Russian Patriarch Kirill
(photo via Duma.gov.ru)
COGwriter
While many Protestants consider the USA to be a “Christian nation,” the reality is that the USA, along with some others in the West, have been promoting immorality around the world. Specifically sins such as abortion, the LGBTQ+ agendas, and pornography.
This, however, has been resisted by Russia as well as other lands in the East.
This is one reason that Russia has been pushed aside by the USA and parts of the West. Notice the following:
Russia is Europe – Christian leader
The country is under attack despite being part of European culture, Patriarch Kirill has said
22 November 2024
The US and its allies have ganged up against Russia because it has taken its own path and refuses to renounce its Christian traditions, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has said.
Speaking about the ongoing standoff between Moscow and the West over Ukraine during a sermon on Wednesday, the Patriarch suggested that Russia and its people have entered “a very special period” in their history.
“Many have turned on us, and I keep asking myself: why have they done so? We are the same as many others. In general, we represent the same European cultural tradition. We are Christians,” he said.
According to Kirill, he eventually came to the conclusion that it happened because “Russia has dared – and it has dared because it is an independent and great power – to follow a different civilizational path,” compared to that of the West.
“Today, … they are rejecting Christ, God and the Church. The churches are being turned into entertainment venues or used for some other purposes, but in our country the Church is building thousands of churches,” he explained. https://www.rt.com/russia/608062-patriarch-kirill-christianity-russia/
And yes, it is at least partially because Russia has not adopted certain forms of immorality as normal, that the USA and parts of Europe have issues with Russia–and this started long before Russia’s ‘Special Military Operation’ into Ukraine (and even that Special Military Operation did not start until AFTER the Biden-Harris Administration told Russia that Ukraine should not be prevented from being in NATO, which contradicted a promise made to Russia when the old Soviet Union was disbanding).
Anyway, the promoting of LGBTQ+ matters during the Obama-Biden Administration was a major turning point that harmed US-Russian relations.
Consider that Barack Obama had fairly positive relations with Russia just prior to his reelection in 2012. Now the US and Russia do not.
What happened after 2012?
Notice something that Hillary Clinton wrote about that happened with Russia when she was Secretary of State:
When I pressed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to do more to protect the rights of LGBT people, the normally cool and restrained diplomat turned nasty. …
Meanwhile, I looked for ways to make progress closer to home, by better supporting LGBT members of the State Department. . . . I supported the State Department’s annual Pride event, hosted by a group called GLIFFA, Gay and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies. (Clinton HR. Hard Choices. Simon & Schuster, 2014, pp. 577-578)
After that meeting, USA-Russian relations went downhill. Russia told the US that it would not promote the LGBTQ+ agenda.
Hillary Clinton bragged about the use of the USA’s “soft power” around this time, which many have considered as bullying as well as interference in the internal affairs of their nations.
The bullying of the US by Hillary Clinton did not persuade Russia, so the US took steps against Russia since that time.
And the Biden-Harris Administration?
Well, one of US President Biden’s first acts after assuming his office was to authorize the USA government to send funds overseas, as well as domestic, to groups that perform abortions (see https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/28/politics/biden-abortion-executive-orders/index.html).
Although Soviet Russia pushed abortions, things have now changed in Russia as the Russian Orthodox Church’s influence seems to be reducing the willingness of clinics to perform abortions:
More private clinics refusing abortions – Russian Orthodox Church
7 September 2024
More than 500 private medical centers have refused to provide abortion services despite being licensed to do so, the Russian Orthodox Church has said. This comes amid a pro-life Church initiative and a state push to boost birth rates in Russia.
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, met with top figures in the clergy as well as the Deputy Chairman of the Demography Commission of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation on Thursday.
“According to the participants of the meeting, more than 71 regions of the Russian Federation supported the initiative of His Holiness the Patriarch to restrict abortion; 502 private clinics in Russia refused to perform abortions, which is 18% of all clinics licensed to perform abortions,” the Church statement said. …
At least 77% of Russians consider a fetus to be a human being, a sociological study conducted by the Center for Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAN) said. A mere 18% took the view that a baby only becomes a human at birth. https://www.rt.com/russia/603648-russian-clinics-refusing-abortions/
Notice something from the nation of Georgia according to Russia’s foreign minister:
Commenting on the Georgian law “On Transparency of Foreign Influence,” the top diplomat emphasized that it is not the “Foreign Agents” law. It implies that persons or organizations that violate this law will not be assigned any status, but will be addressed with a legal obligation to show the finances they receive from abroad, the minister explained. Lavrov pointed out that this law is present in the legislation of France, Poland and many other states, and in a much stricter framework.
“What the Georgian government is doing now is that they are realizing their national identity and understanding that the Georgian people have the same values of Orthodoxy, national culture, which are being eroded, erased and subsumed by the ‘rules’ that the West is imposing on everyone, primarily in the context of the values of liberal democracy or, if you will, democratic liberalism. Georgians are not satisfied with this. Nor are they satisfied with the unbridled imposition of the LGBT agenda,” Lavrov said in an interview with RBC.
“The Georgian people, whom I know well and appreciate their love of life (Georgia was one of the leading cultural centers during the Soviet Union – our common homeland), carefully guard their history. For this, I think, they deserve reproaches from the West,” the minister pointed out. https://tass.com/politics/1839477
The Bible warns against promoting evil and perversity, as well as despising the word of God:
20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
And prudent in their own sight! (Isaiah 5:20-21)
12 Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel:
“Because you despise this word,
And trust in oppression and perversity,
And rely on them,
13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you
Like a breach ready to fall,
A bulge in a high wall,
Whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant. (Isaiah 30:12-13)
Woe to those that do such things. But the USA is still doing those things.
Furthermore, Russia has also taken steps against various immoral things that the West has been promoting.
For example, last year Russia’s President Vladimir Putin signed a law preventing people from trying to pretend they can change their gender via elective surgeries:
Vladimir Putin signs law banning gender changes in Russia
Vladimir Putin has signed legislation that bans people from officially or medically changing their gender, representing a further blow to Russia’s embattled LGBTQ+ community.
The act, passed unanimously by both houses of parliament, bans any “medical interventions aimed at changing the sex of a person”, as well as banning changing a person’s gender in official documents or public records. The only exception will be medical intervention to treat congenital anomalies.
It also annuls marriages in which one person has “changed gender” and bars transgender people from becoming foster or adoptive parents.
The ban is said to stem from the Kremlin’s crusade to protect what it views as the country’s “traditional values”. Lawmakers say the legislation is to safeguard Russia against “western anti-family ideology”, with some describing gender transitioning as “pure satanism”. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/24/vladimir-putin-signs-law-banning-gender-changes-in-russia
Yes, many aspects of the LGBTQ+ agenda are cruel and satanic.
Back in late 2021, Vladimir Putin held his annual end-of-the year Q&A session and made some true statements that Western leaders will not:
President Putin: I Will Never Allow the ‘New World Order’ To Pervert Nature – There Are Only TWO Genders
December 24, 2021
Speaking to journalists at an end-of-year press conference, Putin warned that the elites in the West are deliberately trying to pervert nature by claiming that men can be women and women can be men.
“It’s inevitable [that these concepts will arrive in Russia],” Putin warned. “If someone thinks men and women are the same thing, let them think that, but let us think about common sense.”
“I believe that the traditional approach is correct. Male is male, female is female, mother is mother, and father is father. I sincerely hope that our society has the moral armor to protect us against this,” Putin added.
He also spoke about the far-left movement in the US to allow inmates to legally change their gender to female in order to enter women’s prisons.
“To fight against that, we should not just shout and point fingers, but we should support our own traditional values,” he declared.
Rt.com reports: Putin’s statement isn’t the first time a senior Russian politician has spoken out against modern, progressive ideas in regards to gender issues. Earlier this month, Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko said that it is “unacceptable” to impose foreign values on a country without taking into account its history, faith, religion, and national characteristics.
“They are trying to impose alien values on us. And not only on us but on the advancement in the world in general,” she said. “It’s sexual minority rights. There are already 85 genders in Europe. It is unacceptable for us.” https://newspunch.com/president-putin-i-will-never-allow-the-new-world-order-to-pervert-nature-there-are-only-two-genders/
Vladimir Putin has been the most powerful political leader in the world to take a stand against several parts of the LGBTQ+ agenda, vulgarity (see Russia’s Vladimir Putin takes a stand against vulgar language), and some other sins that plague Western society. China’s President has taken some views as well, but not quite as publicly and on as much as Vladimir Putin has.
Billy Graham’s son Franklin Graham made some comments several years ago related to Vladimir Putin:
July 12, 2017
In 2014, Graham published an opinion piece about the Russian president’s decision to sign a law barring the distribution of “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” to children. The law, which was widely perceived to be homophobic, stirred controversy ahead of the 2014 Olympic games in Sochi. But Graham defended it anyway, saying America’s embrace of LGBTQ rights amounts to “secularism” that “is as godless as communism.”
“In my opinion, Putin is right on these issues,” Graham wrote. “Obviously, he may be wrong about many things, but he has taken a stand to protect his nation’s children from the damaging effects of any gay and lesbian agenda.”
He also lauded Putin’s pledge to protect Christians in Syria, noting how it was “one justification for his support of the Assad regime in Syria.”
“It’s obvious that President Obama and his administration are pushing the gay-lesbian agenda in America today and have sold themselves completely to that which is contrary to God’s teaching,” Graham wrote. “In my opinion, Putin is right on these issues. Obviously, he may be wrong about many things, but he has taken a stand to protect his nation’s children from the damaging effects of any gay and lesbian agenda.”
“Isn’t it sad, though, that America’s own morality has fallen so far that on this issue — protecting children from any homosexual agenda or propaganda — Russia’s standard is higher than our own?” he added.
“Pray for the President of Russia, [who] defends traditional Christianity,” Graham reportedly said. …
Pat Buchanan — another leader of the Religious Right — published his own piece about Russia potentially replacing the U.S. as a bastion of “Christian values,” asking “Whose side is God on now?” …
Graham still invited a delegation from the ROC to the 2017 event, and it was moved to D.C. at the suggestion of ROC external relations head Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of Moscow — the same man who helped Graham come up with the idea for the conference in the first place. https://thinkprogress.org/religious-right-russia-3e80e2ea2e4a/
Notice also something else from even further in the past:
22 September 2014
Well, it is true, is it not, that President Vladimir Putin stands virtually alone among national leaders of the major powers in publicly proclaiming his Christian identity, and in condemning homosexual “marriage” — while leaders of the so-called Christian West have adopted the politically correct line that these unnatural unions are now sacrosanct? And is it not true that Putin and the Russian government have been spending hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild hundreds of Russian Orthodox churches destroyed during the militant atheism of the Soviet era? Has he not restored sacred holidays of the Julian Christian calendar? Did he not sign a national law last year outlawing advertisements for abortion? To which we must answer: yes, yes, yes, yes; true, true, true, true.
Additional “facts” can be cited to paint an even more striking image of Putin as pious champion of Christianity: crossing himself and kissing the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary that he presented to Pope Francis during his 2013 visit to the Vatican; numerous appearances with (and blessings and endorsements from) Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church and other Christian church leaders; signing into law a “ban on the propaganda of homosexuality and pedophilia” directed at children, while President Obama promotes the LBGT agenda at every level and every opportunity; speaking out against the persecution and murder of Christians by Islamic jihadists in Syria and Iraq. …
In his current ruse as Defender of the Faith, Putin is not only channeling Stalin, but also Lenin, that original Bolshevik persecutor of the church. Lenin was the supreme pragmatist, happily willing to use “whatever works,” and constantly at odds with rigid communist “purists” who failed to grasp the necessity of operational flexibility in the pursuit of the final objective. http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/19162-putin-defender-of-christian-faith-and-morality
Vladimir Putin has been willing to take biblically-consistent stands on moral issues that few other influential leaders have.
Of course, Muslim countries (which are mainly also in the East) have resisted the LGBTQ+ agenda that Western nations have promoted.
But even less religious nations, such as China, have taken some steps. Here is something from 2023:
While celebrations were held around the world for Pride month, there were no major LGBT events in China.
27 June 2023
The country’s largest Pride event has been suspended since 2021.
The organiser, a group named ShanghaiPride, did not give a reason for the move, saying at the time it was “cancelling all upcoming activities and taking a break from scheduling any future events.”
People taking part in political protests in China often face punishment, …
The same year, a group which filed lawsuits on behalf of members of the LGBT community closed down. There were reports that its founder was detained by authorities, with the closure of the group being a condition for his release.
And last month, the Beijing LGBT Center became the latest group to stop operations “due to forces beyond our control”. …
A leader of another LGBT organisation, who has also left China, told the BBC that pressure from authorities has taken a toll on those pushing for social change. …
In 2021, a notice from China’s education ministry caused a stir after it suggested that young Chinese men had become too “feminine”. …
The Bible also condemns males acting effeminate:
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, KJV)
Transgenderism is against scripture. Yet, US President Biden proclaims it as something to be aided and celebrated–e.g. see VOA: Biden to Mark Transgender Day of Visibility With New Actions.
The USA should be ashamed.
But it is not and will fall:
15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination?
No! They were not at all ashamed;
Nor did they know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
At the time I punish them,
They shall be cast down,” says the Lord. (Jeremiah 6:15)
The USA will be punished and cast down.
On LGBTQ+ matters, Vladimir Putin’s public positions have been far more pro-biblical than US President Joe Biden’s views, which are often anti-biblical.
Interestingly, back in 2014, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin signed in a law against foul language (see Russia’s Vladimir Putin takes a stand against vulgar language)–that is also something we are hardly seeing influential leaders in the West speaking out against.
Vladimir Putin believes that he is standing for traditional Russian Orthodox values.
Earlier this year, Russia took steps against fornicating promoting sex parties:
Moscow banning sex parties – event organizers
8 February 2024
A group that organizes raunchy sex parties has decided to suspend its events in Russia after the authorities reportedly warned it against hosting the controversial gatherings. …
The news comes as Russian lawmakers have been cracking down on the promotion of what is perceived as “non-traditional sexual relations,” particularly propaganda relating to transgenderism and pedophilia.
While Russian legislators have specifically banned LGBTQ propaganda, and have designated the “international LGBT movement” as an extremist organization, in practice this has also extended to events that are not explicitly connected to the rights movement. https://www.rt.com/pop-culture/592058-moscow-sex-parties-ban/
Elsewhere in the East, notice something from Kazakhstan:
Post-Soviet state bans webcam porn
7 September 2024
Kazakhstan has amended its penal code, banning webcam sexual performances, which are now legally equated with prostitution-related activities. Regional media have recently been sounding the alarm over the rise of the industry in Central Asia.
The practice of live-streams of explicit content in exchange for money has become widespread in many parts of the world in recent decades. Some such platforms also advertise physical sexual services. …
Last year, Kazakh authorities reported that they had dismantled a highly organized criminal group specializing in illegal webcam services. The ring supposedly lured young women with the promise of high salaries, and retained them through blackmail.
In late June, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signed off on changes to the country’s criminal code, which outlawed the “facilitation and abetment of prostitution and debauchery via the Internet (webcam-studios).” The amendments also envisaged penalties for sex workers involved in such activities. https://www.rt.com/russia/603652-kazakhstan-bans-webcam-services/
The USA and the West have been major supplier of pornography, yet, God did not create humans to be sexually immoral:
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18)
The once Protestant- or Roman Catholic-dominated nations of the West have not had top leaders stand up for the scientific biological facts about males and females. Nor do they take steps to stop pornography or fornication.
Russia not only has taken a stand, it is now promoting itself as a nation with values that the West has turned aside from. Notice the following from this past Summer:
MOSCOW, August 19. /TASS/. Moscow will provide assistance to any foreigners who want to escape the neoliberal ideals being put forward in their countries and move to Russia, where traditional values reign supreme, according to a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin.
Under the document, such foreign nationals will have the right to apply for temporary residence in Russia “outside the quota approved by the Russian government and without providing documents confirming their knowledge of the Russian language, Russian history and basic laws.”
Applications may be based on the rejection of their countries’ policies “aimed at imposing destructive neoliberal ideals on people, which run counter to traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.” https://tass.com/politics/1831019
Yes, many items being pushed by the USA and others in the West are destructive and go against traditional (as well as biblical) moral values.
The Bible says to:
1 Cry aloud, spare not;
Lift up your voice like a trumpet;
Tell My people their transgression,
And the house of Jacob their sins. (Isaiah 58:1)
Most of the descendants of Jacob dwell in the West (for details, see the free online book: Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?).
It is still shameful that more leaders in the West have not stood against more aspects the LGBTQ+ agenda, pornography, abortion, and vulgarity. At least some in the East are doing so.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses Can you point to scriptures, like Daniel 11:39, that point to the USA in the 21st century? This article does. Two related sermon are available: Identifying the USA and its Destruction in Prophecy and Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection; here is a message in Spanish: Me Está Llamando Dios Hoy? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? Two related sermons about this are also available: Real Repentance and Real Christian Repentance.
About Baptism Should you be baptized? Could baptism be necessary for salvation? Who should baptize and how should it be done? Here is a link to a related sermon: Let’s Talk About Baptism and Baptism, Infants, Fire, & the Second Death.
Russia and Ukraine: Their Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end? There is also a video sermon available: Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy as are two video sermonettes Russia, Ukraine, Babylonian Europe, and Prophecy and Ukraine in Prophecy?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? Is Ezekiel 38 about to be fulfilled? Are we close to the battle with Gog and Magog? Four related videos are available: Ezekiel 38 Gog and Magog War: Is it Soon?, Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now?, Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code), and Gog, Magog, Vladimir Putin, and Ezekiel 38?
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about the peoples of Africa, Asia, South America, and the islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon; When Will the End of the Age Come?; Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
Cross-dressing and other assaults against your children. What should you do? Is there an agenda to turn your children and/or grandchildren away from biblical morality and towards practices promoted by homosexuals? What does the Bible teach about cross-dressing? What should parents do? If there is an agenda, what has been going on? There are also three YouTube videos related to this, titled Transgender ‘Woe to those who call evil good’ and Cross dressing and Other Assaults Against Your Children and USA pushing gender confusion.
The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality and the LGBTQ agenda? Can homosexuals change? A related video sermon is titled: What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality? A short video is available titled: Gay Gene? Born That Way?
