Two days ago I posted an answer to someone’s question on homosexuality and the Orthodox Church. I posted only one reply out of several possibilities–from the Q&A section of the OCA website–and it raised a legitimate concern from a fellow Orthodox believer. Let me quote of what s/he says below: I understand and adhere to the viewpoint […]
Archives for July 2011
Pacifism, the military and Orthodoxy
I keep receiving questions from people about the military, particularly in a time of war. As you know, I work for a Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and have a daughter who has served in Iraq. Yet, I have written about just war theology and the need to refrain as much as possible from conflict. So, […]
Homosexuality and the Orthodox
One of my readers asked me to speak to the issue of homosexuality and the Orthodox Church. This is one of those times that I am simply going to quote a statement by the bishops of the Orthodox Church in America: Convinced of these God-revealed truths, we offer the following affirmations and admonitions for the […]
A helpful clarification on the news media
My last two posts have been on the news media and the dangerous ground that they are treading. Yesterday, a journalist was kind enough to make some helpful distinctions as to what is generally found under the heading of media–notice that the word news has dropped out for the moment. The poster said: One, the […]
Casey Anthony and freedom of the press, part 02
Casey Anthony is a good example of a hard person upon which to base future jurisprudence. She is not a likeable person. She regularly lied during the investigation. She did not report her daughter as missing. She partied without an apparent care in the world. But, and this is a most important but, according to […]
When freedom of the press runs amuck
Great cases like hard cases make bad law. For great cases are called great, not by reason of their importance… but because of some accident of immediate overwhelming interest which appeals to the feelings and distorts the judgment — Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. writing for the Supreme Court in Northern Securities Co. v United States […]
Some hope for stem cell research
The quote below is from a CNN news article: (CNN) — For the first time, a patient has received a synthetic windpipe that was created in a lab with the patient’s own stem cells and without using human donor tissue, researchers said Thursday. Look carefully at the sentence. The stem cells were the patient’s own […]
For the Orthodox, Church history is family history
I was asked on another blog how much the Orthodox know about Church history. I posted the reply below: When I first read the question my reaction was to say that the Orthodox are extremely well versed in Church history and that it plays an important part in the life of our Church. But, upon […]
. . . difficult and left untried
The great ideals of the past failed not by being outlived (which must mean over-lived), but by not being lived enough. … The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried. — G.K. Chesterton, Part One: The Homelessness Of Man, Ch. 5 : The Unfinished Temple […]
Happy July 4, 2011
Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime. — A politician from the 1950’s. I like the quote above. It is a quote that could be applied to Christianity as well. Let me give you some thoughts. The Boston Tea Party was an emotional outburst of […]
