Father Ioann Burdin Cited Christian Values to Oppose the Invasion of Ukraine

Do Christian leaders speak according to the principles of the “Prince of Peace?” Or do they bow to public authorities who are often violent and wicked? Father Ioann Burdin, a small-town Russian Orthodox priest, was recently arrested for breaking a newly-enacted Russian law that prohibits anyone from discrediting the armed forces. Both online and in a sermon to his parish, Father Burdin criticized Russia’s war against Ukraine. Standing up, not only against his own government, but also his church’s patriarch, he called for Christians to resist evil.

There is more to this than we might think. Let us never forget that Adolf Hitler was a Christian Nationalist who rose to power with strong support from Christian conservatives. Religious people of any doctrine face constant temptation to twist religion to evil. Yes, government leaders can use religion to strengthen their own power. Nevertheless, religion is at its best when it challenges wrongful governmental actions.

And, in fact, challenging government is exactly what Father Burdin did, and in no uncertain terms. In translation, his website said:

“Brothers and sisters! In the early morning of 24 February, Russian troops attacked Ukraine. There is shelling of Kiev, Odessa, Kharkov, Mariupol and other Ukrainian cities. Russian soldiers are killing their brothers and sisters in Christ. We Christians do not dare to stand aside when a brother kills a brother, a Christian kills a Christian. Let us not repeat the crimes of those who hailed Hitler’s action on 1 September 1939. We cannot shamefacedly close our eyes and call black white, [or] evil good, [or] say that Abel was probably wrong in provoking his older brother. The blood of the inhabitants of Ukraine will remain on the hands of not only the rulers of the Russian Federation and the soldiers who carry out this order. Their blood is on the hands of each of us who approved this war or who simply remained silent.”

A Progression of Moral Ideas

Father Burdin began by stating the facts, reminded his congregation of Christian moral principles, brought up historical precedents, and concluded with a universal call.

First, he described the Russian military’s attacks against Ukraine in cities. He pointed out that many Ukrainians are Christians.

Second, Father Burdin said that Christians should never look away when “a brother kills a brother.” In fact, he said “dare:” Christians should not “dare to stand aside.” It requires courage to resist earthly authorities. In contrast, “dare” suggests that only great arrogance causes one to stand against God’s laws.

Father Burdin was not saying that it is all right for Christians to go to war against non-Christians. Instead, he chose words carefully to help his congregation identify with the war’s Ukrainian victims.

Third, he compared the Ukraine-Russia war with the horrors of World War II. Hitler’s army invaded Ukraine during that horrible conflict, spreading devastation while committing horrible massacres in Ukraine itself. That army, as Russians well remember, soon swept into Russia itself. Father Burdin reminded his congregation that many people “hailed Hitler’s actions on 1 September 1939.” That bold statement implied that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was equally wrong. Furthermore, it implicitly condemned people of today who praise Putin’s actions. We all know that Hitler was evil. Since we don’t always recognize evil in ourselves, Father Burdin showed the similarities between Hitler in 1939 and Putin in 2022.

 

Adolf Hitler’s “Christian Nationalist” Speech

Fourth, Father Burdin pointed out that the entire nation is responsible. Not only are Russia’s rulers and soldiers guilty of shedding Ukrainian blood, but also “Their blood is on the hands of each of us who approved this war or who simply remained silent.”

Russia is a constitutional republic only in name, as Vladimir Putin rules the nation with an iron fist. Yet, Father Burdin said that anyone who endorses the war, even by silence, is morally responsible. (How much more are Americans responsible if they stay silent in the face of evil?)

The Russian authorities arrested this troublesome priest and sentenced him to pay a fine, which was covered by his parish’s donations.


Moral Courage Is Rare

Yet, not much earlier, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, the spiritual leader of Russian Orthodoxy, praised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He supported Putin because he wanted to avoid moral deterioration and Gay Pride parades. (Doesn’t that sound like the American Christian right?) Patriarch Kirill’s pro-war stance is sparking stark divisions in the Russian Orthodox Church.


Religion and Government

It’s not just Christians. Will religious leaders, of whatever sect or denomination, stand up for what is right? Or will they let the lust for power corrupt their sacred teachings? History gives us many examples of both paths. In the United States, our own Christian Right continues to seek political power, often abandoning their own religious principles in the process. In 2014, Rev. Franklin Graham did not exactly praise Putin, but did speak favorably of Putin’s anti-gay-rights philosophy. He used that opportunity to attack Barack Obama for defending gay people’s rights. Christian Right author Eric Metaxas blamed the Ukraine war, not on Putin, but on an American Deep State conspiracy. 

So, at risk to himself, Father Burdin stood up to a ruthless dictator. He reminded his congregation about Christian values of peace; of brotherhood and sisterhood. He warned them not to repeat the mistakes of those who supported Hitler. He urged them not to watch evil deeds in silence. Furthermore, he reminded the world to speak up to do the right things. If religion and government become too close, both inevitably become corrupted. Father Burdin, a small-town priest, spoke up for what is right. So far, his government isn’t listening. Are we?

Franklin Graham Prays for the Divine Right of (Republican) Presidents

In Warsaw, Biden Warned the World of "The Long Fight Ahead"

In Warsaw, Biden Warned the World of "The Long Fight Ahead"

Biden Speaking in Warsaw

In an era in which everyone wants problems to be simple, when news reporters look for soundbites rather than content, President Joe Biden dug into the hard truths in his speech in Poland yesterday, March 26, 2022. He spoke to a huge outdoor crowd in the square at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. Biden told the crowd, 

“Time and again, history shows that it’s from the darkest moments that the greatest progress follows.”

Our dark moment is that Russia invaded Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, a little more than a month ago. Evidently the Russian government expected an easy conquest. Instead, they have encountered fierce resistance and dim prospects for ultimate victory. In the meantime, a great nation is being bombed to rubble – and yet continues to resist.

So, Europe is again at war. War is so very terrible, but people too often think – at the war’s outset – that victory will be quick and easy. Initial enlistments in the Confederate and Union armies in 1860 were for only 90 days. Both sides anticipated a quick, easy triumph. Both sides were wrong about that. People are still wrong when they think that war is easy.

In contrast, Biden’s speech warned the leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that the world is in for a long, hard struggle. He gave us a precedent. After World War II, Poland was an occupied satellite state of the Soviet Union. Under Lech Wałęsa’s leadership, Poland broke away from the Soviet tyranny and established itself as an independent and proud nation.

As Biden explained in his speech:

“Ten years later, the Soviet Union collapsed, and Poland and Central and Eastern Europe would soon be free. Nothing about that battle for freedom was simple or easy. It was a long, painful slog fought over not days and months, but years and decades.”

That was Biden’s key point. Nothing, Biden emphasized, about that flight “was simple or easy.” It took years. It took decades. The result of the hard struggle, however, was a breath of freedom:

“But we emerged anew in the great battle for freedom: a battle between democracy and autocracy, between liberty and repression, between a rules-based order and one governed by brute force.”

And that, Biden emphasized, gives us a historical precedent. Ignoring the angry pundits, optimistic supporters, and political opponents who expect a quick, easy solution to the Ukraine crisis, Biden warned NATO – warned the world – warned the United States – that nothing about this would be easy:

“In this battle, we need to be clear-eyed. This battle will not be won in days or months either. We need to steel ourselves for the long fight ahead.”

Biden’s “clear-eyed” warning was the most important part of his speech. That, more than anything, is what we needed to hear. We can only face dangers if we acknowledge them. The press concentrated on a soundbite, when Biden called for Vladimir Putin to leave office. That, most certainly was not the speech’s most important point. Biden was preparing NATO to accomplish its purpose. NATO’s purpose is to deter Russian aggression. That is why NATO was founded, and that is why it still exists today.

I am merely a retired speech professor, and I don’t pretend to know what the best foreign policy would be. I do know that the world has reached a dangerous inflection point. The world could erupt into full-blown World War III, which would surely be the worst calamity in human existence. Or, by acknowledging the danger and working together, world leaders might have the wisdom to fend off disaster.

The postmodern political world pays the most attention to politicians who deliver quick quips and then offer easy solutions to complicated problems. Biden offered neither. Instead, he offered the wisdom of history. Are we listening?

Earlier Post Never Give in: Words of Wisdom from Winston Churchill

 
Earlier Post: Franklin Roosevelt's War Message, December 8, 1941
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P.S. During my teaching years, I often asked my students to read Why Nations Go to War by political scientist John Stoessinger. That superb book examines the key decision moment when world leaders, invariably by mistake, decide to jump over the cliff and launch their nations into combat. What leads presidents and dictators to such overconfidence, violence, and poor judgment? In every case, world leaders’ poor judgment involved poor small group communication. That is, nations go to war because leaders fail to listen, jump to conclusions, ignore advice, or surround themselves with incompetent sycophants. When history writes the history of Putin’s decision to attack Ukraine – and I’m assuming that there will be someone left to write the history – bad communication, poor judgment, and impulsiveness will surely turn out to underlie his leadership. Anyway, I recommend Stoessinger’s book to everyone. 

Image: clipped from White House YouTube channel