The clash of civilizations

While the West celebrates June as “Pride Month” (i.e., gay pride), Russia has taken the opposite stance. If you recall, Russia’s anti-gay policy really made the news in 2014 during the Winter Olympics (in Sochi, southern Russia) in February 2014, which also coincided with the us-led coup in Ukraine.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Winter_Olympics#Concerns_and_controversies

A variety of concerns over the Games, or Russia's hosting of the Games, had been expressed by various entities. Concerns were shown over Russia's policies surrounding the LGBT community, including the government's denial of a proposed Pride House for the Games on moral grounds, and a federal law passed in June 2013 which criminalized the distribution of "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships" among minors.

The West used this to castigate Russia. But meanwhile, Russia was busy restoring its “traditional values” according to the Orthodox model. To the West, this was unforgivable.

Russian lawmakers passed a bill in June 2013 unanimously (436-0) to ban LGBT propaganda.

https://news.yahoo.com/russian-lawmakers-pass-anti-gay-bill-436-0-164959267.html

The measure is part of an effort to promote traditional Russian values instead of Western liberalism, which the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church see as corrupting Russian youth and contributing to the protests against Putin's rule.

The only parliament member to abstain Tuesday was Ilya Ponomaryov, who has supported anti-Putin protesters despite belonging to a pro-Kremlin party.

Russia also passed a second bill making it a crime to offend religious feelings—the precise opposite of what is happening in the West. Here, it is a crime for religious people to speak out against the LGBT “values.”

The State Duma passed another bill on Tuesday that makes offending religious feelings a crime punishable by up to three years in prison. The legislation, which passed 308-2, was introduced last year after three members of the Pussy Riot punk group were convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" for an impromptu anti-Putin protest inside Moscow's main cathedral and given two-year sentences.

Both bills drew condemnation from Amnesty International.

This is not just a clash of values. It symptomatic of a clash of civilizations: Biblical vs. Babylonian, or New Jerusalem vs. Mystery Babylon.