More on Putin...good read
Also a street named after him in Israel...
Putin’s Personal Religion
Vladimir Putin’s father was an atheist and his mother was an Orthodox Christian. Vladimir was baptized into the Orthodox Church as an infant.1
In an interview with Russian journalists published in 2000, Putin explained the significance of his well-known Orthodox cross pendant:
In 1993, when I worked on the Leningrad City Council, I went to Israel as part of an official delegation. Mama gave me my baptismal cross to get it blessed at the Lord’s Tomb. I did as she said and then put the cross around my neck. I have never taken it off since.1
In an interview with Russian journalists published in 2000, Putin explained the significance of his well-known Orthodox cross pendant:
In an interview with TIME magazine for their “Person of the Year” cover story in 2007, Putin was asked about his religion. Here’s how he responded:
TIME: One of the issues that is being discussed in our presidential election is the role of faith in government. One of the old stereotypes that Americans have about Russia, and certainly the Russia of the U.S.S.R., is that it was a godless country. You have talked about your own faith. What role does faith play in your own leadership and what role should faith play in government and in the public sphere?
PUTIN: First and foremost we should be governed by common sense. But common sense should be based on moral principles first. And it is not possible today to have morality separated from religious values. I will not expand, as I don’t want to impose my views on people who have different viewpoints.
http://www.religionfacts.com/putin
Putin has many facets to his personality. He seems to be acting in a manner that currently supports Trump’s plan in some key respects.
But Putin was head of the KGB and he has been thought to be behind the killing of rivals and detractors. I think he does what he believes best for his country AND his power within his country. Right now, those two driving forces are best served by working alongside Trump.
He’s a keen, cold judge of character. The word “cold” seems to describe him best (i.e., making decisions without compassion). I believe he was stunned to discover Trump is not the buffoon the MSM said he was (and Putin basically said that in an interview) and changed his plans significantly as a result.
PUtin misses the firm control structures of the old Soviet days, which he implied when asked what his favorite Beatles song was. The interviewer asks if Putin’s favorite song is, “Back in the USSR.” Putin responds with intensity, “No. It’s Yesterday. Think about it.”