Be Putin a godly man or a scallywag usin' religion for his own gain? Arrr, me thinks tis the latter!
2024-03-27
Arrr, me hearties! This Vladimir Putin be usin' the power of the Lord above to make Russia great again! The Russian folk be feelin' mighty special now, like they be the chosen ones of the high seas! Aye, a clever move indeed!
In a humorous 17th-century pirate tone, let me regale ye with the tale of Russian President Vladimir Putin attending a church on his Novo-Ogaryevo residency compound to honor victims of a terrorist attack in Moscow. Is Putin a devout man of faith or a scallywag using religion for his own gain? His connection to religion dates back to his mother secretly baptizing him as a babe, despite his father being a godless Communist. Putin didn't fully embrace his faith until his mother asked him to bless his baptismal cross in 1993. His ties to Russian Orthodox beliefs root back to Czar Vladimir, who brought Christianity to Russia in 988.Putin's foreign policy aims to restore Russia's Imperial roots, historically intertwined with the Orthodox Church. Throughout history, Russian leaders drew power from divine appointment, a tradition Putin continues by intertwining religion and state ceremonies. By reviving religious symbols, Putin seeks to restore Russia's pride and exceptionalism lost after the USSR's collapse.Though seen as a tyrant in the West, many Russians view Putin as a messianic leader. With his recent election win, "Czar Vladimir" plans to rule "Mother Russia" until 2036, cementing his place in Russian history as a larger-than-life figure.