The War in Ukraine

KEVIN HARRIS: Bill, the conflict between Russia and the Ukraine is going on right now as we are recording this. It is kind of a moving target. It changes moment by moment. I always noticed that your lovely wife, Jan, keeps up with these things quite often. She is really up on some of the news and some of the commentary. Obviously, it has been something that the two of you have been following. Perhaps you have some initial thoughts on where we are right now.

DR. CRAIG: We are just riveted by this conflict and are following with bated breath. We are so hopeful that the Ukrainians will be able to successfully resist this invasion by this cruel, barbarous tyrant. It is especially poignant for us because we have Reasonable Faith volunteers in the Ukraine. In fact, I have an interview scheduled with one of our Ukrainian Reasonable Faith volunteers next week. It was scheduled before the invasion took place. We thought maybe they'll want to cancel it at this point. But, no, they want to go ahead. They want to still have this event next week with us. So I'll be talking to them directly next week for this interview. Our prayers are with our brothers and sisters there that God will give them courage and strength in the face of this terrible affliction, that their faith would not fail but that they would be able to endure no matter what happens.

KEVIN HARRIS: There is one interesting element about this, and I think it's something that we're starting to realize – there's a religious element to Putin's invasion of Ukraine. A reporter for Fox writes^[1],

From one Vladimir to another, the Ukraine war is steeped in one thousand years of history and religion.

In 988, Vladimir the Great brought Christianity to Kyiv, Ukraine's capital city, by inviting the whole town to the Dnieper River to be baptized. Orthodox Christianity spread from there through Eastern Europe and Russia.

Now, Vladimir Putin wants to claim that history as part of modern Russia’s.

“This has been the origin story that Putin has relied on,” said Jon Stone, professor of Russian and Russian studies at Franklin & Marshall College.

The Russian Orthodox Church has long claimed the entire region as their canonical territory. However, Ukrainian Christians chafed at the Church’s increasingly political approach, which backs Putin and often preaches his ideals.

“You can’t workably separate the Russian Orthodox Church from Putin’s government,” Stone said.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church declared independence in 2019, a move still not recognized by the Russian Orthodox Church.

“They claim that, for instance, Ukrainian Catholic Church are schizmatics, or not true believing Christians,” . . .

The war in Ukraine is entirely tied to religion, as Putin said he wants to reunite all Orthodox Christians under Moscow’s leadership.

“The whole thing about [Russia] claiming to be the third Rome: after Rome itself, Constantinople, now they are the real Rome, the center of Christianity,” Rabiy said. “They are really delusional at this point.”

So apparently there is a religious element as so often is the case in skirmishes and conflicts like this, and it's not just Putin's disdain of NATO that is motivating him.

DR. CRAIG: It is certainly true that the Russian Orthodox Church is firmly aligned with Putin in this endeavor. As the article noted, after the fall of Rome, Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) became the seat of Christianity. And then after the fall of Constantinople, the claim is that the seat of Christianity moved to Moscow, and they claim to be the successor to the historic Orthodox Christian Church. They see Putin as restoring what is rightfully their heritage. This is even making influence among Protestant believers in Russia. I have friends at Moscow Bible Church, one of the largest Protestant evangelical churches in Moscow, and they report to me that the church is divided pretty much 50/50 (right down the middle) as to whether they back Putin in the war or whether they are critical of it. That surprised me that any Bible-believing Christian could support this sort of tyrannical invasion, but my friend there helped me to see that given the context and the background, and I think the warped media coverage of this war, the surprise is that 50% of the church are opposed to Putin's war in the Ukraine! Truly, the propaganda machine in Russia has been successful in brainwashing a lot of the Russian Christians into thinking that this war is justified. I would only note one thing about what you read, and that is that it's important to differentiate between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Catholic Church. These are different. The Catholic Church is aligned with the Roman Catholic Church in Rome. It's not part of Eastern Orthodoxy. And it is the Russian Orthodox Church (which is Eastern Orthodox) that is so aligned with Putin, and they will reject these Ukrainian Catholics along with Protestants as not truly Christian. Now, I do want to say as well, given all that it's not clear to me how much all of this is just an excuse for Putin – to exploit religious sensibilities out of his territorial ambitions to restore the old Soviet Union and to expand Russian sphere of influence and provide a buffer against the NATO states. I'm rather cynical about the religious sincerity, at least of Putin. I have a feeling that in the same way that Adolf Hitler exploited the so-called German Christians to his war ends, that Putin may also simply be exploiting the Russian Orthodox Church to support his territorial and political ambitions.

KEVIN HARRIS: There's nothing in any Christian sect that would justify bombing, killing, maiming people.

DR. CRAIG: Yes. This maternity hospital that was bombed in particular where pregnant women and even infants were killed is just a moral monstrosity that nothing could justify. These are war crimes and Putin, if they ever bring him down, may be prosecuted as a war criminal.

KEVIN HARRIS: Joel Rosenberg writes^[2],

Ukraine is one of the most Christian countries in Europe — and Christians there urgently need our prayers.

Of the country’s 43 million citizens, 78% identify as members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, up from 39% in 1991.

About 10% identify as Roman Catholics.

Only 2% are Evangelical Christians, yet Evangelicals play an influential role in Ukrainian government and society.

In 2021, Christianity Today reported that “more than 500 evangelicals were elected to all levels of government. One even heads a major city—Rivne, in western Ukraine—as mayor.”

I'm sure that you agree with Joel Rosenberg here and with all of us that we need to be very prayerful.

DR. CRAIG: Yes, absolutely. I was surprised to hear this about the disproportionate influence of evangelical Christians in the Ukraine politically. That's a very encouraging sign. Jan and I begin our day every day with prayers for the people of the Ukraine, for President Zelenskyy, and we also pray for our own political and military leaders that they will have the wisdom and the backbone and the courage to stand up to this tyranny and to take decisive action.

KEVIN HARRIS: Now, I hate to even bring this up but many people are experiencing high anxiety due to the specter of nuclear war. Most experts say it is highly unlikely due to all the government's awareness that you just can't win a nuclear war and everybody knows it. There's also been the attacks on the nuclear power plant which can cause problems. Some thoughts on that?

DR. CRAIG: Well, Putin has put Russia on defensive high alert with its nuclear weaponry. And while it's true that no one could win a global thermonuclear war, Russia has thousands of tactical nuclear weapons for use on the battlefield. These would be small nuclear bombs that could be used against tanks and people and cities. It may well be that Putin thinks that that kind of war is winnable – a tactical nuclear war – and could deploy such weapons if all else is lost. This is why our government and military officials need to have such wisdom. On the one hand, they don't want to appease this tyrant by being afraid of him, giving in to this nuclear blackmail. On the other hand, they have to walk this tightrope of knowing just how far can they push him before he would resort to the use of tactical nuclear weapons. So our leaders need real wisdom with regard to, for example, the supply of these Polish MiGs to the Ukrainian Air Force. We're already giving them offensive military weapons like Stinger missiles and Javelins for anti-tank and anti-aircraft use. Why not allow the Poles to send them these fighter jets that could help to provide air cover for Ukrainian troops and to strafe or bomb these convoys that are carrying Russian troops and munitions and so forth trying to encircle Kyiv and other cities? So it's a real balancing act, and it's terrifying to think where this could end. To think that we could be on the threshold of nuclear war. It just seems unimaginable, and yet it's a very real danger.

KEVIN HARRIS: I hope that this conflict renews efforts of nuclear disarmament and perhaps better defenses against such a conflict. We talked about that a lot several years ago, and there have been efforts. But do you think that's a worthy cause?

DR. CRAIG: Only half of it. I would not be in favor of renewing efforts at nuclear disarmament. It seems to me that weakness promotes aggression. Part of the problem that the Ukrainians are having is because we stripped them of their missile defenses a few years ago trying supposedly to promote peace. I really do believe in peace through strength. By having a strong nuclear deterrent we can help to deter the use of such weapons. So what I would support would be better defenses. For example, Israel has this Iron Dome whereby they attempt to intercept missiles. You remember President Reagan's anti-ballistic missile system that was ridiculed as “Star Wars.” We really do need to pursue that kind of technology to provide a defense against intercontinental ballistic missiles should these ever be launched against American cities.

KEVIN HARRIS: We're really walking a tightrope here on that. I agree. Well, here's an interesting aspect. Religion News Service reports^[3] that while condemning the attack, “Where Catholic moralists begin to disagree is on what means are appropriate in responding to the invasion.” The article says,

Peace advocates like [Eli S.] McCarthy [a peace activist at Georgetown University’s Justice and Peace Studies] believe that a violent response will make matters worse. . . .

But pacifists aren’t the only ones questioning an armed response to the Russian invasion. The just war theory has never supported fighting a war, even a defensive war, if there is no chance of winning.

“Given the vastly greater strength of the Russian military, it seems inevitable that Russia will eventually take military control of Ukraine.” . . .

Have you thought much about this, Bill?

DR. CRAIG: I have, and I have talked to Jan about this. I remember when the invasion first began, I said it's a tentative just war theory that it is unjust to engage in a war if there is no reasonable chance of success because then it is nothing but bloodletting for no useful purpose. I expressed real concern about whether this really was a just war. I was torn by this. I thought: Would it be better if Zelenskyy just told his army to stand down and just let the Russians come in and install their puppet government? At least then all these lives would be spared and the people in their hearts would still resist and wouldn't ever be persuaded by this Russian tyranny. They would remain patriotic, but at least it would spare them and their cities. But, in fact, that fear hasn't come true. What has happened instead is that the Ukrainians’ courage and zeal to resist this invasion has stalemated this great Russian military machine. In fact, this great Russian military has turned out to be in many ways incompetent and obsolete and not tactically sophisticated. And so the wisdom of resistance seems to be borne out. I just hope that the West will not let the Ukrainians be overtaken; that all of this suffering and destruction will not be in vain. I think there is a reasonable chance of success here. I hope that the West will do things that will enable the Russian advance to be stopped and even repelled so that it will all in the end have been worth it.

KEVIN HARRIS: As we watch these events unfold, some of my friends have said that they feel hopeless to do anything about any of it. You may have to be pastoral with us here but what are your thoughts in what we should do in times like these?

DR. CRAIG: It occurs to me that we know from the experience with the problem of evil and suffering that God is not going to prevent wars no matter how hard we pray. There will always be war and conflict. There will always be evil tyrants like Putin. But what God has commanded us to do is to pray for kings and people in authority that we can live peaceable lives. That gives me hope to pray for our leaders, however incompetent they may seem to be at times; to pray for President Zelenskyy that he would make wise tactical decisions, that he would be strong and courageous and refreshed; and to ask God to give our political leaders the wisdom and the strength that they need to resist the evil and the tyranny that inevitably afflicts our world.

KEVIN HARRIS: Thank you, Bill. We’ll see you on the next podcast.^[4]