OPPORTUNISM. (from opportune: ME.; L. opportunus; literally, at or before the port; prefix op for ob, and portus, a port, harbor, haven). Political attitude or personal conduct that to some degree dispenses with moral principles, adapting to the prevailing opinion in any given moment and thereby receiving corresponding favor and benefits from the powers that be.

In contemporary political campaigns adversaries frequently accuse each other of opportunistic action in order to discredit their opponents in the eyes of the electorate. For this reason, such accusations should be carefully weighed and verified through experience in order not to fall prey to easy political manipulation (*).

In the political life of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, mutual accusations of o. were commonplace in almost all political campaigns and electoral processes. A special affinity for leveling such accusations could be observed in the communist movement. Stalin accused all his adversaries, whether real or imagined, of being opportunists of either the right or the left. In some cases, Stalin even spoke of "opportunist monsters of the left-right" and stigmatized "centrists" as well. The latter accusation was used by Russian Communists as the height of o., the worst possible insult. Victims of Stalinism were labeled "opportunists" if, prior to their arrest, they had been members of the Communist Party or the Komsomol (Communist youth organization).

OPPOSITION. (OFr.; L. oppositio, from oppositus, pp. of opponere; place against, opposite). 1) Opposing of one’s own standards or criteria, ideas, and politics to the prevailing politics and ideas. Non-violent resistance to such politics, and the introducing of alternatives to the official politics. 2) The minority that, in deliberative bodies, opposes the politics of the government and at times forms the minority or "shadow cabinet." This form of o. is termed parliamentary o. 3) Minority or minorities within a political party that speak out against the political course and organizational or other measures of that party.

O. typically involves tactical and organizational questions, but at times can include key political issues and lead to a split in the party or even to its dissolution. Numerous conservative and communist parties in Europe, Asia, and America have dissolved in this way. In many cases such a minority will form its own faction, with organizational offices, funding, and publicity apparatus, but still within the framework of the program or platform and statutes of the original party. Such o. within a party is called internal o.

OPPRESSION. (from oppress: OFr. oppresser; ML. oppressare, from L. oppressus, pp. of oprimere, to press against). This repugnant and widespread social phenomenon has deep historical roots and is manifested when persons or privileged groups appropriate the product of the labor of others, forcing these others to serve them, to carry out their commands. O. is produced by violence (*).

We distinguish between family, gender, racial, national, religious, class and other types of o. Since ancient times, the human being (*) has struggled against all forms of o. From its beginnings, humanism (*) has condemned o. and inspired people to defend human dignity.

ORTHODOXY. (Gr. orthodoxia; orthos, right, straight, true, and doxa, opinion, belief, reputation, from dokein, to think). Conformity with religious views officially held to be true. Dogmatic rectitude in political and social groups.

Orthodox Church or Eastern Orthodox Church, official name of the Christian churches that practice Eastern rites (in Syria, Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Serbia, Bulgaria, Rumania, Russia, the Ukraine, and other countries).

Since the Schism of 1054 that divided the Christian churches of Rome and Constantinople, this centrifugal process has continued and intensified. Since 1961 most of the independent Orthodox churches that recognize the moral authority of the patriarch of Constantinople have held conferences (in which fifteen official Orthodox churches have participated). And there are a number of Orthodox churches in each country. In Russia alone, in addition to the official church that enjoys the open support of the government, there are four Orthodox churches that follow the old rites and no fewer than six that follow other rites.

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We invite everyone to participate with us in putting into practice the moral principle that says: "Treat others as you would like to be treated."
More information:
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