Doug Baldwin, a former wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks, criticized Christians who support Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in a blistering tweet.
Baldwin stressed people cannot identify as Christians and also "support what Putin is doing right now," adding such behavior is diametrically opposed to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
None of us are sinless.\n\nBut you can\u2019t be a Christian and support what Putin is doing right now. It\u2019s the opposite of who Christ was.— Doug Baldwin Jr \ud83c\udf39 (@Doug Baldwin Jr \ud83c\udf39) 1645862787
Baldwin did not mention anyone by name but it is likely his statement appeared to refer to Lauren Witzke, a Republican Delaware Senate candidate who made headlines for saying she identifies with Putin’s “Christian values” more than President Joe Biden.
Many agreed with Baldwin's assessment and called on others to continue to decry Putin's behavior
Agreed, Christian supporting Putin are not following the teachings on Jesus Christhttps://twitter.com/DougBaldwinJr/status/1497483183666843650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1497483183666843650%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yahoo.com%2Fsports%2Fdoug-baldwin-calls-christians-support-145010846.html\u00a0\u2026— Larry Lawfer (@Larry Lawfer) 1646053633
Amen. Some messed up minds in our country right now. Having grown up in the Cold War, I would never imagined ANYONE in this country endorsing this type of activity. Really confused, but appreciate folks speaking up.— John Schuster (@John Schuster) 1645868978
Or just try to be a good person.\nIt should be so easy. But unfortunately people make it so hard.— Steve Moen (@Steve Moen) 1645863770
Amen! Praying for Ukraine.— Elizabeth Shelton (@Elizabeth Shelton) 1645981285
So true!!! This really applies to so many of our politicians, past and present.— Ellen Green (@Ellen Green) 1645904497
Bravo. You Sir, are a hero too. God Bless.— Donna Lee Wahl (@Donna Lee Wahl) 1645960172
You are spot on sir! Over the past 20 minutes I have watched more videos of dead soldiers than I care to admit. It doesn\u2019t have to be this way. No one should support this. If you are a Christian and support this you need to rethink your life decisions— Brad Dawson (@Brad Dawson) 1645864122
I'm a committed Christian, and brother, I agree with you. We need to stand with and pray for our Christian brothers and sisters in Ukraine and for the people as a whole.— John Edgell (@John Edgell) 1645902367
This is what happen when man stop believing in God and. Start thinking they are God— Gerald lloyd (@Gerald lloyd) 1645974177
In the weeks before the invasion, Russia had issued several security demands the United States and its allies rejected.
Putin aims to curtail the enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), seeking to bar Ukraine from joining the alliance in a bid to assert Russia’s influence over its neighbors, aspirations that gained further prominence after Putin seized the Crimean Penninsula in 2014.
Although Ukraine is not yet a member of NATO, it is partnered with the military alliance. This development angered Putin, who views Ukraine not as an independent nation but as land lost as a result of the end of the Cold War, which resulted in the Soviet Union's collapse and diminished Russia's superpower status.
Putin had left world leaders guessing as to whether or not he actually wanted to proceed with an invasion though he clearly wants NATO to curb military exercises in Ukraine and in other former Soviet satellite states, demands that resulted in a diplomatic stalemate.
While the invasion has sparked considerable protest and condemnation around the world, some high-profile figures within the Republican Party have suggested that Putin's invasion was justified.
Last week, former President Donald Trump's chief strategist Steve Bannon suggested that Putin's action in Ukraine is understandable because of the country's desire to strengthen ties with the West, adding that Americans should support Putin because he is "anti-woke" and has criticized his country's LGBTQ+ community for openly flying Pride flags.
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