QUEER RELIGIOUS SECTS IN RUSSIA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2486, 16 June 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

QUEER RELIGIOUS SECTS IN RUSSIA.

»—: M. Tsaknx,. a Russian writer, has just published an interesting work upon curious religious sects in Russia. It appears that in the empire there are no less than fifteen millions of devout followers of insane and cranky notions of Christianity ; and new religions or sects are constantly springing up in spite of all the efforts of the Russfan authorities.

One of these sects is called the Runaways. They fly from their villages or towns. They believe in returning to a wild state of existence, destroying their identity as much as possible, and living like savages. Civilization they regard as the great curse of humanity. They also carry on a sort of brigandage, and one of their most sacred duties is to rob churches.

There is another sect, calling themselves (Jhrists. They adore one another. Crazy dancing forms part of tbeir religious ceremonies.

Bloody sacrifices form part of the religion of other fanatics, and the butchering of sons and daughters to appease the wrath of the Lord is getting rather too common.

There are also missionaries who go around preaching tho glories and beauties of suicide and its absolute necessity for salvation, AMr Souckhoff ia the leader of the gang. He was arrested for murder some time ago, but managed to escape, and turned up in a village where he preached so hard in favour of murder and suicide that several of his followers cut each other's throats, and others shut themselves up in their houses and burned themselves to death.