Having conservative or traditionalist views about sexuality doesn't mean you believe in requiring other people to behave as you do.
In the Lutheran churches, the LCMS are more conservative about sexuality than our church, the ELCA, and yet quite significant numbers of LCMS have favorable attitudes towards gay rights, far more than you'ld imagine based on official church statements. In fact, as my pastor points out, politically and even pastorally LCMS and ELCA are not that different.
I'd imagine something similar is true with Orthodox churches. There are plenty of Orthodox Christians that are exactly like Tom Hanks, for instance, who goes to the Orthodox Church but his politics isn't that different than any other American who leans politically left of center.
Orthodoxy did not change my political attitudes at all and that's one of the reasons I ran into tension at my former church, where conservative attitudes politically dominated.
Is the freedom to disagree with the faith antithetical to the faith? Modern Catholics and many Protestants would tend to say "no". If I support my neighbors right to practice their religion, for instance, it is not antithetical to my Christian faith to do so, but it actually upholds their human dignity, which is part of my faith.
#1: yeah, I mean, there's Be the Bee and some old Sr Vassa videos, after that there isn't *that* much besides some lectures (often with not great sound quality). For that you might as well just put it on a podcast and listen to it while running rather than have a video. On the other hand, I don't know how much people actually watch youtube - does it matter? In terms of religious presence, education, whatever? Any other religious groups that make good use of it?Back to the original topic. It will be interesting to find out the details of the survey. The Assembly does some great work on compiling fascinating reports.
some ideas
1. Better multimedia presence. We have ancientfaith.com but there isn't really a robust Orthodox youtube presence.
2. Monasteries- these bring Orthodoxy to places too small to support a parish church, as well as the benefit to the faithful.
3. Parochial schools- we need a robust schooling for our children so they can grow up in the faith.
God save us! we need God bearing elders and eldresses.
When it comes to people outside the Church, sure, they can do whatever. We're not going to force other people to be Orthodox. There can be no compulsion in religion, people must choose for themselves to follow Christ.Is the freedom to disagree with the faith antithetical to the faith? Modern Catholics and many Protestants would tend to say "no". If I support my neighbors right to practice their religion, for instance, it is not antithetical to my Christian faith to do so, but it actually upholds their human dignity, which is part of my faith.
Here's the rub! What are we doing to rise above? How are we bringing that healing to the country? How can we do it while we still have, for instance, neo-Confederates in our midst who glorify the slave-holding past? Or others spreading old anti-Semitic slanders? I've been acquainted with several people who've essentially shut off the idea of Orthodoxy because of this.Finally, such actions as we have witnessed in recent days, by self-proclaimed white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and various racists and fascists, betray the core human values of love and solidarity. In this, we pray wholeheartedly for the families of those who lost their lives or suffered in these tragic events. In like manner, we cannot condone any form of revenge or retaliation by any group or individual. Therefore, we fervently appeal to every person of good will, and especially the leaders of our great nation, to consider and adopt ways of reconciling differences in order to rise above any and all discrimination in our history, our present, and our future.
I think one issue for the American church - which hasn't been brought up in the survey or these comments - is the serious issue of either neo-Nazi/ethno-nationalist infiltration into the Church or of other radicalization occurring within the Church. The threat isn't just some loser from the TWP who got booted from the Church (and now all racism is over!). There isn't much of that far end around, but it doesn't take much to turn people away from the Church. It's like nuclear waste - a little bit and the entire city gets shut down. We need to ruthlessly expunge it.
Here we have a great statement from the Assembly of Bishops:
Response to Racist Violence in Charlottesville, VA
Here's the rub! What are we doing to rise above? How are we bringing that healing to the country? How can we do it while we still have, for instance, neo-Confederates in our midst who glorify the slave-holding past? Or others spreading old anti-Semitic slanders? I've been acquainted with several people who've essentially shut off the idea of Orthodoxy because of this.
Yes, that one guy was put out of the Church.
You think and I think that it has nothing to do with the values we hold, and the Church probably agrees, but there's an undercurrent of the alt-right in some places. Like, people responding to the bishop's response that I quoted above by saying the bishops had sided with the spiritual descendants of the killers of the tsar. Um, yikes.
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