Russian propaganda finds sympathetic ears among U.S. religious right
Over the last decade, we've charted Russian propaganda efforts to affect elections in the U.S. and overseas. Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to portray himself and Russia as defenders of Christian and so-called "traditional" values.
This church burned down more than 10 years ago in a remote Russian village on the border with Kazakstan. But since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the video has reappeared all across the Russian Internet. Official sources are falsely claiming it shows a church in Ukraine, with the accusation that Kyiv is destroying churches and going after priests and parishioners across the country.
Although the story is untrue, the message that Ukraine is fighting against Christian values has turned into a powerful narrative used to justify the war to the Russian public. Even the head of the Russian Orthodox Church calls the fighting a holy war and sends Russian soldiers off to battle with a promise of salvation.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA): This is a war on Christianity. The Ukrainian government is attacking Christians. The Ukrainian government is executing priests. Russia is not doing that. They're not attacking Christianity. As a matter of fact, they seem to be protecting it.
Especially within the MAGA movement, Moscow is no longer the old adversary. It's an anti-woke, anti-LGBTQ defender of Western civilization, a spiritual superpower.
Steve Bannon, Former White House Chief Strategist: Putin ain't woke. He is anti-woke.
Erik Prince, Founder, Blackwater USA: The Russians, people still know which bathroom to use.
Recent polls show that views on Russia are shifting on the right, with Republicans more than twice as likely to see Russia as a partner of the U.S.
Here's one of Russia's most prolific propagandists, Vladimir Solovyov, interviewing notorious American conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
Vladimir Solovyov, Russian TV Personality: "They don't believe in God. How can they believe in God than before LGBTQ+, minus, divide on something? LGBT is (EXPLETIVE DELETED). It has nothing to do with God."
Alex Jones, Host, "The Alex Jones Show": A lot of Americans admire Russia and admire you and admire Putin because you have been able to fight this off.
And among Americans who admire Putin, you can find the same fake footage of burning churches that were first circulated by the Russian state and its media outlets.
The interesting thing is how, on American podcasts and social media, the pro-Christian message is tailored specifically to advocate against America's support of Ukraine.
Russia is selling a spiritual war in order to win a geopolitical one. The fiction that Russia is a haven for white, straight, churchgoing families is smoothing the way for discussions about lifting sanctions on Russia and cutting off aid to Ukraine.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/russia...ious-right
Over the last decade, we've charted Russian propaganda efforts to affect elections in the U.S. and overseas. Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to portray himself and Russia as defenders of Christian and so-called "traditional" values.
This church burned down more than 10 years ago in a remote Russian village on the border with Kazakstan. But since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the video has reappeared all across the Russian Internet. Official sources are falsely claiming it shows a church in Ukraine, with the accusation that Kyiv is destroying churches and going after priests and parishioners across the country.
Although the story is untrue, the message that Ukraine is fighting against Christian values has turned into a powerful narrative used to justify the war to the Russian public. Even the head of the Russian Orthodox Church calls the fighting a holy war and sends Russian soldiers off to battle with a promise of salvation.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA): This is a war on Christianity. The Ukrainian government is attacking Christians. The Ukrainian government is executing priests. Russia is not doing that. They're not attacking Christianity. As a matter of fact, they seem to be protecting it.
Especially within the MAGA movement, Moscow is no longer the old adversary. It's an anti-woke, anti-LGBTQ defender of Western civilization, a spiritual superpower.
Steve Bannon, Former White House Chief Strategist: Putin ain't woke. He is anti-woke.
Erik Prince, Founder, Blackwater USA: The Russians, people still know which bathroom to use.
Recent polls show that views on Russia are shifting on the right, with Republicans more than twice as likely to see Russia as a partner of the U.S.
Here's one of Russia's most prolific propagandists, Vladimir Solovyov, interviewing notorious American conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
Vladimir Solovyov, Russian TV Personality: "They don't believe in God. How can they believe in God than before LGBTQ+, minus, divide on something? LGBT is (EXPLETIVE DELETED). It has nothing to do with God."
Alex Jones, Host, "The Alex Jones Show": A lot of Americans admire Russia and admire you and admire Putin because you have been able to fight this off.
And among Americans who admire Putin, you can find the same fake footage of burning churches that were first circulated by the Russian state and its media outlets.
The interesting thing is how, on American podcasts and social media, the pro-Christian message is tailored specifically to advocate against America's support of Ukraine.
Russia is selling a spiritual war in order to win a geopolitical one. The fiction that Russia is a haven for white, straight, churchgoing families is smoothing the way for discussions about lifting sanctions on Russia and cutting off aid to Ukraine.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/russia...ious-right
teachings of the Bible are so muddled and self-contradictory that it was possible for Christians to happily burn heretics alive for five long centuries. It was even possible for the most venerated patriarchs of the Church, like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, to conclude that heretics should be tortured (Augustine) or killed outright (Aquinas). Martin Luther and John Calvin advocated the wholesale murder of heretics, apostates, Jews, and witches. - Sam Harris, "Letter To A Christian Nation"
