Russian judge Marina Syrova just handed down a sentence of two years in jail for the Russian feminist punk rock band Pussy Riot as a result of their "hooliganism" motivated by religious hatred. Judge Syrova called their behavior "blasphemous" and described it as a "gross violation of public order showing obvious disrespect for society." She also said, "The girls' actions were sacrilegious, blasphemous and broke the church's rules."

The group staged a protest against President Vladimir Putin inside the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, a Russian Orthodox church in Moscow. Their "punk prayer" spewed hate-laced anti-Christian lyrics as they stood on the solea (platform in front of the altar). From the concealment of their balaclava masks, they "courageously" followed the PR example of fading American singer Madonna -- knowing that the quickest way to generate a flood of media attention is to launch attacks against religion, and the more heavily laced with profanity, crudity, and vulgarity, the better.

According to a Fox News story, the band members -- Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 23; Maria Alyokhina, 24; and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29 -- "said they did not mean to hurt anyone's religious feelings" during their "punk prayer." Right. That sensitivity toward believers is, of course, why they called the church an "abscess" and condemned its "vertical power structure."

Found on a website that claims support for the band, the lyrics that supposedly were not meant to offend Christians included these gems: using scatological words to describe the Lord, claiming that "gay" pride was "sent to Siberia in chains," objecting to women forced to give birth "in order not to offend His Holiness," begging the "Virgin Mary, Mother of God" to "become a feminist," and complaining about the "Church's praise of rotten dictators."

The Council of Orthodox Public Organizations released a statement about the incident, and this passage sums up the problem with the media's attempt at creating a groundswell in favor of leniency:

We do not understand those as well, who appeal to the Holy Patriarch, our brothers and sisters to 'forgive' the blasphemous women, and ask the state to not condemn them and not punish them. If the Patriarch will forgive them today, will it not lead tomorrow to a tenfold multiplications of blasphemous 'acts,' and to the very displacement of the Orthodox people from the public space, as wells [sic] turning of holy church spaces into places for mockery and arrogance of non-believers? It is especially crucial to not even mention forgiveness without redemption, without commitment to never return to the already done monstrous sin. Our God Jesus says: 'If ... your brother commits a sin against you, you should rebuke him; if he redeems, then forgive him' (Luke, 17:3). This is what is said about personal relationship among Christians. So how can we justify our expectations of redemption from those who insulted the very God and the whole of Church?

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/08/jailing_pussy_riot_in_russia.html#ixzz23wWUdmam