The Influence of Europe and America on Religion of the World

For God, the Tsar, and the Fatherland

For God, the Tsar, and the Fatherland is a documentary about the people of Durakovo, which in Russia means the village of fools, and their thoughts on democracy.  The leader of Durakovo is a man named Mikhail Fedorovich leads the people of Durakovo to a better life.  

The people who go to Durakovo (inmates of Durakovo) have some problem assoicated with their life.  Once becoming apart of the social group, they are strengthened.  Here the people of Durakovo are the in group.  They feel loyalty and respect to Mikhail, which is demonstrated in the documentary.  

The out group in Durakovo is not all the other Russians, but democracy in general, and thus, the opinions toward Europe and America are filled with contempt.  During the Paratroops celebration, the common that the strong Russian men could easily defeat NATO shows just a degree of this contempt.  Moreover, the comment from the boy (who lives in Durakovo) illustrates the he's negative feelings toward America.  He blamed Russia's current economic problems on democracy.  This brings the mind the question of democracy itself.  


Is the American democracy a one size fits all?  Without taking into account the people of a nation, I can say democracy cannot possible be the solution to every nation.  This is not a every nation should have freedom of speak kind of thing, I only want to take into account the different cultural difference of America versus Russia, or for that matter America versus China.  How could the same type of system, like democracy, work for these very different cultures?  So, it's easy to see why this child and the people of Durakovo would have negative feeling about democracy.  It's not working for them.

Here in lies the function of Mikhail's Durakovo as a primary group.  I believe Charles Horton Cooley best summarizes the impact of Durakovo to its people:

Primary social groups are usually small, characterized by face-to-face interaction, intimacy, and a strong sense of commitment and unity among its members. Primary groups tend to exert a long lasting influence on the development of our social selves and include family, friends, and peer groups (Helfrich). 

The influence that Mikhail exerts over the people of Durakovo could be debatable on whether it is positive or negative.  What cannot be debatable, however, is the amount of influence Fedorovich has over them.  They are to do as they are told, and they 'do not need to think' any more.  The thinking is now up to Mikhail.  In some ways you can see how this could be a positive influence on the people.  Mikhail gives them a purpose in life, a purpose that they might not have been able to find otherwise.  Mikhail is their reference, a standard for judging attitudes and/or behaviors.  Mikhail is the people of Durakovo's looking glass self. 

The movement to bring back Orthodoxy Christianity here is cement that Mikhail and many others in this video believe will hold the Russian society together.  This is in agreement with Emile Durkheim argument of religion as one of the cements that held social order together.  

Everything set aside, I find myself wondering what am I not seeing?  Was everyone else's view about America and Europe negative?  Why were the people there at Durakovo to begin with?  I would seem that they had one problem or another.  But what was the problem, is it common?  For instance Oleg's mother said he was aimless, did this mean that he was having a drug problem?  Moreover, what would the intelligent agency want with Durakovo?

What is the function of deviance?

In some ways, the people of Durakovo are social deviants of democracy.  Their way of life shots out at the way democracy.  The people do not have a voice, they do not even have thought of their own.  Instead of cohering to the social norms of democracy, they choose (for Durakovo does not take anyone that doesn't want to be there) to form bonds with Mikhail and to form a society of their own.  The Durakovo society is a social sanction that ties both mechanical and organic society together.  The members themselves are interchangeable and can perform the functions of every other member of society, mechanical society, while Mikhail is interdependent from the rest of the members (Durkheim).  

First Peoples Religions and Western Cultural Imperialism

The religious leader of the First Peoples is Handsome Lake.  Western influence can be seen in several forms, but most importantly is Handsome Lake's alcohol addiction which lead to some of his rhetoric.

Fully recovered Handsome Lake began preaching about the dangers of alcohol abuse and he established a moral code which outlawed witchcraft and several of the outcomes of alcohol abuse including promiscuity, wife beating, and gambling. The Code also counseled Seneca to learn English and that the family should replace the clan as central in Seneca life.

There are a lot of western thinking in the Code created by Handsome Lake.  The outlaw of witchcraft, and family as a central unit being the most glaring.  Both of the practice of spirits and clan central, where central to the Natives of North America, and would contribute to assimilation of native culture with western culture.

Alcohol influenced another First People religious leader, Tenskwatawa.  Tenshwatawn also saw visions that made up his new beliefs.  He saw a heaven that would appeal to the First People and ancient Shawnee spirits being tortured for their wickedness like alcoholism.  This is analog to a heaven and hell, where the hell is the punishment of Shawnee that are wicked.

The Role of Punishment

Punishment in mechanical societies was punitive justice.  It marked off the boundaries of what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior (Durkheim).  This is seen in the notion of hell for Shawnee.  Today's jails and prisons is more of an organic society approach.  It is aimed at the individual and tailored to fit the crime in the hopes of rehabilitation (Durkheim).

Black Jews

The Church of God and Saints of Christ is a mixture of Jewish, Christian, and African nationalist content.  William Saunders Crowdy, the leader of the church, preached that Africans were the descendants of the lost tribes of Israel and thus the true surviving Jews...  Wait a moment, doesn't this sound familiar?  *cough*British-Israelism *cough*, *cough* Christian Identity *cough*.  (Sorry about that, I think I might be coming down with something.)  The religion key theme is the Exodus, the liberation of people in bondage, like many African-American religions.  Jesus to them is a racial equality, but not part of the Lord (or God).  Marcus Garvey a black nationalist how advocated the return of blacks to Africa (the back to Africa movement) influenced many black Jewish and black Islamic groups.

Vodou
I have the interesting experiment to have living relatives that practice and/or believe in vodou (voodoo).  What could be considered more interesting is that these same believers in vodou are also devote Christians.  This is just another example of official versus popular religion.  Moreover, it's not surprising that my Creole relatives believe in voodoo as it's one of the African-derived religious traditions in the Americas.  In fact the origins of vodou sum up my grandmother's (on my father's side) background nicely.  The Fon (Haiti) ideas and practices mixed with the Catholicism of the French produce the traditions call vodou.  What I find most interesting, is the ability of vodou traditions to co-exist with Christian beliefs.