I sympathize with your comment about being ashamed of the west and the U.S., especially after reading Larry Romanoff's column in Unz today. It's difficult to be optimistic these days.
The religious aspect seems too ancient. Byzantium, filioque, etc. Nevertheless, it does seem to be valid. Catholics are far more anti-Russian than Protestants or secularists, and Catholics have no *recent* reason for their excessive hatred.
Many quirks of secular culture are hangovers from religion. My birth family, for example, is almost completely non-religious, but their mentality is utterly and quintessentially Protestant.
I sympathize with your comment about being ashamed of the west and the U.S., especially after reading Larry Romanoff's column in Unz today. It's difficult to be optimistic these days.
The religious aspect seems too ancient. Byzantium, filioque, etc. Nevertheless, it does seem to be valid. Catholics are far more anti-Russian than Protestants or secularists, and Catholics have no *recent* reason for their excessive hatred.
Many quirks of secular culture are hangovers from religion. My birth family, for example, is almost completely non-religious, but their mentality is utterly and quintessentially Protestant.