Rasputin and The Jews - A Reversal of History
First of all, Rasputin was not a Khlysty, as suggested by the person who said that he believed in having sex to sin, so he could be absolved. As the author of a book on Rasputin, clearing his name, I've read well over a hundred books on the subject, in English and French. Rasputin learned of the Khlysty, but did not follow their religion, which also included self-flagellation. He was Russian Orthodox, but the clergy detested him because he preached that people could talk directly to God and didn't need an intermediary. He also criticized the Church for not coming to the aid of
all people, such as the oppressed Jewish population. He felt it was more Christ-like to help all.
He never claimed to be a staretz, but was a strannik - a wandering seeker of spirituality. Much of the evil that's been attributed to him is easily debunked in my book. In fact, the 'evil' is rarely defined in other sources. He was a healer. This has been documented by many witnesses, including doctors. He did not believe in hypnotism - in fact he thought it was evil. The aristocracy spread many rumors about him, in order to discredit him but, primarily, he was truly hated for advocating equal rights for the Jews. Some people find this a flimsy reason for hating him, but that's because they don't understand the nature and manifestation of anti-Semitism of that time.
Jews were restricted to a ghetto called The Pale of Settlement and, with some exception, were not allowed to leave, risking imprisonment if they did. They were denied educations and many occupations and were not allowed to hold any political or military posts. The Romanovs (for generations, with the exception of Alexander II) sanctioned 'pogroms' - regular raids on Jewish villages, wherein entire villages of Jews were tortured and slaughtered. This was the extent of anti-Semitism at the time. In political cartoons of the time, Jews were depicted as evil demons, just like Rasputin was. In fact, some accused him of being a Jew.
The charges of promiscuity against Rasputin were never substantiated and, in fact, an investigation by the post-Revolutionary Extraordinary Commission cleared him of any wrong-doing, finding him to be a man of large heart who gave money and aid to the poor and begged the Tsar to remove from the books the prejudicial laws restricting Jews. The charges of promiscuity and drinking were very hypocritical, as the aristocrats consumed vodka and French champagne by the case, and had so many sexual partners that newspaper ads for cures for sexually transmitted diseases were rampant. In fact, it's been said that had he been a noble, those behaviors would have been perfectly acceptable.
His 'evil' meddling in government affairs were efforts to both prevent war and to gain equal rights for the Jews. Those he recommended for cabinet posts generally had promised him they would champion those causes, but often didn't.
What it boils down to is that the Romanovs had a lot of blood on their hands, for the innocent people they ruthlessly killed, while Rasputin never harmed a soul and even refused to press charges against the many who tried to assassinate him. He even forgave them, because he felt it was Christ-like.
Read "Rasputin and The Jews: A Reversal of History".
Amazon.com: Rasputin and The Jews: A Reversal of History (9781461027751): Delin Colón: Books
