Orthodox Reflections
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Reflections on contemporary issues in Orthodox Christianity
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Masks and social distancing as policies are predicated on the danger of “asymptomatic” spread.
Before things went crazy, asymptomatic spread had never been taken seriously as a driver of transmission.

https://orthodoxreflections.com/orthodox-bishops-join-politicians-in-covid-hypocrisy/
All of our blog contributors (representing families with 10 kids) cancelled Disney+. Last straw.
#CancelDisneyPlus
The first major financial collapse in North American Orthodoxy is now happening and churches are up for sale. Orthodox Christians and leaders need to shake off complacency as our spiritual heritage is at stake.

https://orthodoxreflections.com/defend-the-orthodox-faith-or-go-broke/
Climate change is real. Just not caused by man's activity. Despite record cold and the mounting evidence of a cooling Earth, believers in the religion of climate change can't let go of their models. "Science" was not meant to be a religion.
https://orthodoxreflections.com/orthodoxy-belongs-in-religion-not-science/
Saint Theophan regarded the Jesus Prayer stronger than all other prayers by virtue of the power of the Holy Name of Jesus. It is a weapon against the demons and a key to unceasing prayer.
https://orthodoxreflections.com/how-and-why-the-jesus-prayer/
Bishop Benjamin enforces unpopular policies. In a letter, he told his clergy to blame him: “That horrible bishop makes me do it.” There is indeed a lot of horror going on and many things that should rightly terrify faithful Orthodox Christians

https://orthodoxreflections.com/why-we-fear-the-horrible-orthodox-bishop-and-his-brethren/
As a son, I have watched how obsession with preventing death is killing our elderly. As a dad, I have seen the mental damage done to my children. To preserve “fragments of life,” we are turning Earth into Hell and people into zombies.

https://orthodoxreflections.com/saving-the-world-from-the-fear-of-death/
It is absolutely immoral and so totally contrary to the teachings of the Orthodox Church to force, directly or indirectly, patients to submit to vaccination against their will. Given the current political climate, affirming this basic right should be the starting point for any discussion of vaccines within an Orthodox framework. A patient should receive a vaccine only if, after reviewing all the information available, he or she believes that the vaccine will be medically beneficial to him or her.

https://orthodoxreflections.com/the-hard-sell-on-covid-vaccines/
The Christian Faith so totally transformed classical society, that today we take completely for granted such things as the full personhood of women, the value of all human life, charity, legal protection of children, and marital fidelity. To us, all of these are normal. But they aren’t normal in a fallen world. Everything good in our society flows directly from the cultural influence of the Christian Faith. To borrow a well-worn phrase often used by the media, as Christian cultural influence declines – women and children are the hardest hit.

https://orthodoxreflections.com/orthodoxy-must-still-defend-women-and-children/
Millions of Christians are no longer in church on Sundays. We need to be very, very clear about what is and what is not happening to cause that sorry state of affairs. Some people who quit church no longer believe in God. That is quite sad, but those lost souls are a minority. The majority of “missing” Christians still have faith. At Orthodox Reflections, we know of many Orthodox Christians who barely attend liturgy under current conditions, but still contend earnestly for the Faith as podcasters, authors, bloggers, and evangelists. They love God, but reject the “new normal.” Unfortunately, many churches are more obsessive about enforcing the “new normal” than most secular businesses.

So to all the clergy, do not blame mass apostasy for your diminished flock. The vast majority of people skipping church services continue to believe in God. It’s you they don’t believe in, and that is your fault.

https://orthodoxreflections.com/of-course-church-membership-is-declining/
it was quite heartening to read the directive from Archbishop Mark of Philadelphia and Eastern America (Orthodox Church in America) that vaccination cannot become a prerequisite for participation in Church life. His Eminence even prohibited anyone from being asked about their status. There is much good in that statement. It is the closest to an endorsement of voluntary, informed vaccine consent that we have seen from a hierarch in the US. The statement also acknowledges that the Covid mitigation measures actually caused extreme suffering. This was quite welcome, as so many previous hierarchical statements focused only on the effects of the virus, and not the millions of victims of quarantining perfectly healthy individuals. The statement also noted the very important fact that Covid hospitalizations and deaths were already declining before vaccination became widespread. Further, the statement makes clear that there is a diversity of opinion on matters pertaining to the virus, responses, and the vaccines. Keep your judgment to yourself. That is a basis for restoring unity among the brethren that has been badly damaged. In addition, it made clear that proof of vaccination is not a requirement for attending Divine Services. Finally, the Archbishop clearly acknowledged that the vaccines are experimental. https://orthodoxreflections.com/vaccine-passports-digital-control-and-the-orthodox-christian-fight-for-freedom/
Mom comes back in room after evening prayers and says, “Stop answering questions about the icons and put the kids to bed. They have school.” Young acolyte says, “You can tell us more about God tomorrow.” #orthodoxchristianproblems
Our Western Rite parish never had many restrictions, and has long since discarded the few it once had. The local Serbian parish simply ignored Covid the entire time. They are none-the-worse for it. The local OCA parish has announced an end to all restrictions (including masks) at the end of May. Our state is wide open. A few localities have mask mandates, but they can be comfortably ignored by anyone who chooses to breathe fresh air. But for the Greeks, there is no end in sight.

Which makes any thinking person ask, why?

There is no scientific basis for the policies the Greeks are so dedicated to enforcing.
https://orthodoxreflections.com/faithfulness-to-covid-at-the-expense-of-souls/
The problems we are now experiencing in the  Orthodox Church are not caused by the COVID event, but the COVID event is revealing what sort of people we have become. Before the COVID era, our level of comfort was unsustainable.
https://orthodoxreflections.com/my-people-are-destroyed-for-lack-of-knowledge/
Questioning the efficacy or cost-benefit of a particular vaccine is not “anti-science.” Anti-science is the notion that a single medical treatment is appropriate for all people, regardless of age, physical condition, preexisting conditions, and location.
https://orthodoxreflections.com/orthodox-christianity-and-vaccine-informed-consent/
In Greece, the bishops agreed to begin the Paschal services at 9 p.m. on Saturday to comply with a curfew. Celebrating the Resurrection of Christ on the 2nd Day is absolutely uncanonical. As should be no surprise, not all Greek priests were willing to go along. So far, we know about six priests from Thessaloniki who dared to hold Paschal services at the appointed time in violation of the curfew. These heroic priests are now facing charges
In Greece, the bishops agreed to begin the Paschal services at 9 p.m. on Saturday to comply with a curfew. Celebrating the Resurrection of Christ on the 2nd Day is absolutely uncanonical. As should be no surprise, not all Greek priests were willing to go along. So far, we know about six priests from Thessaloniki who dared to hold Paschal services at the appointed time in violation of the curfew. These heroic priests are now facing charges: https://orthodoxreflections.com/covid-persecution-of-the-church-accelerates/