CHRISTIANITY
Mikhail Tyurenkov
Liberal "Western Christianity" is gradually losing its last moral foundation, turning into a post-Christian subculture
You read contemporary news tapes and wonder. One can be arbitrarily tempted on the agenda by a journalist, but when you see an announcement in the spirit of "the eleventh LGBT-Christian Forum of Eastern Europe and Central Asia will be held in Yerevan from November 15 to 18, 2018" becomes uncomfortable. As Archpriest Habakkuk wrote in his "Life", "the heart froze and his legs trembled."
It's one thing when you've heard more than once that somewhere in the "decaying West" there are post-Christian sects that "crown" same-sex couples, and quite another, when the party congress of such pervert is held not in some Ibiza, but in post-Soviet Yerevan.
But to understand where the very term "LGBT Christians" originated (translating from the tolerant: "perverted Christians"), I propose to understand what is the attitude of various Christian confessions to this so aggressively spreading sin throughout the world. From where did the tendency of its justification go, fundamentally contradicting the Holy Scriptures, in which, in particular, in the First Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians, it is unequivocally stated: "will the sodomites of the Kingdom of God not inherit?" Not to mention the fact that the Old Testament says even more specifically: "If a man lies with a man, as with a woman, they both made an abomination." Moreover, in many canonical rules, which were anciently shared by both Orthodox and Catholics, it was clearly stated that adherents of Sodom's sin were not allowed not only to Communion, but also to the cathedral. These people, after repentance and entering the path of correction, must for many years cry for their sins in the temple vestibule. And only years later, by great indulgence, an "amnesty" could be applied to them.
Protestant ethics and the spirit of materialism
Without going into the analysis of the Protestant teachings, it must be said that from the principle of the Reformation of the sixteenth century Sola Scriptura ("Only the Scriptures"), many of them have long ago departed. Today, both Lutherans and even a significant number of Anglicans (even in the first half of the 20th century considered to be the most conservative and even close to Orthodoxy) abandoned the previously mentioned "anti-Sodom" principles of Holy Scripture.
The notorious "Overton windows" opened gradually. From innocent discussions about the rights and freedoms of women to the women's priesthood, from the liberalization of anti-homosexual legislation, once inherent in all countries of the Christian world, to the "wedding" of same-sex couples and even - to ordinations to the priestly and bishopric of open perverts. Of course, even today, among traditional Protestants, moralistic communities remain, but these fundamentalists are drowning in the general trend of liberalization of Western Christian communities.
Undoubtedly, the problem arises from the fact that the distortion of the Orthodox doctrine inevitably entails the introduction of a banal gibberish into Christianity. In the case of Protestantism, these innovations are attempts to get rid of the Holy Tradition and adapt the covenants of Christ to the conditions of the modern world, the world of purely materialistic, and in fact pagan. Speech, of course, is not about worshiping fictional gods and spirits, but about the cult of the golden calf and comfort that was peculiar to the ancient Jews who retreated from the Creator.
It is in this spirit of eudemonic materialism that the roots of "LGBT Christianity" are hidden, in which practically nothing remains of Christianity. Especially if you take into account the free interpretation of Holy Scripture, including the fact that the commandment "Be fruitful and multiply" is not imperative, but the love given by God to people can take a variety of forms. That is why such liberal Protestants would have been much more honest to call themselves by any other name, but not "Christians." But honesty, obviously, is far from being the main virtue in this community.
Pope against the Catechism?
In the case of another western denomination - the Roman Catholic Church - the situation is somewhat different. It would seem that in some matters the Latins are even more conservative than Orthodox Christians. Thus, Roman Catholics categorically forbid divorce (and if it happened, the twenties do not have the right to receive communion), the attitude of the Roman Catholic Church towards non-abortive contraceptives is much more strict. As for the attitude towards homosexuality, the position of the Roman Catholic Church is no different from the patristic one. It is another matter that in practice the Catholic hierarchy increasingly begins to lean towards concessions. So, back in 2014, the report prepared by the committee of Catholic clerics with the blessing of Pope Francis was actively discussed, where it was said that it is not worth to divorce the Roman Catholic Church "as divorced and second-rate Catholics and homosexuals, as well as non-traditional married couples ". The wording, of course, was very cautious, but the next window of the Overton was opened.
And already in 2016, Pope Francis apologized to homosexuals for past oppression. Of course, even such a liberal pope has not yet advocated same-sex marriages, however, the common flair around the figure of an elderly pontiff is more and more unhealthy every year. And the latest scandals related to the alleged secretion by Pope Francis of clergymen-pedophiles - only the next link in this chain. It is clear that in vilification of the Vatican are not interested in respectable conservative Catholics, but the fact of the liberal roll of the Roman Catholic Church - is evident.
Fast train "Sodom - Yerevan"
Changes in the political life of modern Armenia are very revealing. But in order to show their obedience to Western political elites, it is very important for Armenian revolutionaries to conduct demonstrative actions. In the past, attempts to hold gay pride parades in Yerevan have already failed. To a large extent this is due to the fact that the bulk of the Armenian society remains committed to traditional values. But even here it's already full of windows and windows of Overton. So, during the last months an unprecedented action was undertaken to discredit the hierarchy of the Armenian Apostolic Church - up to the seizures by the liberal revolutionaries of the residence of the patriarch-Catholicos in Etchmiadzin.
The danger of "light-Orthodoxy"
The position of the Russian Orthodox Church on the issue of attitude towards homosexuality and other sexual perversions does not depart from the Christian Holy Scripture and Tradition in anything.
Nevertheless, even in the Orthodox environment, liberal theologians have recently begun to appear, for which "everything is not so unambiguous." Thus, the archbishop of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diocletian, in early 2018, delivered an article published in the LGBT journal "Wheels". In this material, Metropolitan Kallist, in particular, expressed bewilderment of the "too heavy" burden that the Orthodox Church places on people with a homosexual inclination.
Alas, in this position, the representative of the Patriarchate of Constantinople is not alone. In 2017, severe criticism for such views was subjected to the famous American video blogger in the monastic order of the nun Vassa (Larina).
In fact, it is about bringing to Orthodoxy the very liberal-Protestant ideology, which was mentioned at the beginning of this material. However, in recent years, the hierarchy of our Church has repeatedly stated that in relations with the same Protestants it is guided in strict compliance with the conciliar definitions.
Thus, at the Council of Bishops of 2013, "it was impossible to communicate with such faiths that openly violate biblical moral standards."
There's nothing to add. It remains to be hoped that the "light Orthodox" missionary and educational tendency, which calls for "treating" the cancer tumor of the Sodom civilization by the methods of psychoanalysis, will be given a similarly clear assessment. Otherwise, her metastases can spread with the same rapidity as happened in the Christian West.
No comments:
Post a Comment