PUTIN AND THE CHURCH
The Christianity of President Putin is stated by this researcher as having a union of church and state. The comparison is made between the leadership of Hitler and Putin as both seeing themselves as having the Divine right to conquer others. In Putin’s case it is to fulfill the destiny of Russia as the 3rd Jerusalem.
Rob Schwarzwalder writes:
“This mystical belief has caused Putin to believe he, himself, is imbued with the spirit of his nation. Shortly before Lent, one of his business associates asked Putin about asking forgiveness before a priest. Putin responded, “‘I am the President of Russia. Why should I ask for forgiveness?’”
When a leader believes he is the personification of the state itself, specially chosen by God to lead his country to conquest and triumph, trouble looms — as the people of Ukraine have learned with great pain. The German philosopher G.F. Hegel claimed that the state — a centralized government with power over every institution and person within the borders it controls — “is the march of God on earth.” This is precisely the approach taken by the Nazis concerning Adolf Hitler. The so-called “Fuhrer (leader) principle” was made clear by one of Hitler’s lapdog apologists, Rudolf Hess: “Hitler is Germany and Germany is Hitler. Whatever he does is necessary. Whatever he does is successful. Clearly the Führer has divine blessing.” This is why negotiating with Putin has proven so difficult.