Philosopher: Ban on UOC is not even an error but a domestic policy failure

Philosopher Andriy Baumeister. Photo: screenshot of Baumeister’s YouTube channel

Andriy Baumeister, a Doctor of Philosophy and a professor at Kyiv University, stated in an interview with Baznica.Info that the recent law passed by the Rada effectively prohibiting the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) is a failure of the country's domestic policy.

Baumeister emphasized that one should not treat matters of the Church and spiritual importance as an authoritarian political entity would. He said, "I am still a religious person, and I understand that the world operates not only by material, military, and economic principles."

He considered this not just a serious error but a failure in Ukraine's domestic policy that could have future repercussions. According to Baumeister, the authorities have lost the loyalty of many of their citizens in an instant.

"It's a loss of identification with the country: 'Yes, I'm a citizen of Ukraine, but this government doesn't seem to respect my faith and my freedom of religion,'" he said.

Baumeister believes that the attempt to ban the UOC is a result of post-atheistic, post-Soviet mentality, which curiously resembles the formula "Cuius regio, eius religio" (Whose realm, his religion).

It was previously reported by the UOJ that the Verkhovna Rada passed a bill that effectively implies a ban on the UOC.

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