Here’s a depressing story to carry you in to the weekend on a sad note.
Yesterday afternoon 75-year-old Michail Makarenko stopped along a New Jersey highway rest stop. Native Texan Brian White, a delusional Christian who was soliciting homemade Christian CDs, approached Makrenko. What happened next is nothing short of insane.
When Makrenko refused to purchase the CDs, White grabbed a rock and beat Makrenko to the ground. He later succumbed to his injuries. White fled the scene and led police on a 90-mile chase. He was eventually caught and charged appropriately.
Makrenko was an anti-Soviet agitator and survivor of the Russian gulags. More recently, Makrenko was an art gallery owner that exhibited works from banned artists. He had an interesting and eventful life to say the least.
Of course White’s mother was shocked by the incident and said only the following, “He’s a Christian guy. He made lots of Christian CDs.”
Here’s what Brian had to say about himself on his MySpace page:
I prayed for God to give me wisdom and understanding and that I make the right decision and my whole life changed. Later that week people everywhere kept approaching me telling me God told them to tell me this or that or they would pray for my future. So, I made the turn around sincerely in my heart, and God has changed my music. THe Holy spirit tells me what to play and what to sing. “All glory to God maker of all things”!!!!!!!I had a dream where he gave me special green and black tatoos, and I didnt want the tatoos, and you know tatoos dont go away so I had to accept my calling because there was no running “this time”. God has given me different gifts that where always there but he has put his touch on them, and I tell you it is really a blessing. I can help you in any situation. Try me. 281 229 4532 djcoldblooded@djcoldblooded.net. ANyways my real name is Brian Kuo Catrelle White and my Album which I believe will be part of The next century Bible is called the Book of Brian. The Book contains ? Chapters and in them is True Secrets straight from God. Aliens are among us, the secret scrolls is real, We have a secret city the Gov has made, and the cloning of men is now and real. God is very angry with us, and he will soon change his face. God is real, and you Presidents and so called Men of God should tell the people the Truth so that they will be saved. You all know what Aliens, Scrolls, and the Secret City I am talking about and you need to Free peoples minds so they can stop believing our God is not Merciful. The thing I can’t stand most is when God gives me a message for someone and the “worldly” person accepts it and even says thanks, the “christian” tries to test me and then give me their oppinion. I dont go around trying to ruin peoples life, I just obey God. It kind of reminds me of when Jesus was teaching and the Rabbi’s where testing him. Church people get jealous when they see someone being used by God and its not them, no wander why knowone wants to go to Church. But realize God lives in your heart so you dont have to go to Church 2 find him. A simple prayer will do, all you have to do is ask him to come into ur heart, and hes allready there waiting to turn the light on in your closet. God bless
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This is really sad news. Makarenko was a very brave man.
And as for White being a “delusional Christian”, well, yeah, “delusional” and “christian” are words that go together (and one can replace “Christian” with affiliate of any other superstition.). Don’t start into telling me he wasn’t being a true christian either -that would be good old “No True Scotsman” all over again; White made his christian affiliation very clear.
K.
This guys is straight up schizophrenic. What do aliens and the government’s secret city have to do with christianity except all being delusions?
Agreed, that’s not religious devotion, that’s surely acute paranoid schizophrenia filtered through “Christianity”.
Korgan said:
“Don’t start into telling me he wasn’t being a true christian either -that would be good old “No True Scotsman†all over again…”
That depends entirely on the accepted definition of “christian.” How do you define “christian?” I’m not asking that rhetorically; I am actually interested in your answer. Or have you already given your answer in saying, “…White made his christian affiliation very clear?”
I try hard to maintain focus on the greater issues on hand, I do, but whenever I see things like this…
“…the secret scrolls is real…”
…my mind just latches on and, next thing you know, I’m out preaching to my friends, “It’s the Scrolls! It’s real! The Scrolls it is!”
But attempting to get back to sensibility, what happens to the New Testament teachings at times like this? This guy is obviously quite serious about God, so whatever happened to the whole thing about “Thou shalt not kill,” or “Love thy neighbor,” or any of that. Even if he is schizophrenic, you’d think he’d take the actions required of a Christian seriously. Although then again, I don’t remember aliens in the gospel…
@Snurp: Yeah, there were in the lost book of Zelfart the Oomblat of Te’Rak 5. In it he details how Jesus rode a beam of light to rescue the Princes Fluufenpoof from the Bu’tt Pirates of Homo Ubber E’rectus. He ran them all through with his sword of light until they were sent to the rapture. Then, after saving the queen and negotiating a truce between the Oomblats and their enemies he rode a magic rainbow home to meet up with his friends Bob and Pete, the friendly velociraptors. Then he led all of the dinosaurs into space where they could live in peace with the Fairies and Unicorns.
Of course the language can only be translated by Leprechauns who have been shrunk small enough to fit in your ear canal and read it to you. Of course the little guys have a violent streak and if you listen to them too long you end up bludgeoning old people with rocks.
Why do all the crazys pull the relgion card? I am no expert in schizophrenia or the like, but it just seems that everytime there is something in the news about them, they always claim to be speaking to god and thats why they kill or maim or what ever else, and why are they always ‘born agains’ almost seems like its dogam to be a schizo. Born again…check, aliens…check, Govt hideing something…check. Whats really odd is that people listen. And then a very inncoent man gets killed for no reason whatsoever because the guy is “christian” so that means he is ok. Surly people who knew him saw signs before this. RIP Michail Makarenko
I love this website, really I do. Thanks to gasmonso I get regular laughs, and the occasional serious conversation to read – usually about religious freaks. I think this story doesn’t belong here though. This guy’s actions really don’t have anything to do with his Christianity (or at least it seems that way to me). I think he was just crazy. For me, that makes this story just regular ‘ol “news”, and not something for this site.
Just my $0.02
@slunk:
Actually Inspector Tiger hit on it. The reason I posted this story was the fact that he is delusional and possibly schizo. I’ve seen a trend where many “crazy” people tend to have a strong belief in God whether it be Christianity, Islam, etc.
There have been studies about how the brain could potentially be hardwired for God. I am wondering if there is a connection with mental illness. Maybe the illness affects certain parts of the brain that relate to that hardwired belief in God. Just a thought :)
gasmonso
@Gas,
I suggest reading _The Blank Slate_ and _How The Mind Works_ by psychologist Steven Pinker, if you haven’t already. Both books get into what you and Inspector Tiger are describing, especially the first one, and they are appropriately “un-pious”.
See
http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/books/tbs/index.html
Cheers,
K.
Well, this is quite the mess, but I don’t think this is as much for Religious Freaks as Psychiatric Freaks. He’s clearly mental and just using the Christian god as a cover, whether intentional or not.
Brian White’s blogsite claims he has over 5,000 “friends”. I hope they all pitch in for his defense fund because he’s gonna need it, but I doubt it will happen. They’re all running and hiding.
Poor old Makarenko. Survived so much awfulness in Soviet Russia and then is killed by a religious nut in a country that is supposed to be free. Beyond sad.
Inspector Tiger Said:
almost seems like its [dogma] to be a schizo.
I don’t think anyone here thinks religion made this guy crazy.
I think a lot of us DO think that Crazy makes religion, and that fundies in particular like to pick up the psychotic delusions of Schizies and run with them as if they were real – like, you know, those delusions that some Schizies in early israel wrote down a few ’000 years back….
If you have severe mental problems you will likely see things that don’t make much sense, and atleast atfirst, you are probably well aware that something isn’t right.
But religion is all about things that doesn’t make sense, infact it’s considered a good trait to hear voices in your head and see the truth of the holy text (meaning making up fancifull ways to ignore the inconsistencies)
So what do you do, go to the people who love you because of your special gift of insight, or admit you are insane and go to get locked up for the rest of your life?
I think his mother’s quote said it best. “He’s a Christian guy.”
Maybe people are loathe to tell the far out wacko Christians they’re insane and need help. If this guy had been saying all of that stuff minus the God part, maybe his family would have tried to help him. Jesus can be a kind of “Get out of being considered insane free” card.
Christianity may not have made this guy insane, but would anyone actually dispute that some folks wacked out views on what a good christian family life is supposed to be can’t damage some kids? With that in mind, I do firmly believe there are a LOT of people out there damaged by christianity. Especially in the south.
Religion is an enabler for bad things very often. If you firmly believe in god and that he hates homosexuals with a blazing passion (as some folks do) then it is only a small step to doing god’s work by killing then. Or abortion doctors. Or anything else the preacher man would have you believe the fairy in the sky hates.
Religion is to modern society just what horse drawn carriages are: An anachronism. It is a barbaric belief system based on ignorance of reality and a fear of anything unknown. Religion will be the end of our race as long as it is a majority and the people in our countries that are in charge believe it. Hopefully, we will one day throw off the yoke of religion and actually learn to get along. MOST conflicts in the world, even today, are caused by religious beliefs. Sometimes there is another hidden reason and religion is used as an enabler. I find it amusing and scary that most people (religious folk of course) can’t see this.
I’ve known Michael Makarenko since 1977. He was a great man, very religious and always helping people in need even without asking. His life was remarkable. As a boy he ran away from the orphanage to
join the Soviet army when WWII started. He was “adopted” by men in arms as a “son of regimen”, was wounded twice, was awarded for his bravery. After the war he became political active and spent total 11 years in GULAG where he was constantly helping other prisoners. When he was out of the concentration camp in 1977, he did something astonishingly courageous and unprecedented — he symbolically buried remnants of dead prisoners of GULAG in the Kremlin wall and organized Requiem Service in their memory performed by representatives of all the main religions. It was done in secret and filmed, and the film was shown to the West when Michael was expelled from the country.
Several years ago he started promoting the idea of the Victims of Communism Memorial. It will be erected in Washington DC.
He survived WWII, GULAG and many other hardships, but not New Jersey Turnpike’s religious zealot. How horrible! What a horrible things people do in the name of God. I am sorry for this murderer, apparently his master was not God, but His opposite.
Elena
Thank you for sharing, and telling part of his increadable life story.
Hey if anyone needs any conformation about religion damaging folks, just check out “welcome home god warrior” under the Nov 05 archives I don’t think there could be a better example
Like Bones said, what if he was selling “Bob Dole is your Saviour” CD’s, or preaching Heavens Gate and your family(which would make more sense with the alines)instead of “The Word of God.” Would people have taken him seriously?
Hi, I’m the son of one of the Mr. Makarenko’s best friends. I live in London (my dad, his friend, lives in NY) and didn’t hear about this awful incident until later.
Like Elena said, what is strange about this incident is how Yanych (our nickname for him) died after such a long life of living in danger and surviving! It freaks me out considering all he went through, things like the Gulag which I could never possibly understand, and then getting killed by a loon on the New Jersey Turnpike. Somehow the vision I have in my mind is a Viking warrior choking on a piece of food, dying in a way unfit for how he lived his life. I’m still really confused by this murder so please excuse my bad metaphor.
I don’t blame religion, though I a confirmed Atheist. I just think that people do awful things for many reasons and some of those reasons are attributed to religious beliefs. I would describe the killer as a deeply disturbed man first and a religious man second. Religion is just one of those things that can be picked up by people in desperate mental states. Is there a corrollary? Dunno. But I don’t want to paint all religious people with the same brush I paint this sicko who killed my dad’s best friend.
Thanks for your time,
-Mikhail G.
What a tragic irony- one religious man is killed by another. Makarenko was a true giant who all his life helped the others was murdered by someone who thought that he was weak.
More details emerged about the murder of Mikhail Yanovich Makarenko. He was indeed larger than life figure. He was born in 1931 in a religious Jewish family in Romania. He run away from home to Soviet Union – “the country of the future” as he sarcastically said, only to devote his life later to the fight against Soviet Union and everything the Evil Empire represented. AND he was very religious man. He took very seriously his conversion to Christianity by soldiers during WWII.
Below are links to latest articles about M.Makarenko violent death and a little bit about his remarkable life. I would like to contact Elena and learn more about M. Makarenko who I met in 1982 in Washington, D.C.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/20070317_A_senseless_attack_ended_dissidents_life.html
http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:YET6dZFbvh8J:www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf%3F/base/news-11/1174023377241770.xml%26coll%3D1+michail+makarenko&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=us
http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:Qs9JZSEUEdkJ:religiousfreaks.com/2007/03/16/delusional-christian-stones-elderly-man/+michail+makarenko&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=us
“Sometimes there is another hidden reason and religion is used as an enabler. I find it amusing and scary that most people (religious folk of course) can’t see this.”
Actually I think religious people are more likely to see the “hidden” reason and are less likely to blame religion. Most wars are simply about land/power/money and dictator use religion as a way to get everyone on the same page.
And I’d love to hear an atheist answer the Uncle’s question
“How do you define “christian?†I’m not asking that rhetorically; I am actually interested in your answer. Or have you already given your answer in saying, “…White made his christian affiliation very clear?—
When people talk about a dictator who claims to be a Christian and we as Christians point out the verse that says you shall know a believer by his fruit, the “true Scostman” thing comes up. Whether someone as mentally ill as White can be a Christian or not, not everyone who claims to be a Christian is one.
Scott, the problem is, it is nearly impossible to define what it is to be a christian. Lots of people apparently believe they are but sure don’t appear to be one. How would YOU as a christian like us to define it? Based on the name, you would think it would be: “One who follows the teachings of CHRIST”. Thus christian. Yet, I would go as far as saying MOST of the christians in this world in no way or shape follow the teachings of christ as laid down in the bible. The modern definition of christian seems to be: “One who possesses a bible, goes to sunday service and prays once in a while to try to undo the sins they commit the rest of the week”. Then you have the other folks who claim to be christian to get your money and live opulent lifestyles, in otherwords ALL of the televangelists.
In short, it really isn’t important how we atheists define it, since we believe it is all bunk anyway. It is more important how YOU define it. Perhaps you could actually get your friends to actually live the life for a change. Most of them believe “just in case”.
Mikhail G,
Hi, I think we meet about 17 years ago in Yanych’s place in SE DC on New Jersey Avenue (oh God, I just realised ironious coincidence — he leved and barely survived living there — in the most dangerous area of DC on New Jersey Ave, and he was killed on New Jewrsey Turnpike)…
Michail, thank you for your warm and devoted words about him.
Dimitry, I can email you, do you have some safe web-based address?
As for religion, after my daughter went to the website of this loon she called me and said: “Mom, I now know why it is so necessary to be a part of Church. Because otherwise people can be mislead by the bad forces and get into illusion of communicating with powers of Light”. Not without reason saints who were people that achieved a highest level of humanity and became those who God designed people to be, always warned about importance of “distinguishing spirits”. Poor Mr.White did not know how to distinguish spirits and failed into trap of possessive delusion. Had he been a member of traditional religious institution he would had to reveal his “visions” and thought to someone more experienced in the art of “spiritual struggle between good and evil”.
Hello Elana,
“Mom, I now know why it is so necessary to be a part of Church. Because otherwise people can be mislead by the bad forces and get into illusion of communicating with powers of Lightâ€
So it is your daughter’s opinion (and one which you seem to share) that anyone who doesn’t go to church can ‘get into illusions’? Interesting, since most atheists see God of any religion as just such an illusion. They would not believe that they are ‘communicating with powers of Light’ for the very same reasons that they don’t attend church.
Church might have merely replaced Mr. White’s set of delusions with the different, albeit much more popular, set of delusions called ‘Christianity’.
On a side note, I find it kind of strange that I spend most of my time defending atheists from believers than I do defending my theism from atheists. I think its just our shared reliance on reason and evidence.
Hello sidfaiwu,
I think we are talking about two different concepts of Church. You are talking about Church as a social institution that many unscrupulous people use for their benefit, and I am talking about Church as a place where mystery takes place in a 2 centuries old ritual — mostly about my own Church which is Russian Orthodox. I believe that someone who wants to ascend on the steps to Light needs guidance which can be either The Teacher, or a Ritual. Otherwise — self-proclaimed “Christians” of Pat Robertson type, or other poor people who fail in an abyss of the Devil’s temptation to consider themselves “seers” of God’s will.
Either the Teacher, or a ritual — this is a conclusion I drew from learning about main teachings — Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism, ancient cults. The spiritual sphere might be too dangerous for many unguided people searching for meaning of life, or just ambitious and possessed with the lust for power.
Ah, I think see what you were saying, Elena.
If one were to pursue a spiritual path, then you/your daughter believe it is more safely done within an established church than without. Thus your/your daughter’s statement doesn’t even apply to the non-religious, since they don’t pursue spirituality. It makes no difference to me. One path to irrationality is as dangerous as any other.
But I am curious. While I know a lot about Catholicism and Protestantism, I know very little about Orthodox Christianity. How is it different from the other two major branches?
sidfaiwu,
“But I am curious. While I know a lot about Catholicism and Protestantism, I know very little about Orthodox Christianity. How is it different from the other two major branches?”
You asked a very profound question. I’ll try to answer, but please understand that your question is bigger than life and I might not be able to describe all the angles of this issue.
Russian Orthodox Church is very similar to Catholic Church except the following:
1. They believe in God’s “predestination”. We believe in a free will of man who was created according to God’s image and likeness. We believe it’s us who punish themselves and “predestine” themselves, not God.
2. They believe in the Pope as a “representative” of God on Earth, we do not believe that God can be represented by any human.
Unlike Protestants, both Orthodox and Catholic Churches believe that what happened 2000 years ago is not in the past, that people can and should grow spiritually to become like their Father. Because Jesus said: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father”. This is “cruel” live of God for people. You see, people attribute God with their qualities while God attribute people with His qualities. He expects us to be like Him. Some people achieve this level, we call them and worship them as saints. Protestants do not believe in saints. They also do not worship Mother of God and teach that She was “just a woman”. We believe that she was not just a woman, but the woman who deserved to be a Mother of God because She was sinless.
These are basic differences, but not all of them.
Elena, I have a question that I consider my “one question”. The one that I find the most fascinating, and that I love to ask of all believers. Do the russian orthodox believe that only THEY are going to heaven, that all other religions are going to hell? Do you believe that all catholics are going to hell? Protestants? Islamics? If no on some of them, what is the deciding factor?
Michael,
“Do the Russian orthodox believe that only THEY are going to heaven, that all other religions are going to hell”
The short answer is NO.
The longer answer is that God’s Heaven has many rooms. My godfather Eugeny Shiffers who was very religious and who wrote numerous books on theology and spiritual experience used to say that every religion had an image of Christ coded inside its teaching. He especially regarded Buddhism and believed that Buddhists sura should be learned by every Christian as a foundation of accepting the New Testament.
Of course among Russian Orthodox just like among any other religious schools there are some fanatics, but not a single Russian Orthodox authority which is a saint (not a priest or patriarch or any other member of clergy) ever condemned other religions
Michael,
P.S. We don’t even believe that WE are going to Heaven — unless we deserve it with our lives. Not with simply “accepting Christ” like many protestants think. They think that by the mere fact that they “accepted Christ” they are already saved. New Born Christians are a very good example of such mentality.
Thanks for fielding our questions, Elena.
The word “Christian” means Christ-Like. According to that definition who is one?
Elena, thanks for your response. I can respect the view that earning entry to heaven is a continuous task. That is one thing that just irritates me to no end about protestants, that by one simple task all is forgiven, basically regardless of the situation. Thats why there are so many protestants on death row.
Michael,
I would not be so categorical about Ptotestantism, but surely it produced many sects, cults and branches as a result of people’s dissatisfaction with the spirit and teaching of Protestant Churches. How many sects and cults or branches we know that emerged from Catholic or Orthodox Churches? None. From Protestantism — thousands. Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Pentecostals, New Born Christians, Evangelists, etc. And the numbers grow.
Jeez, this is really depressing. I feel sorry for both of the guys involved.
The man was obviously sick.
From his My Space page he seems to be rambling on about God,conspiracy theories and being saved.
My sympathies go out to both families that have been affected by this tragic event.
Jesus said ‘you shall no them by their fruits’. Anyone can profess to be christian and ramble on about God, but the one who really has the truth of God in the them-the word (the incorruptible seed), they will produce like fruit. They could never do what this guy did. hE is was wrong, he is sick and should be put away.
“Protestants do not believe in saints. They also do not worship Mother of God and teach that She was “just a womanâ€. We believe that she was not just a woman, but the woman who deserved to be a Mother of God because She was sinless”
Luke 1:42. The angel Gabriel came un to Mary and said to her ‘Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ B;essed means to be favoured. Mary was favoured amongst woman because she was chosen to carry the saviour of the World. This was prophesied in scripture centuries before. Mary was not sinless…she was a normal human woman. Only Jesus was sinless. He was the only person to walk the earth that was sinless. He was not born of the seed of man (Joseph had nothing to do with his conception)The Holy spirit caused her to conceive. Mary could have been any virgin girl except her lineage was foretold. She was a descendant of King David. The bible says nothing about Mary being sinless,if she was sinless, she should have gone to the cross herself therefoe there would be no need for Jesus.
janine, please think about these great words and their deepest meaning:
“1:46 Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.
1:47 My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,
1:48 For he has looked at the humble state of his handmaid. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.”
She was chosen not simply because She was virgin and was a descendant of King David, but because She was HUMBLE which means She always followed God’s will, was not selfish etc. You are right, as a human being She had a “birth sin” inherited from Adam and Eve, however, in Her earthly life She reached such purity and humbleness that she became able to bear unbearable — God Himself. She was so pure and so sinless in her life that She did not die when the Holy Spirit entered Her body. Her body was transformed by the Holy Spirit and it became immortal. That is why Angel Gabriel called Her “blessed”. It is not a mere metaphor, it is real. That is why there were and still are amazing instances of Her apparitions and miracles.
Pity that such man as Makarenko met that religious zealot after surviving so many dangers and hardship, really :(
Janine, one question about Mary, called Mother of God: Where in New Testament is said that Mary is descendant of king David? Only Joseph’s lineage is listed in NT, not Mary’s.
That’s some messed up stuff…Brian used to be & still is one of my favorite rappers…I got all of his previously released cd’s on djcoldblooded.net & talked to him on the phone once or twice…I think there had to be more to the story than this guy not wanting to buy some cd’s…cd’s?!?!?! come on now. People do crazy stuff nowadays…I know this. I’ve seen stuff for myself & I’ve done alot of things I regret. Serious things. I couldn’t believe any of this when I first heard it. I almost want to choose not to. People make mistakes in there life when they run on impulse…We’re all somewhat crazy if you think about it…It all depends on what you would consider “normal behavior”. I feel bad for Makakenko, no one deserves that. As for Brian I hope he realizes what he’s done. This story don’t add up if you ask me though there must’ve been alot more to it.
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