ABSTRACT
The articles "Science and religion must avoid each other" by P Gaidenko and "Science must recognize religion" by A Silin published in Izvestiya [News] (Science section) on 25 January 2002 impels and, in a way, makes me feel bound to once again turn to the relationship between science and religion in the modern world. Unfortunately, this subject has recently become a burning topic here in Russia in view of the extensive clerical activities initiated in the first place by the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). A most striking manifestation of this clerical attack is a large number of press publications and broadcast programs, such as a long interview of G Pavlovskii, a political analyst closely connected with the ruling elite (2001 Nezavisimaya Gazeta-Religiya [Independent Newspaper-Religion] of 26 December). However, the present paper is not designed as a discourse on political problems even though numerous cases of clerical interference in Russian public life in violation of the country's constitution arouse my bitter indignation.
