Let me repeat a phrase from the day before yesterday, “Orthodox and Catholic alike are asked to deeply consider and listen to the pastoral guidance given by those synods. . . our responsibility as Orthodox and Catholic when we disagree with a pastoral letter is first to consider how we may be personally wrong. We are called to examine ourselves to see whether in our disagreement we prove that we are precisely the person to whom that pastoral letter was written.”
Now here is the problem for both conservative and progressive “Orthodox” (and “Catholic”). As best I can tell neither conservatives nor progressives fully follow the pastoral guidance of our hierarchs. Let me use Roman Catholics for my examples, because their pastoral letters are much easier to find and much more centralized than those of the Orthodox.
Conservatives have well pointed out how progressives have consistently violated both the teaching of Ecumenical Council and the pastoral letters of synods and papal encyclicals. There are too many progressives who deny the reality of the Virgin Birth, the Trinity, the Resurrection, etc., etc. And, finally, that one issue that has become the defining issue which ostensibly forces one to vote Republican regardless of what else Republicans may do–abortion. Frankly, there is little doubt that abortion has been condemned from earliest times, so the Didache, a first century writing, comments, “. . . thou shalt not murder a child by abortion nor kill them when born. . . .” There are several other very early texts that I could quote on the subject of abortion.
Moreover, Pope John Paul II said in 1995, “Laws which legitimize the direct killing of innocent human beings through abortion or euthanasia are in complete opposition to the inviolable right to life proper to every individual; they thus deny the equality of everyone before the law.”
Therefore, the anti-abortion conclusion is that many progressive Orthodox (and Catholics) by their open beliefs and teachings put themselves under the anathema sections of various Ecumenical Councils and synods. It is, frankly, probably quite accurate to say that their statements and teachings put them in danger of their eternal soul. Conservative (and anti-abortion) Orthodox (and Catholic) believers have well pointed out that fact and clearly condemn pro-abortion folk to hell–at least judging by the signs and shouts at many anti-abortion rallies.
But, does being anti-abortion make one pro-life? The answer is, not if one ignores other teachings from our hierarchs on what it means to be fully pro-life. That is, being pro-life and being anti-abortion are not the same thing, according to our hierarchs. Rather, being anti-abortion is only one element in being pro-life. Let me quote again from Mark Shea.
. . . there are the pro-lifers of who oppose abortion, but who have no problem with war crimes. Indeed, some of these actually sneer at those who do have a problem with war crimes. . . . I’m constantly getting email in from people in which their outrage about abortion is routinely joined to diatribes about cap-and-trade, global warming, Obama’s socialism, and so forth. Meanwhile, the same self-described Christians and Catholics who are making these bizarre equivalencies are often (and in higher percentages than the general population) laboring with might and main to defend the torture and abuse of prisoners, to deride Christians who will not laugh at the Club Gitmo jokes, and to do everything in their power to thwart the clear and obvious teaching of two Popes and all the American bishops.
What teachings is Mark Shea talking about?
Well, for instance, in the pastoral document, A Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death, the Roman Catholic bishops say in 2005, “Twenty-five years ago, our Conference of bishops first called for an end to the death penalty. We renew this call to seize a new moment and new momentum. This is a time to teach clearly, encourage reflection, and call for common action in the Catholic community to bring about an end to the use of the death penalty in our land.” OK, now, tell me the truth. Has the Roman Catholic anti-abortion movement ever obeyed its bishops and called for an end to the death penalty? Tell me the truth, has not your personal experience been that almost all anti-abortion activists are also in favor of the death penalty? And if one is calling for a death that the bishops are saying should not happen, then what difference is there in disobeying pronouncements from the Didache and the Pope–and approving abortion–and disobeying pastoral letters from our hierarchs–and being in favor of the death penalty? Please notice that this particular statement is found on the website of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops under the heading, “Pro-Life Activities.”
On the economy, the bishops stated in 1996 in A Catholic Framework for Economic Life the following thoughts. “. . . All people have the right to economic initiative, to productive work, to just wages and benefits, to decent working conditions as well as to organize and join unions or other associations. . . According to Pope John Paul II, the Catholic tradition calls for a ‘society of work, enterprise and participation’ which ‘is not directed against the market, but demands that the market be appropriately controlled by the forces of society and by the state to assure that the basic needs of the whole society are satisfied.’ (Centesimus Annus, 35). All of economic life should recognize the fact that we all are God’s children and members of one human family, called to exercise a clear priority for ‘the least among us.’” Hmm, the Pope called for a market, “appropriately controlled . . . by the state.” This is NOT laissez fair capitalism and neither is it socialism. And, that is also officially considered part of Roman Catholic pro-life teaching on the website of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Therefore, the clear conclusion is that many conservative Orthodox (and Catholics) by their open beliefs and teachings put themselves in disobedience to various synods (and the Pope). It is, frankly, probably quite accurate to say that their statements and teachings put them in danger of their eternal soul.
Are you beginning to see where I am going? Both conservative and progressive Orthodox (and Catholics) use the label of Christianity as a way to support their politics rather than letting their Christianity inform their politics. Is this not precisely the warning that C.S. Lewis gave in his Screwtape Letters? But, I did also mention twice a danger for the eternal souls of both conservative and progressive Orthodox (and Catholics). Why would I phrase it that way?
===MORE TO COME===
Fr. Ernesto,
Maybe these Catholics are really Protestants after all?
Steve, you win the “seeing-ahead” prize. Whether it makes it into this series or not, one of the thoughts in my mind as I analyzed the positions of both progressive and conservative Catholics was that they had absorbed the Protestant idea that each believer, by himself/herself, is somehow the ultimate judge of what is righteous. Each side openly rejects some of the teachings of the Church, even teachings touching upon life and death matters, whether it be abortion or war, euthanasia or the death penalty. Each side condones one type of death, but condemns the other type of death. And the approval or disapproval is based on the secular political theory rather than upon the teaching of the Church.
One further follow on comment. Read the quote from the document A Catholic Framework for Economic Life. Now look back at the series I jokingly titled The Old Testament God was a socialist; the New Testament God is a capitalist. You will see that what I said on economics actually conforms to the Catholic pastoral document. I really am both anti-abortion and pro-life.