In Christ,

+FrG

I mean, if we are right everybody else is wrong and endangering their souls. Hard to love enough to allow real freedom, because that means allowing folks to be wrong and taking the consequences for their decision. Worse still is the consequences for others because of wrong decisions (like legalizing abortion).

Freedom it a tough thing. I’m not sure freedom is clearly understood by most who use the term. Certainly, there is no common definition that is agreed to by all. One thing I am sure of, freedom does not mean that our decisions will be without negative consequence. If we are seeking and speaking the Truth, negative consequence is much more likely to occur than positive ones (at least in the world).

Given the content of several comments on the Manhattan Declartion by some Orthodox on other sites, the bishops having the guts to speak up at all, let alone with those dreaded ‘hetrodox’ is almost unthinkable. After all none of what they are speaking against has actually happened yet, so why bother.

Do we want comfort and our own self-will or do we want the Gospel?

Let me second Fr Hans’ words. Preach Christ and people will seek you out–sometimes in anger to be sure, but mostly to find life.

The Manhattan Declaration is important not only for its content but also because of the shift it signals in the Orthodox Church in United States. We usually remained silent (think for example our absence from the debates during the Cold War era) when our voice was needed.

And Fr Hans makes a good point as well when he points out that we have largely been absent from meetings like the one that resulted in the Manhattan Declaration. We can afford to do this–we have to expand our witness and ministry beyond the parish.

To be sure, not everyone will take the path the Fr Hans has–but we cannot limit ourselves and our resources to the parish. Has anyone else noticed that we have become so parochial that for many even the diocese and the local bishop is seen as a threat? yes, there have been problems, but even these, I would argue, were in part because the vast majority of laity and clergy are focused almost exclusively on parish ministry. It just ain’t healthy to do this folks–and it isn’t fair to the parish to expect it to carry all the ministry of the Church.

What I’m getting at is this, we need ministries like AOI. We need to invest the resources–both financial and human–to reflect on issues such as those highlighted in the Manhattan Declaration.

So again, thank you Fr Hans & AOI and AMEN!

In Christ,

+FrG

Fr. Hans,

AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! Wonderfully stated!

I attended the meeting last January that was the genesis of this document. It was not a political/religious gathering of any kind. About all that united us was a deep and abiding concern for the spiritual health of western culture. The attendees understood that our cultural problems far exceeded political solutions and would require a deep turning back to God.

I was told I was the first Orthodox priest ever to attend such an event and I am glad I went. I decided to go to see what other Christian leaders were saying about our cultural decline, but got instead many opportunities to deepen the anthropological and cultural dimensions of Christian teaching where appropriate. I don’t go to these events to make people Orthodox. I go to learn, as well as to explain the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it is understood and comprehended in our Orthodox Tradition if afforded the opportunity. I am respectful of the faith of others, especially knowing that our own house is in disorder and it is not our place to throw stones at their houses. That respect was returned. Frankly, I was surprised at the welcome I received and I am grateful for it.

I say this to Orthodox believers all the time but many don’t hear me: If we live in Christ, if Christ could actually be found in our parishes, people would be knocking on our doors trying to get in.

This Declaration is important for many reasons. One of those reasons is that it calls Christians to a deeper resistance to the dehumanizing thinking that is very real and very dangerous. It also calls us to resist these trends in our Churches and to support leaders like Met. Jonah and Bp. Basil (pray for them) who stand up for the truth. Further, we need to hold to account those leaders who are weak on the important sanctity of life issues and too quick to accommodate themselves to the dehumanizing cultural trends.

I would also like to remind AOI readers how the GOA -with the exception of Bishop Maximos- declined to have their names attached to the Amicus brief to the Supreme Court against abortion.

Campaigning for Hopenhagen is just fine for the EP/GOA but signing the manhattan declaration is not. This is tragic.

p.s. bravo to Bishop Basil! (and of course to Metropolitan Jonah)

It is now time for America to live according to Christian teachings, rather than any secular lifestyle they want because they enjoy it.

We invite you to join with other Christians across the nation who support the sanctity of life, traditional marriage and religious liberty by endorsing the Manhattan Declaration.

Throughout the centuries, God has graciously provided His people with teachers and prophetic voices who apply His word to the critical issues of the day and who lead their hearers to embrace His life-giving authority and counsel in the midst of cultural madness. The Manhattan Declaration extends and honors that tradition, and we urge you to join us in affirming it. The Manhattan Declaration addresses with urgent eloquence the devaluation of human life, the corruption of marriage, and the erosion of religious liberty. With careful instruction, it brings light and clarity to all who read it. We trust that millions of believers will sign it, that countless others will be drawn or driven to give it fair consideration, and that our society will be changed by its strong yet sweetly reasonable message.

The Manhattan Declaration was released today, Friday – November 20, 2009, at a press conference in Washington D.C. It bears the signatures of many religious leaders, including myself, but this is just the beginning. The list of supports will grow dramatically in a short time and those who most need to hear this word will not be able to escape or downplay it. It has already grown ten-fold since its release at 12 noon (EST). So if, after carefully reading the document, you feel so moved, please endorse this document by your signature and spread the word to others who might endorse it as well. Thank you.

Click here to view the Manhattan Declaration and prayerfully consider lending your name to those who have already signed: http://www.ManhattanDeclaration.org.

+ B a s i l
Bishop of Wichita and the Diocese of Mid-America
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

+Basil sent this to all on his e-mail list. So all you Antiochians out there…..!!

Fr. Peter, it was released today at noon EST, that’s about 4 hours ago. If they were not all included in the original converstation that created the document, then I’d cut them some slack.

We can always ask our bishop to read and endorse the statement. Fortnately, mine already has. I sent him an e-mail to thank him for his leadership.

I have every reason to suspect there will be others who do sign. Unfortunately, I am also quite certain that not all will.