Construction of a black-magic emitter. A very interesting comment by a Czech city councilor, chairman of the Pirate Club, on the construction of the Marian column, which will occupy a huge space on the square with its dimensions of 7×7 meters. For evil to triumph, it is enough for good people to do nothing.
A short while ago, the council approved the restoration of the Marian column in Old Town Square. On this occasion, I am publishing my speech from the council meeting and the vote here.
The question of the Marian Column is not a question of the past, it is a question of the present and the future. In my opinion, while it is important what the column represented in the 17th century, it is more important what the column represents today. Although Dominik Duka stated that: "We understand the re-erection of the Marian Column as a gesture of reconciliation and ecumenical cooperation in the Czech Republic," I think that a gesture of reconciliation cannot be imposed on someone. It is necessary for both sides to understand gestures and symbols in the same way. While for some the MC is a symbol of reconciliation, for the other side it can be understood as a symbol of conflict and oppression. How different people interpret the symbol of the MC today is not something we can read about in history books or on Wikipedia. For that, we need to ask these people and listen to them. Each person then has their own opinion on the column and their own reasons why they support or do not support the column. Personally, I am one of those who do not support the restoration of the column. I will try to explain why:
1) The column divides society
– I often encounter the argument that society is not divided, that only a few loudmouths do not want the column. But that is not true. The following institutions also oppose the column:
– Committee of the Art History Society: "Although the demolition of the original Marian column was an unjustifiable act of barbarism from the point of view of monument protection, we understand this hundred-year-old act as an integral part of history. A history that cannot be retrospectively vetted, corrected or improved by means of ahistorical retouches."
– Czechoslovak Hussite Church: "The re-erection of the MS in Prague 1 in its original historical form with anti-Reformation elements is, from the perspective of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church, contrary to the current efforts for peaceful coexistence of Christian churches and cooperation for the benefit of our country."
– Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren: "The Synodal Council of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren considers the intention to restore the original form of the Marian column to be ecumenically hurtful." An older statement by the Synodal Council from 2012 states: "For contemporary Czech society, the possible existence of the column in Old Town Square will mean almost nothing… However, the renewal of the column will significantly harm the community of Christian churches, especially those with which the history of Christianity in Bohemia is linked."
– The Association of Evangelical Christians, os, "disagrees with the restoration of the Marian column in the Old Town Square in Prague, because from a historical and artistic point of view it is unfounded; moreover, its renewed installation would be a strong expression of intolerance and would bring disturbing tension into society."
– The Ecumenical Council of Churches – Adopted a resolution that it is acceptable for them to build something on the Old Town Square that will represent a symbol of reconciliation.
– The Christian Missionary Society also disagrees.
3) The way the column is being pushed through – that is, it is being pushed through by force and opponents are not being listened to. In the previous point, I mentioned everyone who disagrees with the restoration of the MS. Its restoration despite this disagreement can be understood as a mockery of those who disagree.
4) The restoration of the column is an anachronism. And it was an anachronism already shortly after its demolition. "A case where two-hundred-year-old sculptures are to be replaced by copies can be historically explained, but it cannot be excused, because it is an anachronism in our time." (Vincenc Kramář, founder of the modern art collection of the National Gallery). I completely agree with this statement. Historian Vít Vlnas stated about the column: "My opinion is that the column should rather not be restored. Not for ideological reasons, but for monument-purist reasons. What will be built there will be some idea of what the column looked like, not a copy, a replica, but an imitation. It will be made of stone, from which Czech Baroque Marian columns were never built. It will also be a foreign element in its own way. Next to Hus, whom probably no one will ever remove, the column will actually get in the way and the square will be overcrowded. And moreover, the original sacred charge will never return to the column anyway." "The overthrow of the column was a political act in its own way. It was not an act of war or natural disaster. And in Prague, fortunately, we have enough authentic Baroque monuments that we don't have to build artificial Baroque." I think we are much further along than to need to build pseudo-Baroque statues in Old Town Square. Let's place something in Old Town Square that will speak to the present and not just interest a small group of people.
5) We live in a secular age, where I assume the church is already separated from the state. I see no reason why we should support the construction of a religious symbol in one of the most important public spaces in Prague.
https://www.facebook.com/viktor.mahrik/posts/10156525890462811
Email sent to Prague councillors
With this email, I wanted to clarify the theological aspect of the matter to the members of parliament so that they understand how much the column divides Catholics and Protestants. The column drives a wedge between Catholics and Protestants. This is another reason why I say no to the column, and the members of parliament should stop the construction of the column.
The column is a symbol of the demonstration of power of the Catholic Church and does not belong in the center of Prague.
From the perspective of Protestant theology, the Marian Column is blasphemy against God.
As a philosopher specializing in Christianity, I would like to explain to you how Protestant theology views the Marian Column.While praying to the Virgin Mary is an important part of the Catholic faith, it is strictly forbidden for Protestants, who consider prayer to Mary to be blasphemy against God and idolatry. This is one of the biggest theological disputes between Catholics and Protestants, and it is the issue that divides these two theological currents the most.
Furthermore, Protestants are very radically against the depiction of the Virgin Mary as a statue. While the Catholic Church is full of statues of the Virgin Mary and other saints, you will not find a single statue in a Protestant church. Protestants also consider the depiction of the Virgin Mary as a statue to be a symbol of blasphemy against God and idolatry.
Dominik Duka stated that: "We understand the re-erection of the Marian column as a gesture of reconciliation and ecumenical cooperation in the Czech Republic."
The opposite is true, Dominik Duka is of course mentally ill and the police are currently investigating him for covering up pedophile scandals and sexual abuse in the Dominican monastery.
The Marian column is a huge insult to Protestants.
The Hussite Church of the Czech Brethren is also among the Protestants.
Furthermore, the column symbolizes the victory of the Catholic Papal Habsburgs over the Protestant Swedes, so it is a double symbol of the humiliation of Protestants.
Sufficient information: Disclosure of compromising information on Petr Fiala:
Given that the OSD political party voted for the column, in response to this, I will publish sensitive and private information about Petr Fiala, which the public was never supposed to know. Petr Fiala is a religious fanatic, a Catholic, although he doesn't boast about it much publicly. It is quite possible that he persuaded the ODS MPs to vote that way. Fiala has strong leverage to force his MPs to do so, because he will have a significant influence on the placement of MPs on individual candidate lists.Furthermore, Petr Fiala probably pushed for the ODS not to enter into a coalition with the "liberal" Pirates.
One of my relatives showed me how the politician Petr Fiala writes his philosophical reflections in a Czech Catholic magazine, I don't remember its exact name. I was completely shocked that there are two Christian political parties in the Czech Republic.
The chairman of the Prague City Council ODS club responded that Fiala did not interfere with the vote and that the ODS MPs allegedly had a free hand. As far as I know, he himself abstained from voting.
*************
The Marian column was supposed to be a symbol of reconciliation, now it symbolizes the defeat of tolerance, thinks councilor Mahrik (Pirates) https://plus.rozhlas.cz/mariansky-sloup-mel-byt-symbolem-smireni-ted-symbolizuje-porazku-tolerance-mysli-8142116