The Great Leader

For a surprising number of conservative, traditionally minded Christians of various stripes Putin has been seen as the saviour of Christian morals. He is touted as the great statesman who stands up to the Western decadence and defends marriage, opposes the spread of homofascism, fights for all the pro-life issues and supports the Church. Anything he and Russia under his leadership does is excused.

All this is of course blindness, culpable blindness. The man is a politician. As long as his goals happen to leave room for, or at some points coincide with that of conservatives he will support them. Do not be surprised to have all support dropped and the bear turn against you the moment it suits his plans. "Useful idiots" are good to have as long as they serve your purpose but when they are no longer needed they are dumped. 

This is the great leader of the moral crusade who presides over a nation that has record levels of abortions, who invades his neighbours, who hoards riches, who dumps his wife for a younger, prettier one, the list goes on.. 

And here is the latest indignity in that long list. All priests and religious, that are not citizens, serving on Crimea are to be deported by the end of the year. How is that for being the champion of the Church?  
 
Is stopping a gay-pride parade really all it takes to pull the wool over the eyes of conservatives these days?