The 30-something days of Xmas

Dear Parish Faithful,

The following, sent to me by Nancy Farison, is a very informative article about the radical changes that have occured relatively recently in the celebration of Christmas in North America.

Sadly, this is the reason why the Feast of our Lord's Nativity has become a one day Feast regardless of our rich liturgical cycle that links it with Epiphany, as you will read below. The surrounding "culture" has prevailed over the Church.

The final, two-sentence paragraph "speaks volumes," as the saying goes.

~~~

Dear Father,
This came from a parishioner at Christ the Savior, CT. I thought this was very insightful....
Nancy

This column was syndicated by Scripps Howard News Service on 12/12/2007:

There was a time when Christians did not celebrate a season that could be
called the 30-something days of Christmas.

In the year of our Lord 1939, the National Retail Dry Goods Association
asked President Franklin D. Roosevelt to move Thanksgiving to the
next-to-last Thursday in November. This was strategic, since President
Abraham Lincoln had proclaimed the last Thursday of the month as the
official holiday. This meant that Thanksgiving was occasionally delayed
until a fifth Thursday -- a cruel blow to merchants.

Confusion reigned until Congress reached a compromise and, since 1942,
Thanksgiving has been observed on the fourth Thursday in November.

And thus was born America's most powerful and all-consuming season. This
later evolved into the shopping festival called "The Holidays," which in
the past generation has started creeping into stores days or weeks before
Turkey Day.

"None of this, of course, has anything to do with the Christmas traditions
that Christians have been observing through the ages," said Teresa Berger,
professor of liturgical studies at Yale Divinity School.

To be candid, she said, it does "help to remember that celebrations of
Christmas and other holy seasons have always been affected by what happens
in the marketplace and the surrounding culture. ... But that isn't what we
are seeing, today. The question now is whether or not the shopping mall
will define what is Christmas for most Christians."

Here's the bottom line. For centuries, Christmas was a 12-day season that
began on Dec. 25th and ended on Jan. 6th with the celebration of the Feast
of the Epiphany. Thus, the season of Christmas followed Christmas Day, with
most people preparing for the holy day in a festive blitz during the final
days or even hours, with many stores staying open until midnight on
Christmas Eve.

Today, everything has been flipped around, with the Christmas or Holiday
season preceding Dec. 25.

For most Americans, this season begins with an explosion of shopping on
Black Friday after Thanksgiving, followed by a flurry of office parties
and school events packed into early December. The goal is to hold as many
of these events as possible long before the onset of the complicated
travel schedules that shape the lives of many individuals and families.

Meanwhile, television networks, radio stations and newspapers have created
their own versions of the "12 days of Christmas," inserting them before --
often long before -- Dec. 25 as a secular framework for advertising
campaigns, civic charity projects, holiday music marathons, parades,
house-decorating competitions and waves of mushy movies, old and new.

Needless to say, this is not the Christmas that Berger knew as she grew
up in Germany in the post-World War II era. As a Catholic, the days
between Christmas and Epiphany were marked by a series of events -- such
as the feasts of St. Stephen and St. John the Evangelist -- that were
accompanied by their own rites and customs. Lutherans and other Christians
had their own traditions for marking this time.

"When people talk about a season called the 'Twelve Days of Christmas,'
they are primarily talking about something that was much more common in
England," said Berger. "There are many reasons for that, not the least of
which was the popularity of the song by that name."

While these traditions took various forms, the key was that the religious
elements of the season remained intact. Christians celebrated Christmas
during Christmas.

Berger said that it still makes her a bit uncomfortable when she sees
families putting up and decorating their Christmas trees before they are
even finished using the candles and green wreathes associated with the
penitential season of Advent, which begins on the fourth Sunday before
Christmas. There are many more people, of course, who do not observe
Advent, which is called Nativity Lent in Orthodox churches.

"Today, people believe they can have whatever they want, when they want
it, and Christmas becomes whatever the culture says that it is," she said.
"We can, however, revolt against this. We can choose, for example, not to
send out 1,000 mindless Christmas cards. We can sit down and write our own
cards and even breathe a prayer for the people we love while we do that.

"No one can force us to live according to the laws of the new Christmas.
We can make our own choices."

Terry Mattingly (www.tmatt.net) directs the Washington Journalism Center
at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. He writes this
weekly column for the Scripps Howard News Service.

Mormonism on the Front Page

Dear Parish Faithful,

I am forwarding to you an interesting and topical subject that Ralph has forwarded to me, together with his introduction. There are no political intentions on my part, but since Mormonism is in the news with the candidacy of Mitt Romney, as Orthodox Christians we need to know more about one of the fasting growing religions in the world (a disturbing fact to me!), and its essentially non-Christian character. Doctrines matter very deeply, because the doctrines or dogma of the Church claims to reveal reality as it is.

I believe that an Orthodox Christian critique of Mormonism would be worded somewhat differently than what you read below from CARM: Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry; but the over-all doctrinal issues involved, and their biblical roots, are presented soundly enough.

Fr. Steven

~~~

Dear Father Steven,

I found the recent exchange between Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney very revealing, and perhaps an opportunity to shed some light on the sometimes poorly known heresy and non-Christian religion which is mormonism. Huckabee made a remark about Mormonism (see below), which he has now apologized for. However, the below statement by a spokesperson for LDS makes it clear that they do not understand who Jesus Christ is, nor are they aligned with the Orthodox faith in Christ, nor do they worship the One God in Spirit and in Truth.

They say they believe that Jesus was the only begotten son of God in the flesh, whereas of course, as we proclaim in the Creed, we "believe in One Lord, Jesus Christ, begotten of the Father before all ages, Light of Light, True God of True God, begotten not made, OF ONE ESSENCE with the Father, BY WHOM ALL THINGS ARE MADE." The Mormons do not, as they claim in the below statement, "believe as other Christians believe." Their own statements make that abundantly clear (in spite of their deceptive wording which tries to make it sound as if they are Christians).

in Christ,
Ralph


Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, asks [in an article and interview in the New York Times], "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?"

The authoritative Encyclopedia of Mormonism, published in 1992, does not refer to Jesus and Satan as brothers. It speaks of Jesus as the son of God and of Satan as a fallen angel, which is a Biblical account.

A spokeswoman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Huckabee's question is usually raised by those who wish to smear the Mormon faith rather than clarify doctrine.

"We believe, as other Christians believe and as Paul wrote, that God is the father of all," said the spokeswoman, Kim Farah. "That means that all beings were created by God and are his spirit children. Christ, on the other hand, was the only begotten in the flesh and we worship him as the son of God and the savior of mankind. Satan is the exact opposite of who Christ is and what he stands for."

Here are a few key paragraphs from a pretty solid website called CARM: Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, which clearly explain why mormonism is emphatically not Christian:

http://www.carm.org/mormon.htm

"Is Mormonism Christian?" is a very important question. The answer is equally important and simple. No. Mormonism is not Christian.

The reason Mormonism is not Christian is because it denies one or more of the essential doctrines of Christianity: that there is only one God, Jesus is God in flesh, forgiveness of sins is by grace alone, and Jesus rose from the dead physically, the gospel being the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Mormonism denies three of them: how many gods there are, the person of Jesus, and His work of salvation.

Mormonism teaches that God the Father has a body of flesh and bones (D. & C. 130:22) and that Jesus is a creation. It teaches that he was begotten in heaven as one of God’s spirit children (See the Book, Jesus the Christ, by James Talmage, p. 8). This is in strict contrast to the biblical teaching that he is God in flesh (John 1:1, 14), eternal (John 1:1, 2, 15), uncreated, yet born on earth (Col. 1:15), and the creator all (John 1:3; Col. 1;16-17). Jesus cannot be both created and not created at the same time. Though Mormonism teaches that Jesus is god in flesh, it teaches that he is "a" god in flesh, one of three gods that comprise the office of the Trinity (Articles of Faith, by Talmage, pp. 35-40). These three gods are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. This is in direct contradiction of the biblical doctrine that there is only one God (Isaiah 44:6,8; 45:5).

Because Mormonism denies the biblical truth of who God is, who Jesus is, how forgiveness of sins is attained, and what the gospel is, the Mormon is not Christian -- in spite of all his claims that he is.

Mormonism teaches that god is only one of countless gods, that he used to be a man on another planet, that he became a god by following the laws and ordinances of that god on that world, and that he brought one of his wives to this world with whom he produces spirit children who then inhabit human bodies at birth. The first spirit child to be born was Jesus. Second was Satan, and then we all followed. But, the Bible says that there is only one God (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8; 45:5), that God has eternally been God (Psalm 90:2) -- which means he was never a man on another planet. Since the Bible denies the existence of other gods (and goddesses), the idea that Jesus is the product of a god and goddess couple is rejected. The Bible tells us that the Jesus of Mormonism is definitely not the same Jesus of the Bible. Therefore, faith in the Mormon Jesus, is faith misplaced because the Mormon Jesus doesn't exist.

The Elvis Fragments ~ A Personal Response

Dear Father Steven,

What a wonderful surprise to read your reflections today! (Perhaps especially your reference to Prof. Verkhovskoy's sensitivity to the sad fate of "Norma Jean.") It prompted me to recall that I was actually IN MEMPHIS when Elvis died, and will never forget the wild events of that week as the eyes of the world turned to Graceland.

Elvis indeed had become something of a living "patron saint" of Rock and Roll, with huge mega rock stars like Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones making pilgrimages to meet 'the King' while he was still alive, and to in some way 'receive his blessing', or have conferred upon them some measure of the charisma he himself possessed. (Similar to Elisha receiving the mantle from Elijah.) My idols in my raging teens were Led Zeppelin. Somehow their musicianship, their raw power, and their pseudo-mystical side all appealed to me. But I later realized the true idolatrous nature of it all, and when in my late twenties, I sold all my bootlegs, posters, books, etc.

These sorts of fascinations are not to be taken lightly. They can exercise a domination over one's soul that can be absolutely totalitarian. For the musicians, performers, actors or stars themselves, there is certainly an implicit Faustian bargain formed, which is all too difficult to get out of, which in many (if not most) of their cases results in their being reduced to far less than they might have been, even as they are exalted more and more by their adoring fans. Truly, who cannot dispassionately look at performers like Mick Jagger or others still carrying on, and not see them as somehow sub-human, reduced to being merely an elemental power of some sort, stripped of real purpose and meaning, and only serving themselves the false idol they so eagerly set up decades ago! The ones who do not survive, like Marilyn Monroe, James Dean , Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain - and, alas, Elvis - become somehow revered by their pop worshipers, yet in truth, they were destroyed by their lifestyles and the madness and despondency that was perhaps symptomatic of their souls aching to be freed from the very lie they were so intensely living. Perhaps this captures some of the pathos Prof. Verkhovskoy was expressing.

What might Elvis have become had he survived those awful, final bloated years in which he finally died? I think the finest example we could ask for of a true survivor from among our pop idols is Johnny Cash. As the movie 'Walk The Line' so achingly renders, he could have easily perished like so many of these others, and become the country version of Elvis, Hendrix or Morrison. But somehow, through love, and perhaps we may be so bold as to say, through God's Divine Love, he survived, persevered, and was truly redeemed through a long, fruitful and devotedly faithful marriage. Cash too was a legendary Gospel artist, and all the way through to his final recordings he eloquently expressed (or chose songs that did express) the theme of the repentant sinner in the hands of a loving and merciful God. One cannot but be impressed by the intense sincerity and honesty of his mighty voice, and be moved by the obvious thankfulness with which Mr. Cash lived the second half of his life. That he somehow balanced his creative spirit with his solid Christian faith and his resolve to live as a thankful penitent the rest of his days is a profound testimony to those seeking to be true to who they are, even along the difficult, and in its own way, narrow path of being a creative Christian artist in our crazy world hurtling towards chaos and destruction. As you and I have discussed before, there are several profound examples of this kind of artistic struggler in our Orthodox tradition, including Fr. Pavel Florensky, Ivan Kireyevsky, and of course your beloved Fyodor Dostoyevsky (who himself was 'saved and redeemed' through his marriage, his wife freeing him to create his greatest works in his later years).

Once he discovered his gift, Johnny Cash never doubted what he was called to do (make music), and after being brought to repentance and saved from the path to self (and perhaps eternal) destruction, he did not adopt a false piety of renouncing his gift, but - I believe - used his gift to give glory to God as best he knew how. His witness stands as an "anti-Elvis," as one who by his patience gained his soul.

Just some thoughts prompted by your reflections...

in Christ,

Ralph (Sidway)

The Elvis Fragments

Dear Parish Faithful,

I made a rather rare excursion onto a daytime talk radio station yesterday and stumbled across an interesting interview under the title "Elvis and Gospel Music." Actually, I believe that this is the title of a new book by an older gentleman (I do not recall his name) who sang and recorded a good deal of Gospel music with Elvis Presley. His reminiscences about "the King" and his love of Gospel music were actually rather moving. When asked about Elvis' "faith," the author stated that through all of Elvis' personal tragedies and the excesses that marred and eventually took his life at an early age, he kept his "faith" until the end. Although left unspecified, In the context of Elvis' life, that must presumably be the Christian Faith. For trivia buffs, I learned that Elvis won three Grammy awards for his recording of Gospel music. In a rather reverential tone, the author stated his belief that Elvis was the greatest Gospel singer that he had ever heard. The talk show host invited this gentleman on due to her own deep appreciation of Elivs as a Gospel singer. Apparently, there was a great deal more to Elvis than simply "Nothing but a Hound Dog," "Blue Seude Shoes," and some of the later grotesqueries of his Las Vegas reviews. Elvis' deep and profound love of his mother was perhaps the main source behind his love of singing Gospel music in church and then beyond in his recording career.
I was born, but was a bit too young to get into the unparalleled Elvis phenomenen of the 1950's. Popular culture and popular music were indelibly transformed once and for all. As John Lennon supposedly said: "Before Elvis there was nothing." Actually, I do recall going into my older brother's bedroom and playing some of those early Elvis 45s (together with the music of Little Richard and Fats Domino, etc.) on one of those small and poorly-sounding record players that were popular then. But my "coming of age" was marked by the equally-explosive Beatles phenomenon and the "English Invasion" of the early 1960's. This culminated in a ticket to a live Beatles' performance in Detroit on what I believe was their first US tour. Sheer mayhem and madness. (Hold on tight, but I know for a fact that presvytera Deborah was at that same concert!)
Before I get lost in my own vague reminiscences of a distant past, I should state that these somewhat different "fragments" are being written up because yesterday, August 16, was the thirtieth anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley. It was hard not to catch something of this on the news. Thirty years later, Elvis Presley remains an "icon" of mass adulation. This is born witness to by a real "pilgrimage" to Graceland and his graveside by an estimated 50,000 - 75,000 devotees for yesterday's commemoration, braving the intense heat and humidity. Even without a specially-marked anniversary, it is estimated that about 40,000 fans appear there on this date annually, and that 600,000 travel to Graceland every year! (I cannot resist the comment that Graceland exemplifies some of the worst excesses of bad taste imaginable!) Perhaps here we encounter a combination of genuine devotion to Elvis' music-making talents enhanced by his boundless kinetic energy and "charisma," a nostalgia for an irretrievable past, an attraction to the famous, mere curiosity, a need for a "hero," or even the basic and universal need to "worship" something or someone. To complete this somewhat macabre picture, we are further informed that Elvis is the second highest "grossing dead celebrity" in the country, yielding the top spot to the more-recently deceased Kurt Cobane of Nirvana, but still holding his own with a healthy $40,000,000 per year.
What stood out to me in the description of this media event, was the now ever-present "candlelight vigil" by the faithful gathered around the graveside of Elvis in silent reflection and mourning. Genuine sighs, tears, and prayers punctuated the reverent silence as the crowd swelled. The spirit of fellowship, strengthened by a shared grief, though ephemeral, must have been rather intense. Actually, this may even have literally been an "all night vigil." Hardly anyone was probably waiting for it to end with a spirit of impatience. "Icons," in the form of countless photographs of Elvis were everywhere. Candles were offered before these images. I recall well that intense emotion, concentration and powerful communal spirit from the vigils and funeral services of Frs. Alexander Schmemann and John Meyendorff that I am to this day so grateful for being able to attend. However, with a difference that could hardly be over-exaggerated, there was a pervasive sense of paschal joy present at those vigils based upon our shared belief in the Death and Resurrection of Christ, and a certainty that Fr. Alexander and Fr. John were "good and faithful servants" awaiting their rewards from the Lord. That shared faifh is far-removed from the vagueries and speculations about the fate of the departed today.
Yet, perhaps I experience a twinge of envy or disappointment when I think of the intense devotion offered to our pop culture icons and our own lukewarm veneration of the saints - our ecclesial "heroes" - and perhaps the casualness of our worship of the Lord Himself. An Elvis fan will know the facts and anecdotes of his life in perhaps the minutest details, spending a great amount of money and time on biographies, gossipy memoirs, coffee-table sized - and priced - photo albums, etc. Some of these better-quality books may be accorded the status of "scripture." For that reason, they are read over and over again. And just think of the sheer time spent with the music and the ecstatic experience evoked after countless playings, including the memorization of all the lyrics! Our saints remain relatively unknown, but could it be true that Elvis devotees know more about him than we do of Christ Himself and the Scriptures that witness to Him? Our "passion" for our Lord needs to exceed the passion of others for their "idols." A home in our neighborhood, by the way, has a large bust of Elvis in their front bushes. God alone knows what's inside!
Sadly, it would be far to easy to moralize about the death of Elvis Presley. That is certainly not my intention, though. His last years and especially last days must have been horrific due to the exploitation of his fame and, alas, his fortune. He seemed to have been a sad caricature of his promising and dreamlike youthful days. Of course, his own choices also proved to be fatal in the long run. However, behind the more sordid elements of his "fall from grace," a theme that some of his Gospel songs would certainly have evoked, we must recognize a deep personal tragedy that needs to be respected and not judged. I distinctly remember one of my beloved professors from St. Vladimir's Seminary, Serge Verkhovskoy, surprisingly speak of the deep sense of tragedy behind the life and death of Marilyn Monroe. Her equally sad fate genuinely moved him, and he spoke of her demise with a real sense of pathos. Perhaps this comes with age and maturity, as we come to terms with our own precarious relationship with God and our neighbors. The abyss may only be a step or two away in the wrong direction.
Just a few fragmentary thoughts prompted by the media coverage of the thirtieth anniversary of Elvis Presley's death and my spontaneous listening in to a very interesting interview about him yesterday. i hope indeed that Elvis departed this world with "faith."

Fr. Steven

Another Response: A Christian Hindu or Muslim?

Dear Parish Faithful,

Another fine response concerning the religious syncretism we have been informed of lately with "Christian" priests "converting" to Hinduism and Islam, but yet remaining "Christians!" This one is from Terry Morgan.

~~~

Father,

The only thing even somewhat remarkable about the Christian/Hindu “priest” is that it is a Christian who wants to add on Hinduism. If it were the other way around, it would be perfectly natural. (Not right or true, but natural.) Most of the world’s religions are syncretistic, and are always happy to add another god. I wouldn’t be surprised that some wealthy Athenians offered Paul to build a shrine for Jesus on one of the hills right along side Athena and Apollo. For most religions it’s no big deal to add another deity. Hinduism has hundreds. But Christians have always claimed that there is only one God. And, it is not that our God is somehow better than the others, but that there simply aren’t any others at all.

Now when someone claims to be a Christian, and wants to add on Hinduism, we ought to be very suspicious of whether he (or she) was a Christian in the first place. Making this distinction falls, I believe, under the injunction to “test the spirits” rather than “judge not, lest you be judged.” If someone chooses to effectively deny one of the foundations of the faith – in effect from Mt. Sinai, no less – then we should reasonably conclude that the person wasn’t a Christian in the first place, but was making a false claim to that title. As the old song goes, “Everyone talkin’ ‘bout Heaven ain’t a-goin there.” And as the Calormenes found out in Narnia when they tried to merge Aslan and Tash, it is most unwise to call on gods in whom you don’t really believe!

In the case of the Christian/ Muslim we face a different kind of issue, one of internal consistency, as Marty accurately points out. Just because both Christianity and Islam are monotheistic religions it does not follow that they worship the same God. There are serious points on which they differ, and the theologians of both have always acknowledged this. Thus any attempt to merge the two is doomed to failure.

Of course, we ought to question the common sense of anyone who thinks he can joint two mutually exclusive theologies. And one who maintains that the two are the same is at risk in this life from a good many radical Muslims, and in the next life from Him who says “I am the Truth.”

Terry

RE: Interfaith Articles Recently Sent

Dear Parish Faithful,

Here is another parishoner response to the article about the Christian-Muslim Episcopal priest, this time from Alexis Callender. This letter is a wonderful and articulate response that in itself is a strong witness to Christ and the Orthodox Faith. Here is fine example of witnessing in the workplace when the opportunity arises. It reminds us of how we must know our faith, AND NOT BE AFRAID OR TIMID ABOUT SHARING IT, so that we do not squander such opportunities. I wish that we would see more of such a witness from among the faithful!

~~~

Good Afternoon Fr. Steven,

To put it quite bluntly, I am appalled by both articles. The
saying "Get Real!" comes to mind. As an Orthodox Christian, it is
difficult if not downright impossible to understand the "logic"
or "reality" (and I use these terms loosely) at the very notion of
a "Christian Hindu" or "Christian Muslim." It is
as absurd as those that in the not so distant past claimed that the
DiVinci Code was based on "fact" and "truths"....it is ludicrous and so
terribly sad!

My astonishment is not only from the conversion of the people
mentioned, but even more so by the acceptance of the churches!! My
humble mind cannot comprehend this.

Unfortunately, this "modern" thought process is very real. I have
experienced this on a somewhat personal level with co-workers and work
acquaintances. As you know I work in a predominantly Indian company,
wherein the majority of my co-workers are Hindu, Muslim, Agnostic,
Atheist or have "no religion", but rather a "philosophy that suits
them". You may ask, how I know the religious or theological
background of my co-workers and office team mates. Afterall, it is
considered "highly inappropriate" by "corporate standards" (again
terms used lightly) to discuss religion in the workplace. At my
current place of employment, I am somewhat of a "minority" as a
Christian.

However, by God's grace, I am openly and non-
confrontationally questioned about Christianity and the Orthodox Faith
quite regularly. A co-worker will be inquisitive about the Cross I
wear or an Icon on my desk, etc. Supervisors have even asked about
Pascha and other Feast Days if I request time off to observe
the Holy Day. Again, by the very will of God, they have often
requested more information and eagerly enter into discussions with me.
The conversations are pleasant and non-threatening and honestly, their
interest seems to be very genuine. However, during these
conversations, I have been questioned as to why one cannot be a
Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and still believe in the teachings of Jesus
Christ. Through God's guidance, I try to respond by simply stating
that there is a difference in believing that Jesus Christ was sent to
earth by God, maintained a chaste, humble and peaceful existence,
performed miracles and was a great teacher as opposed to believing IN
Jesus Christ and in His Divine nature as the Son of the Living God, Who
came into the world to save us by his Glorious Resurrection. To call
oneself a Christian, this must be the very core of who you are, no
questions, no compromises. To believe differently is in direct
opposition to the One True Faith. Quite simply, there
is no other way, but The Way and that is Christ Jesus. "I am The
Way, The Truth, and The Life. No one comes to the Father except
through Me." -- John 14:6.

The questions and statements still arise of universal themes and
teachings in all religions, as well as monotheism vs. polytheism,
etc., as there is definite confusion in the understanding of the
Trinity. The belief in a trinity is not uncommon to the Hindus. They
have a trinity of sorts in their teachings, but they are three
separate entities that "rule over different realms". The belief in
monotheism is also not uncommon as there are some Hindus that practice
a monotheistic "spiritual path". Muslims, no doubt about it, are
monotheistic - one God (but no Trinity). They do not deny the
existence of Jesus Christ and that He was truly sent by God. They
believe Jesus to be one of the greatest prophets, like Abraham. They
even believe in the virginal birth of Christ and revere Mary, but not
as Theotokos. To the Muslim, Mohammed is the greatest of all prophets,
but not he is not of a divine nature. (His name means "comforter",
which is why there is often the reference to the
Gospel of John where Christ teaches of the Comforter, which they
believe to be Christ teaching of Mohammed as the next prophet to be
sent and not The Descent of the Holy Spirit.)

Additionally, I do not deny that there are some “common” themes and
teachings amongst the various religions, as I have read excerpts from
the Koran, the Torah, Buddhist prayer books, ancient Hindu mantras and
prayer services. There are definitely similar themes if you will on
love of the neighbor, peace, rules of prayer, fasting and almsgiving,
and so on. However, there is no universal theme or teaching of Jesus
Christ, therefore, the universality is really non-existent. Jesus
Christ, our Lord and Savior is the Very Core of our faith. Without
Christ as the Divine and Transcendent One, there is no Christianity.
Believing in anything else and still calling oneself a Christian just
doesn't add up.

I could go on and on, but there is no need. It is preposterous and as
I stated earlier, impossible to be a Christian Hindu or Christian
Muslim. Each term is a profound oxymoron - they do not relate, there
is no "real" commonality. Sadder still, there are those that deem it
quite possible and now Christian churches even "excited" about this
notion of interfaith practices and unitarianism.

In my very humble opinion, I feel that as Orthodox Christians we are
now called upon more than ever to continue to "waive the banner of
triumph and victory" of our faith in Christ Jesus. We can use this
bizarre turn of events as an opportunity to continue to be disciples
of Christ and with patience, love and humility share the Gospel with
those that cannot quite comprehend the real meaning of being a
Christian. We can pray that their minds and hearts open to the Living
Word and that Christ will become the center of their lives and the
true and real Universal Theme.

With Love In Christ Jesus,
Alexis Callender

RE: Christian Insanity 2: A 'Christian' Muslim???

Dear Parish Faithful,

I have received some very interesting responses from a few parishoners concerning the recent "coming out" of a "Christian-Muslim Episcopalian priest." The absurdity of this situation must be causing some real confusion in both the Episcopal Church and the Muslim community (as I have read), but this representative of a new hybrid faith continues to push on undaunted and, unfortunately, unchecked by her bishop. One may fear that this could be the sign of things to come; but before we begin to contemplate such a frightening scenario, perhaps we can also hope that this "pioneering" attempt into incoherent religious syncretism will make thinking people pause and realize just how absurd and untenable such a mixing of faiths actually is.

I would like to share some of these responses, beginning with a short one from Marty Davis, which nevertheless offers some crushing logic to the whole issue of combining belief in both Jesus Christ and the Prophet Muhammad.

_____

Dear Fr. Steven,

One wonders that if, as the Muslims believe, Jesus is "just" a prophet, and that according to Islamic teaching a Prophet CANNOT lie - then either Jesus lied (because He said that He would be crucified and resurrected) or Muhammad lied because he said that Jesus was NOT CRUCIFIED. Therefore, logically either Jesus lied, and is not a prophet, or Muhammad lied and is not a Prophet. However, if Jesus told the truth - then He IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS and Muhammad is not only NOT a Prophet, but a worthy recipient of the title and description given by St. John:

"many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." 2 John 1:7

Whoops - not politically correct???

Marty

Christian Insanity 2: A 'Christian' Muslim???

Dear Parish Faithful,

This one is so "over the edge," and "beyond the pale," that I am rendered uncharacterstically speechless! Sounds like a hoax, but alas, it is a "true story" as far as I can tell. I will leave in Marty's colorful commentary.

~~~

Dear Fr. Steven - here's a rather irritating news story that someone sent me:

SEATTLE (AP) -- The Reverend Ann Holmes Redding, an Episcopal priest for 20 year, says she became a Muslim last year, but still considers herself a Christian as well.

Redding, who says she accepted Islam after being profoundly moved by Muslim prayers, is to begin teaching the New Testament at Seattle University this fall.

Until recently, she was director of faith formation at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral.

Western Washington Bishop Vincent Warner says he accepts Redding as both an Episcopal priest and a Muslim, and finds the interfaith possibilities exciting.

The 55-year-old Redding says she doesn't feel that she has to resolve the differences between her two faiths -- especially over whether Jesus was God or just a prophet -- and hopes sharing her story can help ease religious tensions.

Notice that she says that "she accepted Islam after being profoundly moved by Muslim prayers." I find it tragically ironic that she was moved by the style of the Muslim prayer - which historically was copied from the Middle Eastern Christians that were contemporaries of Muhammad !!! I see this a more "collateral damage" from the Western Protestant "de-spiritualization" of Christianity. She is identified as a teacher of New Testament - obviously she remains quite unaware of the culture of its time!!!!!

In Christ,
Marty

Christian Insanity 1: An Episcopal Hindu-Christian Priest!

Dear Parish Faithful,

There is some real "insanity"out there in the "Christian" world - here is a good example of it. (I have an even "better" one that I will send along shortly).
_____


A priest with the Church of England who converted to
Hinduism has been allowed to continue to officiate as a
cleric. The Rev David Hart's diocese renewed his licence
this summer even though he had moved to India, changed
his name and daily blesses a congregation of Hindus with
fire previously offered up to Nagar, the snake god. He
also "recites Gayatri Mantram with the same devotion with
which he celebrates the Eucharist", according to India's
national newspaper. The newspaper this week pictures him
offering prayers to an idol of the elephant god Ganesh in
front of his house. However, he still believes he is fit
to celebrate as an Anglican priest and plans to do so
when he returns to Britain. Hart had published a book,
Trading Faith: Global Religion in an Age of Rapid Change,
in which he writes about his conversion to Hinduism. He
believes that his change to Hinduism would be "read in
the spirit of open exploration and dialogue, which is an
essential feature of our shared modern spirituality". He
also said that he would continue to celebrate as an
Anglican priest when he visited England, but he would
also visit a Hindu temple while there. "My philosophical
position is that all religions are cultural constructs,"
he said. In an earlier interview in India, the former
University of Cambridge chaplain said that he was
planning to immerse his idol of the four-armed Ganesh in
the ocean. "The modern world is no longer dominated by
any single form of belief. It is a world of religious
pluralism... God is the same."