Kyiv Moves to Ban the Historic Ukrainian Orthodox Church

https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-parliament-legislative-ban-ukrainian-orthodox-church-539e0f3a6d657277aa4fa93b8ec53505

We're told the Zelenskiy regime in Ukraine stands for freedom and liberal democracy. In the United States the First Amendment is often invoked as the foundation from which all the other freedoms spring. This would include the freedom of religion and nations like Russia and China are frequently castigated for denying these rights and freedoms. And yet, we see the Zelenskiy government (which embraces the fascist remnants and permutations of the World War II era) denying these basic freedoms to large sections of its population. Kyiv has intervened and has banned expressions of religion that it does not approve of - those elements of Orthodoxy that retain historical and liturgical ties to Russia. Though the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (UOC) denounced the 2022 Russian invasion and has broken formal ties with the Moscow Patriarchate, this is insufficient in the eyes of the Zelenskiy government. Because the UOC was part of the Moscow Patriarchate it must be eradicated.

At the very least the legislation will grant law enforcement new investigative powers when it comes to attendees of the UOC - which Kyiv undoubtedly views as a potential fifth column. For the Western Establishment this sort of thinking is unacceptable when it comes to Russia and its approach to Western-connected Evangelicals but apparently it's fine when it comes to Ukraine. We may at some point see the US State Department condemn these moves but even so there will be no action - which is tantamount to tacit approval.

The UOC is the historic Orthodox Church in Ukraine. The body that the government wants everyone to join is a recent creation of the state and will most certainly work to support it. This condemnation does not in any way let Kirill, the corrupt Moscow Patriarch off the hook. He too stands condemned and like American Evangelicals, he has confused his nation with the Kingdom of God. But with Orthodoxy it has always been thus.

Whatever the end result of this conflict and ecclesiastical struggle, we can be certain that more people will be put off by Christianity and turn away from it. They will see the Church (broadly speaking) as corrupt and entangled with the political powers. All too often this is the case. Would that more voices were raised to call out and condemn these spiritually bankrupt models.

This story also reveals the utterly hypocritical nature of the Western narrative surrounding Ukraine and just what this war is all about. It's about geopolitics and power. The liberal democracy narrative is just packaging for the ignorant masses to stir their feelings and blow smoke in their eyes.