A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 6 Number 27 - Tuesday, July 6th, 2004 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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The Orthodox Christian News Service |
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Mission Statement of Holy Cross School of TheologyDear Editor: Glory to Jesus Christ! I read with complete agreement the comments of the seminarian regarding the Hellenization of our Orthodox Faith among Greeks here. This is contrary both to your Mission statement which quotes the Lord's directive to "baptize ..teaching them all things I have commanded you.." He did not command the use of any language, but to the contrary, with Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit in All Languages, the Gospel is to be presented to every culture in understandable terms. The beloved missionary, Innokenty, Patriarch of Moscow, certainly did not keep the services in Russian but translated our Holy Faith into the Tlingit, Fox and other tribal Eskimo dialects. The purpose is to preach the Gospel of Christ to those within a particular culture. During the Turkish captivity, it is understandable that the Greek people identified language and culture with our Faith. However, in America, we are not captives to Turks, but to the false gospels that surround us. Having been part of both R.Catholic and Protestant churches, I thank God daily, hourly, for His leading me into the Holy Orthodox Church. However, the nonchalant attitude among Greeks in particular, leads one to believe that they think all Christian Churches are like the Orthodox Church. Naive in the extreme - and a denial of the martyrs who died for the true knowledge of our Triune God throughout the nations. Now its America's turn to receive the Gospel as taught by the Ancient Church ever alive in the Holy Spirit. Or has that been replaced with Aristotle, Plato and philosophies from the pagan Greek past? Please read St. Justin Martyr on these pagan gods and their demonic origins. Noted also is that the neighboring Greek Parish used pictures of pagan gods and goddesses to introduce each section of their Greek Cookbook. They do not mention the Orthodox Faith during their "festivals". Are these people truly converted to Christ, or simply being "Greek" and Orthodox is a subtext of their ethnic heritage? God help us return to the "old paths" of the pure Gospel as God's Word tells us to do. In Christ Jesus,
Kh. Irene Matta, MTh Orthodox Christian
Mission, Los Osos, CA |
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