation.com/putins-russia-
[13]
bostonreview.net/articles/putin
[14]
dw.com/en/homophobia-
[15]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBTQ_rig
[16]
theconversation.com/30-years-of-lg

Quote
Saad005
@gsideflow
🚨 JUST IN: 🇷🇺 Russia to seize financial assets of international ‘Satanists’
This might raise a lot of eyebrows worldwide.
#Putin
#satan


See more on #ROC

Articles and Tweets


Categories
Brooklyn

Trump Pushes Bondi on Political Prosecutions, Nominates Personal Lawyer for U.S. Attorney Role


Mr. Trump softened his tone against his attorney general after initially lambasting her on social media for not prosecuting adversaries Comey, Schiff, and…

Categories
Brooklyn

Gary Busey, 81, sentenced for groping woman at horror movie convention



Categories
Brooklyn

Carlos Sainz Secures First F1 Podium With Williams – ‘We Are on The Rise’


Williams Racing’s Carlos Sainz executed a flawless Azerbaijan Grand Prix to secure third place.

Categories
Brooklyn

Sleeper promo code NEWSWEEKXL: Get $100 deposit bonus for NFL Week 3 picks


The Sleeper promo code NEWSWEEKXL will give new users a $100 deposit bonus for NFL Week 3 picks, including Eagles-Rams and Bears-Cowboys.

Categories
Brooklyn

Starbucks plans menu overhaul


The announcement is part of a broader strategy by CEO Brian Niccol to breathe new life into the coffee brand since taking over last year.