Christian and patriotism

Patriotism exists, Christianity is not. Patriotism is an amazing, beautiful, noble ideological phenomenon. Christianity is an abstraction, and excellent. But there are no patriots, but Christians exist. Well, it is impossible to call yourself a "patriot" without laughter - it will be not enough! A man, the king of nature, the crown of creation, belonging to the noble community of narrow-legged sapiens, glorious that they settled around the planet-and suddenly begins to climb on some section of this planet?

Who is called and who calls himself patriots? First of all, these are agorafs and xenophobe, which hung the label of Patria on their autistic closet. Two hundred years ago, such people dominated normal people. These two hundred years ended on most of the planet, and thank God.

Secondly, a more apologetic option is people of a poetic warehouse, who see a reflection of eternity in the gold-bastard petal, and in the podger, and in the ravine, and even in the building of the native parliament. Thirdly, the most burning type of patriot is a man on whom a tank rides under the pretext that he lives on a land belonging to a tanker. “Well, no,” the crush screams in despair, “this is not your land, this is my homeland!” And what else to scream, if the tanker does not know the words “privacy”, and the word “homeland” knows and waves precisely this word. We have to speak with a country in a language available to him. Although the patriot of the third type, God forbid, lives in Lisbon, rests in Madagascar, children study in London, and in Lugansk he has only mom and aunt. The third type of patriot is pretty pretty.

Who is called and who calls himself patriots? First of all, these are agorafs and xenophobe, which hung the label of Patria on their autistic closet. Two hundred years ago, such people dominated normal people. These two hundred years ended on most of the planet, and thank God

Can a Christian sometimes be at least such a patriot? Theoretically - yes, practically - you need to think. Indeed, in reality, any "patriotism" in some way limits a person, and a Christian is a person without restrictions, that is, a person as such. (They say that somewhere there are people as such who have become such without any religion-well, God give them health, and we are better with Christ, with reality ...).

The conflict with patriotism has already been laid down in the prayer "Our Father." Paternoster in a different Italian. Patria, the "Fatherland", which means, is very, in another place-inside me and above the heaven. The Christian gives rise to the spirit - so the "homeland" also means completely different. Not the Volga-Volga, Mutter Volga, but a few drops of water that sprayed at baptism-either a baptism of water, or a river, but in any case, a complete damping from geography and a binding to theology, here is our womb. A Christian should not be a patriot, however, a Christian can be considered a patriot. A good Christian is even a great patriot.

Any Christian commandment - starting with the commandment not to multiply the commandments - is extremely useful for any earthly community. A Christian does not need to break himself to become a patriot. Do not steal? Homeland blooms! Do you not adulthly? The homeland will dissuade and begins to bear fruit! Can't you lie? The homeland is ecstasy, GDP jumps three times, exports of four, the native currency proudly looks around. Do you believe in God? Well, this homeland may not understand this, but it will definitely not be worse - if you do not derive from faith to God forced, and from which Bodun this was the same?

The only thing where a Christian and patriotism seem to conflict is "not to kill." We will not imitate the sheep’s ships that inspire that “not to kill” is not about the protection of the Fatherland, and not about the death penalty. On Sinai, perhaps it was not about that, but on the Calvary exactly the same, beloved - never kill, no one, for nothing, otherwise he did not kill Christ. However, let me, and who said that "not to kill" is dangerous for all kinds of earthly fatherland? No, well, tell me the country that died due to the refusal of its inhabitants to give a preventive rebuff, raise a brick to those who came with a brick and not fight at all? There are no such countries! But the countries who died from the desire to fight is a dime a dozen. I mean, put the cemetery.

All the great empires mentioned in the Bibles were covered with a copper basin. Just as Khoja said the nasherynik at Nepilosof Solovyov: "He who wears a copper shield has a copper forehead!" It is curious that by will, let's say gently, the same Israel is an excellent example of the fact that life according to the commandments, including “not killing”, does not interfere with the fatherland - the state, society, call it as you want - to exist. Israeli religious people do not fight for Israel for some reasons. And - nothing, Israel is worth, even causes burning envy among Great Russians with its military power. And Russia, in which the diapers in camouflage spots, with all its pseudo -Orthodox patriotic desire to put the soul behind their neighbors - in complete military out. That is, of course, the conquests are happening, but you will deign to see, with a number, and some conquests of it ... stealthily, vile and unreliable ... It seems that we won them, saved them ourselves, and the conquered everything is pricks and pricks, but it does not do not.

Russia has nothing to do with Ukraine now, except for the front line - and Christian tasks. In both countries, a Christian has one goal - to be a Christian. To carry your cross, and not Bazuku, to give up their souls, and not ammunition, to distribute the estate not to the military ministry, but to the poor - which both in Ukraine and Russia, thanks to the war, every day more and more, but it will be stumbled even.

Those who rush to Ukraine with Orthodox slogans do this not because the Patriarch ordered him, but because he and the patriarch have one secular authorities and one inner spirit of anger and one father of lies adopted them

Well, even not to perform? Do not testify to the truth, such as "Patriarch Kirill False Gabist litter"? This is a truth, not a false? Well, if you really want to, once ... And the meaning? What, does anyone doubt? Yes, my God! Those who rush to Ukraine with Orthodox slogans do this not because the Patriarch ordered him, but because he and the Patriarch have one secular authorities and one inner spirit of anger and one father of lies adopted them. Orthodoxy will disappear in Russia - it will still overcome. But if Christianity appears in Russia - at least Orthodox, at least any - a chance will appear that the mother will stop, unless, of course, the commandment is “not killed” from Christianity, as is done now.

So here it comes out the best way to be useful to the Fatherland is to be useful to God. Because it will be useful to Russia if it is not a prate, but to live, which no one has tried here so far, and completely in vain. Very, very exciting activity! Even if life is not very eternal, it is better than any, the most eternal deadly!

Yakov Krotov is a priest of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (updated), author and host of the Radio Liberty program "from a Christian point of view"

Opinions expressed under the heading "Law" may not reflect the point of view of the editorial office

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  Yakov Krotov

  Historian and priest, leading Radio Freedom Radio "Between Vera and Belief"

  ykrotov@yahoo.com