:: St. Stephen's Musings ::

:: Monday, May 31, 2004 ::

Should We Hate the Sinner?: Judicial Activism and Calvinism

That which separates allies from foes can be thin as silk sometimes.

Steven Smith writes on the "evil-motives strategy", the Supreme Court and the question of how the ideology of the court nullifies the "hate the sin, love the sinner" maxim.

"Suppose that, as a fallible and fallen human being, I do not succeed in hating the sin but loving the sinner. I hate both. I shouldn't, but that's the way I am. Even so, what is the more plausible causal account? Do I start by disapproving of some action as sinful, and then lapse into hating the actor? Or do I begin by hating the person and then project my hatred onto some action that this person performs?"

"The evil-motives account of my position would seem to presuppose the latter: my ostensible moral disapproval of conduct is declared illegitimate because it is in reality merely a manifestation of hatred toward persons who engage in that conduct."

In other words, from the court's point of view, you can't hate the sin of homosexuality (or any sin really) and still love the sinner. This political attitude is one reason why obtaining legal support for a rejection of legislation such as Canadian bill C-250 will be very difficult in this country.

Smith continues: "In short, even in the midst of a chaos of moral perspectives, virtually everyone will agree that it is wrong to act on the basis of hatred."

Well, almost everyone. It seems that on the basis of a literal reading of particular Psalms buttressed by quotes from a few Calvinist preachers, that perhaps we should in fact hate both the sin and the sinner.

While I sympathize with Robert's points about taking sin seriously, not succumbing to the PC temptation to ignore the effects of sin, and making sure to protect the Faith from heresy and wolves in sheep's clothing, I would challenge him to support his general claims with more patristic and NT based "proofs."

Jared continues the discussion in full force with Robert at Darren's blog. Jared brings up a great question:

"How does your type of hating and despising sinners play out in the real world? Is it just an attitude? You mention shunning in your post, but then say you should provide for the needs of your neighbor. You say we should love people because they are made in the image of God but then say we shouldn't befriend sinners....Can you spell out how that works out practically? If it's just a theological distinction based on one's commitment to holiness and an attitude that does not gloss over or ignore a sinner's sin, I don't see what the big deal is."

It might be interesting to dig deeper into the connections between the current political ideology that refuses to believe that Christians can oppose sinful actions while still loving the people themselves, and Robert's position.

Considering how one is reached with the philosophy of political correctness and fueled by anti-Christian animus and the other by a Calvinist soteriology, one might assume they would come to opposite conclusions. Practically speaking, there doesn't seem to be much difference in this case.

:: Karl :: 8:41:00 AM [Link] ::

The Cavernous Divide

The wife and I went to our first official prenatal appointment on Wednesday.

It was too early to hear the heartbeat, but we had a lot of questions answered and continued to establish a strong relationship with the midwives. We are impressed with what they offer; both in terms of technical knowledge and personal care.

I have been suprised at how calm I've been since we confirmed the pregnancy. It is a strange state of being for me.

Chance, in his 5/24 post, writes that "there is a cavernous divide that separates my constant existence and the one I ought to strive for." I know what he means. As a habitual worrier, I even fret about my worrying...or lack thereof!

I'm not sure whether my relative sense of peace right now is due more to tired resignation or grateful acceptance--honestly, probably a bit of both.

:: Karl :: 8:59:00 AM [Link] ::

Pedophilia, the Poor, a Preaching Blunder, and an Overdose: Random Thursday Musings

* Pedophilia chic, here we come!
Not just in the bedroom, but in our restaurants too!

I'm not sure which is worse: the fact that these things are happening or that I continue to be suprised.

* Here is an interesting survey of Christian attitudes on the poor. The way these questions pigeon-hole one into a corner is a little irritating, but it did make me think a bit. Props to Bene.

* A pastor's worse nightmare. Don't tell me you wouldn't have at least smiled if you had been in the congregation.

* As someone who has suffered from depression, Thomas' observation is right on: "Those of us who deal with that black near despair wherein all grace seems to have evaporated, well, we no longer need the Gospel, no, we need an overdose."

:: Karl :: 8:31:00 AM [Link] ::

Liturgical Gripes: Part V
The "exitus acta probat" when it comes to liturgical duration

The ridiculous amount of tweaking done by convert priests to, as the saying goes, "meet the people where they are at" or to "bring the people to where they should be" is a constant problem in some Orthodox parishes. Here I'm thinking not so much content but duration.

As I mentioned before, there are two main camps:
1) Those who want to make parish life resemble as closely as possible the monastic life. This includes, among other things, increasing the length of services.
2) Those who want to make parish life resemble as closely as possible a more "seeker-friendly" Orthodoxy. This includes, among other things, decreasing the length of services.

That reminds me: What's the difference between a terrorist and a liturgical innovator? ... You can negotiate with terrorists.

The irony here is that both the "traditionalists" and the "ecumenists" are missing the boat for exactly the same reason--their ideology has become more important than loving their brethren.

Elder Paisos summed up the issue when he spoke to a group of stunned convert clergy a few years before his death. He said,

"Whether you have a 30 minute Vespers or a 3 hour Vespers doesn't really matter at all. If you aren't praying the offices for the glory of God and if you aren't leading the services for the love of the people then it is all demonic."

Brilliant.

:: Karl :: 8:12:00 AM [Link] ::

Teaching Position at a Classical School

Agia Sophia Academy, the new Orthodox Classical School in Portland, is looking for an elementary school teacher to join its staff this coming school year.

Any teachers interested in relocating?

I'm seriously considering applying for a teaching position when the school is ready, Lord willing, to add grades past the Grammar stage.

:: Karl :: 7:47:00 AM [Link] ::

Mallets, Testimony, and Monasticism: Random Friday Musings

* The Mallet 'O Understanding. I want one....especially for preemptive measures!

* Scott is writing about his journey to and from Orthodoxy. A must read for those interested in the stories of those who converted and later left the Orthodox Faith.

* There are a lot of single Christians who would flourish in a monastic setting. Some, of course, would not. However many will never even know it is an option or be encouraged to pursue that way of life
because of the contemporary Christian obsession with what has been provocatively called "The Completion Heresy".

For a variety of reasons this is true even in the Orthodox Church....

* Something tells me my wife, who has a B.A. in Math, will find the logical fallacy in this proof.

Update: Peter makes a great point: "We aren't looking at life from a stand point of salvation, but rather from a stand point of needs."

:: Karl :: 10:42:00 AM [Link] ::

Liturgical Gripes Part IV: The "minutus cantorum, minutus balorum, minutus carborata descendum pantorum" Problem

Part I
Part II
Part III

While Orthodox worship does not aim, primarily, at a pleasing aesthetic, the lack of well-trained choir directors in many parishes in the US is very sad.

Thankfully, this is not true in my home parish where our presbytera is a nationally recognized chanter nor was it true at at my previous parish where the choir director was a professor of music at a local college and first rate musician.

The point needs to be stressed that choirs really need to make sure they are committed to learning how to chant to the best of their ability so a) that the whole parish can clearly hear what is being proclaimed and b) that the music we offer to God is of the highest quality possible.

Sometimes I wonder whatever happened to plain chant? It is hauntingly beautiful and easy to learn. If we can't pull off classic Byzantine music let's not even try.

This is just a continuation of the previous point but parishes that have a dearth of musical talent should still join the choir in chanting or saying, at minimum, the Lord's Prayer and the Creed. The choir should be a leader in laity response, not a substitute.

Or, as I heard one choir director publicly announce to the parish: "This is church not a choir concert, folks."

:: Karl :: 7:56:00 AM [Link] ::

Lame Religious Joke Du Jour

Why do Episcopalians never win at chess?

A: They can't tell the difference between a bishop and a queen.

:: Karl :: 6:23:00 PM [Link] ::

Departures and Greetings

* Josh, my feisty Lutheran friend, has quit blogging for good.

* The good news is that Chance has returned to blogging ...with a vengeance!

* Jim Forest, a well-known Orthodox writer and activist, has started a journal.

* Nevski is a new Orthodox blogger and he has begun with a bang. Check out some of his future post ideas.

As summer approaches there tends to be quite a bit of movement in the blogosphere. Will you have more or less time to blog this summer?

Update: Josh has written a detailed explanation as to why he quit blogging. Words to the wise.

:: Karl :: 8:03:00 AM [Link] ::

Fathers Expecting...Sex?

I've noticed something interesting, and quite insulting, about the tone of the "expecting fathers" books I've been reading.

This is what I gather the father-to-be should be concerned about (in order of importance):

1) Keeping sexual activity as frequent and as exciting as possible in the months immediatly after your "partner" has positively verified her pregnant status.

2) Having sex as often as possible during the second and third trimesters and especially after the pregnancy.

3) Preparing for the new life to be born into your family and supporting the mother in her new role.....if there is anytime left after having sex.

Men: are we really *that* pathetic and self-centered?

Update: Jim blogs on a similar topic. "Sex is not a metaphor for our lives; our life together is a metaphor for our life."

:: Karl :: 7:47:00 AM [Link] ::

The Bird, Irony, and Illness: Random Monday Musings

* I was amused by this anecdote I found as I was working on a paper for my Roman history class:

"Augustus...expelled Phylades, not only from Rome but Italy too, because when a spectator started to hiss Phylades called the attention of the whole audience to himself with an obsence movement of his middle finger."--Suetonius, on the life of Augustus in "The Twelve Caesars"

Who are you in this story: Augustus, Phylades or the audience? Why?

* As I was driving in a trendy part of northwest Portland last week I saw a BMW SUV with a "Ralph Nadar for President" bumper sticker. Let's hope it was a joke.

* We will be continuing our fascinating discussion of illness and suffering in the Christian life at the Orthodox Young Adult Group tonight. Non-Orthodox are welcome.

:: Karl :: 7:49:00 AM [Link] ::

Rules for Naming a Boy

I hope our baby is a girl.

Then I won't have to deal with all of my rules for naming a boy:

1) No androgynous names. Seriously, can you think of a worse thing to do to your newborn son? Neither can I.

2) No name ending in "y". When was the last time you met a Marty or Monty who wasn't a shady character? Well, ok maybe once...

3) No name that has a "th" in it because it sounds idiotic with our last name. If you doubt me, say "Thadius Thienes" out loud 10 times.

4) I refuse to follow the Protestant fad of naming boys after obscure OT prophets. I can't explain why--I just can't do it.

5) No name that can easily be shortened into a "cute" nickname. Richard=Dick, Charles=Chuckie...need I say more? If you don't see the implicit child abuse here, you need help.

6) No names of ex-boyfriends, bad teachers, abusive coaches, or jerky guys that either my wife or I have known. This rule eliminates a stunning number of names...unsuprisingly.

7) No trendy names like Tristan, Tyler or Colby. Luckily this isn't a problem for us because no one with a name like this has ever, or will ever, become a saint.

8) No name with more than 4 syllables. I love Elder Amphilochios et al., but I need to be able to pronounce and spell my own son's name without breaking into a cold sweat.

:: Karl :: 6:42:00 AM [Link] ::

Fighting the Extremes: Blogging about the Faith

"The Church changes only in order to remain the same."-- Fr. Alexander Schmemman

Here's my dilemma: If I write glowingly about Orthodoxy the heterodox get irritated, claiming I'm just a triumphalistic convert. If I write critically about Orthodoxy, as I have in my Liturgical Gripes series, the faithful fear I've become a "modernist/ecumenist/postmodern" (or the popular boogie man du jour) and am publicly shaming the Church, becoming too skeptical, insulting people personally, etc.

It seems to me that both positions are overreactions based on subjective fears.

I have a hard time believing that this blog is enslaved to post/modernist skepticism or a result of blind adherence to the Church. (How could it be both anyway?) I'm not publicly criticizing dogmatic issues nor am I mindlessly parroting Church praxis and teaching.

I'm simply asking that we all think about the practical and pastoral issues of the contemporary Orthodox Christian life and become aware of the ramifications of our current practices as well as any future "improvements." I'm unsure as to why a public call to mindfulness and prayerful engagement is viewed with fear and hostility.

We should not content to swallow the ethnocentrism, wink at the Americanization of the liturgy, ignore the total lack of proper translations of the services, or giggle at the ugly war between the those who want to turn our parishes into monasteries vs. those who, as I call it, want to be "Episcopalians with fancier liturgies."

We can't hide the human shortcomings of contemporary Orthodox life from the world in the fear that they won't respond to Christ through His Church. We need to remember and believe that the sins of the Church's members do not invalidate the truth of the Church's witness, teaching, or way of life.

What I'm aiming for is a proactive and honest look into our struggles. This kind of attitude will show the world that the Orthodox are not afraid to be real.

My Liturgical Gripes series is *not* a rallying cry or crusade to fix the Church, or change Holy Tradition. It is also not an exercise in bashing any person in particular or any one jurisdiction.

It is simply an attempt to ask the question: Are we fully aware of why we do what we do and are we really owning our faith, personally?

Taking this question seriously enough to discuss it in public makes us able to better live and understand our faith holistically and arms us to fight off the extreme temptations of a) a comatose and nominal faith that simply accepts the status quo versus b) a cancerous faith that strives for continual "improvement" at the altars of Individuality and Relevance.

:: Karl :: 8:00:00 AM [Link] ::

Tethering

Robbymac asks about tethering. Ah, epistemology that always leads, inexorably, to ecclesiology! The conversation continued here about the Nicene Creed.

He asks the questions:

What are the 'fundamentals' today that will constitute the tether that will keep any pomergent deconstruction from wandering into error, irrelevance, or even rank heresy?

What are the absolute essentials of our faith, which transcend both modern and postmodern thinking (since neither is actually a friend of faith)?

What is the tether that allows us to re-imagine how we communicate beliefs that we hold as timeless in our current cultural milieu?

I think Jim hits the nail on the head in regards to the intersection of postmoderns with Orthodoxy; especially in regards to the epistemological question of hermeneutics, doctrine, and apostolic teaching.

"The major questions with which heterodox Christianity struggles today have already been answered by the councils and the Holy Fathers..."

And the answer, for those wondering, isn't a philosophical syllogism. It is life in Christ and thus life in the Church.

:: Karl :: 8:49:00 AM [Link] ::

It is Official: We Are Pregnant

You can't ask for better news on Mother's Day. The due date is our wedding anniversary.

O Lord Jesus Christ our God, hear the prayers of Karl and Carrie for the child to be born of them.
Let their love for one another grow with the life of this child.
Give this child life and health according to Your will.
In due time bring it to a safe birth through the prayers of your own mother, the Theotokos.
For to You to we ascribe glory, together with Your Father and Your all holy and life-creating Spirit.
Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

:: Karl :: 6:36:00 AM [Link] ::

Liturgical Gripes Part III:
The "antiquis temporibus, nati tibi similes in rupibus ventosissimis exponebantur ad necem" Nostalgia

Part I and Part II for those late to the party. Let's continue, shall we?

3) The lack of proper discipline and piety in our altar boys as well as the disrespectful behavior of our children in the nave during worship is a serious problem in many parishes.

Qualifter #1: Let me make it clear I'm *not* talking about normal childhood squirminess and fussiness. That I can deal with and, quite frankly, is typical and part of what it means to worship as a family.

Qualifer #2: I am not talking specifically about my parish, for it is a problem I've observed in many Orthodox parishes I've visited and it is a common complaint I hear from parents and priests alike.

Qualifer #3: I fully admit, as my friends James and Victoria have also confessed, that not being overly fond of children is an ugly deficiency and this certainly colors my perspective.

Though my lack of first-hand experience may disqualify me from being able to have an opinion, I still think these are issues we must think and pray and think deeply about. As a potential parent, I sure am.

If our children aren't taught the discipline and reverence that true worship requires, what ramifications will that have for their current and future spiritual lives? How will this affect their concept of and relationship with God?

What are we saying to God when we allow our children's misbehavior to go unchecked?

What are some practical steps we can take, as parents and church school teachers, to raise God-fearing children?

Update: Alana continues the discussion. I've also got a lot of new reading!

:: Karl :: 11:49:00 AM [Link] ::

Converts the Other Way

I'm always curious to find people who converted from Orthodoxy to active faith in an ecclesial communion not visibly connected to the Church. Their stories never fail to simultaneously fascinate, sadden, and intrigue.

Sadly, it is hard to find former Orthodox who were and still are fairly knowledgeable about Orthodoxy.

As for bloggers who were previously Orthodox, I only know of Dean, Christopher Jones, and recently discovered Scott.

Anyone else out there?

:: Karl :: 8:06:00 AM [Link] ::

Upgrades, Friendship, Flaying, and Minor Celebrities: Random Wednesday Musings

* The new website for the Antiochian Orthodox Church is a *huge* improvement from the last version. Finally, the OCA and the GOA have some competition!

* Bishop Seraphim muses on a topic very dear to my heart: Christian friendship. More on this topic later...

* Jonathan Swift, in his 1704 classic "A Tale of a Tub" quipped, "Last week I saw a woman flayed, and you would hardly believe how much it altered her person for the worse." Subtle. I like it.

* On a rather worldly note, I'm going to be meeting Ben Stein later this week as he is the talent for a production shoot my company is in charge of. His performance as the economics teacher in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" is well-known to Gen Xers and '80's movie savants.

:: Karl :: 7:58:00 AM [Link] ::

Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

Somebody asked me the other day "Have you ever had a bumper sticker on your car?"

I've had two. The first was the result of a practical joke some years ago when a co-worker named Marty thought it would be a scream to put a bright orange "Porn Star" sticker on the back of my '77 Honda Accord. (Now, *that* sentence is going to get some interesting google hits!)

More than 24 hours later, when I finally saw Marty's handiwork, I realized why an middle-aged woman in an feminist-colored Volvo (grey, of course!) gave me a dirty look as I passed her on the freeway the day before.

I was also able to make sense of a group of college guys in a white van who beeped their horn repeatedly, grinning, and pumping their fists at me as I drove by.

Of course I had to pass this bit of fun on. So with Marty's help I placed this vocational identity sticker on the bumper of my CFO's shiny new Jaguar. He didn't see it until that evening when a nun at his son's Catholic school asked what it was doing on his car.

Yes, I got to keep my job.

The other sticker I had was one that read "Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost"

It was on the same '77 Honda and I kept it during my trek into Buddhism. It seemed appropriate at the time considering I really wasn't repudiating Christianity; I was simply trying to find the fullness of the Christian Faith. (Oh, how Chesterton would laugh at that!)

Once I became Orthodox I didn't need the sticker since I wasn't wandering anymore. I had been on one long journey but only then had I allowed myself to be lured by the ancient path.

I haven't felt the need to have a bumper sticker since....although if I ever did it might be along the lines of "My Church wrote your Bible" or something equally inflammatory and pithy.

Update: The bumper sticker contest is on!

:: Karl :: 8:04:00 AM [Link] ::

Exercises in Futility

A while back I posted some commentary on a few humorous "facts" gleaned from a website for "Ex-Orthodox".

Matt has taken the time and energy to do what I had originally planned on, but decided wasn't worth pursuing. He has written a serious and comprehensive rebuttal and has asked the site owner to take down several false "facts" about the Orthodox Church from the website. (Scroll down to the 4/29 post).

Matt's done a thorough and respectful job. However, one wonders if the site owner will really listen considering how much he went out of his way to misrepresent the Orthodox Faith.

:: Karl :: 7:20:00 AM [Link] ::