What do you think of this? Apparently about 3/4 of the population of this planet has decided that Russia – and specifically Putin – is an evil monster and must be stopped, at all costs. (It may actually be lower: China and India are neutral favoring Russia. Which in the eyes of people like Dubya makes them enemies of Russia’s enemies. Somehow Russia (and Putin) is a combination of Imperialist, Communist, and Fascist. While poor, helpless Ukraine begs for weapons and aid, and yet seems to be holding off the Russia forces.

Many of those people who condemn Russia are atheists, of course: although some atheists are moralists, many are not.

But many call themselves “Christians” – either Roman Catholic or Orthodox or Protestant or “other” and their voices are some of the loudest. Some have already proclaimed Vladimir Putin to be THE Antichrist. The Pope demands an end to this “massacre” though nothing seems to support the claim that the invasion is, or has, elements of a massacre.

The exception to that is the Russian Orthodox Church, who holds up Putin as a faithful son of the Church, and defender of morality and other christian virtues. And which claims a moral basis for cleaning up Ukraine. Russia believes more and more that it is a “christian nation” and seems to show signs of that – perhaps Russia is going easy to try and avoid what they consider needless casualties – or some Russian soldiers are intentionally holding back.  Of course, a more prosaic thought might be that Russia wants to do as little damage and cause as few deaths as possible to a land and people that Russia intends to annex.

And honestly, no one can figure out where Jews are at: Israel’s Foreign Minister condemned Russia’s attack and just recently said that Israel would not bypass the US-led sanctions against Russia. Keep in mind that Russia and Israel have a de facto alliance in Syria, mostly against Iranian-backed forces. And that Iran’s ayatollahs seem to be on Russia’s side. But at the same time, Israel is not giving much to Ukraine – not even so-called “defensive military equipment” like helmets and the Iron Dome air defense system. American Jews, even in the pro-liberty movement like the Zelman Partisans, seem to be split. Of course, Israelis and other Jews have little reason to love European nations.

Interesting thoughts.

Of course, we also need to consider the Lord’s impact on people’s spirits: are those who claim to be Jews and Christians really following the teaching of Moses and the Prophets, and of Christ Jesus? Whichever side, Ukrainian or Russian? Do they believe that Russians who do not oppose the war are hypocrites? That those christian Ukrainians who fight against Russians are also hypocrites? Post-Soviet Russia and Ukraine seem to both have very large numbers who claim to be followers of Christ Jesus, if not of each other’s Patriarchs or the Bishop of Rome.

And they ALL claim that God is on their side. Regardless of who has the biggest battalions. (Napoleon or George Bernard Shaw or perhaps Voltaire should be remembered: I think he said that God isn’t on the side of the biggest battalions, but the best shooters.)

Recalling Mark Twain’s “War Prayer” we need to ask whose side the Lord is on.

Remember that the Lord used the evil empire of the Assyrians to punish and destroy the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and the evil empire of the Babylonians to punish and discipline the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Who were literally God’s “chosen people.”

And the sins of the nations of Europe and North America – not just of governments but of the people themselves, make Judah’s pale in comparison. And even ancient Israel’s.

I realize this sounds really, really religious. But then, I am an old fashioned lover of liberty, who thinks that liberty is one of God’s greatest gifts to His creations. A gift too many have always rejected, just like they do others of His gifts. What do you think?