Fr. Whiteford

George Demacopoulos: Christian Moral Teaching isn’t Black and White

August 6, 2022January 21, 2025 by Orthodox Editors

George Demacopoulos False Teacher No Moral Right or Wrong by Fr. John Whiteford –
This is part of a pattern on the part of the Fordhamites at “Public Orthodoxy,” of downplaying Christian morality, and suggesting that it is fluid, something apart from dogma, and therefore open to debate and revision.
…
To have an Orthodox bishop participate in this March, be given a platform, and to have him endorse “a woman’s right to choose” to kill her baby was an embarrassment. And make no mistake, everyone understood exactly what he was saying.

The Washington Post cited it as an example of a “pro-choice” shift among many Christian and Jewish groups. George Demacopoulos, editor of “Public Orthodoxy,” who champions the abandonment of Christian morality in the Orthodox Church, is cited in support of Archbishop Elpidophoros’ [pro-abortion] coming out speech: [Read more…]

Rise of Heretical Pro-Abortion “Orthodox” False Teachers

May 9, 2022January 21, 2025 by Orthodox Editors

Archbishop Elpidophoros Pro-Abortion Blasphemous Message by Fr. John Whiteford –
You will not find a single Church Father or Saint of the Church that calls abortion anything less than murder.

In recent years, there are lines of division that not only show the signs of an emerging schism in the Orthodox Church — it is becoming increasingly clear that we are witnessing the birth of a new religion, which will only retain some of the outward trappings of the Orthodox Christian Faith, but in fact is increasingly becoming unrecognizable as Christian. We see this when it comes to how the innovators see the sanctity of life, sexuality, human nature, the Church, and Tradition.

As we currently contemplate the prospect of Roe vs. Wade being overturned, it is important to remember that in January of this year, at the March for Life, Archbishop Elpidophoros used the occasion to affirm his support for abortion “rights.” [Read more…]

Public Orthodoxy: Promoting Cultural Marxism and LGBT Blasphemy

November 11, 2017January 21, 2025 by Orthodox Editors

Public Orthodoxy: Promoting Cultural Marxism and LGBT Blasphemy by Fr. John Whiteford –
One could make a career of responding to all of the nonsense that “Public Orthodoxy” [run by George Demacopoulos and Aristotle Papanikolaou] spews on a regular basis.

Recently, Ashley Purpura has made the unlikely argument that the services of the Church somehow promote gender fluidity, in her [dare I presume her binary gender?] article: “Beyond the Binary: Hymnographic Constructions of Orthodox Gender,” which begins with the manifestly ridiculous assertion: “Much like gender itself, Orthodox understandings of gender span a spectrum of diverse views.”

Of course, anyone with any concern for the truth who actually knows anything about the Orthodox Church knows that this is not even slightly true. There is not the most microbial fragment of a basis for such an absurd claim. Not even the remotest hint of such a microbial fragment…. [Read more…]

Culture Wars Threaten the Orthodox Church, Our Freedom, and Our Families

August 7, 2016January 21, 2025 by Orthodox Editors

Culture Wars Threaten the Orthodox Church, Our Freedom, and Our Families by Fr. John Whiteford –
It would be nice if we could ignore the culture wars, but the culture wars are coming after us, our Church, and our families. You can choose what you are prepared to defend, but you cannot choose who will attack what you wish to defend.

There are those in the Orthodox Church who say that we should have nothing to do with the culture wars that have been raging in our culture since the 60’s. They accuse conservative converts of trying to bring those culture wars into the Orthodox Church. Ironically, those who talk like this are usually the very people who actually are bringing the culture wars into the Orthodox Church by their promotion of the acceptance of homosexuality, gay marriage, abortion, women’s ordination, and various other liberal causes.

It is not as if the Orthodox Church was full of people who thought gay marriage was a great idea until converts started showing up. In fact, the Orthodox in traditionally Orthodox countries are very conservative, and though, for example, there are not lots of Protestant converts to Orthodoxy in Russia, the Russian Church has taken a very strong and vocal position on these issues. [Read more…]

A Response to an Open Letter on Homosexuality

August 17, 2011January 21, 2025 by Orthodox Editors

by Fr. John Whiteford
In response to the debate about homosexuality that is currently going on in the OCA, there is now an “Open letter to OCA Holy Synod from college students and young adults” that has been sent to the bishops of the OCA, and is making the rounds on the internet.

This letter is a classic example of the use of politically correct arguments to shut down those whom liberals disagree with, rather then deal with the actual substance of the question. This tactic is not by accident. When you can’t deal with the substance of an issue, complaining about the tone of those you can’t answer will do, in a pinch.

In short, the letter complains about the tone of those who say homosexuality is a sin, without unequivocally stating what the correct teaching of the Church actually is on the subject. There is no acknowledgment that statements that are morally ambiguous might be of any legitimate concern, only condemnation of those who seek to make clear what the teaching of the Church is. [Read more…]