[IntinyBut]

Dear Fr. Cyprian,

Are you suggesting that the attitude of the Orthodox Church towards the State and Federal laws (" Caesar") should be one of mild indifference? (re: I'm just saying that "Caesar" not understanding, or agreeing with us, is not that unusual, and we shouldn't get really bent out of shape over it.) If yes I completely disagree because that attitude violates the two major commandments:

In response to the question about the first of the commandments, Jesus says: "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." ...and without love of neighbor there's no love of God either ("whatever you did to the least of these, you did to me")

and by neighbor Jesus did not mean just the "Orthodox neighbor" (see parable of the good Samaritan) but all th epeople on earth. So lets get abortions for example. Sure a good Christian (of any denomination) would not abort her unborn child, but what about all the unborn children murdered every year thanks to the Federal laws of this country?? Shouldn't we "bent out of shape over" them? I think we should.

As fas as homosexual marriage is concerned, the more society promotes it as an OK (or even "cool") lifestyle, through its laws, the less likely are people with homosexual tendencies to try to live by the Church's commandments, shouldn't we care about these people?