Change the Culture

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Yesterday in my blog post about my trip to Washington, DC I discussed a post by my friend Huw. In his post Huw makes the case that we need not change the law what we need to change is the culture. How do we change the culture?

One thing that surprised me and at the same time pleased me about the March in DC was the large number of the youth that turned up. It is nice when we old fogeys march but the message that thousands of young people sends in staggering! We are raising a culture now that will not support abortion. I hope and pray that they will never have an abortion. That is how we change the culture.

We change the culture by preaching what the church teach no matter if it is in vogue or not. The church is not politically correct in fact we are the opposite. As Orthodox we say that we preach the true faith, well let’s start doing just that.

In the Gospel for today we read about Zaccheus going up the tree. We went up the tree so he could see Jesus and low and behold Jesus saw him. Our life in the church is the same. We cannot see Jesus is we stay in the same place doing the same thing. We need to climb a tree, go out on a limb and be seen. This is not an easy thing to do for many people. Most of us just want to be part of the crowd and not stand out. That’s fine and we need people like you as well not all of us are called to activism.

But there are trees that you can climb and help to make a difference. Climb the tree of prayer and climb this tree everyday. Zaccheus had a conversation with Jesus, he looked in Jesus eyes and Jesus looked in his. Talk to Jesus don’t just sit and recite all of the prayers that we think we are supposed to say, just have a conversation. And part of that conversation is listening.

Climb the tree of Scripture. Like prayer we need to be people of the book. We need to immerse ourselves in God’s Holy Word and understand and apply it to our lives. Scripture is an important part of our lives as Orthodox and we need to get into it more.

Climb the tree of learning. Get informed and make others informed. Read, read, and then read again. Write letters to the editor and begin, ever so slowly to educate people. We did not get here overnight and we will not get out of this pit overnight.

Remember Sanctity of Life means more than just opposing abortion it is the whole rang of things from the womb to the tomb from conception to natural death.

Here we are 25 days into the New Year. There is still time for resolutions. Let’s make a resolution that we will climb a tree this year and make a difference.

Executive Order — Ensuring Lawful Interrogations

Posted on by Fr. Peter
In my sermon for Sanctity of Life Sunday last week I mentioned that we need to stand up against torture in all of it’s forms. President Obama signed an executive order banning the use of torture by all entities of the US Government.

The problem with torture is that is has been found to be unreliable and more often then not testimony obtained by torture is thrown out of court and cannot be used in the prosecution of the accused.

Here are some statements from various organizations on this ban:

Jim Wallis, founder and President of Sojourners:

• Today, we at Sojourners stand shoulder to shoulder with our sisters and brothers at the National Religious Campaign Against Torture in celebration of the executive order issued by President Barack Obama putting an end to the use of torture. We affirm, with NRCAT, that President Obama has “… rejected the use of torture as an interrogation technique and allowed the United States to again find its moral bearing.” We will continue to walk with our other partners in assuring that this step forward is part of the continuing effort to lead the country back to an embrace of the moral high ground on issues relating to the treatment of prisoners and detainees.

Via Steve Waldman, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’
Committee on International Justice and Peace:

• “Based upon the teachings of the Catholic Church, our Conference of Bishops welcomes the executive order. Together with other religious leaders, we had pressed for this step to protect human dignity and help restore the moral and legal standing of the United States in the world. A ban on torture says much about us – who we are, what we believe about human life and dignity, and how we act as a nation.”

Rabbi David Saperstein, Director and Counsel, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism:

• We understand that the process of closing Guantanamo may be lengthy. The profound problems with Guantanamo do not erase the fact that many detainees are dangerous and wish our nation and its people harm. Yet these same detainees have been stuck in a legal no-man’s-land without the ability to challenge their detention through a writ of habeas corpus and without the right to be charged or hear the evidence against them. Many have been subjected to tortuous treatment that defiles both the victim and the perpetrator. No matter the circumstances, every individual, including the most dangerous detainee in our prisons, is created b’tselem elohim, in the image of God, and must be treated with dignity and respect.

No Orthodox response, how shocking!
From: Faith in Public Life

Israel admits using white phosphorous in attacks on Gaza

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Two weeks ago I spoke at the local Rotary Club on the morality of war. I brought up the report about the use of White Phosphorous in Gaza. One of the people in attendance told me to becarful of the sources I used for my reports when I mentioned this. Well I guess I was right along with the so called “liberal media”

After weeks of denying that it used white phosphorus in the heavily populated Gaza Strip, Israel finally admitted yesterday that the weapon was deployed in its offensive.

The army’s use of white phosphorus – which makes a distinctive shellburst of dozens of smoke trails – was reported first by The Times on January 5, when it was strenuously denied by the army. Now, in the face of mounting evidence and international outcry, Israel has been forced to backtrack on that initial denial. “Yes, phosphorus was used but not in any illegal manner,” Yigal Palmor, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, told The Times. “Some practices could be illegal but we are going into that. The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) is holding an investigation concerning one specific incident.”

The incident in question is thought to be the firing of phosphorus shells at a UN school in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip on January 17. The weapon is legal if used as a smokescreen in battle but it is banned from deployment in civilian areas. Pictures of the attack show Palestinian medics fleeing as blobs of burning phosphorus rain down on the compound.

The Rest of the Story

Back from DC

Posted on by Fr. Peter
I have been trying all day to summarize my thoughts from the March for Life in Washington, DC. Part of the problem is I am operating on very little sleep. It was an amazing experience. I am a relative late comer to the pro life movement. Not that I am now pro life when before I was not but it was just not one of my things. Now I have to say it is. We all need to participate in this.

I was very proud of my Archbishop, Nicolae and the new Metropolitan Jonah of the OCA for being there. The question I have where were the rest of our bishops, why were they not there with their people marching hand in hand. At one point in the speaking before the march began, all of the Catholic bishops that were present were introduced. Archbishop Nicolae turned to me and said, look how many of them came, and my response was, where are the rest of our bishops, he responded that we will do better next year. At that point someone standing near by said let’s pray there will be no need for a next year. Amen I said but I realize we will have a next year and maybe a year after that. Ask your bishop why they did not come to the March. Ask your priest why they did not come to the March! Ask yourself why you did not come to the March and then join us next year. I asked Archbishop Nicolae to attend and he did. Next year invite your bishop to attend.

I have many emotions on this and will share them over the next few days. Huw posted about the March and his reason for not going and I have to say I agree with his position. “the issue is not Pro-Abortion Laws, it is the culture that creates the need for abortion.” He is correct! We need to change out culture and we do that by speaking out. We do that by changing our economy and how we do business. We need to bring morality back to the center. We need to make morality hip again.

At some point in history the church stopped speaking about morality and became politically correct. We should not judge but we clergy need to teach our people what the church teaches and not our take on what the church teaches. If we become authentic teachers the culture will change, slowly but it will change. We did not get here overnight and we will not get out overnight. One day at a time!

Media Part 2

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Last week I posted on the media and got a few responses. I will follow up with these comments.

The media is biased, all of it. There is not one media outlet that reports the news in a fair way. We are human beings and humans report the news and we see things by what influences us. We all could see an event and report on it from a different perspective. This is why I said during the campaign that we need to read the words themselves and not someone opinion on them. If you only get your news from one source then you are only going to get that one station, news paper, magazine, whatever it may be, you will only get their take on it.

Last night, or perhaps it was very early thins morning I have lost track. I was listening to a talk show on WBZ 1030 am. They host was speaking about Rush L and what his real job is. Anyone who is on the radio with a talk show, and I put myself in that same category, has one job and that is to make money for the stations we work for or our show is on. How does this happen? Advertisers. We sell stuff on our shows that what we do. Companies advertise on the stations that carry Rush and others because he gets an audience. How do we get an audience? By saying what they want to hear? If Rush or Michael Regan or any of them decided to change their opinion they would loose their audience. It is all ratings driven. Controversy sells and we are all part of the process.

So next time you want to talk about the liberal bias of the media or the conservative talk show hosts, think about what has created this. We have, we buy the stuff they sell and they do it very good or they would not be doing it.

March for Life

Posted on by Fr. Peter
UPDATE: I am off to the March so blogging might be light until I return on Friday.

Tonight a group of us from the area will be traveling by bus to Washington, DC for the Annual March for life. It is interesting that this March should come right after we swear in the new President. I hope many people make the journey to DC to make our voices heard.

If you are going look for me. This will be my first trip for the March and I understand the the groups March by denomination so I will be with the Orthodox folks. If you cannot make it please pray for those who will be there. Many churches are hosting vigils for the March so check around your area and see if there is one going on near you and consider going for an hour or so and pray for us, and pray for those who have no voice.

Orthodox Understanding of Salvation

Posted on by Fr. Peter
In Orthodox understanding, salvation is the divine gift through which mean and women are delivered from sin and death, united to Christ, and brought into His eternal kingdom. Those who heard St. Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost asked what they must do to be saved. He answered, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

Salvation begins with these steps:

1. Repent
2. Be Baptized
3. Receive the Holy Spirit

To repent means to change our mind about how we have been, to turn from our sin and to commit ourselves to Christ. To be baptized means to be born again by being joined into union with Christ. And to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit means to receive the Spirit who empowers us to enter a new life in Christ, to be nurtured in the Church, and to be conformed to God’s image.

Salvation demands faith in Jesus Christ. People cannot save themselves by their own good works. Salvation is “faith working through love.” It is an ongoing, life-long process. Salvation is past tense in that, through the death and Resurrection of Christ, we have been saved. It is present tense, for we are “being saved” by our active participation through faith in our union with Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Salvation is also future, for we must yet be saved at His glorious Second Coming.

Community Gardens

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Last week on my radio program, Father Peter Live, we talked about starting a community garden here at the church. I think that in this climate that we find ourselves in we need to do all we can to assist each other. We have this large parcel of land here at the church for for the most part goes unused during the year.

A community garden would be a good idea to help each other. We would volunteer to work side by side, share in the labor, and then share in the reward. This is not a wild and new idea but one I would like to have a further discussion about. Anyone else interested in this idea?

Live Blogging the Inauguration

Posted on by Fr. Peter

I dropped the ball on this one I was so listening to the speech I forgot to blog about it. I have to re-read his words and I will prepare some reactions. Now thw real work begins.

12:07 – President Obama has been introduced and is now giving his speech.

12:01 – Even though he has not taken the oath yet we have a new President.

11:56 – John Paul Stevens administering the oath of office to Joe Biden

11:49 – Rick Warren is praying, got some booos when he tool the rostrum.

11:43 – President Elect just introduced…

11:38 – All the guests are seated and we are waiting for Obama to come out and take his place. The Lincoln Bible has not been used since President Lincoln used it. That’s kind of cool I think.

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