Religion and Democraty in Moldova, Religie si Democratie in Moldova, Maribor-Chisiniu 2005, p.167-189 CONFESSIONAL POLEMIC AS AN EXPRESSION OF RELIGIOUS ATTITUDE (Comparative Study) Angela Lisnic, PhD World History Department Ton Creangit” Pedagogical University Chisinau, Moldova, Abstract The subject of this article is the comparative analysis of the definition of confessional polemic. The opportunity of approaching such researche is conditioned by the situation existing in our society regarding what we call religious sensitiveness. For the purpose of analysis, two works are used as sources of research, works that appeared at the {inning of the XX century, but the emphases and the conclusions found on the pages Of these works have tangencies and affinities to contemporary times. Their topical interest is valid especially in the context of reviving the religious convictions on different levels, of the society. This presentation is to meet some deep spiritual needs and is meant to ‘materialize in religious formulae and gestures the sense of the human being, The generally accepted definition of polemic is "a controversial discussion on a scientific, literary, et subject" ' Such an assertion is also valid in considering a controversial subject as the religious fact, the conscience and the religious sensitiveness, It is known that the religious fact is an integral part of human civilization history. Accordingly from various angles of concept systems belonging to religions. This situation it has its own structure and is studied determines at a " General dictionary ofthe Romanian language, Bucharest, 1992, vol. 11, p79,large extent the content of religious disputes and polemics known in the course of history. That is why choosing as analysis subject the confessional polemic, we attempted to explain the complexity and the multitude of opinions uttered in these discussions. These are discussions, the content of which is determined by the historical realities and the context where they took place and condition the spiritual state in the society. This fact was recorded in the history annals and in the writings of the time that had registered the affirmations and the ideas launched by the given society. According to the assertions in the work? of J. Martin Velasco, although in the history there have existed a multitude of religions, each with its own concepts content, however, "each religion makes up a "religion image" with universal features.’ Even if they are various and complex, the facts of these religions comprise common elements, Among those spheres are identified: 1) the sphere of the sacred: 2) the mystery. a reality determining the appearance of the sacred: 3) the religious attitude; 4) the meditations making the mystery and the expressions of the religious attitudes in the subject's life exist. For a deeper and more nuance understanding of events connected with these facts in a. spatial temporary perspective is required to also determine the content of these facts.” The subject of the present survey supposes the examination of religious atti- tudes, expressions and sensitiveness that by their content and formula incite and disturb the existing reality, The reason of such a worry and the necessity to approach such a subject is brought about by the existing situation and contro- versies appearing on daily and political levels conceming the so-called histori- cal fact. For setting up the content of this attitude and expressions of religious sensitiveness I took as research source more works that appeared in different historical periods, in various areas and having different content. The common element that makes us consider them in a common way of ideas is the fact that in one way or another all of them comply with attention, studies or disputed the same * Velasco J. Matin, Inrdcton to religion phenomenology asi 1997. 8 idem, p. 215, “dem,historical fact, called religious fact. | refer to the work of AC. Sevoznicov’ that appeared in 1939 at the publishing house "State printing works” excitingly entitled "Psychology of religious sects. It is an analytical study of causes and content of sectarian movement” that has drawn our attention to itself until now, or to the work of the bishop Volovei.° The reason of choosing such studies for analysis consists in conclusions and appreciations made at a distance of more than a century, it means under other historical and political circumstances, but which have been in force so far by the form of expressing the points of view. They are conclusive examples for the approached subject, because over two mil- Jenniums the European world was strongly marked by the religious support. So, “the thought and imagined world” is presented in its frameworks generated by then ious spirit, It is a feeling tha iccording to the assertion of the known researcher of the collective mentality Al. Dutu, "supposes compulsorily a pecu- liar way in which are experienced a conglomerate of emotions of special type, emotions that are realized in acts of faith, forms determined by religiosity, expressed either in images or representations, dogmas, symbols, myths, or in individual and collective behaviors. The pious emotion, even if it is deeply assimilated, cannot remain abstract, it is compulsorily defined in outer forms, bout in the sitiveness, the form and the content are somehow inseparable, cannot exist one without the other".’ Thus the religious of the religious mentality as a historical phenomenon has an overwhelming role and is determined by a series of specific features shown in certain ways and expressions. Its perception would firstly allow identifying and being aware of these emotions. The result of this intellectual operation enables to organize and put in order the human action and, as a major objective, allows removing the violence in ascendance. In order to be achieved, this objective requires not only a simple awareness but also an application of the whole amalgam of various actions of the society °Sevorniacov A.C, Psychology of relisious sects, Analytical analysis of causes and content of sec terian movement, Chisinau, 1939, p89. "Hierarchies founded in Austria in Belokrinita 1846, by the Grek fugitive Metropolitan Ambros cited by Chis Orthodox Christ Birth brotherhood, Chisia, 1991 ‘Nico Simena, Nioara loader, Collective and social imasinry mentalities History and new par adigms of cognition, Cly-napoca, 1996, p74: Dutu AL. Pour une histoire de la devotion sud-est cearopeenne. Contributions rents in "reve des cts Suet Pucopeennc”, XXIX, 3The aim of our approach is to determine the expressions and the attitudes giving rise to confessional polemics. The confessional polemic has been known from carly times of the civilization history. In its essence, it is an attempt at searching and rationalizing the situations, tensions and distortions that exist in history. At the current stage this polemic is characterized by proportion and a huge ascendance unknown so far. This situation may not be only recorded or known, We can assert that as a result of political actions undertaken in the XX century this polemic gets a peculiar color and physiognomy, Its radiography would allow the cognition and the awareness of its proportions and of its importance in the contemporary social-political life. As an argument in favor of this assertion we can invoke the existence of such a project in proportion as "Maribor Initiative". It is a project that has as objective the reconciliation and the respect of democratic principles, legality, cooperation and protection of minorities from the South-East of Europe. I's a project that looks for highlighting and uttering the existent problems. As some participants have proposed, it is indispensable to make a range of changes in the society sd with the existing ways and differences in perc ing what we call religious fact and its clement called religious attitude. This perception affects and excites the religious sensitiveness, especially in the conditions of accelerating the dissemination of the information appearing, in images and specific forms and influences the human manifestations, from the simplest reaction of touching, religiosity feeling to major programs and projects exceeding by far the limits of a specific social group, The subject of the dispute, or better said of the polemic, in the work of the bishop Feodosii Volovei® is proving the illegitimacy, the invalidity of the diocese from Belokrinita (Austria), founded by the Greek fugitive metropolitan Ambrosii in 1846, His work secks to demonstrate from a dogmatic, canonic and consecration point of view the illegitimacy of this diocese, By his entire dispute Feodosii Volovei tries to show the existence of this illegitimacy and applies in this regard the critical method. Aiming at demonstrating the "wrongdoing nature. He motivates by linking the ", he gives arguments of dogmatic and canonic * Fendosii Volovei was missionary ofthe Ortho brotshood in Bassasbia at the el of the XIX ‘century - the beginning ofthe XX centuryhistorical data already accepted and known that he submits with respect to the arguments given by "staroobreadti” (Orthodox of old rite"). He classifies their ideas and compares them with heresies already known by that time” so as to examine later the legitimacy of the actions of those belonging to this rite that violated not ony the dogmatic and canonic laws, but also those related to their relations with the Austrian administration. It is a fact that he demonstrates by wrongdoings and misleading of the Austrian royal power concerning the existence of the necessary property to open the parish from Belokrinita,' Actually, the integral work is interesting for its way of placing arguments aiming at proving the truthfulness of assertions, In essence, this work is a classical model of structuring and motivating the ideas concerning the preaching of Christian ideas by using the idiomatic language of the time. We meet most frequently in the work the labels "wrongdoing", "illegality" "untrue", nouns present at least once on a work's page. The integral writing is inspired by evoking and pointing out the arguments that support the fact of what we call legal and true, Of a special interest for analyzing the essence of the content and the idiomatic language concerning, the functioning and incitation of the religious sensitiveness is the work of A. Sevozniacov. Right from the very beginning of his work A. Scvozniacov affirms that "the study of the sectarian problem is a very complex phenomenon, with more aspects: religious. psychological. social and is almost an infinite and very intense research field”."" The same complexity of the phenomena related to the confessional aspect is also supported by the professor Rik Torfs of the Faculty of Catholic canon from Belgium, a rade in 2001."? In participant in the first Round-Table that took place in Belen describing the experience and the legal position of churches and religious communities from the South-East Europe, he recognizes the complex existence of the phenomenon and problems connected with religious freedom at two distinct levels. So, he mentions the edo Volo p.117136 idan, chap * Sceomicow AC, Paycholog:..p4 ® Rak Tory Expetenses of west democracies in dealing withthe lel poston of churches nd religious communities, Legal position of Churches and Religious Commtnites in South ater Europ cllestion of articles, selected elvan legal texts nd the sours, editors Silvo Deve, Liana Kalina an Miroslav F Pl, bina: Marber-Viena, 200, p19.problems of level A, where is counted the explosion of disseminating new religious directions existent in America and spread in Europe, problems of state security, problems of proselytism, autonomy of religious groups, "the religious exotic” in public order, I comprises the problem of the right to enlarge the guarantees and privileges of majority religions in relation to the recently appeared minority ones.'* A. Sevozniacov also studies the problem of religious sects and defines a series of problems in this regard, supporting the idea that "by their propaganda against ity of goods accumulation, But level B the dominant Church and its clerk, the sectarians anarchize the people and undermine, in general, the idea and the prestige of the legal authority". Further he supports that "this question is to be studied separately, because although connected with the given things, the psychology of religious sects has a polemical, historical-descriptive and social character”."* Then he recognizes that the problem of the appearance and the spread of sects is not a simple swindle or speculation, as others tend to reduce the problem, and "we may not avoid the fact that the religious straying has always at its basis a psychological, deep and complicated process and for clarifying the true cause that incites and ease the sectarian movements, we have to dwell more carefully on this bunch of causes and occurrences by putting them in a systematic order, as possible, and analyzing the most significant reasons", '* assertions of A. Scvoznicov regarding the definition of the causes afflux of an important part of Christians within the new sects and religious currents. So, he marks the causes at two levels intemal causes; — extemal causes. A sharp attention was drawn to the He ascribes to intemal causes, first of all, the reduced degree of alphabetization and the religious ignorance of a great part of Orthodox population, supporting the fact that “our Christians from the countryside in most cases do not master the notion of "live church", do not understand the deep and spiritual meaning. of this word, they only know about church as a house of worship, only know the ® Rik Tors, Experiences ., p20 * Sevocnicov AC. Psychology. 90 * Sevaznicov AC. Paychology. 6 1701 noticia AM nF Moe RABY 28 MDI mn! A,material meaning of this term’."° Among these causes he outlines that "many of our intellectuals have wrong opinions about the Christian spirit. There are much more thinkers of different kinds than we believe"."” In his opinion "The will to study the religious problems aroused and undirected on time, then the reading and the arbitrary and tendentious interpretation of the Holy Scriptures without being guided by the spiritual, skilled pastor, are some of the most frequent This psychological ss to direct to "The desire for salvation and psychological causes leading to the sectarians’ straying’ discontent brings about premis aspiration to an eternal life, then the doubt and the fear that is hidden in the closed folds of the tired soul full of sins, without being channeled and guided on time, often interacting, form a starting psychological point for the strays to fall",”” Also, to the category of internal causes, he ascribes "the Discontent with certain forms of religious life and desire to live more intensely”.”” This finding is more real and is present in contemporary religious preaching that applies the most various forms to stimulate the religious life and give ita live breath full of significance and of the most intense intemal emotions. The religious sensitiveness, in its spiritual essence, endeavors to satisfy the ascendant needs of the spirit, but when these necessities are formalized and ritualized, the discontent of Christians is incited. According to the affirmations of Sevozniacov "the spiritual treasures focus and. show themselves in the everyday life of the Church in various forms of life and religious experience and degenerate in a empty ritualism and formalism deprived of any breath of life”.”" Then he states that "a discontent can be incited as for the spiritual environment, for all forms of religious life, some are insufficient and shallow in reality, others are imagined as such, but along with that is awaken the desire for a more intense religious life, {], soars into agreements and sectarian religious doctrines, searching for quenching the spiritual thirst and settling the big problems. [] these longings indirectly fed by the simple curiosity, by the sectarian propaganda news, by * hides, p9. em, ® hide, p12, ® biden, p13 ‘em 2 Wemthe spell of the banned fruit captivated by the weedy peculiar and exaggerate! enthusiasm with the avowals of sinners, with a fiery utterance of prayers impro vvised for the return of sinners, the delivery of the persecuted brothers, for th finally mak< these communities and religious sects inerease their number of adepts and sym absolution and softening the hearts of enemies and persecutor pathizers Another cause of internal nature is found by the author in the presence of scan dais or harm, because some people “abandon church because they were not sat isfied with our spiritual life forms, others are troubled by the moral life diminu tion, the every-day reality that does not comply with the spirit and the princi pies of the Gospels”. The scandal inhab iting clement of faithful! communities. The most conclusive examples in the quarrels remain present as a co- thi regard can be found in the Republic of Moldova - the debate concerning thi relations of the Metropolitan Church of Moldova and the Metropolitan Churcl of Bassarabia grows in proportions and affects much the religious sensitivenes: of Christians. These ones are involved aiming at realizing some interests 0 which they are not aware and about which they are unilaterally and tenden tiously informed by the parties en, iged in the conflict. Obviously, these scan dais undermine not only the faith of the believers but also their attitude toward; the events taking place within the Christian church, Sevozniacov considers that another cause leading to the fall in number of the believers and to proselytism is related to the presence of personal ambitions i faith leaders, The ambitions derive from: a) individuals of certain spiritual states and religious maniacs obsessed with certain fixed ideas, presenting themselves as prophets or enlightened minds who give rise to religious currents. Examples Daniil Filipovici (hlisti), Savelii Capustin (duhobori), Inochentii who maintained that he had swallowed a white pigeon, ic. the Holy Spirit, as had done John the Baptist. They, as mentions the author, speculate with the em. biden, p14simpletons to benefit from privileges and resort to various tricks in order to obtain authority: b) individuals with exaggerated opinions about the value of their personality motivating that they are "elected" and "pure", cannot remain among sinners, pretending to their fancied achievement and creating the confusion among what is humane and divine in Churches 6) incomprehensible trust in fancied power of truths, their tendentious interpretation; 4d) individuals suffering from specific grandomania; 6) interest to gain certain material privileges So, in the analysis of internal causes of spreading the religious sects, the author tries not only to label and accuse of illegitimacy and injustice, but also to approach the given problem more profoundly and more clearly by emphasizing in details the causes of a situation where is being realized the religious fact As concerns the causes of external nature, we may outline: a) sectarian missionarism that is supported, in the author's opinion, by the foreign capital following political and economic ai over the sects believers; unveiled by the care b) shortcomings of the Orthodox missionarism, as a result of missionary system inactivity on the territory historically belonging to the Orthodox faith; ©) special circumstances favorable for the propaganda,” among which are mentioned the natural cataclysms to which is ascribed a hidden and prophetic signification. As the author affirms further “all sects in essence follow political aims. The sects are submissive instruments in the hands of extremist political parties and ‘are engaged in the freemasonry".”” It is a fact difficult to be proved, but about which more information is disseminated in the media, idem, p18, ® idem, p20. * abide p47We can assert that the examples given in this work comply with the state of things existing now. Many of the conclusions and assertions of the author are to be in force for the so-called religious fact. It is a religious fact reflecting a numerical and qualitative emergence line of this feeling from which we cannot, be secluded and which is an integral part of our life. Comparing the forms of examination of what we call feeling and religious fact, we have to be aware of historical conditions and realities where the phenomenon evolution takes place. Because from the moment of confessional polemic’s appearance, having as subject of study the faith, the dogmatic, the religious attitude and religious lity has changed until now, in feeling, the historic s tum, the segment responding to the religious sensitiveness has also changed. Both the subjects of confessional polemic and the forms of religious manifestation and its propagating promoting methods have changed. One of the most interesting, aspects is the transition from the interdependence between Church and State to the gradual adaptation of Churches to human general values. Also, the actors involved in the religious phenomenon, either preachers and opinion trainers or faith's practicers, have changed, One of the peculiarities of contradiction between confessions is the violence, but at the same time a lot of effort is made to pass from confrontation to dialogue. We understand that only the dialogue and the communication can allow eliminating the contradictions that persist in course of centuries, Finally, 1 would like to insist on this element because it is the only one making possible the identification of manifestation ways of religious sensitiveness and attitude as apart of the desired reality. The forms of materializing the religions feelings are also determined by the relations among, individuals. Therefore, the education level and the religious act depth, as well as the environment of their manifestation have an important role. Consequently, we cannot deny the fact that in the relations among people and. communities a new element appeared that was not known even at the beginning of the XX century, represented by what we call dialogue. Confrontation, exclusion, persecution and violence slowly yield to the people's attempts to set up a basis for dialogue. It is the way that makes possible the coexistence of conceptual differences and divergences in the framework defined. as unity by diversity. Obviously, this unity is sometimesmarked by a political category called "unity myth", but we cannot ignore the value of its contribution and function in arranging the religious sensitiveness. The bigger is the value the more increased is the religious fervor of individuals bringing a true invasion of the irrational on our every-day life. References: ‘Velasco J. Martin. ntradution to the religion phenomenon, ls, 1997, Scvarniacov AC, Pavchology of religious sect. Anabtieal analysis of causes and content of sectarian movement, Chisinau, 1939, 989, [Nicoura Simona, Nicoura Toader, Collective and social imaginary mentalities. History and new paradigms of cognition, Chi Napoca, 1996; Dut AL, Pour me histoire de ke devotion subest europeenne. Comnbuins recente, in "Revue des etudes Sud-est Europeenne", XIX, 3-4 RikTorls, Experiences of westem democracies in deaing withthe legal position of churches and religions communities, Legal ‘position of Churches and Religious Communities in South-Eastern Europe, collection of articles, selected relevant Jegal texts and other sources, editors Silvo Devetak, Liliana Kalcina and Miroslav F. Pole, Ljubliana-Maribor- Viena, 2004