Orthodixie

Fr John Shaw, a Russian Orthodox priest in Milwaukee, writes:

The other day, I received a colorful ad packet from the National Geographic Magazine. I only took a good look at it today.

“Introducing GEOGRAPHY OF RELIGION: Where God Lives, Where Pilgrims Walk”.

“Christianity: Journey from Pasture to Imperial City.”

” ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life’.”

“During his lifetime, Jesus ventured no more than 25 miles from his birthplace. Yet his teachings and example encircled the globe, led to the establishment of the church in Rome, and created a faith practiced today by some 950 million believers, making it the world’s largest religion.”

“How, then, did the seat of Christendom move from the pastoral sheep-grazed slopes of the fertile Middle East to the imperial city of Rome? What is the history of the Vatican CIty, the world’s smallest state and official seat of the Catholic Church?”

“What events led a breakaway set of believers to form the Eastern Orthodox Church?”

‘Moving farther inside the pages of GEOGRAPHY OF RELIGION, you’ll stand on the banks of the River Jordan, note its remarkably ordinary character, and come to appreciate the extraordinary events and personalities that gave it meaning as a holy place. Become mesmerized before shrines in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, built above a cave that contained the manger where Jesus was born. And you’ll behold the magnificence of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris with its 176 storytelling stained glass windows and 2,000 stone figures.”

JRS: Note that I have quoted their entire passage about Christianity, as it appears in the mailing (there is no mention of Protestantism in it).

The letter is signed by one “Nina Hoffman, Executive Vice President”.

The reason I think the above is worthy of note, is that this is exactly the same misinformation about the Orthodox Church that most English-language books used to contain decades ago.

Mailings, and books, like those described above, *should* evoke a flood of Orthodox believers’ complaints to the editors.

Yet, instead of going to defend Orthodoxy against external, non-Orthodox ignorance and misrepresentation, most of our “apologetic efforts and energy” have to be diverted elsewhere, due to Orthodox attacking Orthodox.

Taken from the Orthodox List.

Various “options” are offered in the way of Christian morality on an array of burning issues: the sanctity of marriage, gay marriage, promiscuity, euthanasia, abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and the list goes on. Some people spend time remembering sadly the golden age of Christianity. Modernity looks as if it is an inhospitable time for the Church. Time for retrenchment and defensive actions are called for. But the Triune God says …

Karl bumps into his guardian angel?

The Nativity Fast is upon us. Here’s some recipes (you may wanna skip the introduction and scroll down) … and a handy fasting calendar for quick reference.

Finally, a diagram which truly shows the difference between men & women. Or I guess you could call it the gender gap.

Arlen Specter … ghost of future present.

Tax dollars teaching kids masturbation. Lord have mercy. Before you give your money to United Way, don’t just fall for their disclaimer on abortion support, think about everything else your dollars will provide through that umbrella org. Better yet, give the money to your church.

Speaking of which …

I don’t care what people wear to church. I just don’t want to see their underwear.

Paraphrased from Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh

Read more …

Finally, if you have any questions … ask Fr Vasiliy.

As Touchstone’s Mere Comments blog links are currently inactive, I’ve taken the liberty of posting one of their issues here …

On the way to work today I saw another one of those billboards that have been bothering me of late. This one merely showed the buttocks of a woman, slightly, ever so slightly covered with the barest of a bikini bottom, backside facing the viewer. I have no idea what they were selling. Maybe a radio station or low mortgage rates.

I am not sure I understand why, other than the money motive, it is acceptable to treat women’s bodies as objects in public, why it’s ok to reinforce this degrading message to 13 and 14-year old boys as they speed down the highway sitting in their parents’ cars.

Through these public displays and through the movie rating system now in place, our society is telling teenage (and younger) boys that women are essentially sex objects and that’s not only ok, but it’s how we want them to think of women. Just look at the billboards and the sexual content of so-called “PG-13” movies.

How did we come to this mainstreaming of what used to be pornography? And, we may as well throw in the mainstreaming of what is even nowadays considered pornography. I don’t think I have been in any hotel in the past decade that doesn’t provide “adult” movies for pay, and these are (otherwise) respectable hotels.

Of course most of it comes down to money that can be made by catering to “mature” clientele (a misnomer if ever there was one). The money can be made by CEOs and their companies from a distance, and that’s what is all the more appealing. They can sell trash, indeed, toxins, without having to look at what they’re doing.

Think of it this way: how comfortable would any of these hotel CEOs be selling Hustler in the lobbies of their hotels? Let them stand behind the registration desk and say, “Would you like Debbie Does Dallas” or a copy of Hustler to take with you, sir?” It’s not only the modern porn user have the comfort of anonymity while surfing porn sites on his computer at home or watching a porn movie in a hotel room, but also the executives of these same hotels can stand behind the scenes and not be personally involved in the porn sales, but later can still count the money in the bank.

Then consider what is censored: Christmas religious messages in public schools (we now have “Jingle Elf parades” and “Winter Funfest Concerts.”) So I have to ask, what kind of country removes Nativity scenes from public parks but allows for freedom of porn such that any 13-year-old riding in a car with his parents has to either close his eyes or look at deliberately provocative billboards that tell him that essentially women are sex objects and that sex is not exclusively for marriage? Our kids dare not be exposed to the “Babe Lying in a Manger” in a public place, but naked babes must be viewed by kids wherever and whenever some man seeking to enlarge his bank account wants them to?

—James Kushiner

As I said on the eve of the election … we just keep rollin & rollin.

The following comment was posted on WORLD’s blog following his death …

It is very quiet in Jordan (jimu, we aren’t in Palestine, but Jordan, 75% of the population is Palestinian), people have been anticipating the news of his death, which calms down tempers and keeps the “passionate rage” at a minimum. I think this was part of the plan in keeping him alive (as well as God’s mercy to allow him another chance to repent. My mom, a hardened Planned Parenthood nurse who was responsible for many more deaths than Arafat, did come to Christ on her death bed).

There is an interim leader chosen. Schools and government offices are closed, and people are distracted by the fact that Ramadan probably ends tomorrow and all the preparations keeps their emotions elsewhere. We didn’t get any warnings from the US Embassy, there are no military patrols.

But keep praying. Most of my Palestinian friends saw Arafat as old school and too corrupt to do much. They have been waiting for this as a chance to start new.

It is very quiet in Jordan (jimu, we aren’t in Palestine, but Jordan, 75% of the population is Palestinian), people have been anticipating the news of his death, which calms down tempers and keeps the “passionate rage” at a minimum. I think this was part of the plan in keeping him alive (as well as God’s mercy to allow him another chance to repent. My mom, a hardened Planned Parenthood nurse who was responsible for many more deaths than Arafat, did come to Christ on her death bed).

There is an interim leader chosen. Schools and government offices are closed, and people are distracted by the fact that Ramadan probably ends tomorrow and all the preparations keeps their emotions elsewhere. We didn’t get any warnings from the US Embassy, there are no military patrols.

But keep praying. Most of my Palestinian friends saw Arafat as old school and too corrupt to do much. They have been waiting for this as a chance to start new.

Time to dust off the ol’ prayer rope …