I know lots of people are saying the Vladimir Putin considers himself God, but it seems he’s willing to teach Russians about alternatives. In a fascinating development that’s sure to rile the debate over teaching religion in American schools (I’m for it, as I’ve written about here), Putin has responded to a fury over a new cult in Russia by proposing that schools teach religion in schools. Here’s the money quote.

“Various forms of teaching religion are needed in the school system. This refers not only to the study of one religion. In municipal schools now, there is a practice of teaching the fundamentals of confessional cultures – Orthodox, Muslim and others. I believe all these forms have a right to exist. However, the study of religious subjects must be voluntary.”

For those of us who grew up during the Cold War, this development is fascinating, and surely would have been front-page news. Why not now?