Movement Leaders May Ask Why Some People Turned Away from the Church and Become Sectarians: Babken Tunyan

There is a religious organization's building on Tbilisi Avenue, and on Saturdays and Sundays, it is impossible not to notice the number of cars parked near this building.

Babken Tunyan, a member of the Civil Contract faction, wrote on Facebook: “As a Christian and a follower of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, I have always been interested in and concerned about this question (the increase in the number of sectarians, its causes, and consequences), and every time I pass by that area, it gives me a reason to think about it. During my years as a journalist, I conducted two major analyses on the causes and effects of the spread of destructive sects. I assume that this issue concerns the senior clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church even more than it does me.”

“Now I am thinking: as the leaders of the movement come to Yerevan from Kotayk Province and supposedly pass by that building, could they pause for a moment and ask people why they have turned away from the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and joined sectarian currents? I understand that demarcation and delimitation, the political course, and other issues are incredibly important for some of our high-ranking clergy, but let’s agree that this also somewhat relates to them.”

“Honestly, it would not hurt to engage in a Christian manner, without aggression, to talk, to try to understand the issue, people's thoughts, and feelings. It may turn out that Nikol Pashinyan and the Civil Contract party are also to blame in this case. Not to mention, during this time, they could have advised the Christians who joined and supported them that it is somewhat incomprehensible to present oneself as a devout Christian, to attend church regularly, to publish prayers on their pages every other day, while at the same time calling for burning people and hanging them, spreading hate speech, justifying violence, and writing seven-tier insults with profiles that depict a traditional Armenian woman.”

“I hope this topic has been discussed (despite the results still being unseen). P.S. – I wrote and remembered that May 9 is a Thursday; it is unlikely they will be able to. Perhaps they will try on their way back.”