Gay Bashing and the True Church - Part II

Part I was presented yesterday and it was rather Marxist in approach as already has been pointed out... Yet, lest we forget as Abbot +Gregori has already pointed out below:

Generally stated, fornication, adultery, abortion, homosexuality and any form of abusive sexual behavior are considered immoral and inappropriate forms of behavior in and of themselves, and also because they attack the institution of marriage and the family. Two representative statements, one on abortion and another on homosexuality, from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America follow. They are from the Twenty-Third Clergy-Laity Congress held in Philadelphia in 1976, and are accepted by ALL Orthodox Churches in the United States and else where.  (I have omitted the paragraph on abortion as it is not germain to this  topic.)

The position of the Orthodox Church toward homosexuality has been expressed by synods, canons and patristic pronouncements beginning with the very first centuries of Orthodox ecclesiastical life. Thus, the Orthodox Church condemns unreservedly all expressions of personal sexual experience which prove contrary to the definite and unalterable function ascribed to sex by God's ordinance and expressed in man's experience as a law of nature. The Orthodox Church believes that homosexuality should be treated by religion as a sinful failure. In both cases, correction is called for. Homosexuals should be accorded the confidential medical and psychiatric facilities by which they can be helped to restore themselves to a self-respecting sexual identity that belongs to them by God's ordinance. In full confidentiality the Orthodox Church cares and provides pastoral care for homosexuals in the belief that no sinner who has failed himself and God should be allowed to deteriorate morally and spiritually. Psychiatric reconciliation is bound to prove short-lived.

Coming to Jesus Christ, and accepting His gift of Salvation requires two things from we who sin and seek forgiveness; one is REMORSE, being truly sorry for our sins, and the other is REPENTANCE, a complete turning away from ones sinful behavior of the past.

The Church does not advocate in any way, shape or form, "gay bashing" however the Church IS NOT and SHOULD NOT be in the business of encouraging sinful behavior, and it does not matter how much same-sex couples may "love" each other or how much they remain faithful, they are STILL living in sin, even if they are living a "celibate" life with each other, because they are placing themselves in a situation where the occasion of sin is present, thus, any true Orthodox Catholic priest should not be administering the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist to those who refuse to repent and who insist on remaining in their sinful state. As priests, shepherds of Jesus Christ, we have a right and a duty to speak out against the sin of homosexuality just as we have the right and duty to speak out against ALL sins, those of a sexual nature as well as all other sins. If we are too intimidated due to political correctness, which says that we must refrain from offending others, then we have no right to be in the priesthood and we most certainly have no right to call ourselves Orthodox.

If you consider PERVERTS to be those "who denounce Homosexuals on the basis of a false teaching from God", then I would have to believe that you also believe the Orthodox Church to be a "PERVERT", because the Orthodox Church holds to the ancient teachings of Holy Scripture which condemns homosexuality as well as sodomy.

The interpretation that you are putting forth is a false interpretation, which as I stated earlier, comes right out of Marxist Theology that infected the Western branch of the Church following Vatican II, and you have embraced it hook, line and sinker. The very interpretation that you hold forth as being correct was put forth by gay activist priests and seminarians and worked into the Marxist Theology that was started in Latin America following Vatican II, and it was at this same time that lesbian groups began to push for the ordination of women to the priesthood.

+Gregori

(My Personal & Additional Notes:  As I sit and watch a very personal friend and  brother in Christ slowly slip away due to his having received a bad blood transfusion in the 1980's which caused for his contracting HIV/AIDS and who, along with this unworthy one, did in fact become a part of the monastic community as Celibate monks in the vineyard... I sometimes, without forethought or thinking, fall into thoughts of the old ways which were Marxist as even I have to admit when I had been a part of the Roman Jurisdiction of the Catholic Church. 

On seeing the original article about Gay Bashing and recalling many things of those times in the past where "Gay Bashing" was an infection then as it is once again becoming common in some areas of the world, I ashamedly rush to momentary and brief thoughts as I also attempt to care for our Brother in Christ whose ways are an every hour need to be taken care of.  This is common for those who care for those who have FULL BLOWN AIDS... it is a constant "up" and "down' from the chair or couch to ensure they are breathing, are not falling asleep as their liver is sometimes shot (80%) who need a liver transplant.  Sometimes the spleen swells.  Sometimes the discs in the back, due to disintegrating disc disease (Degenerative Arthritis) causes for extreme pain and causes for us care providers to have to keep a constant watch hour after hour, after hour.  On top of this he suffers from diabetes.  We await news that there may yet be alternatives to preserve life for our Brother in Christ... but it takes time, it takes much prayer, much watching, and very much more... And with the swelling economic crisis in the USA (AND THROUGH OUT THE WORLD) growing worse, our President does not yet want to declare that we are in a "Depression" which would cause for a Freeze on rising prices in certain areas whose affects would lessen the growing hardships on millions of people... for he is part and parcel of the problems in these days...

Preserving Life does not seem to be one of his strongest or greatest advocacy points which tells me he (The sitting President in White House), like many people both locally and otherwise, have grown cold and indifferent in their hearts, minds and souls to the preservation of life... unless it is their kind of people or their kind of 'Christian" but not all who are truly Christian in spirit and in truth.....  Yes... I am, to say the least, angry within myself as I share these thoughts with you one, and with all!

I cannot make an excuse for my faulty thoughts  on the original "Gay Bashing" article that was sent... I cannot actually make any excuse at all!  But, so that you, the reader, the viewer, know the circumstances and situation on which the article was posted, I can only ask for your prayers for it is that Abbot +Gregori speaks truth about the Teachings of the Church. 

In the late 1970's and early 1980's, I was one of many who fought hard against any and all kinds of "Bashing" in San Francisco, California (USA) where not just Gay people were the object of such actions, but also were little old ladies and other people.  Thus, the formation of the COMMUNITY UNITED AGAINST VIOLENCE (CUAV). 

As I review in my mind the many things written and said about the life and writings of blessed Father Seraphim Rose, as well as many of the derogatory things said about him; I cannot help but recall the many things said to this Unworthy One in the vineyard when I resided in San Francisco during his sojourn at the Geary Street Russian Orthodox Bookstore.  As a result of those many brief encounters I have on occasion made several vows to people as to God.  "I will walk with you in this life for as long as I can to the ends of the earth for so long as you are honest with me, a sinner, and struggle out of pain of heart to do that which is correct, right and true in coming to Christ!"  In making that kind of a vow to a person, lest we forget our original vow to God.  For so long as the two vows do not contradict each other and there will be hard times in which they seemingly will, one must keep to those vows with the vow to Christ being first and foremost as we cannot ride two horses or serve two masters without offending one and serving the other.  In this kind of a situation, it comes down to maintaining such vow to the best of our material and spiritual ability until either the person goes to their repose (or we go to our repose) or the vow to Christ requires we separate from the individual. Sometimes the individual cannot stay true to the vow you made to him or her and they leave on their own for other unsavory fruits of life and living.

Yet, in most instances, while recalling that true remorse and repentance must be met for one to be true to Christ; considering those things as a requirement not only in our selves but in the other person who continues the walk in this life, let us not turn our hearts, our heads from the task to care for all of God's Children.  And it is in this kind of environment on earth and in our spirit that we must continue the struggle.  For so long as the individual breathes their breath or until we go to our own repose, we are commanded by the very Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ to be true according to our nature and degree of ability!

It is in this kind of environment: both material and spiritual, that some of us find ourselves.  We must be true and stay the course in this life for so long as we can!

Know that Celibacy is and should be the way of life for all who are unmarried and for those who seek Christ in the light of Truth!  There can be no other way!

And as for those who are married and are actually sneaking around on their husbands or their wives... you live in Sin!

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man

Have Mercy On me A Sinner that I am!

+Thaddeus the Repentant Unworthy One in the vineyard)

•Ancient Canons/Seven Ecumenical Councils  

•An Understanding of the Ancient Canons

• Ancient Canons/Seven Ecumenical Councils

• A bit of understanding about the Fundamentalist Cults....

• Modern Day Ecumenism and its horrors

•  How Many Times