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Speaking Out

Red Herring: Mikhail Gorbachev's Not-Quite Conversion

Asking whether the former Soviet leader is a Christian has a long history.

Paul Kengor | posted 4/04/2008 08:28AM

"Mikhail Gorbachev admits he is a Christian," read the blockbuster headline in the March 19 London Telegraph. I immediately e-mailed the article to Michael Reagan, who, like his father, Ronald Reagan, ...

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Vernie Walker

Posted: April 09, 2008 11:32 PM


It's exciting to think that he might have become a christian

Jim	Posted: April 06, 2008 6:23 AM


How about an article on many angels can dance on he head of a pin. Now that would be really interesting!

Bruce

Posted: April 05, 2008 4:33 PM


Let's join our hearts in praying for this man. He may be on the road to faith. His statement to the Russian press sounds like something I might have said right before my conversion to my friends.

h. D. Schmidt

Posted: April 05, 2008 10:53 AM

However, and whatever Gorbachev was/is etc., the fact remains that presently under George W., the truly self-styled Christian USA President, Russia has been driven right back into obscurity! Yes, if Ronald Reagan had been immortal and US President for life, Russia and the USA would be the best of allies ever. Add insult to injury, McCain with nothing better than a shooting mind, will most certainly take America into WWIII; but if not a shooting war, a new cold war which will make the previous one look like peanuts by comparison. Yes, America is arming its so called friends who also have friends who hate America and will most certainly continue to use American made guns, to shoot at America. Yes, Ron Paul said it right: The terrorists are here, because we are over there. With all due respect, I rest my case on this important issue. Question: Is America today a truly standard bearer of all that partains to what is Christian in the spirit of the Saviour Himself? I say, absolutely not!

Ephrem Hagos

Posted: April 05, 2008 5:58 AM


For a religion that has no room whatsoever for Jesus Christ in it, except of course nominally, I really don't know what the big deal is about Christianity!!

Susanna

Posted: April 04, 2008 8:23 PM

The fruit of 'this man' is that he ended the Sovjet Union. Besides that, "God is greater than our hearts and knows all" (1 John 3,20), and Jesus did not come for believers so much as for sinners (Matt 9,13). Love your enemies (Lc 6,27), as personally I should love the late Ronald Reagan, who drove millions of people into poverty with his ultraliberal policies. My father was one of the many who lost their job, health and self-esteem in an increasingly 'competitive' economic ethos. So, christian or not, the fruit of his convictions and political connections was selfishness, despair and exclusion.

Carlos

Posted: April 04, 2008 7:39 PM

What amazes me, is how one can come to the conclusion, that because Gorbachev mentioned the name, 'God' a few times, or even went to Fansis' tomb, that, that could possibly make him a Christian, come on, there are millions of Americans, and others around the world, who 'believe' intellectually, that there is a god, BUT, that most certainly does NOT make them Christians, after all Satan also 'believes' in God and trembles. This kind of nonsense, belittles true Christianity, and what real conversion is all about. Just like Roman Catholicism, adhereing to, and proclaiming a sound creed, even believing in the 'Trinity' does NOT make one a Christian. If JESUS CHRIST, is not your personal Savior and Lord, evidenced by a strong daily 'witness' to others, it may just be nothing more than mental assent to an historic reality, without a genuine 'Born Again' experience!

Marina

Posted: April 04, 2008 7:22 PM


The article represents naive and narrow-minded speculations of a person, with the veil of religion drawn over his eyes. Fortunately, Gorbachov’s understanding of consciousness and humanism is not limited by Christian dogmatism and myopia, otherwise we probably would still be in a Cold War with Russia.

Lloyd Makaroff

Posted: April 04, 2008 6:32 PM

Someone not familiar with the Russian language might think that most Russians are christian or in some way god-fearing. God and Christian terms are part of the Russian language. To have a Russian say "may god help us" is no different than the average Canadian, or American. To simply say "thank you", in Russian, you literally say "may God save you". Where we, in English, would say "thank goodness ... didn't happen" in Russian they would say "Praise God that ... didn't happen." Sunday in Russian is "the Resurrection", Saturday is "Sabbath" and so many more words. I am not addressing whether Mr. Gorbachev is, or isn't, on his way to Catholicism or Christianity I only address the ease with which we can misunderstand communication by not knowing the background and language of the non-English speaking person.

Jay	Posted: April 04, 2008 4:36 PM

I enjoyed the anedotes about Reagan's speculation on Gorbachev's faith, but overall, CT again has written a naive feature from a religious and cultural perspective, this time on Russia. Gorbachev embraced socialism as teenager, as it was the only ticket out of town. He and his father won competitive agricultural contests on their collective farm, and then he won an essay contest praising Stalin. Only later was his "faith" in Stalinism was shakened when Khrushchev denounced him. In his mid-50s he moved through the Perestroika and Glasnost reforms with a vision of reinvigorating Communism. He is now as much in a social democratic tradition as Tony Blair, without Blair's Catholicism. I felt your article did diservice by using New Age stereotypes. They say more about you than Gorbachev. Gorbachev is a humanism and a socialist, in the European tradition. Read more from Muravchik, J. (2002). Heaven on earth: The rise and fall of socialism. San Francisco: Encounter.

JW in Georgia - USA

Posted: April 04, 2008 4:32 PM

All leaders of the Reagan, Gorbachev ilk are shrewd. The fact that MG spent that much time on his prayer bones indicates some level of acceptance. My faith says that once that door in the heart is cracked just a little, then God can make the rest happen. But, MG's faith is between him and his maker. Our duty is to pray for him to move to the next level. The other wonderful aspect of the story is the testimony to Reagan's zeal and the strength of his faith. Blessings - just keep on praying! Ronald did and I know still is!

alter christus

Posted: April 04, 2008 4:08 PM

I think the author is unaware that Gorbachev's use of the phrase "alter Christus," though suspect from an evangelical perspective, does not disqualify him from being a Catholic. On the contrary, the notion that Francis was "another Christ" goes deep in the Franciscan and Catholic hagiographical tradition on the OFM founder, dating to at least the writing of Bartolomeo di Pisa in the 1390s. If anything it suggests that Gorbachev is more conversant with the Catholic tradition than the author! See http://www.jstor.org/stable/view/3774524?seq=3

samgn

Posted: April 04, 2008 2:34 PM


Or, is it possible, that something IS stirring in Gorbachev's heart? Russia has a long and storied history of using the press to lead the people where they want them to go. With the rise of Putin, word of a genuine faith in a recent leader would be considered a crack in the foundation of their deeply held values and, therefore, unacceptable.

Grant

Posted: April 04, 2008 2:02 PM

What is staggering here is that the author says Gorbachev can be called "deeply confused" because he takes a view of religion that is not the authors. Does it not occur to the writer of this piece that Gorbachev is NOT on a journey to Christianity? Why is that so hard to believe? Why does his environmentalism and humanism make him "confused.' Perhaps it is the author who still being too credulous, to willing to think that anyone who does anything good for the world, as Gorbachev did, must defacto be searching for religion. Clearly, Gorbachev has his own reasons for admiring a figure like St. Francis. That such an admiration is not rooted in a belief in a sky god does not make Gorbachev "confused."

Barry

Posted: April 04, 2008 1:35 PM


Judge not, lest ye be judgemental.

C.vR	Posted: April 04, 2008 12:58 PM


No he is not a christian, because he is a communist and an attheist. He never made a choice, if he said he is a christian, why do not you see it and why does he never say something about it during an interview. Did he ever made a decision for Jesus Christ as his Saver.Watch the fruit of this man.

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