There is no perfect church on earth. The Church that Christ founded
had and has Her share of problems. All of the Apostles were forgiven
by Jesus Christ, and this just shows they needed forgiving, for as the
Bible says, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God".
God have mercy on us.
And so, here are some true words about the Orthodox Church, the
Church Christ founded:
"The presence of Orthodox Christians and clergymen in the pro-life
movement is .... on the increase. Though nowhere near as vocal as
the Catholic and Evangelical churches, the Orthodox Church has
maintained a consistent teaching on this subject, as it has on other
issues (such as homosexual unions, polyamory, etc.) that are tearing
apart the fabric of American society. Many disenchanted Christians
from other denominations are flocking to Orthodoxy simply because of
the spiritual wounding they have experienced from their own churches'
accommodation to the zeitgeist. Orthodoxy, in spite of its own self-
inflicted wounds, provides to all who wish to partake of it a consistent,
scriptural worldview that does not succumb to the whims of the
moment.
"To be sure, part of this interest in a more authentic observance of
Orthodoxy can result in zealotry, bigotry and even fanaticism. Anti-
Semitism, never completely eradicated from the Christian tradition,
can rear its ugly head among some of the more extreme elements of
Orthodoxy. Often, these elements make common cause with the
environmentalists, anti-globalists and other paranoid elements within
the secular world. Sometimes, however, the willingness of many
secularists to tar the Orthodox Church with the anti-Semitic paintbrush
is unfair, since indigenous Christians of the Holy Land themselves have
suffered greatly because of the policies of Israel. Unfortunately, the
Church, particularly its (dwindling) Arab component invites such
accusations due to its schizophrenic view of Islam. (The often
sympathetic views of many of the Old World patriarchs towards Islam
in general and Mohammed in particular are theologically distressing
to say the least. (1))" (page 213: THE AMERICAN ORTHODOX
CHURCH: A HISTORY OF ITS BEGINNINGS. by George C.
Michalopulos and Herb Ham. Salisbury, MA: Regina Orthodox
Press, 2003.).
Regina Orthodox Press Online Store
Notes.
1. The late Patriarch Parthenius III of Alexandria (r. 1987-2001), for
example, stated that Mohammed possesed the vocation of prophet to
some extent. Likewise, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople has
on more than one occasion stated that Islam was a "religion of peace";
this, in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attack on
the United States. He has traveled extensively to Iran and the Arabian
peninsula stating his views openly, often being broadcast on Al-Jazeera,
the Arabic-language all-news channel. Even Bishop Kallistos Ware's
historical description of Mohammed (towit: "When the Prophet died in
632 ..." [The Orthodox Church;p. 29], accepts the Islamic attributions
without comment, thereby normalizing his self-styled vocation.
had and has Her share of problems. All of the Apostles were forgiven
by Jesus Christ, and this just shows they needed forgiving, for as the
Bible says, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God".
God have mercy on us.
And so, here are some true words about the Orthodox Church, the
Church Christ founded:
"The presence of Orthodox Christians and clergymen in the pro-life
movement is .... on the increase. Though nowhere near as vocal as
the Catholic and Evangelical churches, the Orthodox Church has
maintained a consistent teaching on this subject, as it has on other
issues (such as homosexual unions, polyamory, etc.) that are tearing
apart the fabric of American society. Many disenchanted Christians
from other denominations are flocking to Orthodoxy simply because of
the spiritual wounding they have experienced from their own churches'
accommodation to the zeitgeist. Orthodoxy, in spite of its own self-
inflicted wounds, provides to all who wish to partake of it a consistent,
scriptural worldview that does not succumb to the whims of the
moment.
"To be sure, part of this interest in a more authentic observance of
Orthodoxy can result in zealotry, bigotry and even fanaticism. Anti-
Semitism, never completely eradicated from the Christian tradition,
can rear its ugly head among some of the more extreme elements of
Orthodoxy. Often, these elements make common cause with the
environmentalists, anti-globalists and other paranoid elements within
the secular world. Sometimes, however, the willingness of many
secularists to tar the Orthodox Church with the anti-Semitic paintbrush
is unfair, since indigenous Christians of the Holy Land themselves have
suffered greatly because of the policies of Israel. Unfortunately, the
Church, particularly its (dwindling) Arab component invites such
accusations due to its schizophrenic view of Islam. (The often
sympathetic views of many of the Old World patriarchs towards Islam
in general and Mohammed in particular are theologically distressing
to say the least. (1))" (page 213: THE AMERICAN ORTHODOX
CHURCH: A HISTORY OF ITS BEGINNINGS. by George C.
Michalopulos and Herb Ham. Salisbury, MA: Regina Orthodox
Press, 2003.).
Regina Orthodox Press Online Store
Notes.
1. The late Patriarch Parthenius III of Alexandria (r. 1987-2001), for
example, stated that Mohammed possesed the vocation of prophet to
some extent. Likewise, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople has
on more than one occasion stated that Islam was a "religion of peace";
this, in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attack on
the United States. He has traveled extensively to Iran and the Arabian
peninsula stating his views openly, often being broadcast on Al-Jazeera,
the Arabic-language all-news channel. Even Bishop Kallistos Ware's
historical description of Mohammed (towit: "When the Prophet died in
632 ..." [The Orthodox Church;p. 29], accepts the Islamic attributions
without comment, thereby normalizing his self-styled vocation.
jjuuuust kidding.