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Christian Orthodox nations have true economic prospects - Russian Church official

Moscow, August 9, Interfax - Head of the Synodal Department for Church and Society Relations Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin does not agree with those who believe Orthodox countries to be most depressive in economic sense.

"Today many people with scorn and disregard speak of Orthodox nations as economically unsuccessful. They build diagrams illustrating the dependence of economic prosperity from religion. They believe that atheists are most successful, Protestants are a little less successful, Catholics - even less and Orthodox are the poorest and the most unhappy," Father Vsevolod said answering the questions at the website of the Synodal Information Department.

Instead of arguing with the scheme, the priest reminded that "many modern economists who are not keen on market fundamentalism say that growth of economy and demand can be endless and nations that can give up the idea of constant and uncontrolled growth will be more successful when this growth will stop."

According to Fr. Vsevolod "sooner or later it will stop as resources of the planet are limited and demand, even senseless, can't grow forever."

Believing that "it is necessary to transfer from economy of growth to economy of self-sufficiency," the priest noted that "self-sufficiency and self-limitation in acquiring earthly goods were always characteristic of Orthodox civilization."

"Its traditions teach not to endlessly multiply material riches, but to be happy with the little, or at least sensible amount of earthly goods. I think that the future belongs to such attitude. Today we should interpret it in categories of economic science and building economic system," Father Vsevolod said.

He is sure that such model will be much more successful than an idea of eternal growth and unlimited demand that cannot end in anything but "crash".

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