A one day conference on bioethics entitled “Suicide: Destroying Hope and Love”, was organized by the Vicariate for the Palestinian/Jordan Orthodox Christian Communities of the Holy Archdiocese of USA, on March 9, Daly City, California. Upon completion of the Divine Liturgy at St. George’s Cathedral at Daly City, there began the conference’s works, after Reverend […]
The Economic Fallacies of Progressive Christianity
by David French When it comes to considering the arguments of newly resurgent Christian progressives, we hold these truths to be self-evident: Jesus was not a socialist, the Bible is not an economics textbook, and while scripture commands believers to help the poor, it also commands the poor to help themselves. As Pope Francis gains […]
A Peak Into The Future Via Canada
Ottawa, Ontario — The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that Biblical speech opposing homosexual behavior, including in written form, is essentially a hate crime. On Wednesday, the court upheld the conviction of activist William Whatcott, who found himself in hot water after distributing flyers regarding the Bible’s prohibitions against homosexuality throughout the Saskatoon and […]
What is Christian Formation?
by Fr. John A. Peck Among the laments of clergy today, both Orthodox and heterodox, is the lack of spiritual formation among Christians. Those who are ‘believers’, church goers, even regular attenders at services and Bible studies seem, more and more, to lack a basic Christian foundation for spiritual identity, knowledge, moral discipline and ethical judgment. […]
Moral Foundations: Part Three
Societies Without Moral Foundations by Margaret Thatcher The most important problems we have to tackle today are problems, ultimately, having to do with the moral foundations of society There are people who eagerly accept their own freedom but do not respect the freedom of others—they, like the Athenians, want freedom from responsibility. But if they […]
Did Ancient Israelites Drink Beer?
I am very particular about context in Scripture, so when I see something obscured that can be clarified, I like to repost it for all. And, in the spirit of the season, a festive libation which has warmed the hearts of men for millenia is the subject. The drinking of beer was prevalent across the […]
The Qualities of Preaching
by Humbert of Romans Lately I’ve been inundated with statements by well-meaning folk who claim that preaching is not important. They don’t say it directly, but that is what they mean. Usually, they back up their statements with something like the falsely attributed ‘saying of St. Francis of Assissi’ – “Go into all the world […]
On Consecrating the Entire Economic Order
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon St. Luke’s account of Zacchaeus in the sycamore tree (19:1-10) is a story rich in spiritual reflection; preachers and Bible-readers, coming from a variety of backgrounds, have explored the narrative unto great profit for the education of the soul. A certain liturgical use of the text is particularly instructive; namely, […]
The Bible’s Ultimate Party Boy
by Fr. John A. Peck A sermon written in 1999. “Father, I have a question. It’s about the Bible. Why is Samson such a highly praised figure in the Bible? I mean, he certainly wasn’t an image of virtue, and he didn’t deal well with his own passions. Why is he even in there?” “Well,” […]