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How Big Is Your Christmas?
Read more: How Big Is Your Christmas?We have entered the days when news pundits are asking, “Will Christmas be big this year?” When individuals ask one another, “Are you having a big Christmas this year?” It is understoood that economics are involved (as with the media). Our modern economies are greatly dependent on the massive buying that occurs between late November […]
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While We’re At It – An “Unmoral” Word from the Holy Mountain
Read more: While We’re At It – An “Unmoral” Word from the Holy MountainIn an effort to help my critics understand my articles, friends have sent me excellent links here and there. A link to a Lenten article by Fr. Alexis Trader (of Karakalou on the Holy Mountain) gives more witness to what has been said: The problem is that salvation and transfiguration are not a matter of […]
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Eschatological Eloquence – Fr. Aidan Kimel’s Response
Read more: Eschatological Eloquence – Fr. Aidan Kimel’s ResponseMy long-time friend, Fr. Aidan Kimel, has written a very helpful article on the topic of the “Unmoral Christian.” He enlists C.S. Lewis in the cause of a proper understanding. What could be better than that? I strongly encourage those readers who are still pondering all of this – to follow the link to his […]
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Of Course We Are Called to be Moral – A Response to My Critics
Read more: Of Course We Are Called to be Moral – A Response to My CriticsWell, the firestorm has moved even to my host, Ancient Faith Blogs. There, you can find a response and a critique of my last article, The Unmoral Christian. I find nothing in the response with which I disagree. The author argues that externals are often important, certainly for beginners, and suggests that I have overplayed […]
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The Un-Moral Christian
Read more: The Un-Moral ChristianIn recent articles I have challenged the place of contemporary morality in the Christian life. Some have had difficulty with this, wondering how we should then think about the commandments that are directed towards our behavior. Others have suggested that my challenge is merely semantic. There are certainly semantic distinctions being made here – but the […]
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Going to Hell with the Terrorists and Torturers
Read more: Going to Hell with the Terrorists and TorturersIn 988, Prince Vladimir of Kiev was Baptized and embraced the Christian faith. Among his first acts as a Christian ruler were to tithe his wealth to the Church and the poor, and to outlaw capital punishment and torture. It is said that the Bishops advising him counseled him that he might need to keep […]
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Why Sin Is Not A Moral Problem
Read more: Why Sin Is Not A Moral ProblemMany readers have never before heard that there is no such thing as moral progress – so I am not surprised that I have been asked to write in more depth on the topic. I will start by focusing on the question of sin itself. If we rightly understand the nature of sin and its […]
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You’re Not Doing Better
Read more: You’re Not Doing Better“I’m doing better.” Over the years I’m sure I’ve heard this many times in confession. I’ve also heard, “I’m not doing so well.” These are timely updates, personal measures and reports on the state of spiritual lives. And they are wrong. You are not doing better. You are not doing worse. In truth, we don’t […]
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Shopping for God
Read more: Shopping for GodI overheard a conversation between two blue-collar workers that encouraged my soul. In the aftermath of last week’s shopping frenzy (Black Friday, etc.), they were reflecting on the madness. “I had a friend who said he bought his mother-in-law a new TV. He was excited about the bargain.” The other worker nodded. “So I asked […]
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The End of the Modern World
Read more: The End of the Modern World“Welcome to the 21st Century!” Pick your issue, and if its outcome conforms to a popular, desired norm you are likely to hear such a greeting. The greeting also implies that a less than desirable outcome is wrong because it doesn’t belong to our time. It might be characterized as “medieval,” “outmoded,” “out-of-date,” “primitive,” “Neanderthal,” […]
I´m wondering if in the Orthodox Church Mary is seen as the intercessor who leads us to Jesus Christ ……