Posted on 03/16/2006 5:03:48 PM PST by sionnsar
Moscow, March 16, Interfax - The Orthodox are appalled at the attempts of the Protestants to force discussion of homosexualism on the World Council of Churches (WCC), representative of the Moscow Patriarchate to the European Institutions bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria said.
'Attempts of certain Protestant churches to force discussion of sexual minorities on the WCC have provoked a particular indignation of the Orthodox', the hierarch said in his interview to the web-site of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
According to him, traditional views on homosexualism as sin have been 'subjected to revision' in certain Protestant churches recently. He remarked that the Episcopal church in the USA has recently ordained an open homosexual as bishop, while the Church of Sweden introduced an office of blessing the unisexual marriages.
The Moscow Patriarchate has already suspended the dialogue with the Episcopal Church of the USA and the Church of Sweden. That shows the interchristian community 'going to pieces', bishop Hilarion added.
'It is hardly doubtful that other protestant churches of the North would follow the path of the American Episcopals and the Swedish Lutherans, and that the relations would be broken off on regular basis in the nearest future', the bishop believes.
He said that in this case the WCC, which is the union of the Protestants and the Orthodox, once 'created with such a difficulty', would not bear the burden of stockpiling differences and the 'ecumenical ship' would sink.
ping
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. The anti-Americanism of Riverside, the NCC and the WCC is well known. All three organizations were advocates for the North Vietnamese. All three organizations were advocates for Marxists revolutions in Africa. (Indeed, the WCC contributed to Robert Mugabe’s Marxist army.) All three organizations were advocates for the Marxist revolutions in Central America in the 1980’s. All three protested the deployment of Pershing missiles in Europe. All three condemned the Gulf War. All three condemned US military action against the Taliban. ------ 'Red Queen of "Peace",' By Michael Tremoglie, FrontPageMagazine.com, December 11, 2002
I am not expecting the Orthodox to toe the conservative line by any means, but I think I am missing something here.
"All that and the Orthodox are still involved?"
Hopefully not for long. And remember, the foreign policy imperatives and interests of the USA and us Americans aren't necessarily those of worldwide Orthodoxy at all.
Good point -- there were a few things in the list I discounted, but the support for the Marxists in general was a surprise. Then again, if the support for Mugabe were in the early days, and not the past few years (I forget when I started learning about today's Zimbabwe on FR, from Clive and others), I could maybe understand that too.
Maybe some time you'll tell us about that?
I've been taking a much needed fast from FR.
Briefly, last Spring, my (then) bishop was deeply involved in the Camp Allen compromise, resulting in the shameful "covenant." My wife and I felt (rightly or wrongly) betrayed, visited an Orthodox parish, and soon became catechumens. We will be chrismated at Pascha (Orthodox Easter).
In addition to the problem with our bishop, we could not in good conscience allow our children to be raised Episcopalian, given what that church stands for today.
We corresponded with our bishop on leaving. He expressed sadness at our departure, but defended the Camp Allen compromise as necessary to maintain unity and the best deal that could be obtained. I believe that to acquiesce with evil would imperil the health of my soul.
We are very happy as Orthodox. No, I have not found a perfect church, but I have found the True Church.
Sometimes it is too much compromise with darkness to go along to get along.
I for one hope that the Orthodox leave. The WCC should remain as the sole bastion of the heretics.
Many Years!!
Our hierarchs are coming to realize that their desire to stand united with other Christians is irrelevant as the WCC does not conduct itself as a Christian organization.
"...the WCC, which is the union of the Protestants and the Orthodox..."
This statement in the article is very misleading. The membership is Protestant and Orthodox, but it is by no means a union between the two, as you of course know.
The stated reason for Orthodox involvement is to be a witness to the truth of Orthodox Christianity.
The sad truth is that to whatever extent the Orthodox are doing such witnessing (and over the years, their dissenting statements have been very pointed and well-written -- but completely buried and ignored), no-one on the Protestant side is listening.
The net effect is for it to appear to the observing world (and to many Orthodox) that we are indeed saying that we are one with these heretics and participate in and approve of their shenanigans.
The reason why we need to completely cut ourselves off from these organizations is exactly the same reason why we joined them in the first place: to witness to the truth of Orthodox Christianity. Our motivation has not changed, but the circumstances have, and thus our stance must change if we are to be true to the reasons that we joined the NCC and WCC.
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