Posted on 08/20/2009 8:31:04 AM PDT by Nikas777
Rita Wilson: Why I Love My Greek Orthodox Faith
Friday August 7, 2009
In a video interview with Sally Quinn, producer of "On Faith" at The Washington Post, actress and producer Rita Wilson (one half of a Hollywood celebrity super couple with Tom Hanks) shares why she loves the Greek Orthodox faith ("I love my church. I find the Greek Orthodox Church a sort of a wonderfully moderate, accepting faith."), her brief period as a reborn Christian during her teenage years, and what gives her life the most meaning.
Some highlights from the interview include:
When you were growing up, were you always a believer? I've always been a believer. I always have been.
What do you pray for or about? I always start my prayers with a prayer of gratitude for all the blessings in my life because without those, you can't really think about anything else.
What is the divine for you? I sense the divine in the goodness that I see in people--their acts of kindness, their acts of selflessness; those people inspire me.
Watch the extended video interview below:
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.beliefnet.com ...
It sounds like she thinks she’s in the Episcopal Church, only with better food.
The lungs “heresy”? And a happy ecumenical note to you too.
Sect?
In Greek to be a moderate has nothing to do with politics. It means to be even tempered, etc.
The link at # 5 the patristic path of moderation, a mean between extremes; this is what the Holy Fathers call the ROYAL PATH. The teaching of this "royal path" is set forth, for example, in the tenth of St. Abba Dorotheus' Spiritual lnstructions, where he quotes especially the Book of Deuteronomy: Ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left, but go by the royal path (Deut. 5:32, 17:11)
the patristic path of moderation, a mean between extremes; this is what the Holy Fathers call the ROYAL PATH. The teaching of this "royal path" is set forth, for example, in the tenth of St. Abba Dorotheus' Spiritual lnstructions, where he quotes especially the Book of Deuteronomy: Ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left, but go by the royal path (Deut. 5:32, 17:11)
Which is one of the reasons Greek philosophers from Athens and Alexandria who started off as pagans and then converted to Christianity proclaimed in their writings that Christianity and what it proclaimed were in line with the best of Greek philosophical thoughts.
One of which was the Greek philosophical view of "moderation in all things".
Moderate drink, moderate consumption. Moderate living.
In fact St. John Chrysostome wrote against living in extravagant mansions and prescribed how many rooms a home should have.
I guess the political connection arises from the fact that she supports Democrats over Republicans though as someone who is not a member of either party I can't see how one party is more Christ like than the other.
Wilson was born Margarita Ibrahimova in Los Angeles, California. Her father, a Pomak (Muslim Bulgarian)[2] who worked at a racetrack, was born in Greece; he later converted to Orthodoxy. Before emigrating to the U.S., he had lived in Bulgaria and Turkey
As a Greek I did find it odd that the Catholic inspired film 'The Exorcist' had the young Jesuit priest be an ethnic Greek.
Her mother was Greek and the father who was culturally Greek (or culturally Balkan - very little difference) but ethnically Pomack.
PS: I wrote the second part of my post badly in reference to the movie ‘The Exorcist’ in response to Cronos’ comment about Catholics and popular culture.
Pomaks were Christians that converted to Islam for a better life under the Turks and he probably spoke Greek to hook up with a Greek Christian woman and seems he seamlessly converted from one faith to the other.
You wrote:
“Until you prove your claim that you hold a PhD I will consider your posts those of a liar.”
I don’t care. What you consider about anything about me is completely unimportant to me.
“In Greek to be a moderate has nothing to do with politics.”
And I said otherwise? Please show me wher I did.
“It means to be even tempered, etc.”
(sigh) Greek Orthodoxy is about CHRISTIANITY among the Greeks and not the Greek language. As I wrote: “Oh, there would be sooooo many Greek saints rolling in their graves...if they weren’t already in heaven.” The simple fact is that Christianity is not about moderation. Yes, mortifications must be handled with moderation, but not the Christian faith itself. As CS Lewis said through Screwtape: “a moderate religion is as good as no religion at all.”
“The link at # 5 the patristic path of moderation, a mean between extremes; this is what the Holy Fathers call the ROYAL PATH. The teaching of this “royal path” is set forth, for example, in the tenth of St. Abba Dorotheus’ Spiritual lnstructions, where he quotes especially the Book of Deuteronomy: Ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left, but go by the royal path (Deut. 5:32, 17:11)”
Sorry, but there’s no reason to believe Rita Wilson was talking about any of that. Notice how no one else in the thread - including Eastern Orthodox Christians - believes it either? Well, maybe you do, but that would just explain things about you, not us or Rita Wilson.
Certainly we can learn a great deal from the Greek Fathers, although I would bet that this lady is using “moderate” in a current day political sense. I’m actually reading Origen’s De Principiis (Peri Archon) at the moment (I’m slowly working through various Christian theological texts after having finished the Bible, the Catechism and some Pre-Nicene fathers). Origen is fascinating, although some of his philosophical speculation, e.g., on the preexistence of souls before conception, were later judged unorthodox by the second Council of Constantinople.
I guess she went back to plain old born.
Clearly you care. Later. “doc”.
I honestly don't see that. It's possible. Actors are flakes.
Tom Hanks is one of those cases where even as a Democrat I think you would have a hard time calling him un-American. He clearly seems patriotic to me in his choice of projects and charities. I probably am remembering Hank's Saving private Ryan and Apollo 13 DVD commentary oi make this claim.
Clearly you care far more than I do. You bring up my PhD all the time.
I dismiss your opinions out of hand regardless.
You wrote:
“I dismiss your opinions out of hand regardless.”
You have to. You can’t refute them so by default you must dismiss them.
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