The Washington Post writes on the Russian Orthodox church backing for Putin's war on Ukraine:
Whether warning about the “external enemies” attempting to divide the “united people” of Russia and Ukraine, or very publicly blessing the generals leading soldiers in the field, Patriarch Kirill has become one of the war’s most prominent backers. His sermons echo, and in some cases even supply, the rhetoric that President Vladimir Putin has used to justify the assault on cities and civilians.
“Let this image inspire young soldiers who take the oath, who embark on the path of defending the fatherland,” Kirill intoned as he gave a gilded icon to Gen. Viktor Zolotov during a service at Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral in mid-March. The precious gift, the general responded, would protect the troops in their battles against Ukrainian “Nazis.”
“Any war has to have guns and ideas,” said Cyril Hovorun, professor of ecclesiology, international relations and ecumenism at University College Stockholm. “In this war the Kremlin has provided the guns, and I believe the church is providing the ideas.”
Orthodox priests in Ukraine have gone much further. In an open appeal last week, more than 320 of them accused the patriarch of preaching “heresy” and asked global church leaders to bring him before a tribunal to decide whether he should be deposed.
“Kirill committed moral crimes by blessing the war against Ukraine and fully supporting the aggressive actions of Russian troops on the Ukrainian territory,” they wrote. “It is impossible for us to remain in any form of canonical submission to the Patriarch of Moscow.”
Here, one can see how flexible morals and morality are. God tends to be on the side of whoever or whatever has the power. In the case of Russia, Putin has the power and Kirill knows it. Therefore, God is on Putin's side. When Putin goes, God will be on the side of the next murdering thug that gets to rule Russia.
Those poor priests who accused the patriarch of preaching heresy. In the name of righteous and just God, they're toast. God is gonna smite their sorry backsides in his righteous glory.
Now, on to the moral rot in the American Christian nationalist movement . . . .
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