Posted on 11/02/2010 10:24:13 AM PDT by ezfindit
First of all, let me begin by saying that it is my duty, as a priest and pastor, to impose moral standards on you. Part of my job and function is to teach Christian morality and to get us, as a body, to adhere to Christian moral standards, so before you come to me with complaints about the separation of Church and state, be aware that I am doing my duty in telling you what the Church, as the Body of Christ, teaches about life and responsibility. [...]
As Christians, we can certainly have opinions about a multitude of public and social issues, but not on moral issues. Christian morality is not some amorphous fog of teaching that makes us a taillight on the automobile of humanity, never quite able to solve moral problems until they are so obvious to all that we can speak with 100% comfort on the correctness of our teaching. Our teaching is 100% correct. We must be the headlights of our race. We must illuminate the road before us, watching out for unexpected obstacles to our journey, dangerous twists in the road, and who we may run over in our rush to go faster.
(Excerpt) Read more at orthodoxytoday.org ...
If you tap the Abuse button and ask pretty please, they’ll fix your title for you...
Just did as you recommended. Thank you for fixing it! I really appreciate it.
Ping
Very powerful article, and one that needs to be heard. I agree with loosing the tax exempt status. Yes, that would mean loosing many if not most grand church buildings, but the price to keep them is very high in spiritual terms.
The one problem I have with what you say is that you may instruct your parishoners as to your opinion and you will, naturally, expect them to listen to you. If another pastor comes in and takes your place, he also will have his ideas, which may be somewhat different than yours. Which do you follow? People can be bounced around like a rubber ball. I’ve been there and finally realized that each individual must decide who he/she is going to listen to. This becomes a problem to the Church.
One pastor we had, preached from the pulpit about Moses crossing the desert in his camel haired jock strap. This violated my understanding of how a priest was supposed to talk to his people. I didn’t care, from that point on, if he was my pastor or not. I attended Sunday services and never listened to him again.
I guess what I am saying is that each of us must take responsiblity for our beliefs and not just listen to ever preacher out there.
We were not silent. The mainstream media just didn’t bother reporting the protests from our hierarchs to the Clinton administration, nor the objections voiced by the laity in forums like FreeRepublic.
The mainstay of the teachings of the Orthodox Christian Church is its consistency in the light of Scripture and Tradition. The author is expressing the teachings of the Church as a whole.
Although my more liberal family members began to see how the mainstream media was lying to cover the Clinton Administration's mistakes, they returned to dutifully following their every word shortly after the bombing stopped.
I understand totally. My point is that people don’t look at the “Church as a whole.” They look to their individual parish and pastor for leadership. If they can’t do that, then what are their options? I agree that people must keep up with their education about the church, as a whole, or they just become followers of one persons ideas.
I understand what he was trying to say but people need to decide for themselves, after listen to their pastor or priest. I don’t disagree with him..........it’s just a observation.
From which jurisdiction is this Fr. Peck?
You are right, Subdeacon! Sort of, anyway.
In our metropolitan area, Serbian and Greek Orthodox Christians (including laity, priests, and hierarchs) were quite vocal against the clinton/NATO bombing of Serbia. We had demonstrations (which were Christian vigils and memorial services followed by marches, and sometimes by concerts) every Saturday afternoon during the war. The demonstrations drew hundreds of people.
However, the other Orthodox jurisdictions were pretty silent. The Albanian Orthodox churches even supported the war, just like muslims. And—of course—the media covered our demonstrations very little.
I am now an Orthodox Christian who is a member of an OCA parish, and also attends as Serbian parish once a month. (I am almost a member of both parishes.) The OCA in our area is still pretty weak on Orthodox Brotherhood (in terms of supporting other Orthodox who are menaced by the New World Order and/or islam), while the Serbs of course are very strong on it.
I am glad to read this article by an OCA Priest, who supports Kosovo Serbs and other persecuted Christians, and who upholds moral issues in the public square.
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America! Prescott, AZ.
I was wrong—Fr. Peck is NOT OCA as I thought.
He is the Pastor of a Greek Orthodox parish in the thrice-noble state of Arizona:
http://www.prescottorthodox.org/
Actually, that's the whole point behind the Orthodox Christian Church. Parishioners who don't look beyond their own parish are missing most of the message (not an impossible occurrence, granted, but not overly common).
Not all were silenced. I was not believe me!
Many Greek Orthodox spoke loudly and clearly about that travesty. The problem is politics. Some who call themselves Christian Orthodox are Demoncraps and they were confused about standing up against their Demon in chief Clinton.
They are confused. Just as Catholic and Protestant Christians are confused.
Too bad. They need to get uncofused really fast.
Just call ‘em Dhimmicrats.
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