by Rod Dreher –
The fact that between my generation and my children’s, the number of self-identified transgenders has increased by 800 percent, testifies to the final victory of the Sexual Revolution in destroying all the traditional sources of the Self.
[Read more…]
by Jennifer Davis –
As she has done in previous years, Presbytera Mari Iakovou Mars is enthusiastically, proudly and publicly celebrating and promoting homosexual, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer pride for LGBTQ Pride Month this year also.
On her Facebook page, on June 2, 2021 Mars wrote:
“Happy pride, y’all!!! To all my LGBTQ+ family, friends, and clients: I see you, I love you, and I will never stop fighting for you.”
Mars is the wife of an active Orthodox priest in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOAA).
Mars, Presbytera Mari Marilisse, is married to Fr. Christos P. Mars who currently serves at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Atlanta, Georgia. [Read more…]
by Fr. Geoffrey Korz –
…
We should not ever, ever be surprised when the world responds to Orthodox Christianity with skepticism and hostility.
We should not be surprised when the world tries to reinterpret the Bible, or the Church Fathers, or the lives of the saints, to fit some modern agenda.
We should not be surprised when even so-called Orthodox people follow the example of the parents of the Blind Man, and try to make themselves friends of the world, and won’t say a word that might cause waves with the world.
That’s the way it’s always been. Even since the time of Christ Himself. Even with the Apostles, when you think about it. [Read more…]
by Fr. Gabriel (Hieromonk) –
The answer to the question, the meaning of our life, is the Holy Spirit of God being poured out upon us. It is our calling on the name of the Lord and being saved.
Throughout all the ages of human history, mankind has been ceaselessly occupied with a single question: why? What is the meaning of life, what is the purpose of birth and death, of love and of suffering? Why have we appeared in this world which is so full of both beauty and misery? Men and women of every culture and nation, of every philosophy and religion, have sought for countless centuries to find the answer to this question, and still there are those who seek to find it today despite the modern cacophony of triviality which has all but overwhelmed us. [Read more…]
by Michael Brown –
Wake up! We are losing touch with reality and engaging in dangerous semantic and ideological games.
I do not write this to be cruel or judgmental. And I certainly don’t want to hurt anyone. To the contrary, I want to help. But I do write with a sense of urgency, both to the nation and to confused individuals like Demi Lovato, the latest to identify as non-binary and want to be called “they.”
To the nation, I say this: Wake up! We are losing touch with reality and engaging in dangerous semantic and ideological games. Worse still, we are not providing the real help that struggling people need. [Read more…]
by Fr. Lawrence Farley –
Recently I read an interesting critique of American Christianity. It pointed out that in an earlier day the schoolrooms for our children used to feature the Ten Commandments written on the wall, rather than (for example) the Beatitudes. The author thought this rather odd for a Christian nation, and evidence that something was wrong. I grant you that the preference for the Ten Commandments over the Beatitudes does invite comment.
One begins by asking how the Ten Commandments became so prominent in the eyes of Christians to begin with. One of course understands how a Jew would opt for the Ten Commandments which Moses brought down from the height of Sinai, rather than the Beatitudes of Jesus found in the New Testament. But how did the Ten Commandments become so culturally popular among American Christians? [Read more…]
by Fr. Ioannes Apiarius –
On March 11 on his Facebook page, the retired vagante Archbishop, Lazar Puhalo, as Fr. John Whiteford refers to this rebellious and controversial hierarch, once again posted his distorted views that contradict the Scriptures and the Orthodox Church teaching. In his public online comments Puhalo makes several outrageous claims about the Ten Commandments that have no basis in Orthodox Christian theology.
Puhalo opines that the Ten Commandments “have become such a fetish piece among so many Christians.” He further asserts that “The ’10 Commandments’ are not terribly significant and certainly not unique.”
Puhalo concludes with another scandalous claim: “If we think about it, the 10 Commandments have almost nothing to do with Christianity.” [Read more…]
Patriarch Kirill (Moscow and All Russia) –
A person who believes in God is filled with tremendous power, because knowledge is revealed through faith. Faith brings a person into living contact with the Lord, and everyone who turns to God with faith gains a special life experience said His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, in his sermon on February 7, on the 35th Sunday after Pentecost, the feast day of the Synaxis of New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church.
“All atheistic work aimed at destroying the faith in our country consisted of rationally, relying supposedly on some scientific achievements, proving that there is no God. [Read more…]
by Michael Sisco –
The website, Orthodoxy In Dialogue, which is run by Giacomo Sanfilippo, is a blasphemous site that makes a mockery of Orthodoxy. It actively promotes lifestyles and concepts that are contrary to the Orthodox Faith and Holy Tradition. This site also frequently attacks the faithful who vocally stand for truth with gross exaggerations and outright lies.
The undersigned Orthodox Laypersons and Clergy, kindly request that our Orthodox Bishops publicly denounce this vile website, and consider excommunication of those who assist them in subverting our faith.
Add your name to the Change.org petition here: Petition to Denounce Orthodoxy In Dialogue. [Read more…]
by Fr Dn Charles Joiner –
In the beginning of our spiritual journey we realize that we lack an inner peace, and realize that the way we are seeking to find it only seems to bring more turmoil. We have a feeling that God is distant from us and that our inner being is seeking a peace it cannot find. This motivates us to renew, or even begin for the first time, our search for God, and a deep inner spiritual peace only He can bring. This effort is brought about by our conscience and engages our will to take actions that will help us change our way life.
We seek spiritual books to read, we seek out a spiritual father to teach us the way, and we begin to attend worship services more regularly. With our sincerity in this effort, we are properly guided and encouraged to also actively participate in the sacramental life of the Church, primarily Confession and Holy Communion. We learn about, and begin, the ascetic disciplines of fasting and daily prayer, and learn how to properly prepare to receive Holy Communion regularly. [Read more…]
