[aAaBecker]

Dear James,

I understand what you are saying, be patient though as even the most pious can be against you.

I was visiting relatives a year ago in your neck of the woods, they attend an Orthodox Church there. Their Priest came over for dinner along with several Orthodox friends from the Parish. The beginning prayer before the meal was something out of the book of common prayer.

During the course of our meal the Priest mentioned many very disturbing things along the lines of what you had mentioned, so I was forced to disagree by my conscience very politely, that went on for around 30 minutes. I refrained from disagreeing when my 80 year old pious mother "Presvytera" started nudging me with her foot under the table and whispered in my ear, don't disagree with Father he's the Priest. The only thing I could do was excuse myself, I ended up in another room of the house, that is after another relative agreed with the notions the Priest was articulating. It seemed like the only thing to do when even the pious are collectively against you.

I thought about it and what seems to be advanced is the idea that we as individuals are no better than other Christians as such if we would just be humble and not judge others, there would be unity with other Christians. The world would be a better place and that's what all of us want etc. Basically the lines between individual passions and the teachings of the Church are being confused. Human passions are being used to establish a unity, "we are no better" therefore there will be unity when we change, become more loving and accept the other expressions of Christianity, after all there are many very good pious people there, better than us in the Orthodox Church. We should not be so proud etc. We know we have the true faith but let us recognize the other Christians as not being heretics but rather as being branches and not the root etc. We can even think who I'm I to judge God's servant, the Bishops or Priests that are articulating such notions. But really there is a difference between judging God's servant and not agreeing with things that we can't agree with according to conscience. The devil is cunning and it is a cunning attempt to use the emotions of man in way to confuse people so they think that true love means acceptance. This is especially so when the other communities also believe in Christ and there really are wonderful loving and caring people within those communities, we all know that.

But for the record, Orthodox Christians have a tradition of following the traditions of our fathers. Inclusive in that tradition is the obligation to speak up when necessary. The problem now is that sometimes even when some speak up they are shut down by others, sadly even Priests on occasions. I know some very pious and knowledgeable Orthodox Christians that simply see no choice but to accept such things as God's will during these times. Even when they speak up and they are correct they are pastorally "corrected" by those that know better. So people end up in odd positions. It really seems to me to be a Western concept of authority that has seeped in somewhat. It seems to come from an established office notion that once one occupies others must agree with since after all the Bishop received the Priest, the Bishop is the Bishop etc. Great errors in the past have come about through such ways, and it is becoming far to common of an experience it seems. There really is nothing that can be done, other than for us to repent of our own sins, trust in God and not worry too much about it.

Anyway if you want to be safe and at peace, being quietly perplexed doesn't work well...

In Christ,

Matthew Panchisin