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Religious Articles Archive |
| Year 2008 |
Dealing with Immortals
There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations –
these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry,
snub, and exploit. |
Alaska Today - by Fr. Michael Oleksa
+Nikolai, the OCA bishop in Alaska has forbidden us to baptize children who have not been given Orthodox
Christian names. We have parishioners going to the Catholic Church to have their children Christened. Some of the directions
we receive make little or no pastoral sense, but we are afraid to disregard them, for fear of being “reported” and incurring
the ire of the hierarch. We live in fear more oppressive than what I knew under Soviet occupation during the Cold War in
Czechoslovakia. For most of my brothers, this is a new and terrifying condition. For me it is too reminiscent to accept. 2/22/08 |
Atheism and Orthodoxy in Modern Russia
Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev outlines the history of atheism in Russia during the last hundred years. He
considers the kind of atheism present in Russia before the Revolution. 1/30/08 |
This is the Faith that Sustains the Universe?!
One of the statements in the Synodikon proclaims: "This is the faith of the Apostles. This is the faith of the
Fathers. This is the Faith of the Orthodox. This is the faith that sustains the universe." What does this statement mean?
3/14/08 |
Can Christians and Muslims Reconcile?
It is time for those interested in peace between Muslims and Christians to face some cold, hard facts. This is
not the first Jihad. This is not the first Holy War. 2/4/2008 |
The Treason of the Bishops
Some readers are aware that the Orthodox Church in America, my church, is undergoing a huge scandal now
centered on the hierarchy — especially Metropolitan Herman and his coterie at church headquarters. It involves money, mostly,
but also — it has been alleged — sexual impropriety of some of the players. 1/31/2008 |
Life in the Womb & Abortion
Since in the teaching of the Church, abortion is wrong and equivalent to the taking of innocent life, that is,
a form of murder, it is a “thing that does damage.” The name take by those who encourage and facilitate abortions, to promote
their cause is “Pro-Choice.” 1/20/08 |
C.S. Lewis - From Atheism to Theism
YouTube - C.S. Lewis - From Atheism to Theism |
The Bible Calls it a Sin
Metropolitan Kyrill, foreign minister of the Russian Orthodox Church, discusses Christian values in the
post-communist era, his relationship with the pope in Rome, Vladimir Putin the churchgoer — and wrangles with SPIEGEL
about homosexuality. 1/10/08 |
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| Year 2007 |
The Nativity of Christ 2007 - Archbishop Demetrios
On this glorious day of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ we celebrate the
truly historical, universal, and eternal event of His Incarnation. 12/25/07 |
Patriarchal Declaration for Christmas 2007
Beloved brothers and children in the Lord, It is with great joy that our Church calls us to glorify God for His
loving and personal presence on earth in the divine-human hypostasis of Christ Jesus, one of the three persons of the
Holy Trinity. 12/25/07 |
The Crucial Moment, A Letter to Archbishop Job by Fr. Berzonsky
Fr. Vladimir Berzonsky - I ask your blessing as I share with you some reflections on the state of our
beloved and battered Orthodox Church in America. We are at a crucial moment in our sacred history, an intersection that will
determine our Church’s future. It must make a choice and travel in only one of two fundamentally divergent directions. 11/29/2007 |
Why The Christmas Wars Matter
The secular grinches were out in full force again this pre-Christmas season. But it is not just crèches and
twinkling lights that the secularists want to ban — their ultimate goal is the elimination off all faith-based thought
from public life. 12/21/2007 |
What a Christian Bishop Should Be Like, by Fr. Thomas Hopko
The Orthodox Church’s main hymn (troparion/apolytikion) for the feast of St. Nicholas of Myra is the general hymn for all of the Church’s holy bishops. As such, for example, it is sung the day after the feast of St. Nicholas for the celebration of St. Ambrose of Milan. This hymn tells us what a Christian bishop (and, by extension, also a presbyter) ought to be for his people. And so it also tells us how all Christians should be.
12/7/2007 |
Using Current Events (The Golden Compass) to Combat Secularism in the Home
Parents, as heads of their “domestic church,” have even a higher God-given calling: to lead their children to the
awesomeness of God. Use of the media, the weapon of those who attack God and His Church, an ideal way to accomplish this.
12/4/07 |
Looking for Miracles in All the Wrong Places
All too often we overlook the hundreds of small miracles in our life, the small glimpses into the kingdom of
God because we are too darn busy seeking the big miracles, the walking on water type of miracle. 11/22/2007 |
Answering the Atheists
A Reader’s Digest version of why I am a Christian. - 11/13/2007 |
Christian Marriage, Sacred Union of Man and Woman
The Christian idea of marriage is based on Christ’s words that a man and wife are to be regarded as a single
organism-for that is what the words ‘one flesh’ would be in modern English. |
The Shame and the Sham: Why I Resigned from the Special Commission
Fr. John M. Reeves - Individuals may opine as to the collective wisdom of the recent resignations from the Special Commission by
several of its members. I cannot speak for the others who did. However, I can speak for myself. And at last, I feel the
freedom to do so. - 10/1/2007 |
Let's Get Real About Priestly "Indiscretions"
Fr. Aris Metrakos - I concede that we are all sinners, but clergy relinquish the right to even think of
engaging in certain classes of sin. When a priest sins sexually he damages the Church the way that crooked judges, lawyers,
and police officers damage the legal system. How can anyone not understand this? - 9/21/2007 |
The Spiritual Struggle of Mother Teresa
Fr. Stavros Akrotirianakis - What causes spiritual despair? First, relentless attacks from the devil. The devil
attacks the one struggling to grow in Christ. The devil doesn't bother with the casual Christian or the habitually immoral
person -- they do not need the devil to attack and destroy them, they are self-destructive. The devil attacks the
committed Christian. - 9/21/2007 |
God's Law: Threat or Promise?
Fr. John Breck - To the Eastern Church Fathers, the Church is not a courtroom; it is a hospital.
The Body of Christ is a locus of healing, of renewal and reconciliation. Nor is God primarily a Judge. - 9/6/2007 |
Let's Get Real About Priestly "Indiscretions"
Fr. Aris Metrakos - I concede that we are all sinners, but clergy relinquish the right to even think of
engaging in certain classes of sin. When a priest sins sexually he damages the Church the way that crooked judges, lawyers,
and police officers damage the legal system. How can anyone not understand this? - 9/21/2007 |
A Church in Denial
Fr. Vladimir Berzonsky - The fundamental problems of the Orthodox Church in America go much deeper than
the financial scandal. It has to do with the very structure of the Church. Are we Orthodox or are we papist? - 10/2/2007 |
Becoming Like Children
Fr. William C. Mills - Matthew tells us that this is what Jesus demands from his followers, utter dependence
on God for our sustenance, for our food and for everything that we need to get through this life. After all we too are
children of God, we call God Father. - 8/28/2007 |
On the Priesthood
Fr. Aris Metrakos - Four different ways of looking at the priesthood work together to sharpen our
vision about the work of the parish priest. We can't see the entire picture without comprehending what each perspective
reveals. - 8/7/2007 |
What it Means to be an Orthodox Bishop
Bishop Joseph - Interview on Ancient Faith radio. [Audio clip - MP3] |
What Is the Church's Position on Abortion? An Interview With Fr. Thomas Hopko
We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to discuss this very important subject with the
Very Rev Thomas Hopko, Dean Emeritus of Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary in Crestwood, New York. [6/20/2007] |
Finding My Religion - Monk's Best Friend
The Monks of New Skete, an Eastern Orthodox community in Cambridge, NY, rehabilitate dogs with issues.
Their training techniques are based on getting a dog calm, centered and balanced, as well as encouraging the deep
emotional and spiritual connection possible between humans and dogs. [6/25/2007] |
In Praise of Money
Perhaps the world’s most misquoted Biblical verse is “money is the root of all evil”. The actual words are
“the love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). But this has not stopped people from demonizing money
and those who exchange and loan it. [5/30/2007] |
The Violent Love of God
Fr. Thomas Hopko - Commencement address delivered at St. Vladimir's Seminary
"I can tell you that being loved by God, and loving Him in return, is the greatest joy given to creatures,
and that without it there is no real and lasting happiness for humanity." - 5/19/2007 |
Mission to Romania
Fr. Aris P. Metrakos - An American priest helps the Romanian Orthodox Church: "I came to Romania
to teach the Romanian Church some American youth ministry theories and techniques." [5/24/2007] |
Is Silence Golden?
It must be agreed that there are times when "silence is golden". However, there are other times, when silence
is not "golden". It may be just plain "yellow" or cowardly in such instances! To remain silent at times when one
should speak up is to be guilty of cowardice and results in a failure to do one's duty. |
Failed Stewardship
Fr. Christopher Wojcik - For anyone who has worked with abuse victims, the pattern in the OCA is clear
and universal. An abuser commits ten violations. The victim finally puts her foot down and threatens to leave.
The abuser then backs off on his last two violations, and “shows positive changes” for a while. [5/29/2007] |
The Devil, You Say
This is the problem of evil. It is a theological problem. You won't find it addressed in textbooks on
psychology or sociology, least of all on the editorial pages of The New York Times or USA Today. The people who write
these textbooks, these editorials, don't grasp what is at stake. [4/24/2007] |
Pascha Today
In our civilization, so rich in knowledge and in power, we can no longer offer any reply to the enigma of
death. We want only to forget death. [4/23/2007] |
Home Bible School
The stories of the Bible, assimilated in the context of his family, gave shape to Timothy’s moral
imagination, conferring on his conscience a narrative moral sense. These biblical stories gave imaginative organization
to his mind. [Mar. 2007] |
The Easter "Hit" Parade
Beginning in February the news and entertainment media have fired a stunning barrage of criticism at
religious beliefs, religious practice, and religious symbols. Nothing is too sacred to attack this year, not even the
most crucial teachings of Judaism and Christianity. [4/4/2007] |
Christian belief a 'hate crime' under plan
Americans worried about new "hate crime" legislation that could be used to make criminals of those whose
religious faith doesn't endorse homosexuality could be facing a two-pronged attack, according to groups that monitor
those developments. [3/3/2007] |
Go Fast From Food and Change the World
The reward of fasting is drawing nearer to God, to prepare to be in God's presence. We cannot let our faith be
governed by strict rules of fasting, any more than we can say that Christianity is governed solely by an ethical code of behavior.
It is our drawing nearer to God-coming closer to the light-that changes our fasting, our behavior and our hearts and minds.
[2/18/2007] |
The Ethos of Orthodox Christian Healing
To understand healing we must first understand sin, illness, death and love, a task that brings us back to
Genesis. Genesis reveals that God created the world as good. He set mankind as the crown of His creation. [12/21/2006] |
Go Fast From Food and Change the World
The reward of fasting is drawing nearer to God, to prepare to be in God's presence. We cannot let our faith be
governed by strict rules of fasting, any more than we can say that Christianity is governed solely by an ethical code of behavior.
It is our drawing nearer to God-coming closer to the light-that changes our fasting, our behavior and our hearts and minds.
[2/18/2007] |
God vs. Caesar?
Two recent Lenten letters, from Metropolitan Herman and Archbishop Job, reveal the legal and theological
tensions that exist in the Special Commission, Metropolitan Council and Synod of Bishops on how to deal with OCA's
ongoing crisis. [2/26/2007] |
Simply Lewis
Millions around the world have been introduced to, and nurtured within, the Christian faith through C.S. Lewis'
work where their own preachers and teachers were not giving them what they needed. [Mar. 2007] |
Why liberals are right to hate the Ten Commandments
The left’s fiery obsession with removing Ten Commandments monuments from public property throughout the
United States may seem odd and irrational but actually reflects the deepest values of contemporary liberalism. [2/28/2007] |
Atheism and the Experience of God (1)
Books arguing for atheism are topping the best-seller lists these days, and more and more people seem to be
listening. Those who take issue usually try to fight scientific dogma with religious dogma. They would perhaps do better if
they appealed to the unprovable but, to those who give their lives for it, undeniable experience of the
living God. [1/23/2007] |
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| Year 2006 |
The Historical Problem of Christmas
A special historical problem attends the Gospel accounts of our Lord's Nativity, but the correct solution to
that problem, I believe, offers a unique perspective on those narratives. This subject is easily understood and very much
worth the pursuit. We will look first at the problem, and then consider its solution. [12/21/2006] |
Celebrating Christ's Nativity
With the hyper-commercialization of Christmas in American culture, it's important for us to step away from
the noise and tinsel, in order to hear once again what Orthodox Christian tradition tells us about the real significance of
this feast. This takes us back first of all to the Nativity stories of the Gospels. [12/21/2006] |
God's Greatest Gift at Christmas
As Christians, we believe that the birth in the flesh of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, our Lord Jesus
Christ, has set into motion the process of salvation. St. John Chrysostom's insightful characterization of the Nativity feast
as "the center of all festivals" indicates that all subsequent events in the life of our Lord, celebrated liturgically by
the Church, find their commencement with the human birth of Christ. [12/21/2006] |
Micro-Finance: A Way Out of Poverty
“The poor you will always have with you,” a great wise man once told us long ago. And
indeed we do. But the micro-credit movement has helped many of the poor become less poor, and to lift
themselves, their families, and their neighbors out of abject poverty. [10/25/2006] |
The Nexus of Moral Discernment in the Church
Today, in the sophisticated world of the West, there is a profusion of anxiety about the
future, and about what is really happening underneath the simplistic reports on the evening news. There
is a foreboding sense of danger on many horizons, and a rising level of unease about society and the
state of the world. [10/22/2006] |
A Marriage Made in Heaven: Longevity in the Pastorate
How long should a pastor remain in a particular parish? Twenty years ago, the conventional
wisdom was seven years: Years one through three, the pastor accrues leadership capital; the fourth and
fifth year are his most productive; by year six he has worn out his welcome and it is time to shepherd
a flock in greener pastures. [10/22/2006] |
What if God Was One of Us?
"What if God was One of Us?" asks Joan Osborne in her song of the same name. What would the
answer be? He is one of us. The second would be Jesus. But is this really so? [10/17/2006] |
What is the Church's Stand on War?
What happens to Christians is that we get caught up in the current culture that labels
warfare as the greatest of all evils and so we reflexively renounce it. There certainly are times when
war should be renounced, but a more sober understanding sees warfare as a part of life that you just
can't wish away. [10/4/2006] |
Waiting for God
How does God work? Judging from St. Paul's experience, He doesn't follow our way of doing
things. God's timetable tends to flow at a very different speed from what we are used to and often
that bothers us, especially if we are trying to do things for the Church - even for God. [10/31/2006] |
The Nexus of Moral Discernment in the Church
Today, in the sophisticated world of the West, there is a profusion of anxiety about the
future, and about what is really happening underneath the simplistic reports on the evening news. There
is a foreboding sense of danger on many horizons, and a rising level of unease about society and the
state of the world. [10/22/2006] |
Overcoming Depression
Of all mental disorders, depression is the third most prevalent with about 8% of the
population suffering from it. It is also currently the leading cause of disability world-wide. The effects
of depression are varied affecting not only the patient, but family and society as well. [10/5/2006] |
What is the Church's Stand on War?
What happens to Christians is that we get caught up in the current culture that labels
warfare as the greatest of all evils and so we reflexively renounce it. There certainly are times when
war should be renounced, but a more sober understanding sees warfare as a part of life that you just
can't wish away. [10/4/2006] |
Orthodox Church Archbishop attacks ‘Islamic fanaticism’
In yet another furore to grip the Christian community, the head of the Orthodox Church of Greece
has joined the Pope controversy by attacking what he calls Islamic fanaticism in Africa. In a scathing attack,
barely 48 hours after a Somali Islamic cleric called for Muslims to kill the Pope for his Tuesday utterances,
Archbishop Christodoulos told a sermon in Athens that Christians in Africa were suffering at the hands
of ‘fanatic Islamists’. [9/17/2006] |
Murder in the Cathedral: Terrorizing the Innocent
Those of us who have attained the status of what is now called "senior citizen" can recall a
far different time when most of the manifest evils of our time -- abortion, sexual promiscuity, homosexuality,
drug addiction, pornography, political corruption -- were, if not completely absent, at least known to be evil,
and so were vigorously fought by individual citizens, by civic groups, and by the various levels of government.
[9/5/2006] |
Greek Orthodox Church Should Say No to NCC Collaboration on Stem Cell Research
Fr Johannes L. Jacobse - Why are we compromising the Orthodox moral tradition in order
to satisfy the demands of NCC member communions? Why do we turn a blind eye to a moral question of such
crucial cultural importance? We are we so eager to curry favor with the NCC while ignoring the needs of our
own faithful and the larger culture? [9/2/2006] |
There is an American Orthodoxy
Fr Aris Metrakos - A myth needs to be debunked. It goes like this: Orthodox unity
is years away because there is no such thing as "American Orthodoxy". Call it an ecclesiastical instead of
urban legend if you want. It's been in circulation for at least two decades among the Orthodox Christians
of the United States and it keeps us frozen in a state of tribalism and territorialism that prevents us
from planting Orthodoxy more firmly in America. [8/28/2006] |
Abortion, Morality and the Guidance of Christianity
Should Christian churches provide guidance on abortion, or should they just leave such
life-and-death decision-making to the whims of personal opinion and secular culture? [8/25/2006] |
What the Heart Sees
In the desert of our hearts, God is apparent. We do not acknowledge His presence until we
really need Him. Our journey is fraught with trying to succeed in a world that is finite. We use our
eyes and minds to make our lives a better place not realizing that the Heart is what should be guiding
us to our successes and failures. [8/4/2006] |
When Schools Silence God Talk
With schools opening around the country, it's unfortunate that many principals and school boards
are not educated on the true meaning of the Establishment Clause. Under the Free Exercise Clause, a student
can express his or her personal religious beliefs in an assignment or as a valedictorian. [8/27/2006] |
What the Heart Sees
In the desert of our hearts, God is apparent. We do not acknowledge His presence until we
really need Him. Our journey is fraught with trying to succeed in a world that is finite. We use our
eyes and minds to make our lives a better place not realizing that the Heart is what should be guiding
us to our successes and failures. [8/4/2006] |
Vatican vows to expel stem cell scientists from Church
Scientists who carry out embryonic stem cell research and politicians who pass laws
permitting the practice will be excommunicated, the Vatican said yesterday. [6/30/2006] |
Animals Are People Too
No matter how virtuous the strong feelings of compassion felt by congressmen may be, we don't
pay our representatives to legislate on the basis of their feelings. That is how civilizations commit
suicide. We would greatly prefer it if they weighed up long term future effects against today's call of
compassion. [5/26/2006] |
The Dictatorship of Relativism
We are building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and
whose ultimate goal consists solely of one's own ego and desires. We, however, have a different goal: the
Son of God, the true man. He is the measure of true humanism. [5/19/2006] |
The Da Vinci Code: Decoding the Agenda
Fr. Theodore Stylianopoulos - Much has been written and said about Dan Brown's
The Da Vinci Code. Potential viewers, as they evaluate the film for themselves, ought to be mindful of the
whopping historical falsehoods on which the book is based. [May 2006] |
The Da Vinci Code: The X-Files of Ancient Lies
Rev. Dr. Frank Marangos - The apocryphal myths contained in the X-Files of early
heretical texts have once again emerged as the protagonists against the Sacred Tradition of Orthodox Christianity
seeking to lead the catechetically uninformed and spiritually fickle into a hollow pursuit whose ultimate
destination is death and destruction. [May 2006] |
An Orthodox Response To The Da Vinci Code
The articles on this site have been assembled to provide real seekers of "Truth" with an opportunity
for honest dialogue. Since Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code is based on so many inaccuracies - our goal is to help set
an appropriate basis for a healthy discussion concerning the cultural merits of Christianity by first setting
the historical, scriptural and theological record straight! |
He Is Not Here!
Fr. John Breck - As the Risen One, we declare with the angel, Jesus was
"not there." As the Crucified One, however, he is and remains in the darkness of the tomb, in
the abyss of Sheol, reaching out his hands to seize, to embrace, and to raise up with himself both
the living and the dead. [4/20/2006] |
Testing our faith
Easter is the most extraordinary of religious holidays because it dares believers to
step up and embrace the impossible: the declaration that Jesus of Nazareth died, was buried and
rose on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. |
What Is Important
Fr. Alexander Schmemann - If in humility we attempt always to obey the Truth, if we try
unceasingly to overcome all which is sinful and narrow for the sake of the Truth, then our controversies born
of human weakness may lead to the glory of the Church, "for the strength of Christ is made perfect in weakness."
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A Gospel In The Gospel Of Judas?
The fact that the Gospel of Judas has been authenticated as belonging to the third century,
the original written about a century earlier, does not of course mean what it says is true. St. Irenaeus
of Lyons (ca. 180 AD) knew about it and denounced it as heresy. Many other Church Fathers and theologians
have, before and after Irenaeus, refuted the same kind of thinking found in dozens of similar documents
which distorted the apostolic faith. [4/20/2006] |
Worship and Rhythm of Life
Fr. Bohdan Hladio - There is no easy or painless way to achieve spiritual renewal or
growth either in our Church or in our personal life - but attending the services is the first step if
we're truly interested in seeing this growth. [3/5/2006] |
NCC Exit Poll
Fr. Johannes L. Jacobse - The NCC has become increasingly more political than religious,
and that its politics has a decidedly leftward slant. The organization had also become increasingly associated
with pro-homosexual and anti-marriage causes. [2/24/2006] |
Lessons from Limbo
The Roman Catholic Church recently announced that it is closing the doors on "limbo." For
important theological reasons, this is a good thing. Yet it gives us cause to reflect a little on our
own understanding of the state of existence after death and on the development of theology within
the Church. [2/19/2006] |
The Education Monopoly and Intelligent Design
With the recent election results in Kansas and Delaware, the debate continues to intensify over
teaching evolution and "Intelligent Design" in the public schools. There is much at stake, from scientific
integrity to philosophical baggage. The stakes are greater than they ought to be because of the way our
country delivers educational services. [1/4/2006] |
Can God Suffer?
The image God offers us of Himself in the Gospel takes this conviction a crucial step further.
It is the image of a God who not only governs the world and our individual lives, bringing blessings and permitting
pain and suffering. This same God makes it clear that He actually shares that suffering with us. [1/2/2006] |
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| Year 2005 |
Disarming Men
If Christians are going to be serious about recovering a biblical vision of manhood, we ought
to start by looking around our churches this next Sunday. Young Scott Peterson will be there, waiting to
hear if we have anything different to say. [May 2005] |
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United Churches of Castro
Fr. Johannes Jacobse - Like many of its left-wing counterparts, the NCC displayed a slavish devotion to Marxist ideas
and anti-American cant. It strove to become the official dispenser of religious respectability to those who
adopted either. Dispensing respectability made NCC bureaucrats feel important and offered the rationale that
justified the NCC’s existence. [8/25/2005] |
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St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
St. Nicholas, when discussed in his true form, truly gives the meaning of Christmas. This great
wonder-worker humbled himself before his God and before mankind, by spreading joy to those less fortunate
than him. |
Bishop Tikhon (OCA) on Intelligent Design
Bishop Tikhon - "I feel it's important to note that "intelligent design" has NO scientific
answers to any scientific question. It is an expression of various religious tenets held mostly by
the Evangelicals." [12/5/2005] |
Bishop Tikhon (OCA) Against Intelligent Design in Schools
Bishop Tikhon - "the fact remains that "Intelligent Design" doesn't make it as any kind
of science, and to subject children to a religious teaching that is even more half-baked than the most rigid
Fundamentalism is not respectable pedagogy." [12/6/2005] |
Uncommon Dissent (Read for Arguments Supporting Intelligent Design)
Book Review: Darwinists demand a bigger miracle than any creationist could ever
claim, as they assert that "only matter in mindless motion" gave birth to intelligent life and
consciousness. Indeed, the faith required to believe that chaos allowed inanimate matter to
become alive and to eventually develop into rational beings is far greater than the faith
needed to acknowledge that an intelligent Creator designed it all from the beginning.
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God and Gambling
Is gambling a sin? With the proliferation of gambling throughout society in recent years,
this question seems more pertinent than ever before. But at the same time, the stigma that once went
along with gambling obviously has diminished. [11/2/2005] |
Upbringing of Children as Pious and Orthodox Christians
All Orthodox Christian parents who have babies or young children should consider very
carefully how they are going to raise those children. Each one is a beloved and precious gift
from God. From their first breath - indeed, from their conception - children should be surrounded
by both love and prayer. [Oct. 2005] |
Vanishing Sea of Faith
The plight of Christianity in Europe, if not yet in America, has become the topic of the
moment in religious as well as secular circles, and the modern Christian establishment professes
bewilderment. [Oct. 2005] |
Goodbye My Son
Fr. Apostolos Hill - Are we adults living the kind of lives to which our own
children can resort for inspiration, example, and encouragement? Are we leaving a legacy of faith,
fortitude, contentment, character, and joy in our relationships that will serve as a bulwark to the
cynical resentment which so animates civic life today? [10/22/2005] |
Atheism And Orthodoxy in Modern Russia
Bishop Hilarion - Russian atheism may well one day die, but this will happen when the country
has not only been baptized, but has been enlightened and born again. The Orthodox Church should play a
key role in this spiritual rebirth. [10/14/2005] |
Character
Fr. John G. Panagiotou - So many times today we are confronted with the reality that many people do not understand what the
meaning of the word character is. Literally, the word means that which typifies a person in his/her own inner
essence. In effect, it is the aroma of our souls that lingers with people once we have exited a room. [8/18/2005] |
Smart Parenting
Fr. George Morelli - The first place we have to start is with ourselves. If we are not
keeping a "life in Christ" how can we expect our children to do so? [9/17/2005] |
The Decline and Fall of Christian Morality
No Christian today can deny that we are drowning in a deluge of immoral sexuality. We are
living in a culture that is bent on desecrating marriage and sex. We are sexualizing our children,
exploiting our teens and producing adults whose understanding of relationships is so warped that
marriages are now more likely to end in divorce than not. [9/17/2005] |
Whose Side is God On?
Jesus clearly upholds the moral law regarding "sexual immorality." (Mark 7:21) St. Paul
specifically affirms the prohibitions against homosexual acts at several points. He wrote: "Do not be
deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
(1 Corinthians 6:9-10) [9/8/2005] |
Remembering September 11
Fr. James Kordaris - This month we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious
and Lifegiving Cross. Every September for the rest of our lives, we will remember the horrible events of
September 11. And yet, as Orthodox Christians, we will also remember that three days later, the Church
raises up before us the Cross of Christ. [Sept. 2005] |
The rejection of materialism (Part XXI)
The primary reason Karl Marx hated religion -- specifically Judaism and Christianity --
was that he regarded it as the "opiate of the masses." This attitude has permeated all leftist views
of religion since Marx: Religion keeps people from making revolutions to materially better their lives. |
Religious War & Peace
The equating of Christians with Wahhabis (radical Islamists) is reminiscent of the
assertion of the moral equivalence of the West and the Soviet Union that we so often heard from
the European and American left during the Cold War. [July-Aug 2005] |
Bishop Tikhon of the OCA on Banning Abortions
Bishop Tikhon: "One of the most successful instruments in the latters' [neoconservatives] propaganda kit,
Anti-abortion as a slogan, accompanied by great temporizing and a certain ambiguity, because
if abortion were to be banned outright and we returned automatically to the old illegal unsanitary and
more-profitable-than-drugs "coat-hangar" garage abortions that we had in the good old days..."
(Posted on 9/9/2005 - Indiana Listserv) |
Fr. Symeon Responds to Bishop Tikhon's Comments on Abortions
Fr. Symeon: "Do I read that he suggests the slaughter of the unborn on a massive scale
is BETTER than the danger of a few unsterile abortions???? Oh yea, that's reasonable, that's rational!
Such reasoning is as irrational as the Good Bishop's theory that man was CREATED 'omnisexual.'"
(Posted on 9/9/2005 - Indiana Listserv) |
Bishop Tikhon: Man is an "Omnisexual" Being, Post #2
Bishop Tikhon: "A human being is born biologically and traditionally capable of being
sexually excited by anything and everything; hence the 'omni-' in 'omnisexual'."
(Posted on 8/26/2005 - Indiana Listserv) |
Fr. Symeon Debunks Bishop Tikhon's "Omnisexual" Teaching
Fr. Symeon: "I suggest that the proper challenge is for the Dear Bishop to produce a single
teaching of the Church that confirms his absurd teaching that man was CREATED with an aberrant sexuality,
called omnisexuality." (Posted on 8/27/2005 - Indiana Listserv) |
Bishop Tikhon: "Man Mostly an Omnisexual Being"
Bishop Tikhon: "Man being mostly an omnisexual being, able to get excited by a tree trunk,
a calf, satin, all sorts of oils and unguents, tubes, sharp objects, pressure faucets, and so on, which
can be found in almost any house or other dwelling, is going to act as he pleases."
(Posted on 8/23/2005 - Indiana Listserv) |
Fr. Symeon Challenges Bishop Tikhon's Comments
Fr. Symeon: "For one of such a cynical view as to see human sexuality as "omnisexual" sex
itself is so debased it is "animal only" "physical only," so how could such a one grasp the spiritual
reality of marital intimacy? This bishop or any bishop does not stand in your bedroom and should not
insinuate himself into what the Holy Spirit has deemed, 'undefiled in all.'"
(Posted on 8/26/2005 - Indiana Listserv) |
Terrorism and Liberty
Fr. Hans Jacobse - The terror inflicted on America last week should shake clear thinking
Americans into deeper sobriety. It should ring in our ears as a wake up call. Strong democracies are strong
by more than military might. Strong democracies are strong through the virtue of its citizens. |
Lest We Forget - Remembering Romanian persecution
In 1999, the Romanian National Institute for the Study of Totalitarianism published a volume
entitled "The Imprisoned Church: Romania, 1944-1989." It is presented as a "dictionary" that details the
persecution and suffering endured by clergy and other figures in the Orthodox, Catholic (Eastern and Roman)
and Protestant Churches in Romania during the period of communist domination. [Aug. 2005] |
Great News: Antiochian Orthodox Church Leaves National Council of Churches
The nearly 400,000 member Antiochian Orthodox Church of America has voted overwhelmingly to
leave the National Council of Churches (NCC) because of its liberalism. "This decision by the Antiochian
Orthodox is good news for all who care about genuine Christian ecumenism, as opposed to the faux
ecumenism of the NCC, whose primary concern is politics, not churches." [8/4/2005] |
God-Lite Doesn’t Cut It
A new poll tells an old story: Americans are deeply religious, especially compared to
Europeans. "Religious devotion sets the United States apart from some of its closest allies." |
Meaning or Meanings of Scripture?
Fr. John Breck - This is an odd question, one that has been asked many times since the beginning of this
“postmodern” age. Yet the thought behind it is as ancient as the pre-Socratic philosopher who asked if a
person can step twice into the same stream. Now, as then, the answer is both Yes and No. [May 2005] |
Debate Between Christianity and Secularism
Bishop Hilarion - In the modern battle for values people find themselves more often than
not on opposite sides of the barricades, with those inspired by religious ideals on the one side and those
whose world-view is formed by secular humanism on the other. Today only religion is systematically resisting the
desperate attack of globalization, entering into an unequal battle for the defense of those values which it
considers fundamental and which are being challenged by globalization. [4/12/2005] |
Sinful Silence - When Christians neglect their civil duty
Chris Banescu (book review) - Christianity requires us to not only stay faithful
to Christ's teachings and our religious traditions, but to also actively engage our society and
civil authorities and help them reflect God's wisdom, truth, and love. Anything less will mean that
our Christian calling is missing a key characteristic that God has always expected from His
people and their works; both in the Old and also the New Testament. |
Nature must not be worshipped: Judeo-Christian values, Part XVI
Why would people who value compassion, kindness or justice venerate nature? The notions
of justice and caring for the weak are unique to humanity. In the rest of nature, the weak are to
be killed. The individual means nothing in nature; the individual is everything to humans. |
The Pope Is Christian!
The changes Catholic revisionists are proposing for their own church are not simply of
the sort that offend conservative Catholics, but all Christians. At the base of the progressive mind
as it is revealing itself in the Catholic Church is a will to make it not a different kind of
Catholic Church, but no church at all. [June 2005] |
Secularism and the meaningless life
Judeo-Christian values: Part XIII - Whatever the logical inconsistencies or theoretical arguments in either direction, the fact
remains that while secular individuals can believe that their own lives have meaning, secularism by
definition denies that life has meaning. The consequences have been devastating to mental health and
to social order. |
Evangelicals Equated With Nazis at NCC-Sponsored Conference
If your denomination is a member of the National Council of Churches, prayerfully consider
presenting a resolution to your church council opposing any nominal or financial support for a body like
the NCC that undermines Christian unity rather than promoting it. |
Got Salt?
Doug Giles - To be a faithful salt dispenser for Christ, you and I must have the
resilient thick hide and attitude of a bulldog to maintain faithfulness to His call, even, or especially,
when it means saying that which might cause consternation. |
Abortion and Ecumenical Relations between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches
It is ironic that even as the Greek Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Constantinople is working
hard to improve relations between Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, the American Archdiocese of his
Greek Church jeopardizes those relations by awarding abortionists |
We are not just animals: Judeo-Christian values part XV
People who do not believe in God or religion can surely lead ethical lives. But they
cannot lead holy lives. By definition, the ideal of the holy, as understood by Judaism and Christianity
and that unique amalgam known as Judeo-Christian values, needs God and religion. |
The Jews have a mission: Judeo-Christian values: Part XII
Dennis Prager - Ask any non-Christian what the Christian mission is, and you will get the same
answer. Just about everyone, Christian or non-Christian, knows the Christian mission. Now ask any Jew,
religious or secular, "What is the Jewish mission?" and the most likely response will be: "What do you mean?" |
Democrats, Christians and social issues
The popular culture does routinely mock and demean Christians, who are the only group not
protected by the selective "tolerance" of political correctness, but mere derision is not our primary
grievance. We cite it mainly to demonstrate the antipathy of the secularist culture toward people of faith. |
The Miracle of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem
"The Miracle of the Holy Fire" by Christians from the Orthodox Churches is known as
"The greatest of all Christian miracles". It takes place every single year, on the same time, in the
same manner, and on the same spot. No other miracle is known to occur so regularly and for such an
extensive period of time; one can read about it in sources as old as from the eighth Century AD.
[5/1/2005] |
The war on religion
Religion may be a fine, stained-glass thing in its purely ornamental place, but actually to
take a stand on religious conviction and fight for it, well, then you've gone from preachin' to meddlin' -
and become a special interest, to use Mark Pryor's (Democrat) damning description. |
Holding On to all that Humanity can Mean
Fr. Thomas Hopko - Pope John Paul II was not only a human being, but, amazing to say, he was
a male human being in a world where prominent and popular people, particular men, are hardly human. He was
the polar opposite of the men, and now also the women, who are ready to do whatever it takes to get whatever
they want for the sake of personal power, position, prestige, profit and pleasure. [4/18/2005] |
Towards a Catholic-Orthodox Alliance
"As a Russian Orthodox bishop, I hope, first of all, that the new pontificate will be marked by a
breakthrough in relations between the Roman Catholic and the Russian Orthodox Churches, and that a meeting of the
Pope of Rome with the Patriarch of Moscow does take place. This meeting must be preceded by concrete steps in the
direction of a better mutual understanding, and by careful elaboration of a common position on major
dividing issues." [4/28/2005] |
The Origins of Lent
Fr. Patrick Reardon - The word "Lent," now associated exclusively with the
observance of the liturgical year, originally meant "spring" and had no directly religious significance.
In English usage, however, its reference was gradually limited to the season of preparation for
Pascha, a season that does, in fact, coincide with spring. [3/15/2005] |
The Cube and the Cathedral (Europe's Church Crisis)
Europe's largest churches are often unused these days, reduced to monuments for tourists to
admire. And there is a reason for this neglect. In "The Cube and the Cathedral," George Weigel describes
a European culture that has become not only increasingly secular but in many cases downright hostile to
Christianity. [4/14/2005] |
Life in the Fast Lane
For Christians, the most important lesson about fasting is presented in blunt terms:
Christ warns us in the Gospels that fasting is not to make us gloomy! It is not a bitter, excruciating
ordeal: “And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites. . . . But when you fast, put
oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by
your Father” (Matt. 6:16–17). [March 2005] |
Rat Research Hints at God's Creation
Chris Banescu - Earlier this year, researchers in Spain made a remarkable scientific
discovery. Rats are capable of discerning the rhythms of the human language and can tell the difference
between different languages. Rather than support evolution, these findings actually reinforce the
Creation model of the world. The research seems to indicate yet another weakness of the evolutionary
model and adds more weight to a growing body of scientific evidence that disproves many aspects of
evolution. |
No need for Orthodox pickles
The heart of Orthodoxy must stay the same, but it is not enough
to "put our faith into pickle jar and preserve it." Orthodox leaders must find a way to save the
traditions of their homelands, but the clergy and laity must realize that their own children and
grandchildren are Americans who need a faith that is stronger than old music, familiar foods,
folk dancing and traces of an ancient language. [2/23/2005] |
What Will Be Will Be?
Fr. Patrick Reardon - To say, as the Bible and the Church have always insisted on
saying, that we are responsible beings answerable to God for our lives and our moral decisions, is to
assert that our choices are really free, that we have a genuine say about what will be, that we do not
simply act from compulsory forces outside of our control, that what comes forth from us is not just the
sum total of the influences brought to bear upon us, that "it is not what enters a man from without that
defiles him." [2/16/2005] |
Mad Court Disease
Canada used to have an exemplary record of respect for human rights. That ended with adoption of the Canadian
Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982. Under the pretense of upholding this Charter, activists on the Supreme Court of Canada have
conducted a systematic attack on freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief, opinion, and expression
for Canadians who affirm the traditional principles of Judeo-Christian morality. [March 2005] |
Choose life: The case for Judeo-Christian values: IX
There are good people on both sides of the Terri Schiavo tragedy, but chances are that
if you affirm Judeo-Christian values, you have opposed pulling the feeding tubes from the severely
brain damaged woman's body. Why? Because if there is anything that Judeo-Christian values stand for,
it is choosing life and rejecting death. |
Hate evil: Case for Judeo-Christian values, part VII
Dennis Prager - A core value of the Bible is hatred of evil. Indeed, it is the
only thing the Bible instructs its followers to hate -- so much so that love of God is equated with
hatred of evil. "Those who love God -- you must hate evil," the Psalms tell us. The notion of hating
evil was and remains revolutionary. [3/1/2005] |
Liberal feeling vs. Judeo-Christian values: Part VI
Dennis Prager - With the decline of the authority of Judeo-Christian values in the
West, many people stopped looking to external sources of moral standards in order to decide what is right
and wrong. Instead of being guided by God, the Bible and religion, great numbers -- in Western Europe,
the great majority -- have looked elsewhere for moral and social guidelines. [2/22/2005] |
Restating the obvious - the American Church is hurting
We are in trouble – Christians, the nation, the world – because of the Church. As so-called
believers we do not act as we ought. And it is costing our witness, big-time. [2/16/2005] |
Judeo-Christian values: Part V
Dennis Prager - Before continuing to make the case for Judeo-Christian values, it is
time to answer a question frequently posed by Jews and Christians as well as others: How can there be such
a thing as Judeo-Christian values when Judaism and Christianity have different, sometimes mutually
exclusive, beliefs? [2/15/2005] |
Judeo-Christian values: Part IV
Dennis Prager - One of the most obvious and significant differences between secular
and Judeo-Christian values concerns human worth. One of the great ironies of secular humanism is that it
devalues the worth of human beings. As ironic as it may sound, the God-based Judeo-Christian value system
renders man infinitely more valuable and significant than any humanistic value system. [2/8/2005] |
Raising Children Who Believe: Five Steps We Took as Christian Parents
Fr. Peter E. Gillquist - One of the great struggles we have today in the Church is preserving our children in the
Orthodox Faith. Too often they seem not to be interested. Can we somehow motivate our kids to be excited
about following Christ and being Orthodox Christians? I believe there is a way. It takes commitment and
hard work, but it’s worth it. [Jan. 2005] |
Judeo-Christian values: Part III
Dennis Prager - Those who do not believe that moral values must come from the Bible
or be based upon God's moral instruction argue that they have a better source for values: human reason. |
The case for Judeo-Christian values: Part II
Dennis Prager - For those who subscribe to Judeo-Christian values, right and wrong, good and
evil, are derived from God, not from reason alone, nor from the human heart, the state or through majority rule. |
Better answers: The case for Judeo-Christian values
Dennis Prager - Now, it is time to make the case for Judeo-Christian, specifically biblical,
values. I believe they are the finest set of values to guide the lives of both individuals and societies.
Unfortunately, they are rarely rationally explained -- even among Jewish and Christian believers, let alone
to nonbelievers and members of other faiths. |
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| Year 2004 |
Right Alliances
The fact that Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christians are able to come together as we
do tonight, in a spirit of fellowship and good will, is a tribute to our nation and to its great tradition
of religious pluralism. Of course, it has taken us some time, we Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox
Christians, to get to this point. [Nov. 2004] |
First Things First
A society in which vulnerable human life is not protected and in which marriage is made irrelevant
is a society that will not long continue to care for the freedom, peace, and health of others. [Oct. 2004] |
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