I have a background as a Soviet/Russian analyst during the waning days of the Cold War and a few years thereafter. I am also an Orthodox Christian with a theology degree. I am quite distressed by the attraction of my fellow Orthodox, as well as many other "conservative" American Christians, to Putin and Russia. I think it is mostly a mat…
I have a background as a Soviet/Russian analyst during the waning days of the Cold War and a few years thereafter. I am also an Orthodox Christian with a theology degree. I am quite distressed by the attraction of my fellow Orthodox, as well as many other "conservative" American Christians, to Putin and Russia. I think it is mostly a matter of identity politics, which has recently taken over American politics but has been prevalent in Orthodoxy for centuries.
The notion that Russia is a Christian nation is absurd. It is one of the most secular nations that has ever existed. While 70% of Russians identify as Orthodox Christians, 30% of those 70% also identify as atheists, and only 3% ever attend Orthodox services. Russia cannot even produce enough priests to staff its churches - it has to import priests from Ukraine, a MUCH more Christian country, which produces more priests than its churches need. Russia also has one of the world's highest abortion rates - a fact that Putin's American fans systematically ignore because it doesn't fit the requirements of their political narrative.
It was clear to me by late 2015 - long before the Steele Dossier surfaced - that Trump had corrupt ties to Russia. Don Jr. boasted about the Trump Organization's access to investment funding from Russian oligarchs! That's one of the two main reasons I was a charter member of NeverTrump. (The other was his preference for protectionist trade policy.)
I have a background as a Soviet/Russian analyst during the waning days of the Cold War and a few years thereafter. I am also an Orthodox Christian with a theology degree. I am quite distressed by the attraction of my fellow Orthodox, as well as many other "conservative" American Christians, to Putin and Russia. I think it is mostly a matter of identity politics, which has recently taken over American politics but has been prevalent in Orthodoxy for centuries.
The notion that Russia is a Christian nation is absurd. It is one of the most secular nations that has ever existed. While 70% of Russians identify as Orthodox Christians, 30% of those 70% also identify as atheists, and only 3% ever attend Orthodox services. Russia cannot even produce enough priests to staff its churches - it has to import priests from Ukraine, a MUCH more Christian country, which produces more priests than its churches need. Russia also has one of the world's highest abortion rates - a fact that Putin's American fans systematically ignore because it doesn't fit the requirements of their political narrative.
It was clear to me by late 2015 - long before the Steele Dossier surfaced - that Trump had corrupt ties to Russia. Don Jr. boasted about the Trump Organization's access to investment funding from Russian oligarchs! That's one of the two main reasons I was a charter member of NeverTrump. (The other was his preference for protectionist trade policy.)