OREANDA-NEWS The representative of the Russian Orthodox Church, Vladimir Legoyda, called for the mention of faith in God or religious faith to be included in the list of traditional values of Russia.

"It is important (...) also take into account the fact that religious associations are an organic part of civil society, which should participate in state-supported programs and projects aimed at preserving and affirming traditional values," Legoyda said, presenting the position of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) during a discussion in the Public Chamber.

According to him, it does not follow from the document in its current version that religious associations are directly related to the issues of traditional values of Russian society. "In the dialogue, we were told that this is self-evident and implied. But it seems to me that we live in an era when implied things lead to the creation of problems. Therefore, after all, it seems to us that what is implicitly laid down should be explicated in the final version of the document," Legoyda said.

The representative of the Russian Orthodox Church drew attention to the fact that religious beliefs formed the national identity, traditions and values of the peoples of Russia. "Without stating this fact, the conversation about the preservation of traditional values practically loses its meaning. The very idea of traditional values is directly related to religious traditions, there is simply nowhere else for it to come from. As a cultural scientist, this thesis is absolutely obvious to me," he added.

Earlier it became known that the ROC called for punishing the organizers of a disco in an Orthodox monastery in Turkey.