Comments on: What Went Wrong in Russia?

By: David

David — Sat, 07 Jun 2025 15:01:44 +0000

How much are you willing to bet that Jesuits played a part in the clamp down?

I remember seeing people lining up to get baptized shortly after the Soviet Union fell, I don’t remember by whom, but I would assume by Baptist missionaries.

The original communist revolution in Russia was financed, in part, by the Catholic Church and Jesuits have often had a hand in revolutions across Europe during the 1800s.

What is interesting further, is that the Russian Orthodox Church is considered an arm of the Russian government. If Putin was trying to make this a crusade for the Russian Orthodoxy and is therefore Hell bent on taking back his version of the “Holy Land”!

By: Gretchen Wollert

Gretchen Wollert — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 20:12:23 +0000

A Democrat in the White House always leads to instability in the world. Putin knows this…Many other world leaders know this. The best thing to happen to world peace happened…Donald Trump was re-elected president of the United States.

By: Kristine Lytle

Kristine Lytle — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 14:54:44 +0000

Listened on “Till all have heard” in the discussion on what went wrong in Russia…but I just want to clarify a statement made about “separation of church and state”…the only Constitution that shows up in is in the 1936 USSR Constitution Article 124 – you will never find that in the United States Constitution… David Barton – a world class historian has provided great research on this… and no one should EVER claim we have that clause in our nation…

By: Bert Clere

Bert Clere — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 16:47:07 +0000

When the poet Roy Campbell visited the Inklings he argued that Christian support for General Franco and the Fascists in the Spanish Civil War was necessary because of the Spanish Republic’s hostility to the Catholic Church. Lewis rebuked him and wrote a scathing poem in response with the line “who cares what shirt the murdering party wears?” I think communism and fascism are the twin sides of the same bad totalitarian coin; both offer the temptation that all can be put right with the world if you just line up behind a single program. The messiness and compromises inherent to democracy are tossed aside, and of course violence is used to keep dissenters in line. I fear we are forgetting the horrors totalitarianism wrought in the 20th century, and its temptations gleam before us once again like the ring before Gollum’s eyes.

By: Al Janssen

Al Janssen — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 18:45:22 +0000

Thank you, Philip, for reissuing “Praying with the KGB” with the update. This brings back memories of the incredible days leading to the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Christian Bridge project was the culmination of three exciting years that included giving Bibles away at the Moscow International Book Fair. Churches were filled and the Russian people were hungry for the Gospel. But as you and John Bernbaum documented in “What Went Wrong?” that passion soon faded. Re-reading your report and the updated story, I sense that this provides important lessons today for the Church in North America. That is, if we will listen and learn.

By: Mikhail

Mikhail — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 09:30:25 +0000

And back to the topics of suffering and “disappointment with God” (two most important topics in history I guess). Lots of people like to refer to the Book of Job as perfect example of disappointment with God situation. The problem I have always had with this story is that Job is rich and happy than he goes through a lot of suffering and in the end he is rewarded with wealth for his stoicism. Alas, I can not get off my mind the thought that lots of people suffer, are born in misery, live and die in misery without getting any reward (I hope they are rewarded in afterlife but at the moment this idea does not bring any comfort to me). The experience shows that suffering is often unmerited. And in the speech God delivers at the end of the story He presents himself as cold, distant and indifferent.
There is also this particular way of thinking: we should not confuse God with life. Life is unfair and God is good. For me it basically means: God does not intervene with our lives and has no control over this world. Very sad news to digest.

By: Mikhail

Mikhail — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 14:10:50 +0000

I’m writing this from Russia.
I’ve been through everything you described over the past 30 years and personally I have no answer: when, how and why it went wrong.
But you are right: the ideology did not disappear, it went underground.
As for religion, the radical form of Gospel of prosperity has become very popular here in the 21st c.
If you go to church and pray, God will give you a lot of money.

By: Peter Reece

Peter Reece — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 13:50:54 +0000

I have tried to follow this story for the last 30 years or so but I still get confused as to who the “bad guys”really are. Your account helps a great deal. I find Yakov’s email very interesting.
What a mess the world’s in!

By: Ann Lee

Ann Lee — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 01:48:04 +0000

I don’t have the brain and energy to understand what is happening around as there many half-truth and lies. So, my only hope is to pray for God’s forgiveness and mercy upon His creation. ” O LORD, have mercy, have mercy, have mercy, forgive all our sins as you have promised and fulfill your truth by your mighty, sovereign Power….May your kingdom come, and your will be done for your chosen, beloved saints. In Jesus mighty name, amen, amen, amen.

By: James Grummer

James Grummer — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 18:00:42 +0000

Philip,
It’s a great question … I just don’t have any answers. Sadly, I learned
4 months ago that I now have high blood pressure. Tried to understand ..’the why’ as I’ve never had it before .. I re-checked my diet, salt in-take, blah, blah, blah. Then I realized the answer – I was consuming too much ‘news’. 140 days later my BP is very slowly coming down – no more news.

Today, is the first time I’ve read anything about World Events… As I type this I can feel my heart start to race. I’m a believer … am I obligated to watch the horror ? Why as a Christian do I feel so afraid ? God’s in control — right ? Where did my hope go ? (all rhetorical questions) … my Faith has never been stronger, and yet I’m fearful. It’s such a contradiction. I can only think to drop to knees and pray. And I’m not even sure .. what my prayer might be.

James