“We, as Orthodox Christians, continue to preserve our Judeo-Christian principles which place Almighty God as the supra-intellectual Creator of heaven and earth,” he said.
"The fact that the First Amendment of our United States Constitution prohibits our government from interfering with the free exercise of religion means that no human law on the part of any of the three branches of government can negate or nullify or rise above the teachings and dogmas of our Judeo-Christian history of more than two thousand years.’
All his clergy, he says, “are to react pastorally in denying any and all who may seek the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony for a same-sex marriage. You are to inform them that by doing so you would be betraying the holy priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who established the Church through His death and resurrection.”
He is the leader of Orthodox Christians in twelve states in the western United States. He made this statement in 2015, when the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage throughout the United States.
I don’t get this bit. Why does ‘freedom of religion’ mean that 'no human law rise above teachings and dogma? A mistake? A typo? Because I can’t see how the one follows from the other. If there was no freedom of religion does the Bishop thin human laws could rise above dogma and tradition? He said this in 2015, so has had time to correct it if it is a mistake.
“The fact that the First Amendment of our United States Constitution prohibits our government from interfering with the free exercise of religion means that no human law on the part of any of the three branches of government can negate or nullify or rise above the teachings and dogmas of our Judeo-Christian history of more than two thousand years. Any attempt by our government to do this would totally fail, as it did in Communist Russia and in Nazi Germany”.
It’s a decent statement. It’s a pity our own Bishops and priests haven’t spoken as strongly about this, sometimes they have not spoken at all, yet always talk about immigration and climate change. The new law of SSM effects every single family. The Orthodox preacher has not pointed out how laws effect society. This law of SSM is harming families to the core. It is intrinsically evil and a detriment to society and families across not only the US but the world.
Of course SSM cannot be allowed in the Church since it is I intrinsically evil and it’s infallible dogma that marriage can only be between one man and one woman.
It means the law does not state which religion is ‘correct’. As per the first amendment, the government can’t force you to believe or stop you speaking about Catholicism. Or Islam. Or the church of the flying spaghetti monster if you are so inclined. The US government can’t stop you from disagreeing it’s stance and laws.
Obviously it can still enforce them though.
No, it means that the state can not force or impose upon the Church to participate in what we refuse to participate in. It places the Church, or religious group if you will, in a position where their rights will not be violated. For example, the government can not force priests to preside over a gay “wedding.” Secular repressives can whine, complain, hoop and holler for people they really don’t care about to begin with just so they can get a pat on the back for doing almost nothing but those rights stand, whether they or you like it or not.
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