Dean:
I would like to connect with as we may be related.
Thanks,
Mike

Tell the Russians, Bulgarians, Serbs, Georgians, and especially the Romanians who have been barred or ejected from Holy Mount Athos that “a spirit of nationalism” has never taken hold of the Ecumenical Patriarchate! Is this a joke? If it is, it is a very bad joke. Constantinople has violated the prerogatives of just about ALL the Orthodox Churches, probably those of the Russian Church more than any. With its invasions into Poland, Finland, Ukraine, Estonia, China, on and on and on . . . it has shown itself to be bascially power mad, and not willing to let any other Church into a “diaspora” it claims as its own private property.

Dont like convert clergy? Quit ordaining them! Tradition? In the Greek Archdiocese? WHAT tradition? Greek Fest? Thats about as traditional as it gets! The Greek Archdiocese parish where I live, as I understand it is typical-very few go to communion; NOBODY goes to confession; a “crazy” convert tried to go to confession twice in one month and was told you only have to go once a year! The priest DOES hold some weekday services, but NO ONE goes – I was at three-and the only people at all three were the priest, the chanter, and three of those “crazy” converts! Imagine going to church during the week!

At Greek Fest in St Louis one year, I learned the NEW history of Orthodoxy. In a “Learn about Orthodoxy” talk we were told that in 1054 THE ORTHODOX CHURCH LEFT THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH! No mistake in hearing-those were the exact words! Yeh, boy, thats TRADITIONAL! And those Roman Collars-yeh, those are pretty traditional too aren’t they? Just like the pews, the organs, and the Bishops that compare the Pres of the USA to Alexander the Great! Wait a minute-is that good? Obama the Great, conquering the known world! Putting all enemies to death! Worshiping Zeus . . . Hhhhmmm….

The Ecumenical Patriarchate “extend its jurisdiction” over America? I pray to God that day NEVER comes, because if it did, it would be the death of Orthodoxy in America! And using those little dioceses as an example of some sort of “variety” – a very poor example!

The Patriarchate of Constantinople, in its original territory, has NO people. It has NO diocesan Bishops, only Bishops of cities that do not exist any longer (which is also uncanonical I believe); it has no churches; it has no monasteries; it does have jurisdiction over Mount Athos, and violates the Athonite Charter every chance it gets. It wants to make Athos into a Byzantine Museum it can charge admission to, and make the real monks go away. If somehow the American Archdiocese were to successfully secede from Constantinople, the Patriarchate could no longer exist, as it would not have the money to do so. Therein lies the NEED for Constantinopolitan hegemony in America! There is MORE than one kind of green after all!

Churches too ethnically oriented put more of a focus on their festivals than The Faith – even within the OCA. We are currently living on the East Coast and the ONLY words I heard from some parishioners here (OCA) for several months were, “We’re rolling perogies on Thursday for the upcoming festival and could really use your help!” At a truly Antiochian church in our area, you could clearly see their facial expressions drop when you didn’t give an Arabic name. Experiences such as these brought me to tears for months as we adjusted to the Orthodox churches on the East Coast. If you want to feel true Christian love, visit the Orthodox churches in the western United States. They are the ones producing converts, monastics, and seminarians.

If you can get the E.P. to come to NY, be sure he takes a trip westward. He will see the fruits of Orthodoxy there.

So rather than worry about controlling the American churches, perhaps the EP should concentrate on doing evangelism in Turkey. Take Fr. Zakaria Botros‘ example. Shouldn’t the Patriarch be doing that?

Or move the Patriarchate to New York. Then we can come back to the table and talk about his relationship to the diaspora.

Such will be the case with ours, as well as all future “World Empires”. They too will have their struggle, their spiritual awakening, their rise to power, their prosperity, their opulent decadence, their spiritual death and their inevitable collapse.

I dare say that this is what St. John’s “Revelation” is describing….the dissolution of every “earthly” city and kingdom until His Heavenly Kingdom–the New Jerusalem–upon the final trumpet call, triumphantly descends upon the rubble of these perishable kingdoms. A Kingdom that isn’t ruled by fiat totalitarian dictatorship, nor a lustful ruling Mob, nor a greedy Monarchy, nor a self-worshiping Republic, nor a prideful oligarchy—but ruled by the love of God.

The “symbols”, “tropes” and “archetypes” of St. John’s book of “Revelation” are realized in every generation–past, present and future. The two “Beasts”, the “mark of the Beast”, the “False Prophet”, the “whore of Babylon”, the “bowls”, the “seals”, the “trumpets”, the “Dragon”, the “falling away”, the “two witnesses”, the “judgments”—were present in St. John’s day….but, also, in ours too.

Our struggle and our fight is not over clinging to the honors, prestige, pleasures or hopes of this world, as if this world held any sort of permanence or hope for us. For us Orthodox, it is to listen to the scriptures plea:

“come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues” (Rev. 18:4).

If we would have a share in glory, then we must first endure our “cross”. It is through the threshold of “death” that we will begin to see the dawning of “life”. And many there will be, shining as New Jerusalem, from every “tribe, tongue and nation” on earth in God’s eternal Kingdom….even Americans!!

Will God raise Hellenism? No. Indeed, His Bride has already rebuked her prophets, poets and philosophers with the “foolishness of the cross” (1 Cor. 1:18-25)….which surpasses even the Olympian heights of the Greeks.

Will God raise Judaism? No. For, by the consummated pride of believing ones ethnic heritage holds a place of honor and privilege in God’s sight, God was rejected by them. Yet, God cannot be mocked; for He stirred them to jealousy by bestowing His Spirit upon the Gentiles, pruning their Olive branch and overthrowing their “earthly” Temple within a generation, just as He promised (Acts 10; Romans 11:11-36, Matt. 24).

“For there is no partiality with God” (Romans 2:11).

Will God raise mankind? Yes. From least to greatest. For God came in human flesh (John 1:1,14) to redeem mankind– and not mankind’s “ethnicity”, “culture”, “language”, “history” or “ideas”.

What did the Lord Jesus Christ think of “primacy”?

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to be great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave–just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

(Matt. 20:25-28)

and

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond-servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

(Philippians 2:5-8)

Therefore, let us endure the lowly treatment from our “lords”, as examples of the meekness and humility of Christ.

As the scriptures say:

“God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.”

For our lives on this earth are so very short, while eternity is so very long. We must hold fast to humility….lest, we too, receive dire chastening. But perhaps, very soon–even this very day or night–we shall inherit the joy prepared His children, and a “Mansion” which lasts forever and ever.

Amen.

Moreover, even if two good people marry, then the “village” is against them. How can one raise the salt of the earth in such an environment? How often do you see wonderful parents who seemingly have done everything right churn out vipers? With regard to this issue, people sometimes talk about the early Christians and their experience in the pagan empire. We are worse off as a society, though. We may have religious freedom, but the Greco-Roman pagans were far more rational than the post-Christian West today.

In case you think that I overstate the case, please consider Stephen Baskerville’s “Divorced from Reality.” It is sickening.

In law, culture, education, and work, our social set-up is very corrosive to sane family life. I hate to think it, but we do deserve to die off as a society.

Unless there’s systemic change you will continue to see high divorce rates, broken families, the emotional disorders in children and adults that result from a broken home, high abortion rates, etc.

Well, yes, but how is this any different than saying: “Unless there is a decrease in high divorce rates, broken families, the emotional disorders in children and adults that result from a broken home, high abortion rates, etc., you will continue to see high divorce rates, broken families, the emotional disorders in children and adults that result from a broken home, high abortion rates, etc.”?

The question, in other words, hangs on what you mean by “systemic change.” Steve’s point holds I think. We are at the place where “systemic change” — cultural transformation really — has to begin from the inside out, much in the way abolition worked. Change the culture, politics will follow — if we don’t abandon our freedom first. Abandon freedom (an increasing possibility the way it looks), and the dynamic changes significantly. The culture war still exists in other words, only now the stakes are considerably higher.

I think it is a mathematical certainty that, on average, that is the case. When the patriarchy was a fixture in the law and the culture, divorce rates were lower, abortion rates were lower, etc. It’s just a fact. What I think or you think can’t change it.

You guys are too focused on what might possibly work in a particular marriage in the context of this evil culture. As far as that goes, I don’t disagree with you. But as far as changing the context – – it will not. Unless there’s systemic change you will continue to see high divorce rates, broken families, the emotional disorders in children and adults that result from a broken home, high abortion rates, etc.

From 1 Corinthians:
7:8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
7:9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
7:10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
7:11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.