A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 6 Number 28 - Tuesday, July 13th, 2004 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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The Orthodox Christian News Service |
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Response to “Independence Day Call to All Parishes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese” Editor: Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever! Orthodox Christian Laity's "Independence Day Call to All Parishes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese," posted on your website, is disturbing to orthodox Christians. It says, "On July 4, 1776, America's founders, inspired by the democratic spirit of ancient Greece and the ideals of Christian devotion, proclaimed their independence from arbitrary abuse of power which disrespected the views and personhood of individual citizens," using this as a basis to justify their call to action. Why do such OCL pronouncements always seem to appeal to secular political ideologies, ethnocentric pride and Protestant individualism as the basis for its positions and calls to action? Why don't they draw upon orthodox Christian sources -- the Bible, the creeds and canons of the Councils, the writings of the holy fathers, the lives of the saints, the liturgy of the Church -- to make their case? Why do they always seem to ignore the sacred Tradition of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church, or stray outside of it by resorting to heterodox and nonreligious ideas? "Inspired by the democratic spirit of ancient Greece?" Just how democratic ancient Greece was, in our contemporary understanding of what "democracy" is, is very arguable indeed. But the Church isn't a democracy. She never has been and never will be, because she is a Christocracy, a divine-human organism transcending all human notions of political organization and corporate management. Haven't OCL activists heard the opening words of the Divine Liturgy? It does not say "Blessed is the democracy of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." It says: "Blessed is the *kingdom* of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." Amen! Let's stick to orthodox Christianity and work with what God gave us to solve problems in our church life. Adopting secular political ideologies and heretical notions only muddies the waters, and God won't bless it. There's more than enough wisdom in the sacred Tradition of the Church, which God gave us. Let us, as we sing in the Divine Liturgy, "lay aside all worldly cares" and learn to tap into it, rather than rushing to drink from strange, unorthodox cisterns. If there's anything contemporary orthodox Christian Americans need to declare independence from, it's the worldly-mindedness projected by such OCL statements. We need to think, speak and act "not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace" (2 Corinthians 1:12). Otherwise, we're really missing the boat -- and that boat is the Ark of Salvation, the Church, which leads us Christward. With prayers and good will,
Gregory Orloff |
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