Comments on: Archbishop Hilarion on social problems

By: Fr. Johannes Jacobse

Fr. Johannes Jacobse — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:18:30 +0000

Rapprochement between pro-choicers and pro-lifers would be difficult unless people on the pro-choice side (speaking of the activists here) have trouble with their consciences and moderate their views. This happens more often than we think however, especially when they deal with abortions first-hand. Once the ideology starts to crack in face of the evidence, it's hard not to become a pro-lifer. Pro-choice ideology can't allow the notion that the unborn child is in anyway human to enter into the equation without provoking a crisis of conscience. Of course, some activists accept the biological evidence but argue for abortion anyway, Peter Singer being the most obvious example. In that case, the ethic of the sanctity of life has already been abandoned and a full-blown utilitarianism has taken hold. On the pro-life side, focus has shifted to include care for the post-abortive mother who also is victimized in our pro-abortion culture. Abortion benefits the promiscuous male the most (as well as the abortion industry), and a women who is pregnant finds little support from family and friends these days to carry the child to term. This is good and important work, and the best at it are women who have had abortions. We have a qualified woman in Orthodox circles who can help with this. Her name is Sister Sarah Elizabeth Oftedahl and she can be located through the Martha and Mary House. Moving on... One problem with the EP's support of the Copenhagen Protocols is that it implicitly sanctifies the statist impulse that is driving the legislation; the same impulse that demands crucifixes be removed from the walls of Italian classrooms. No religious leader should ever lend his authority to policies of this kind yet the EP is carrying the banner as if it were a religious obligation. Dangerous stuff.

By: Chrys

Chrys — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:18:20 +0000

In reply to Fr. Johannes Jacobse. It increasingly looks as if you may be right. Yes, the City of God must speak to the City of Man as need arises (as it does regularly), and there is nothing wrong with working with various factions in the City of Man, so long as one does so from a position of conviction and not weakness. I suspect (but do not know) that the EP is acting from both. Unfortunately, acting from weakness invariably entails dependence on those who rarely share or support the other, more important and transcendent concerns of the City of God. As a result, when you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas (and that's the best possible result).

By: George Michalopulos

George Michalopulos — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:46:59 +0000

this reminds me of a “dialogue” a few years ago between pro-lifers and pro-choicers in the States. They promised to get together to talk to and not at each other or call each other names, because “after all, the number one issue was reducing the number of abortions.” That’s what was important. Anybody heard anything more about this? I haven’t. I guess the conclusion we could draw is that the secularist crows isn’t open to honest dialogue, just window-dressing to try and fool the Christians into thinking that they’ve moderated somewhat. I see the same thing going on with the Copenhagen crowd, all they care about is finding some religious lackey to give them theological cover. “After all, if the Greek Patriarch is for Copenhagen, it can’t be bad, can it? Because those Greek Orthodox are so conservative with their cassocks and beards and call.”

By: Fr. Johannes Jacobse

Fr. Johannes Jacobse — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:45:34 +0000

The EP won’t be able to say much since the Copenhagen crowd shares the same ideology that the European Court does. If he speaks out on the cross issue, he risks alienating those he is courting (and who have courted him) with his endorsement of the Copenhagen Protocols.

Again, his alliance with the Progressives is a mistake. He might actually stir up rancor in the Orthodox world with his silence, or even held to account for his implicit support of them. I’m drawing a political conclusion here, but then the courting of the Progressives (and vice versa) is a nakedly political calculation.

By: Nick Katich

Nick Katich — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:48:55 +0000

In reply to George Michalopulos. George: so much for the EP being the "spokesman" for Orthodoxy. Of course in this case silence is preferable to what it might say.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:38:15 +0000

In reply to George Michalopulos. George, The Greek Church just called out all of Europes Christians to defend the right to display the cross in public. I would love to know the Phanar's thoughts on this one. This would be a great time for the EP to exercise show first among equals pastoral courage but somehow I think they are going to take a pass.

By: George Michalopulos

George Michalopulos — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:53:49 +0000

Amen, meanwhile, over at the Phanar –silence.

By: Chris Banescu

Chris Banescu — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:50:32 +0000

What a great bishop! God bless him for such moral clarity and wisdom. If he’s the role model for future hierarchs in the Holy Orthodox Church, then we’re seeing a magnificent renaissance in Orthodoxy. Axios!