| Has religion become passe? Is it valid to separate faith into two opposing camps: religious versus spiritual? Is the Church merely a religious institution? Photo: Fr. Dmitry Lukianov/foma.ru While getting to know someone you might ask, “Do you go to church?” It is increasingly common to hear the response, “Oh, I’m not religious, but I am spiritual.” Your acquaintance may go on to explain he finds religion to be too hypocritical, legalistic, and full of strife. “Look at all the wars that have been due to religion!” he exclaims, “And I don’t want some preacher telling me how to live my life when he can’t follow his own rules!” When asked what he means by being spiritual, the answer is something like, “I believe there is a life-force, I meditate, and occasionally I read books about spirituality; so I don’t need religion.” Has religion become passe? Is it valid to separate faith into two opposing camps: religious versus spiritual? Is the Church merely a religious institution? To answer these questions, it is important to: (1) define and contrast what is meant by being religious and by being spiritual; (2) look within the Gospels to see what Jesus taught and modeled; and, (3) have an appropriate understanding of the role the Church plays in our Orthodox Faith. Religious A typical dictionary definition of “religious” is: devotion to a superhuman controlling power, a god, entitled to obedience and worship . You have to believe in a deity in order to be religious, and “devotion” implies having made a commitment to an ongoing relationship with that deity. Whenever there is a formal relationship there has to be “rules” (laws, disciplines, duties) to maintain a beneficial coexistence. You have to worship and obey God in a particular manner in order to receive God’s blessings. Eventually the rules get codified, and the canons by necessity become organized and institutionalized. In the process, you give up some freedom when you become religious; this is what St. Paul meant in being “a slave of Christ” (1 Corinthians 7:22). The antonym for being religious is “secularism:” involvement solely with the affairs of the world, the temporal, and the mundane. |
| Photo: http://www.pravoslavie.ru/ In the Epistle to the Galatian church (Gal. 1:11-19), we hear St. Paul’s discussing the validity of his conversion and Apostleship. We know from the book of Acts that he was not a typical convert from Judaism to Christianity. His conversion was more significant and complete than simply exchanging a synagogue for a church. It took an encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-6) to change St. Paul from a persecutor of the Christian faith to one of Christ’s greatest disciples, responsible for spreading the Gospel message throughout the far reaches of the Roman Empire. Like many of us who converted to Orthodox Christianity from another religious tradition, St. Paul ran into those who had doubts about the validity of his conversion. Think back to the time you told your family and friends that you were joining the Orthodox Christian Church: What was their reaction? Was it complete acceptance, total skepticism or something in between? Proving the strength of your conversion was probably even harder if you came from no “religious” background at all. To go from a man or woman of the world to a true follower of Christ is quite a change in one’s life, involving more than just getting up early on Sundays. It requires not only going to church but loving the church. It requires a total change in the way we order our lives and priorities. It might even mean having to cease certain activities or friends that conflict with our new-found faith, while also resisting the pull of our previous life. And what about your new-found church family? How might we expect them to react? If you had spent your life not just denying but persecuting the Church and its people, it would only make sense that they would be suspicious of your dramatic change in attitude. We recall from the Acts of the Apostles that it was same Paul (then known as Saul of Tarsus) who as a young man approved of the stoning of St. Stephen, the first holy martyr of the Church (Acts 7:58-8:1). Furthermore, it was while on the road to Damascus to persecute the Christians in the city that Saul was struck blind and had his life-changing encounter with Christ. |
| The Founder of St. Egidio’s Community Delivers a Lecture on Martyrs of the Twentieth Century in Moscow Source: Bogoslov.ru November 6, 2014. Professor Andrea Riccardi, the founder of the International Christian Community of St. Egidio, delivered a lecture entitled “Twentieth Century: the Century of Martyrs” in Moscow on October 31. This lecture was given during the Honoris Causa awarding ceremony of the Universal Research Degree and Doctorate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the presence of Metropolitan Hilarion, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; Archbishop Ivan Yurkovich, Apostolic Nuncio; chairmen of various Synodal departments of the ROC, prominent clergymen, and diplomats. Having expressed his gratitude for the honor given to him, Professor Riccardi began his speech with a short autobiographical recollection. The first time he walked into an Orthodox church was at the age of eleven in Germany. He clearly felt the “strong feeling of the Presence”. Later he read a book by Nikita Struve about the persecution of the faithful in the Soviet Union, and the “feeling of a mystery of the faithful and suffering people of the Church” only strengthened as years went by. Having been acquainted with theological works of the St. Sergius University in Paris, having visited Moscow in the 1980s and participated in divine services of the “disparaged, but not defeated Church”, a “deep and respectful friendship towards the Russian Church” was established. “This friendship has been maintained all my life and the life of the St. Egidio’s Community,” Mr. Riccardi noted. The Russian Church in the twentieth century is the church of martyrs. Therefore, the speaker called it “an expert in humanity”: “The struggle of the martyrs of the twentieth century is the source providing an excellent lesson of humanity that might teach the twenty first century. The Church is the mentor of humankind… A martyr is not a banner in a fight against somebody, but a person who dies in order to lay down his life or not to lose his life.” In his opinion, the twentieth century, which many people associate with scientific and technical achievements, was a dark century for millions of people – the time of mass murder, when “anti-religious persecution and the persecution of people coincided”. “The memory of love and respect for human was lost. Having lost mercy, humanity was lost too,” Mr. Riccardi added. |
| In these unpredictable times, we should recall the Divine words of our Lord Jesus Christ: " These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world " (John 16:33). Photo: mitropolia-simbirsk.ru One’s identity has always been sacred and something that could never be violated. In recent years, however, there has been a deliberate and consistent attempt to steal one’s identity. It is referred to as ‘identity theft.’ People who have experienced an identity theft feel violated and devastated. Currently, there are many ways or measures for securing one’s identity and preventing this breach from taking place. There is also our religious identity which we should be concerned with and to protect. Looking back historically to the early Church, Christian martyrs were brought before their pagan persecutors they often revealed proudly with the words: “I am a Christian!” As we know the first Christians had no earthly identity. They were dead to this earthly life and world. They believed that they belonged to God’s Kingdom. Instead, they believed that they were “fellow citizens with the Saints and members of the Household of God” (Ephesians 2:19). “… a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people” (1 Peter 2:9). Over the centuries the Church faced different and more threatening attacks on the authentic Christian faith and identity from within: heresies and schisms which threaten the very core of true Christian belief, identity, and unity of the Church. Countless men and women sacrificed their very lives rather than betray or compromise their Orthodox Christian faith and identity. Orthodox Christians ought to have a strong knowledge of the Faith to practice it, to preserve it, to protect it, and to convey it to future generations. How else can they confess and say openly, “I am an Orthodox Christian, I belong to the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church of Christ.” “I am of one mind, one heart, one soul, and one body with all those who belong to Christ and the Church. It is therefore imperative that the Orthodox Christian stand steadfastly opposed to anyone who desires to use Christ’s Church for any secular, nationalistic, ideological, or political purpose. |
| Patriarch Kirill’s Address on the 75th Anniversary of the Department for External Church Relations Source: DECR Photo: Oleg Varov/foto.patriarchia.ru His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia congratulated Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk and the staff members of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations on the 75 th anniversary of the foundation of this Synodal institution. Your Eminences! Dear staff members of the Department! Dear brothers and sisters! Christ is Risen! With these joy engendering words I cordially greet you all and congratulate Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk and the staff members of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations on a significant date – the 75 th anniversary of the foundation of this oldest Synodal institution in the Russian Orthodox Church. In the distant 1946, when for a brief period of time the state policy of godless authorities regarding religious organizations somewhat softened, there appeared a possibility for the Church to establish an administrative body for its relations with the outside world. No one could have imagined then what role the Department would play for the future life of the Church. For the past three fourths of a century our state and society have seen many fast-going changes, and all this time the Department has been defending our church frontiers playing a highly important role in building up relationship of our Church with the authorities and people in the countries of our canonical responsibility, as well as with the leadership of other states, with our compatriots abroad, with Local Orthodox Churches, with non-Orthodox world and representatives of other religions. The activity of the Department was taking different forms, and its staff was growing, but the goal remained unchanged. The Department’s ministry has always been dedicated to the edifying of the Body of Christ (Eph 4:12). This is not just a metaphor. Preserving and strengthening the unity of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, defending its canonical foundations as well as taking care of the purity of the Orthodox doctrine have always been high-priority tasks for the Department. |
| Предыдущий Следующий Смотри также Sergei Bednenko: “I realized that God was looking after me” Sergei Bednenko: “I realized that God was looking after me” (Includes Video) Priest George Maximov, Sergei Bednenko It happened during my second long-term business trip overseas. I was already a military man, getting ready to become a professional intelligence officer. Why has Aum Shinrikyo been banned in Russia only now? Why has Aum Shinrikyo been banned in Russia only now? Yekaterina Sinelschikova Many thought that the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo, which enjoyed incredible popularity in the 1990s, was long dead. However, it turns out that for the past 20 years, the group responsible for the nerve gas attack in Tokyo in 1995 has been building up its influence again in Russia. Film on victims of sects shown in Moscow Film on victims of sects shown in Moscow Valeria Mikhailova The actor noted that the film’s primary aim is to tell people that they are not alone: “The movie gives you the understanding that there will always be people who will support you; you need only to find them… Please, do not think that your problem is unsolvable. " The Story of a former High-Ranking Moonie Archpriest Lev Semyonov The Story of a former High-Ranking Moonie (includes Video) The guest of today’s program is Archpriest Lev Semyonov. After taking interest in their interpretation of the Bible, he joined the Unification Church … How did he, a Unificationist preacher and one of the leaders of the Russian division of this sect manage to separate the truth from lies? Is it difficult to quit a sect and why? What should you do if your close friend has joined a sect? Worshipping the Flying Spaghetti Monster is not a real religion, court rules Worshipping the Flying Spaghetti Monster is not a real religion, court rules " The Court finds that FSMism is not a " religion " within the meaning of the relevant federal statutes and constitutional jurisprudence. It is, rather, a parody, intended to advance an argument about science, the evolution of life, and the place of religion in public education. Those are important issues, and FSMism contains a serious argument—but that does not mean that the trappings of the satire used to make that argument are entitled to protection as a " religion, " " the judge ruled. Russian Police Raids Target Japanese Doomsday Cult Russian Police Raids Target Japanese Doomsday Cult The raids followed the March detention and deportation from Montenegro of 58 foreigners associated with Aum Shinrikyo; 43 were Russian citizens. Комментарии ACatharina 14 февраля 2017, 21:00 Despair, longing and curiosity are weak spots exploited by sectarian predators in order to control and abuse naive victims. Especially young people have to be extra careful if they encounter a stranger offering instant solutions to all of their life " s problems. © 1999-2016 Православие.Ru |
| Предыдущий Следующий Смотри также Address of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia for International Day for Protection of Children Address of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia for International Day for Protection of Children " I am convinced that one of our most important steps for overcoming this problem is timely and comprehensive help for women finding themselves in a crisis situation. The Church is taking the most active and dynamic role in resolving this question, organizing special shelters and humanitarian centers to which pregnant women and those already with children can turn, including for financial support. Even a little help can convince a woman to refuse an abortion or the decision to leave her child in the maternity ward. " Ban Abortion by Banning Abortionists? Oklahoma Bill Takes New Approach to Protecting Life Ban Abortion by Banning Abortionists? Oklahoma Bill Takes New Approach to Protecting Life The legislation states that doctors who perform abortions, with the exception being cases to save the mother " s life, will be charged with " unprofessional conduct " and will be barred from renewing their medical licenses. ACLU Attempt to Force Catholic Hospital to Perform Abortions Hits Roadblock ACLU Attempt to Force Catholic Hospital to Perform Abortions Hits Roadblock " No law requires religious hospitals and medical personnel to commit abortions against their faith and conscience, and, in fact, federal law directly prohibits the government from engaging in any such coercion. " Alexander Shchipkov: we will keep struggling for removal of abortions from the system of mandatory medical insurance Alexander Shchipkov: we will keep struggling for removal of abortions from the system of mandatory medical insurance Earlier, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, speaking in the State Duma and the Council of the Federation, more than once called for the removal of abortions from the system of mandatory medical insurance. Abortion ban law adopted in Abkhazia Abortion ban law adopted in Abkhazia " The parliament passed the law, the President of Abkhazia signed it, it enters into force today, " executive director of the St. Gregory the Theologian Foundation Leonid Sevastyanov told Interfax-Religion on Tuesday. Abortions decline in Israel, despite government liberalizing laws Abortions decline in Israel, despite government liberalizing laws Fr. Mark Hodges The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reported that there has been more than a twenty-percent drop in abortions from 2000 to 2014. The report explained that of the terminations in 2014 (17,500), half were cases of rape or other criminal activity. Комментарии Anthony 29 сентября 2016, 16:00 " " The whole civilized world has spoken up against the phenomenon of abortions for years " " I think we need a definition of " " civilised world " " here. Not much left of it I " m afraid. Anywhere. © 1999-2016 Православие.Ru |
| Tweet Нравится Patriarch Bartholomew to visit Ukraine Source: Orthodox Life November 25, 2016 In the near future Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople will visit Ukraine and meet with the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches. Chairman of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Andrei Parubiy expressed such hope at a Nov. 24th meeting with representatives of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, reports Rada.gov.ua . Speaking of the results of a meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew, A. Parubiy noted that he had invited Patriarch Bartholomew to visit Ukraine. “Patriarch Bartholomew gave the nod to such a visit to Ukraine, and I hope that we will be able to hold a meeting of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches with Patriarch Bartholomew in the near future,” stated the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada. According to him, the primate of the Church of Constantinople asked to convey his greetings and blessing to all and to thank the deputies who voted for the appeal on establishing an autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church. “Patriarch Bartholomew is well acquainted with the situation in Ukraine and is monitoring it. He sees the changes that have occurred in Ukraine over the past three years, and agrees that Ukrainians have been consolidated and Ukraine has become stronger,” said the head of Parliament. Translated by Jesse Dominick Orthodox Life 25 ноября 2016 г. Подпишитесь на рассылку Православие.Ru Рассылка выходит два раза в неделю: Предыдущий Следующий Смотри также The USA prevented Ukraine from overcoming schism USA prevented Ukraine from overcoming schism - UOC official Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church press service Vasily Anisimov in his interview with Radonezh Radio spoke about the meeting of Patriarch Alexei II, Patriarch Bartholomew and Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia in Odessa in 1997. Ukrainian leaders seek Ukrainian Orthodox autocephaly Ukrainian leaders seek Ukrainian Orthodox autocephaly Meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch in August, two former Ukrainian presidents delivered to him a petition of 5,000 signatures, seeking autocephaly for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. |
| Tweet Нравится Russian Orthodox Church will actively participate in restoring Syrian churches Moscow, January 17, 2017 Photo: http://www.aina.org/images/20150528170408.jpg “Of course we will take part in the restoration of churches, but first of all we must restore peace in the country,” Met. Hilarion (Alfeyev) said on Tuesday in a meeting with students of the Moscow State Linguistic University, reports Interfax-Religion . “It’s hard to begin restoring churches when this or that territory is constantly changing hands,” he continued, assuring the students of the Russian Orthodox Church’s continuing support for war-torn Syria. In his view, the top priority is “to restore civil peace in the country, and once and for all drive out the terrorists and then to begin to think about a program for restoring not only churches, but the entire infrastructure.” The metropolitan also pointed out that the Russian Church has continually sent and implemented humanitarian aid in Syria. 17 января 2017 г. Подпишитесь на рассылку Православие.Ru Рассылка выходит два раза в неделю: Предыдущий Следующий Смотри также Orthodox volunteers bring more than 1,000 Christmas gifts to Syria Orthodox volunteers bring more than 1,000 Christmas gifts to Syria The cargo of medicine, grains, sugar, salt, pasta, canned foods, candy, stationery, and children’s toys was delivered by participants from the “Forty Times Forty” public organization, the Apostle Paul Foundation, and the Orthodox social network “Elitsy.” Russia to send archaeological expedition to Syria Russia to send archaeological expedition to Syria Scientists will examine UNESCO World Heritage sites in conflict areas. IOCC Still Responding to Syrian Families in Aleppo IOCC Still Responding to Syrian Families in Aleppo IOCC maintains one of the largest established networks in Syria delivering life-saving humanitarian aid. IOCC’s reach extends to large parts of Syria through programs that provide emergency relief with health, education, water, sanitation, hygiene, shelter, crisis counseling and economic recovery assistance. Since 2012, IOCC has provided humanitarian relief to four million Syrian people displaced in their own country, or living as refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Armenia, Greece and Serbia. Russia " s Palmyra Concert Reveals What the West Lacks Russia " s Palmyra Concert Reveals What the West Lacks In the war on ISIS, only Russia is acting as if there’s something worth fighting for. Church-state delegation visits Syria Church-state delegation visits Syria During their stay in Syria, the delegation visited the camp for displaced people in ash-Sham suburb of Damascus and the boarding school for children whose parents were killed defending their homeland from terrorists. " Moscow gives us hope " , says Syrian Catholic patriarch " Moscow gives us hope " , says Syrian Catholic patriarch " We will thank anyone who helps us stay in our country " Комментарии © 1999-2016 Православие.Ru |
| Christianity Growing Among China " s Well-Educated/Православие.Ru Christianity Growing Among China " s Well-Educated August 20, 2015 Although persecution has been growing in China recently, experts say so is Christianity. Despite the recent campaign to take down the large crosses atop many Chinese churches, Christianity is gaining ground in China, particularly among the well-educated. In 1980 it was estimated that there were about 10 million Christians in China, now estimates say there are about 100 million, according to a Christian Today report. Why this exponential growth? Two academics provide an answer. Rodney Stark and Xiuhua Wang in their new book " A Star in the East: The Rise of Christianity in China, " posit that Christianity is growing in China, particularly among the well-educated, because old Chinese religions such as Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism do not fit in well with the modern world and are often seen as “anti-progress.” Stark stated that many Chinese individuals believe Christianity is the only religion that allows them to move from their cultural traditions and past into the modern world of industry and technology. Whereas the traditional Chinese religions focus on China’s glorious past and don’t hold much hope for the future, Christianity provides a framework in which to explore the meaning of life in the modern era which is something many Chinese are searching for. 20 августа 2015 г. Предыдущий Следующий Смотри также A book on Orthodoxy in China released A book on Orthodoxy in China released A unique book entitled ‘Orthodoxy in China’ has been published (in Russian). It describes the birth and development of the Orthodox culture in the Celestial Empire. During his official visit to China on 27 September 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev presented the Chairman Hu Jintao with a copy of this book. Agreement about formation of the Center for Study of Orthodox Culture signed in Shanghai Agreement about formation of the Center for Study of Orthodox Culture signed in Shanghai On June 11, 2014, a solemn signing of the agreement between the Shanghai International Studies University and the Patriarchal Council for Culture about formation of the Center for Study of Orthodox Culture at the University of Shanghai took place. |
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