Russia - Ukraine conflict
In western countries, attention is drawn to Russian propaganda. However, at the same time, the West welcomes things that are clearly wrong
Summary
The article addresses the war in Ukraine and the actions of Western nations through the following themes: 1. A beam in one's own eye: Before condemning Russia's actions, we must look at our own lives and repent of our wrong attitudes. 2. The dangers of sanctions: Severe sanctions imposed on Russia can generate more hatred and a desire for revenge, much like the harsh peace terms imposed on Germany after the First World War. 3. Pride and the expansion of the conflict: The pride of human nature prevents the admission of mistakes, and severing connections can lead to the war expanding to new countries. 4. The West's own moral decline: In the West, one's own wickedness—such as the killing of unborn children through abortion—is not recognized, which makes judging others hypocritical. 5. A biblical attitude: We must love even our enemies and not hate Russians, as acting against God's word is a serious sin.
Contents:
Talk about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine
The following is an article I sent to Etelä Suomen sanomat (Finnish paper). It is a question of the war between Ukraine and Russia that has had an impact to everyone of us. We do understand that if Ukraine has been an independent state, then the Russian aggression can be considered wrong. Ukraine should have the right to defend itself armedly.
However, when condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, everyone should first look at their own lives. Is there anything in my life or in our society that we should repent and give up? It is hypocrite if we only see the injustices done by Russia, but we do not want to correct the wrong attitudes in our own lives. These are the basic teachings of the Christian faith. Change of mind must first start with ourselves. Only then can we possibly point out what others are doing.
On the other hand, I am not very convinced of the positive effects of sanctions. They can cause more harm than good, even if their purpose is good, that is, to prevent warfare. It may be that many Russians feel that others hate them (even if that is not the case at all), and sanctions only add to this spiral. The sanctions imposed on Russia can, in my view, be compared to the imposition of strict conditions of peace on Germany after the First World War, which forced it to relinquish some of its territories and pay enormous war reparations. This led to hatred in Germany, and was eventually a springboard for a new war that was even more destructive.
The same mistake could happen again, now for Russia. Developments are almost impossible to stop because Western leaders are so determined to impose sanctions on Russia. Of course, I would be happy to be wrong about this, and I would like the war to end, but in general, such measures raise more anger and revenge. Human nature is such, and Russian leader Putin is no exception. We humans are like that.
Second, pride resides in us. Even if Russian leader Putin may regret the war campaign, it will be very difficult to end and cancel because of pride. I understand that it is difficult for Putin to admit his mistake, as we all do, and that perpetuates the conflict. The war is unlikely to end very quickly for this reason.
Thirdly, I am concerned about the escalation of the conflict. In other words, now that sanctions have been laid down, e.g. so that Russian machines cannot enter other European countries, I see this sanction as very harmful. It will stir up anger in Russia and cause Russia to soon turn its attention to these countries. For when the Russians feel that they are being hated, the result is an escalation of the conflict towards more and more countries. That is why I think Western leaders are wrong about this. They should repent of their mistakes, and work to rebuild friendly and respectful relations with the Russian leadership and lift unnecessary sanctions. If Western leaders do not understand this, the consequences can be unpredictable.
Of course, one possibility is that power will change in Russia as people begin to be dissatisfied with declining living standards and other practical problems. I do not really know about the internal situation in Russia, and whether this is possible, but time will tell what will happen.
History should therefore take into account, as well as human nature. Furthermore, we must not hate Russians in our own country or elsewhere. Many Russians themselves oppose the war. And even if they don’t object, the Bible’s teaching is that we should love even our enemies. If we act against this principle, we will commit a serious sin before God.
Anyway, the following is an article I sent to the paper. It highlights the same things I have already listed above:
Remove the beam first from your own eye
Recently, we have been confronted with the fact that the world is not the same. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led many to wonder where we are going. Current developments do not look bright at all.
Currently, many countries are imposing harsh sanctions on Russia, and Finland is also following other countries in this area. Personally, however, I think we should first follow a biblical principle: first take a beam out of your own eyes, then perhaps, after that, we can intervene others' matters, as Jesus taught (Matt. 7: 5 You hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye; and then shall you see clearly to cast out the mote out of your brother's eye.). I see that we also have a lot to improve and fix in Finland. For example, YLE has been working to boycott Russia's participation in Eurovision Song Contest. However, for years, the same company has advocated abortion, which is actually killing of children. As a result of abortion, more than half a million people are missing in Finland. How can YLE claim to represent human rights when it has been against the human rights of young children for years? It is an obvious contradiction and hypocrisy.
So there are mistakes in each of us. We are no better. There is irritation, anger, ambition and other wrong attitudes. Of course, if the leader of the world’s largest state commits the same things, the consequences are quite different. This is now the question in Ukraine.
When boycotts are being imposed now and connections are being cut off, it is worth remembering that the same connections will be difficult, if not impossible, to rebuild later. They lead to at most counter-sanctions and other harm. The proverb says: The forest shall answer as it is called. That is, anger causes anger. If the conversation and friendships are broken, as I see happening now, we are going down a path that is difficult to get back on.
History should also be taken into account. The imposition of extremely strict peace conditions on Germany by the victorious states after the First World War caused bitterness. Germany lost part of its territory and was awarded huge war reparations. This led to the seeds being sown for a new war. I see the current proponents of boycotts repeating the same mistake that happened decades ago.
Jari Iivanainen
Addition to the previous: Recognizing evil in modern society
As stated, public opinion has turned against Russia's military actions in Ukraine. This is understandable, because Russian troops have caused great destruction and suffering. It is difficult to defend the war started by Russia on moral grounds.
However, at the same time, Western countries do not recognize their own evil and wrong attitudes, which can be considered an equally worrying development. Here we are talking about Western values, but these values are completely different from those of more than half a century ago. Examples of a change in morality are the acceptance of abortion, as stated above. I have thought that the Western practice of abortion resembles the practice of abandoning children in ancient societies (a practice that disappeared with the spread of the Christian faith) or the Canaanites sacrificing their children to their idols. These people probably considered their practice to be completely normal, but in the eyes of God, for example, the sin of the Canaanites was terrible. This custom also spread among the Israelites. As a result, they incurred God's wrath:
- (Ps 106:38-40) And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.
39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.
40 Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, so that he abhorred his own inheritance.
Today, conservatism is also spoken of in a negative tone. However, if the new morality means rejecting the beneficial teachings of Jesus and the apostles, we are going from the ditch to the source. During the time of Hitler and the early communists, traditional conservative values were rejected, and now we see the same development. I do not expect anything good to come of this. For example, Paul described the development of the last days as follows. He stated that the people of the last days are intemperate, brutal, and enemies of what is good. I believe this will happen just before Jesus comes.
- (2 Tim 3:1-5) This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
- (2 Tim 3:13) But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
It is a fundamental teaching given by Jesus, according to which repentance and change of mind must always start in our own lives and society. It is hypocritical to focus solely on the wrongs committed by Russia if we refuse to correct the wrong attitudes and sins in our own midst. Only after addressing our own lives can we properly address the actions of others.
Severe sanctions can cause more harm than good, as they increase the feeling among Russians that they are hated and rejected. This fuels hatred and a desire for revenge, which risks escalating the conflict into new countries. Severing channels of communication and ties of friendship sets us on a dangerous path that is very difficult to turn back from.
A historical example is found in the aftermath of World War I, when extremely harsh peace terms, territorial losses, and massive reparations were imposed on Germany. This led to deep bitterness and hatred in Germany, which ultimately served as a stepping stone to the even more destructive Second World War. Western leaders risk repeating the exact same mistake in their current actions against Russia.
Pride residing in human nature makes it extremely difficult for anyone to admit their mistakes and misjudgments, and the Russian leadership is no exception. Even if there were regret over the initiated military campaign, pride prevents ending it and reversing course midway. This human pride and inability to back down sustains the conflict and prevents a swift peace.
In the West, people speak of Western values while simultaneously committing severe moral blindness by accepting, for example, the killing of unborn children through abortion. This practice resembles the child abandonment of ancient times and the human sacrifices performed by the Canaanites, which provoked God's wrath. The West cannot credibly represent human rights or judge others while violating God's enduring moral principles.
We must not hate Russian people in our own country or anywhere else. Many of them oppose the war themselves. Furthermore, the clear teaching of the Bible requires us to love even our enemies. If we act against this teaching of Christ and allow hatred to take hold, we commit a serious sin before God.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is meant by the principle of removing the
beam from one's own eye before judging others?
Why can harsh sanctions and blockades imposed on Russia be harmful?
How does history warn against excessively harsh measures in crisis situations?
What role does pride play in the continuation of the war?
How does the West's own moral decline manifest in modern society?
How should a Christian treat Russians as individuals during wartime?
