Философия / 5. Философия религии
Melnyk L.M.
Bila Tserkva national agrarian university, Ukraine
The Last Testament Church functioning features in the post-Soviet social
and cultural space
The
ninetieth years of the last century, in the post-Soviet states, became the
alternative religiosity general interest time and the interested bulk, without
mentioning the adepts, were young people. The Soviet
Union ideological system collapsed, which has become by that time something
like official state religion. The ideology, that has lined up for a long time
the society’s spiritual values with its good and evil guidelines. At that time,
millions of the former Soviet Union people were confused; the usual moral
values have changed.
Traditional religious values, first of all, Orthodox, could not become
spiritual guides for the society, as they were poorly developed, because for a
long time they were destroyed. So the space, which has been formed, was quickly
filled with non-traditional religious cults.
The
Last Testament Church - the religious cult founder
was S.A. Torop (was born in 1961). The birthplace of the future "God"
was the builders’ family. According to the teachings supporters, the former
police officer mentioned that in January 1991 he was baptized as Father in
Heaven; since the baptism time S.Torop is submitted as Vissarion and receives
divine revelation – the Last Testament.
In the summer of 1991, the S.Torop’s first preaching sounded, and in October of the same year the Parish Unified Faith was registered. On December the 21st, 2000 the Church was re-registered by the Russian Federation Justice Ministry under the name as "The Last Testament Church", certificate number 575 [3].
The main target of this cult operation is the project
settlement realization in environmentally friendly lands of Russia, where all
of the followers will live with "Messiah" at the head and the
so-called “promised land” formation. The Vissarion’s elected corner was
Krasnoyarsk Territory.
The sect organizational structure has a rigid hierarchical nature. The
community head is the Vissarion – S.Torop, the Last Testament Church host - S. Kazakov, the community land elder - S.
Chevalkov.
In
everyday life, believers use many faith sources. For example, in the
"Prayer" short orders for prayer actions are given and the text is
printed. In another Vissarion source called "Date" the answers to the
students’ questions are written. The book "Before Alerts" consists of
189 verses as treatment with the appeal to follow his teachings and his theory
main ideas are briefly described. In more developed form Vissarion ideas are
interpreted in "Pislyasliv'yi" which consists of 376 verses.
Vissarion teachings are described in details in the book "The Last
Hope", which is previously written processing.
His
teachings important source is "The Last Testament" which is
Vissarion’s activity official chronicle and partially some of his followers. It
is led by a show businessman, a former singer Vadym Redkyn. In "The Last
Testament" Vissarion cosmogony theory is given, which in many provisions
echoes with the Eastern esoteric teachings, new commandments are given. There
are also numerous brothers and sisters life examples who acted right or wrong
is a certain life situation. Besides such illustrative examples statement private
nature recommendations are given. In this book are also described Vissarion
biographies hundreds of pages and his creative foreign trips reports.
In everyday life in the Krasnoyarsk region a newspaper
"The Promised Land", is printed, which publishes materials that
reflect the believers’ community inner life, the spiritual and exemplary
character notes, and interviews with the sect leaders, and so on.
His
doctrine main feature, Vissarion considers its novelty, "Secrets,
contained in it ... are hidden from the human mind, as the time for it has not
come yet» [1 ]
From
the second "Christ" teaching follows next, that human development
occurs on five fundamentals: the Earth, The only Spirit of life, God of all and
the Holy Spirit.
In
general, according to the second "Christ" religious doctrine, the
Christianity is given a central role, herewith Vissarion somewhat distorted it his
own way. Also here we can find Roerich philosophy, A. Blavatsky theosophy, K.
Tsiolkovsky cosmic philosophy, the writer D. Andreeva idea, Yogi Doctrine asceticism,
the Hinduism soul transmigration doctrine, we should note that, unlike
Hinduism, according to Vissarion the soul moves only from one person to another.
According
to people, who have been in the Vissarion-Torop community, it is inherited,
mainly, with non-traditional rites.
In everyday life the main cult activities
element is a "sacred circle" - a kind of collective meditation.
Believers join their hands; in the circle center place a lighted candle,
accompanied by a specially matched music perform certain movements. So they
celebrate "the great Father" of the human race and "the earth-mother"
According to eyewitnesses’ words, some people lose consciousness. Such mystery
implementation takes place twice a week - on Wednesday at 20.00 and on Sunday
at 9.00. Except common prayers, there are individual and family prayers. The
prayers text (adapted from the "Our Father") is printed in the
"Prayer". The Last Testament Church believers pray before meals and
at any time.
Healthy living covers all life areas. So, Vissarion
teaching believers absolutely must not eat meat, coffee, tea, sugar, yeast
bread and products from wheat. It is recommended to use less salt and spicy
seasonings in cooking and honey. The believers mainly feed on fruit and
vegetables, berries, soy, some cereals, herbs, mushrooms. The Last Testament
community is given advice while preparation bakery products mentally to add the
eggs, sour cream, rose petals and outer world. When eating it is recommended to
put on the table lighted to "clean space of dark energy» candle [1]. At home the community members wear clothes sewn in the folk style,
because, according to the faith it is a fashion which "absorbs the earth
energy and promotes recovery."
Children are often not taught in schools, and their training
is carried out in the community according a special program. The education
system consists of three parts: general block; Art; Craft. Teaching in junior
classes (Class 6) is held in subjects provided with a comprehensive standard.
In high school academic subjects are also taught, but viewed in the community
teachings spirit, as well as art and craft. This mandatory program includes
"The Last Testament" study and Vissarion "commandments".
In everyday life, the Last Testament Church members are
engaged in self care, because, according to the Vissarion commandments,
"the flesh must cure itself»[1].Very popular among believers is the body "cleaning" on R.
Malakhov and P. Ivanov theories. Because of this "treatment", in the
community adults and children deaths were registered, due to medical care lack.
Moreover, Vissarion believers have established their
calendar and time countdown is held from S. Torop birthday (since January 14th,
1961) and is indicated as "The Dawn Age".
Thus, on the Last Testament Church functioning basis it
can be defined as a passive social intellectual’s call community.
LITERATURE LIST:
1. Виссарион духовный учитель и художник: [Электронный
ресурс]. – Режим доступа: http://www.vissarion.ru/teacher/index.htm
2. Morawiecki J. Syberyjska sekta wissarionowców jako fenomen
społeczno-religijny. Warszawa, 2010. S. 107
3. Столяров П. Церковь Последнего Завета (Виссарион)
// Вестник ЦАИ / П. Столяров
// [Электронный ресурс]. Режим доступа – http://apologetika.ru/pdfs/gi025.pdf]
4.Филькина А.В. Социальные и экономические практики
сельськохозяйственных общин, созданных новыми религиозными движениями в
Западной Сибири // Вестник Томского государственного университета. Философия.
Социология. Политология. 2012 №1. С.
173