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Ukraine?s Orthodox community considers the membership in NATO ?a crime before people?
Interfax ^ | April 1, 2008 | Staff

Posted on 04/01/2008 7:48:42 PM PDT by Bokababe

Moscow, April 1, Interfax – Leaders of Ukraine’s Orthodox patriotic organizations again spoke against country’s membership in NATO.

“When you continue pushing Ukraine to NATO, you, dear leaders, commit a crime before God, before your people, before millions of our forefathers who gave their lives for our freedom and independence, our unique East-Slavonic Orthodox civilization,” the letter of Orthodox Ukrainian leaders to Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko reads.

Its authors stressed that main values of this civilization are “not comfort and high material standards of life, but absolutely different life objectives based on Christian spirituality and morality”.

Leaders of the country’s Orthodox organizations also stated that “in case the opinion of Orthodox patriotic community on pushing Ukraine to NATO is ignored, the believers will insist on parliament’s voluntary dissolution and pre-term parliamentary and presidential elections”.

“Why acting Ukrainian leaders do not consider the will of Ukrainian people which is the supreme authority in compliance with the constitution!” the letter reads.

Its authors also urged believers to oppose the plan of actions for Ukraine in NATO on April 2, the opening day of NATO’s summit in Bucharest, where the question would be considered.


TOPICS: Orthodox Christian; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: nato; ukraine

1 posted on 04/01/2008 7:48:43 PM PDT by Bokababe
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To: joan; Smartass; zagor-te-nej; Lion in Winter; Honorary Serb; jb6; Incorrigible; DTA; vooch; ...

2 posted on 04/01/2008 7:49:38 PM PDT by Bokababe ( http://www.savekosovo.org)
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To: Bokababe

Considering that I had been supportive of Bush in 2000 because he promised to withdraw from the Balkans, which we all thought meant that he opposed Clinton’s criminal actions there, he has turned out to be a major betrayal, capped of course by his actually welcoming the “independence” of the drug-running Muslim terrorist organization that runs Serbian Kosovo.


3 posted on 04/01/2008 8:31:20 PM PDT by wildandcrazyrussian
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To: Bokababe
“Its authors stressed that main values of this civilization are “not comfort and high material standards of life, but absolutely different life objectives based on Christian spirituality and morality”. “

As an American, I find it extraordinary that Ukraine would even seriously consider joining NATO. But possibly, Ukrainians are thinking about just who might threaten them, and who might help protect them.

The Ukrainian church's objections apparently have nothing to do with Ukrainian national defense, but only with concerns that somehow NATO will corrupt Ukrainian spiritual values (!). Might this be a matter for discussion, even negotiation?

I think it's fair to say that in the 1930s and 1940s, no nation was brutalized more than Ukraine. So perhaps no nation today has more reason to seriously and soberly consider how best to prevent such events ever happening again.

Finally, let me suggest, humbly, that as the world changes, and new powers rise & threaten, Russia itself may some day seriously consider actually joining NATO.

Think about that. It would not be the first time.

4 posted on 04/02/2008 2:49:09 AM PDT by BroJoeK (A little historical perspective...)
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To: wildandcrazyrussian
“Bush in 2000 because he promised to withdraw from the Balkans, which we all thought meant that he opposed Clinton’s criminal actions there, he has turned out to be a major betrayal, capped of course by his actually welcoming the “independence” of the drug-running Muslim terrorist organization that runs Serbian Kosovo.”

First, your calling Clinton's actions in the Balkans “criminal” doesn't make them “criminal.”
In fact, they were as legal as any other US military action since 1798 —
http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/forces.htm

Second, can you provide us with a quote, where President Bush ever promised to withdraw all NATO forces from the Balkans, regardless of circumstances? I certainly never saw such a quote.

Third, do you remember reading about 1914, when Serbs lit the spark which set the world on fire? Well, in that year, the US President was Woodrow Wilson, and Wilson's “price” for helping to put out the fire was something called “national self determination.”

Well, now “national self determination” has reached Kosovo, 90 years later. President Bush has only done what any US president would do under the circumstances.

Sure, you may consider that a “major betrayal,” but, imho, Bush has been loyal to America's values.

5 posted on 04/02/2008 7:11:26 AM PDT by BroJoeK (A little historical perspective...)
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To: BroJoeK

Ukraine is a split country. There is the Catholic West and the Orthodox Russian East. The East doesn’t want anything to do with Western/Central Europe and sides with Russia politically.


6 posted on 04/03/2008 2:15:34 AM PDT by neb52
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To: BroJoeK

Handing over a portion of someone else’s nation to a group of illegal immigrants who displaced the legal residents via a sustained terror campaign betrays America’s values, it does not support them.

And Clinton’s illegal bombing of Serbia violated NATO’s own charter.

When they illegals claim Aztlan as their own, maybe you’ll come to understand.

Or when the Jihadist behead someone you care about, maybe then.


7 posted on 04/03/2008 5:09:39 AM PDT by FormerLib (Sacrificing our land and our blood cannot buy protection from jihad.-Bishop Artemije of Kosovo)
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To: BroJoeK

You might want to consider that a portion of Ukraine’s Orthodox establishment is owned lock stock and barrel by the Russians. Wouldn’t be the first time either....


8 posted on 04/03/2008 5:14:41 AM PDT by Kozak (Anti Shahada: There is no god named Allah, and Muhammed is a false prophet)
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To: BroJoeK

“Sure, you may consider that a “major betrayal,” but, imho, Bush has been loyal to America’s values.”

Sure, you may consider it a move loyal to America’s values, but, IMHO, America’s values should never walk hand-in-hand with church-burning Muslim terrorists. This country was founded off and based on CHRISTIANITY.


9 posted on 04/03/2008 12:17:12 PM PDT by Serb29 ("A nation that expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be")
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To: FormerLib

“Handing over a portion of someone else’s nation to a group of illegal immigrants who displaced the legal residents via a sustained terror campaign betrays America’s values, it does not support them.

And Clinton’s illegal bombing of Serbia violated NATO’s own charter.”

Thanks for your perspective.
I’d be interested in learning some of the details you refer to, both of “illegal immigrants” and “illegal bombing.”

I’m ashamed to say, most Americans don’t know the difference between the Balkans and the Baltic, and couldn’t find either one on a map.

And I confess to being only slightly better informed.

But we don’t like to see peoples angry, violent and unhappy, especially if they blame it all on us.

So my thought at the time was, President Clinton, for once in his life, probably finally did the right thing in trying to stop the “ethnic cleansing” in Yugoslavia.

You must disagree?


10 posted on 04/03/2008 5:09:56 PM PDT by BroJoeK (A little historical perspective...)
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To: Serb29

“IMHO, America’s values should never walk hand-in-hand with church-burning Muslim terrorists. This country was founded off and based on CHRISTIANITY.”

Yes, Americans generally do assume Christian based values.

But in point of fact, the US was founded on the idea of religious tolerance, and we take great offense at anyone who wants to impose their own religious views on us.

We mostly don’t have a problem with other religions, as long as they behave themselves.

When they start cutting off heads of unbelievers, then we get very concerned.

But most Americans do not equate “Muslim” and “terrorist.” We know many Muslims here, and they are fine people.


11 posted on 04/03/2008 5:40:45 PM PDT by BroJoeK (A little historical perspective...)
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To: BroJoeK

Yes, President Clinton’s actions actually assisted the Albanian illegal immigrants with their ethnic cleansing of Serb, Roma, and Jewish residents of Kosovo-Metohija.

He didn’t stop ethnic cleansing, he assured it.

Hey but we did find those 100,000 mass graves he told us were the justification for bombing Serbia.

Only we found them in Iraq, full of the victims murdered by Saddam while Clinton got serviced by an intern in the Oval Office.


12 posted on 04/03/2008 8:21:47 PM PDT by FormerLib (Sacrificing our land and our blood cannot buy protection from jihad.-Bishop Artemije of Kosovo)
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To: FormerLib
“Yes, President Clinton’s actions actually assisted the Albanian illegal immigrants with their ethnic cleansing of Serb, Roma, and Jewish residents of Kosovo-Metohija.”

Hmmmmm....
Last time I heard anything about Kosovo, it was Kosovars who were being run off by Serbs, if I remember right. TV pictures of thousands of refugees got Clinton to take some action, and I can't say that I've seen anything about Kosovo since then.

News reports in those days were not sympathetic to Serbs, generally portraying Serbs as two-bit thugs and bullies, holdovers from the Nazi era even, and in pretty serious need of discipline.

Of course, I'm certain the US “mainstream media” is neither fair nor balanced on this subject.

So I'll ask again, can you point to reports more sympathetic of Serb perspectives?

13 posted on 04/04/2008 2:37:48 AM PDT by BroJoeK (A little historical perspective...)
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