Christian Orthodox Putin and Calvinist Viktor Orban Discussing International Alliance to Protect Christians
By Julio Severo
The Barnabas Fund, a worldwide ministry
working with persecuted Christians, has seen in a positive way how Russian
President Vladimir Putin has expressed concern about the “mass exodus” of
Christians from the Middle East and pledges his nation will do “everything” to
protect them from “persecution, being killed, raped and robbed.”
 |
| Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Russian President Vladimir Putin |
Putin was speaking at a recent meeting
with Viktor Orban, Hungary’s prime minister.
The two described the Middle East as the “cradle
of Christianity,” and Putin raised concerns about the exodus of Christians.
He pledged Russia "would do
everything" to protect them.
Orban discussed an “international alliance”
to help and protect Christians as well as other minority faiths.
“Christians in the Middle East have
endured severe persecution and violent conflict,” Barnabas said. “Patriarch
Ignatius Aphrem II of the Syriac Orthodox Church said, ‘Many times, we feel we
are abandoned as Christians of the Middle East. We feel we have no friends.
That nobody cares about us.’”
Three years ago, Hungary created a
governmental agency focusing on alleviating the persecution of Christians in
the Middle East. It followed an earlier meeting between Orban and various
church leaders, including Aphrem.
Continuing, WorldNetDaily said,
“The Russian stance should serve to
strengthen efforts to support these suffering Christians,” Barnabas Fund
explained. “Barnabas Fund has supported many projects for Christians in Syria
through Patriarch Aphrem’s office and other project partners, including feeding
programs and emergency aid after violent attacks.”
BosNewsLife
reported Hungary spent tens of millions of dollars on building or
renovating churches, hospitals and other humanitarian aid.
“Much is directed toward Christians in the
Middle East where thousands have been killed, injured, or displaced by wars and
extremist attacks,” the website said.
Putin also said he wants Russia to help
restore and preserve Christian “holy sites.”
He said Russian influences already are
helping Jewish groups…
Orban, who organized the gathering, said
he joins Putin about the Christians exodus.
Putin is a member of the Russian Orthodox
Christian Church, while Orban is a member of the Calvinist Hungarian Reformed
Church.
An alliance between an Orthodox Christian
and a Calvinist to protect Christians should be welcome by all Christians.
While Putin is a nominal Christian, Orbán
seems to be leaving the nominal Christianity to embrace a more practical faith.
Recently, in a very humble attitude, Orban posted
a powerful image of himself kneeling to pray with evangelist Nick Vujicic.
He
needs such change. Orbán is Calvinist, but his wife and their five children are
Roman Catholic. This is a very common situation among Calvinists, whose faith
is so weak and whose Christianity is so nominal that they marry Catholics. U.S.
President Donald Trump, who is a nominal Calvinist having been born in the
Presbyterian Church, has also married a Catholic woman, but there is hope: he has lately given attention to
prosperity gospel televangelist Paula White, who is his top spiritual adviser.
Christians should pray that Putin may have
the same spiritual opportunity Orbán and Trump are having.
The partnership of Orbán and Putin to help
Christians was also wanted by Trump in his 2016 campaign. During
all the year of 2016, Trump made abundantly clear that he wanted such partnership
with Putin, but neocons tormented his plan.
Trump needs our prayers to prevail over
neocons. Only this way he will have his dreamed partnership.
If Trump ever joins Putin and Orbán, it
will be two Calvinists and one Orthodox Christian partnering to protect Christians.
Portuguese
version of this article: Ortodoxo cristão Putin e calvinista Viktor Orban
discutem aliança internacional para proteger os cristãos
Source: Last Days Watchman
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