"Free Pussy" is a riot cry of some Americans, but Russians all agree that the crime was indeed committed, only...
"Free Pussy" is a riot cry of some Americans, but Russians all agree that the crime was indeed committed, only disagreeing about the punishment.

The reason for the difference goes back to church Council in Trullo (Трулльский собор) of the year 692. Pussy Riot was tried in Khamovniki Court, which referenced several regulations passed there and broken by the sacrilegious Pussy.

Catholics (and by extension Protestants) never adopted the canons, flatly rejected by Pope Sergius I (650–701), starting the conflict with Orthodox church, culminating in complete split. That's the root of the current disagreement.

Canon 62 - ...we wish to be abolished from the life of the faithful. And also the public dances of women, which may do much harm and mischief. Moreover we drive away from the life of Christians the dances ... whether of men or women, and which are performed after an ancient and un-Christian fashion; decreeing that no man from this time forth shall be dressed as a woman, nor any woman in the garb suitable to men. Nor shall he assume comic, satyric, or tragic masks; ... (...всенародные женския плясания, великий вред и пагубу наносить могущия, ... или женским полом производимые плясания и обряды, по некоему старинному и чуждому Христианского жития обычаю совершаемые, отвергаем, и определяем: никакому мужу не одеваться в женскую одежду, ни жене в одежду мужа свойственную; не носить личин комических, или сатирических, или трагических; ...)

Canon 75 - We will that those whose office it is to sing in the churches do not use undisciplined vociferations, nor force nature to shouting, nor adopt any of those modes which are incongruous and unsuitable for the church: but that they offer the psalmody to God, who is the observer of secrets, with great attention and compunction... (чтобы приходящие в церковь для пения не употребляли бесчинных воплей, не вынуждали из себя неестественнаго крика, и не вводили ничего несообразнаго и несвойственнаго церкви: но с великим вниманием и умилением приносили псалмопения Богу, назирающему сокровенное)

Same Council had other Canons (102 total), not referenced by the Court, for example.

Canon 11 - Let no one ... eat the unleavened bread of the Jews, nor have any familiar intercourse with them, nor summon them in illness, nor receive medicines from them, nor bathe with them; ... (Никто ... отнюдь не должен ясти опресноки, даваемые иудеями, или вступать в содружество с ними, ни в болезнях призывать их, и врачества принимать от них, ни в банях купно с ними мытися. ...)


http://borisakunin.livejournal.com/80103.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinisext_Council
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Трулльский_собор
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3814.htm
http://krotov.info/acts/canons/0691cano.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Sergius_I#Response_to_the_Quinisext_Council
http://borisakunin.livejournal.com/80103.html

Labels: Oleg Zabluda

- posted by Oleg Zabluda @ 6:03 PM | permalink | | | technorati | bloglines | feedster

 
In his book "Connectome: How the Brain's Wiring Makes Us Who We Are"
In his book "Connectome: How the Brain's Wiring Makes Us Who We Are"
 Sebastian Seung  on p.253 tell that Ken Hayworth, a cognitive neuroscientist and inventor of the dead brain scanning machine ATUM,  wants to preserve his brain for future reanimation, while it is still perfectly healthy.

One problem with his salvation idea is that his helpers can be changed with assisted suicide.

This moral dilemma is, for a change, easy to solve. Plastinate their brains as well, and let the future people sort it out whether it was an assisted suicide or an assisted salvation. 

Marianna Dizik proposes an alternative solution:

1. He closes the door, and activates a device which, exactly at noon, throws a coin, and if it's tails, shoots him though the heart, and simultaneously opens the door.
2. His accomplices can then enter and plastinate his brain.
3. Before assembling at his door at noon, they notify the police, telling them exactly the truth they know.
4. Police then, presumably, arrives, breaks down the door, preventing the process from proceeding.
5. Repeat the next day. Police, eventually, will get sick of it and stop coming. Coin toss will shorten this time. Nobody can be accused of false calling 911 or lying to police, failing to save anybody's life, etc. 

Yuri Drozd pointed 2 potential problems with this plan:
1. Suicide attempt may be grounds for involuntary institutionalizing.
2. It may be illegal to take the brain without coroner.  

http://books.google.com/books?id=uNDW_dQ_dlAC&pg=PA253
https://www.google.com/search?q=Ken+Hayworth
http://books.google.com/books?id=uNDW_dQ_dlAC&pg=PA253

Labels: Oleg Zabluda

- posted by Oleg Zabluda @ 11:16 AM | permalink | | | technorati | bloglines | feedster