Orthodox Reflections

This is all deeply immoral. The most shocking part is the support given to this authoritarianism by so many average people. Many modern humans appear terrified of death, ideologically blinkered into blindly following their “team”, and mentally enslaved to a false religion known as Scientism. Orthodox Christians, with their commitment to authentic revelation as preserved in the Orthodox Church, must stand against this corrupt system with an absolute dedication to finding and defending the truth. https://orthodoxreflections.com/freedom-of-debate-in-medicine-is-a-vital-moral-issue/

The deafening silence of Orthodox Christians in the West about the suffering of our brothers in Ukraine is not, unfortunately, an isolated case. Deafening silence is our default reaction in the face of almost any outrage. Which is why anyone speaking up boldly for Orthodoxy should shame us all.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov is a Russian, and apparently an Orthodox Christian. He recently made news by choosing to not participate in his team’s “Pride night” in support of the LGBTQ+ “community”. Specifically, Provorov didn’t participate in pregame warmups wearing a Pride-themed jersey and using a stick wrapped in rainbow Pride tape. He did play in the actual game against the Anaheim Ducks.

Provorov committed public heresy against a central dogma of the Woke political religion – the obligation of all humankind to continuously affirm the holiness of homosexuality. The Woke take such matters very seriously. The backlash, of course, was swift and unrelenting. This is a holy war, after all. No mercy can ever be shown to an infidel.

https://orthodoxreflections.com/a-hockey-player-stands-alone-the-deafening-silence-of-western-orthodox-christians/

Specific targeted treatments usually present a favorable risk-benefit ratio, where the benefits outweigh the potential side effects and toxicity. This is because the treatment is targeted toward individuals who are already suffering from a specific disease and have a high likelihood of developing severe consequences without treatment. In the case of a severe disease, even a substantial risk of toxicity could be acceptable if the treatment can cure a debilitating or potentially fatal disease. However, when it comes to treatments for large populations, such as vaccines, we must consider the potential risks and side effects in a different manner entirely. This is because the intervention is not targeted toward individuals who are already suffering from a specific disease, but rather toward a population that may not necessarily even need the intervention. In the case of most mass treatments, almost any toxicity would be unjustifiable as there was nothing wrong with the individuals from the beginning, nor is there is any certainty that anything will ever be wrong with them. https://orthodoxreflections.com/the-differences-in-risk-benefit-analysis-and-ethics-of-targeted-vs-mass-population-medicine/

ANNOUNCEMENT: On Tuesday, January 24th, Metropolitan Nicholas will be visiting St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Bunnell, FL, with the Miracle Working Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God. I hope some of you will be able to make it! Share this around!

Whenever the cities became unlivable, the people fled them and went back to farming in small villages. The ones who didn’t die, of course. Because any time a civilization collapsed, the deaths of many was the inevitable result. Not everyone has the health, the skills, the tenacity or the luck to go from being a maid or a bureaucrat or a stone cutter to being a dirt farmer in a hut. Many would rather die. So they did. And so they will.

A good, working definition of modern hubris – believing that we are so advanced that calamities which have befallen generations of our ancestors could never happen to us. You would be shocked how easily our own cities could empty out as starving people go in search of food and fuel. Two things which the Climate Change policies of our current ruling elite threaten to make very scarce. https://orthodoxreflections.com/preparing-for-hard-times-forging-relationships-and-skills-to-survive/

Come unto Me,
For whether ye have married or nay,
Whichever path you now are on,
By inclination, disposition, by stigma or by choice,
Heed My voice:
Do not leave that cross lying on the ground,
Pick it up, yes, make that choice,
Do see that a cross is never imposed by Me,
So, choose to pick it up yourself, and follow Me,
Bring Me your cross…patiently, https://orthodoxreflections.com/the-jesus-of-sexual-orientations-a-call-to-repentance/

In the US, we are not yet subjected to arrest for offending the Woke, though that has happened in other formerly free countries. Rather, the US (with its pesky First Amendment) currently uses private companies to enforce the Woke “Orthodoxy”. While you won’t go to jail, consequences such as censorship, cancellation, loss of income, inability to advertise, and inability to hire or be hired can all be quite devastating.

As one Orthodox priest recently characterized it, they are “training us for compliance.” Perhaps at the end of the course, the US government will replace private companies enforcing Woke dogma with a…. Ministry of Truth and accompanying Thought Police, perhaps? https://orthodoxreflections.com/christian-tech-company-suspended-from-upwork-for-religious-beliefs/

The true shepherds of the Orthodox Church have always stood faithfully to defend the faithful, whether they were persecuted by pagan Rome, oppressed by the Ottoman Turks, or martyred by the totalitarian regimes of the Twentieth century.

Yet the same temptation – the temptation to silence because of fear, or a desire to maintain a position of prestige when faced with intimidation from enemies of Christ’s Church – remains the evil one’s greatest tool against the Church today as much as it was in centuries past.

Perhaps the last few years have softened up our will, making it harder for Orthodox Christians to stand during times of persecution. Perhaps one should not be surprised when state-sponsored soldiers in the Ukrainian capital seize churches and monasteries, assault priests and monks of the canonical Orthodox Church, and forcibly install the members of the new nationalist sect in the holy places. Perhaps nothing should surprise us in a time of war. https://orthodoxreflections.com/the-persecuted-church-in-ukraine-have-we-lost-our-courage/

As we noted in this article, How to Fight for Life in the Post-Roe World, the fight for unborn life is far, far from over in the US. While some states have been fortunate to effectively ban abortion, most have not. In too many states, even effective regulation of abortion remains an unobtainable goal. The overall moral and political situation in the US is simply anti-life. Even in some Deep Red States, abortion bans and significant regulations have failed in the legislatures and/or at the ballot box. While continuing the legal fight is important, clearly we need to attack this evil on a broad, grassroots front.

To that end, we are passing along this message below from an Orthodox Pro-life organization. They are trying to raise funds for an Orthodox maternity house to assist women who would otherwise be at risk of aborting their children. Dr. Irene Polidoulis wrote about one such house near Toronto named Rosalie Hall in her excellent article Mitigating Abortion in a Fallen World – #onebabyatatime. https://orthodoxreflections.com/an-orthodox-maternity-house-in-new-york/

Ecumenism is a cocktail of various peculiar religious beliefs and eccentric philosophies. It is unacceptable syncretism. Everything fits within it – truth and lies, Orthodoxy and heresy. Ecumenism resembles a collapsing roof, beneath which exists everything that humankind can think of. It is a lie most difficult to discern, yet an attractive lie, which tests the conscience, one’s determination, and one’s faith. It is a charming “nothing”, which takes on an existential “hypostasis” within the soul of those who have not experienced the fullness of Orthodoxy, and who have not found “rest for their souls” https://orthodoxreflections.com/the-lie-of-ecumenism/

Clearly thinking, happy, well-adjusted people don’t want to see their own society destroyed. They don’t want to be enslaved by degrees until they are little more than cattle. They don’t want to “transcend” their humanity, or be part of this Brave New World the Woke want to build. The Woke dream is their nightmare. Which is why such normal people simply will not do.

Woke needs the losers, the misfits, the insane, the criminals, those who feel cheated by the current system, sexual deviants, perverts, the greedy, the power hungry, the easily manipulated, the ignorant, and the isolated. The people who have no stake in the current system, other than wanting to burn it down. These are the true revolutionaries that form the foundation of Woke. https://orthodoxreflections.com/understanding-the-political-religion-of-woke/

It was very impressive to hear a priest of the Greek Archdiocese say that he felt the money spent on the St. Nicholas "shrine" in NY would have been better spent on founding 100 new Orthodox missions. God will judge our priorities. We talk a lot about money within Orthodoxy, but so many millions are wasted each year. What if we had our priorities in order? What if we focused our time and treasure on the things which really matter to the Kingdom of Christ? Millions of unchurched Americans need Christ. Are we truly the One, Holy, Catholic Church? If so, we need to put our money and time where our mouth is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmi8-bj6AtM

Fr. Mark Hodges is the first full time priest at St. Brendan the Voyager in Bullhead City AZ. This mission parish is the only Orthodox presence in a growing tri-state area for hours in any direction. The mission survived for 5 years off reader services and the support of a dedicated, largely formerly Evangelical core group. Their faith and dedication in sustaining a mission were rewarded with the assignment of Fr. Mark Hodges to pastor them.

Missions are hard. As you read through this update from Fr. Mark, imagine the personal sacrifice needed to build an Orthodox parish from scratch. To serve Christ in this mission, Fr. Mark has to spend long months away from his large family. To save money, he is living in two rooms provided by one of his families. The faithful have to work hard as well. Many necessary items at the parish are handmade such as the iconostasis and the cross for the Elevation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross pictured below. Things those of us in established parishes simply take for granted can be challenging for a new mission.
https://sharethefaith.net/the-hard-work-of-building-an-orthodox-mission-parish-continues-in-arizona/

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is the canonical church in Ukraine headed by Metropolitan Onuphry. Prior to the war, approximately 70% of the population of Ukraine belonged to the UOC. Ukrainians overwhelmingly supported their Church, despite having been subjected to politically motivated persecution for many years. The violations of human rights directed at Orthodox Christian in Ukraine have included: forcible seizure / closure of parishes, unlawful arrests, physical abuse, abusive searches of holy sites, desecrations of holy objects, intentional targeting of parishes and holy sites for military attack, and acts of physical intimidation. Recently, local governments have banned the Ukrainian Church from even operating in their areas. President Zelensky of Ukraine has threatened to make this ban nationwide.

The Ukrainian Government is entirely supported by Western, primarily US, tax payer funds. Without NATO weapons, mercenaries, money, and logistical support – the Ukrainian Government would have no ability to either continue its war effort or persecute the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Regardless of how any of us feel about this war, our involvement makes us at least indirectly responsible for Christian persecution.

https://orthodoxreflections.com/free-uoc/

Orthodox spirituality is the cure for the degradation of Christmas. How many Americans, outside of the Orthodox Church, know that? Not nearly enough. Why is that?

Again, that is our fault. We don’t ask our employers and social groups to plan events after Christmas, when we are feasting instead of fasting. They may not listen, but at least we can let them know that we are in a time of spiritual preparation. This is not pride, by the way. It is education. If you put a fast day on a calendar, then post it online, it is hardly a secret. Telling non-Orthodox Americans about it might give them some food for thought.

We should take every opportunity available to teach others how the Orthodox prepare for and celebrate the Nativity, as well as the true meaning of the Incarnation. Local priests can do podcasts, social media posts, and even local interviews to spread the word. While others are partying and shopping, Orthodox Christians are fasting and praying. That kind of counter-cultural activity is interesting for non-Orthodox Americans. We also need to let people know about our Nativity Divine Liturgies, and that they are welcome to come celebrate the Incarnate Christ with us. Most people don’t go where they don’t feel invited. https://orthodoxreflections.com/american-holidays-and-orthodox-evangelism/

Fr. Adam Sexton is one of the hardest working priests in the United States. He is a father of 11, a loving husband, a rector of an established parish (Ashland, VA), a mission priest for one established mission (Culpeper, VA), and is currently working towards founding another mission with an Orthodox outreach (Northern Neck/Middle Peninsula, VA). Share the Faith donors have been privileged to help support Fr. Adam since the beginning of 2022. Funds from Share the Faith have allowed him to expand his ministry by reducing the hours spent working a secular job to make ends meet. Share the Faith wants to continue to support Fr. Adam, while expanding to support at least 20 additional missions in 2023. Both Fr. Adam and other mission priests need your help this coming year! Please read the updates below from Fr. Adam about the ongoing success of his ministry, and please prayerfully consider donating to support pan-Orthodox Christian missions in the United States!
https://sharethefaith.net/share-the-faith-helps-fund-orthodox-mission-success-in-virginia/

Unfortunately, while Russia may not be fighting a religious war, the West (particularly America) certainly is. Whether he meant to or not, Congressman Jamie Raskin confirmed what many of us have suspected for years – the US is under the control of a religious cult that is fighting a “woke” jihad against Russia because it is morally and religiously conservative. https://orthodoxreflections.com/world-war-trans-and-western-christian-persecution/

We need accountability. We need public apologies. We need the worst COVIDIANs removed from office – political office and church office. We need to hear the right people say, “We were wrong, never again!” Only then will even a modicum of trust be restored in the system.

From an Orthodox perspective, we need to remember how much harm COVIDIAN hierarchs, clergy, and laity really caused. Many Orthodox parishes shut down for an extended period of time. Some parishes lost as much as 40% or more of their membership as a result. Among the parishes that stayed open or re-opened during the height of the Pandemic, many reduced attendance, required masks even on toddlers, forbade the kissing of icons, cancelled weddings, cancelled funerals, cancelled baptisms, and forbade priests from caring for the elderly and dying.

https://orthodoxreflections.com/no-covid-amnesty-without-public-repentance/

“Dwell Together in Unity”: Starting a Homeschool Workshop
Saturday, November 12th — 1:00-3:15pm EST via Zoom
https://form.jotform.com/222704500272040

Many, many more children will be harmed by the mRNA jabs than could ever benefit from them. So why did the CDC do this, if not for the benefit of the children? Money, of course. The federal “public health emergency” declaration protects Pfizer, and the other vaccine companies, from being sued over any side effects from their shots. Continuing this protection is probably why the declaration was extended again into early 2023, even as the most brain dead among us can see there is no strain on our health care system from COVID. The Federal Government can’t keep extending this state of emergency forever. Biden already looks bad extending it to 2023. If he keeps extending it, he will look completely ridiculous. But that creates a serious problem. How can the government shield the Big Pharma mRNA companies from liability indefinitely? Adding the mRNA vaccines to the childhood schedule does just that. Any vaccine on the schedule is immune from individual liability as it becomes part of the federal vaccine injury compensation program. The companies are let off the hook, and all financial liability is transferred to the American taxpayers. https://orthodoxreflections.com/saving-children-facing-covid-vaccine-mandates/