Is Putin unfairly maligned?

On Russia by George Christensen

Nation First airs a Russian Orthodox priest's thoughts on Russia being the last Christian stronghold against Western decay

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He is if you ask former Australian federal politician, George Christensen, and the author of this blog article, Michael Wood, a Russian Orthodox priest.

Speaking of Putin, Wood writes:

“we can at the very least see that Putin is a man with a committed personal faith.” This drives him to build Russia as a strong Christian nation, protected from the moral degeneracy of the west. 

Perhaps Father Wood pictures Putin in deep conversation on spiritual matters with an Orthodox priest, consulting with him for a regular spiritual check up. Then, of an evening, before turning in for the night, curling up in bed in his private apartments in the Kremlin, he would be working his way through a devotional book, that has space for the reader to write their reflections on the excerpt of the Bible they have just read. Perhaps he subscribes to the Russian translation of the popular Our Daily Bread devotional.

Facetiousness aside, a blunt assessment of Putin's relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church is that he has it wrapped around his little finger. Like many a politician before him, far from being a sincere Christian believer, Putin uses Christianity as a political prop. Father Wood is too deceived to see through Putin's façade. You would expect a member of the clergy to have at least some measure of discernment in assessing someone's character. As for corruption, by all means accuse the President of Ukraine of corruption and demagoguery, but don't overlook Putin's.