Orthodixie

The following is excerpted from an email from His Grace, Bishop Thomas (Joseph), in response to this post from Bishop Hilarion (Alfeyev).

I hope that liberal Christianity does not survive for long. Quite frankly, I have a problem applying the name “Christianity” to the religious philosophy known as “liberal Christianity.”

We know from the Book of Acts that “Christians” were first called by that name in Antioch. Receiving the name “Christian” implied a destiny of great glory, yet a destiny often costing the bearers of that noble name a great price. In the world, we have many groups of people who refer to themselves as “Christians.” There is, of course, only One True Christianity: Orthodox Christianity. I challenge the liberal groups who wish to associate themselves with Christianity to give themselves a litmus test against the early Church of the Apostles. Are these liberal Christians faithful to the teachings of the Holy Scripture? Are they faithful to the spirit of the canons of … the Christian Church? What sort of link exists between these so-called “liberal Christians” and the Church that was founded on the Day of Pentecost and its Faith?

The last ten years I have been invited to visit of few countries around the world where I have been involved in various conferences that deal with Christian issues, most especially in the field of bioethics. Bp. Hilarion mentions that these “liberal Christian” groups do not hold to the Church’s teaching on Christian life. Most especially, he mentions their positions on homosexuality and abortion that clearly oppose the teachings of the Orthodox Church. In discussions with leaders of these “liberal Christian” groups, one can learn that the theological problems that plague these organizations are far more deeply rooted than the issues I have mentioned. These issues result from philosophies and worldviews incompatible with traditional Christianity. “Liberal Christian” groups may deny the Incarnation, deny the Resurrection, deny the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, and/or deny other defining doctrines of the historic Christian Faith. Some have even attempted to make the Trinity appear more feminine and less patriarchal, according to contemporary “politically correct” thinking. My question is this: “If members of a group deny the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, deny that Jesus rose from the dead after descending into Hades to release those in bondage, design innovative interpretations of Holy Scripture in radical conflict with Holy Tradition, and compromise the integrity of the most basic traditional teachings of the Christian Church, how can they identify themselves as ‘Christians’ in good faith?” Strange ideas accepted within “liberal Christianity” as normal prove unrecognizable to Orthodox Christians as aspects of the True Faith. Can we, as Orthodox Christians, properly apply the same name that was bestowed upon the Holy Martyrs to those people who say that there is no Holy Trinity, no Incarnation, no Risen Christ, and who claim that much of the story of our Faith, which we preserve and continue to live, is ultimately a creative fairytale, one myth among the many diverse, humanly-created mythologies of the world?

We should be very selective and careful when applying the name “Christian” to groups outside of traditional Christianity. At the same time, I encourage us all to consider how we live up to that honorable name. Let’s make sure that those of us who have rightly inherited this name and who confess Christ live in a way that reflects the teachings of Jesus Christ. Let’s make sure that those of us who sing, “Ye Holy Martyrs who have fought the good fight and have received your crowns,” and who walk around the Holy Table with the Martyrs, confess Christ with our lips and also confess the True Christian Faith through our daily lifestyle.

Yours in Christ,

+ Bishop THOMAS
Diocese of Charleston, Oakland, and the Mid-Atlantic

It is already Sunday in Kosovo, and the Muslims have most likely declared their independence from Serbia. What a shame that our nation, especially the previous administration, has been the chief catalyst in handing over the most sacred region of Serbia to Islamic extremists that have destroyed hundreds of Church and Monasteries in the last 9 years, and murdered thousands of Orthodox Christians …

More here.

Image lifted from HERE where tmatt says:

Search the news reports in the next few days and look for the material on these treasures of art and faith. While many are celebrating, others are — sheltered in tiny enclaves protected by foreign troops — in mourning. Are there enougn troops to guard all the churches in northern Kosovo? Does anyone in Europe care? How about the United States? This is part of the Kosovo equation that should be included in balanced, accurate mainstream reporting.

Whatever calender you use, if you’re Orthodox, this is a fast free week, so that when we eat our ice cream on Wednesday and pizza on Friday we will remember that we sin like the Publican more than we fast like the Pharisee, so we should be humble like the first — and fast like the second.

Next week is the last normal week till after Bright Week. Wednesday and Fridays are fast days but we can have meat the other days.

The next week is Cheese Fare week, when Wednesday and Friday are NOT fast days but we don’t have meat all week in anticipation of the fast.

Then, BAM! Clean Monday comes, and Lent is upon us.

But for this week, enjoy.

A note from Matushka Ann Lardas from a few years back.
Image Source

HANDY FASTING GUIDE

Miss Jane gets a tongue lashing, Mr Bodine speaks in tongues. Things go dark as I interview Dr Indadark. In the end, lacking the main ingredient, it’s all just peas and carrots.

Suffice it to say: Love covers a multitude of podcasts.

The Orthodixie Podcast on Ancient Faith Radio.

I would like to draw your attention to the danger of liberal Christianity. The liberalization of moral standards, initiated by some Protestant and Anglican communities several decades ago and developing with ever-increasing speed, has now brought us to a situation where we can no longer preach one and the same code of moral conduct. We can no longer speak about Christian morality, because moral standards promoted by ‘traditional’ and ‘liberal’ Christians are markedly different, and the abyss between these two wings of contemporary Christianity is rapidly growing.

We are being told by some allegedly Christian leaders, who still bear the titles of Reverends and Most Reverends, that …

The rest of the story.

Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev: “Liberal Christianity will not survive for a long time” – Intervention at the opening session of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches, Geneva, 13 February 2008.