Editor’s Foreword:
Anything in normal type is me… anything in italics is from a correspondent.
BMD
******
I can’t see why some of these folks get so hot n’ bothered. If you’re not sharing communion, everything’s cool. That’s the way it is. Where do these people come from? Were they converts? They’re the worst in that sort of thing. When we were at the Buddhist pagoda, the novice there was kind to us, and we to her. What’s so strange in that? What ticks me off is syncretism… that’s another topic, but you weren’t doing that. It’s like calling Holy Rollers and Sectarians “Christians”… they’re not… they’re “believers”, but they’re NOT “Christian” in the least.
******
Up to now, we’ve gotten few RC or Low Church C of E or Evangelical (“Lutheran”) converts… all that we’ve gotten are the worst form of High Church Anglican or Sectarian or (even worse) cultists. When the Western Church collapses (which could happen in our time), that’ll shake many of ‘em. After all, the RCs, Low Churchers, and Continental Reformation Evangelicals have no “issues”… they’re just ordinary believers, by and large. I’ll be blunt, the High Churchers have been more trouble than they’re worth… they’re partisans and they’re “Broad Churchers” to boot. RCs actually believe in something… it’s why they don’t convert. Remember… there are “believers” amongst the heterodox… it’s why their confessions haven’t fallen apart yet. We’ll have to see… after all, the future’s NEVER predictable, and trend-lines NEVER follow straight lines. We could commit hara-kiri at high noon; it’s our choice, isn’t it?
Certainly, it’s our choice… do we want to commit suicide or not should be the first question on the agenda of the Holy Synod. Their answer isn’t clear yet. Extremes meet…the Anglicans wanted to get rid of them, and we’ve been stupid enough in the past to think that we should take them.
******
I agree with you on the mentality of the Far Right. Their provocateurs lead them to think we’re in a crisis, that it’s a life or death struggle, that Obama’s Satan, and that they’re Angels of Light. They feel that they must “fight” any other opinion.
I think that it’s an illustration of how corrosive talk radio is… they’re all haters and they’re all violent. I don’t think most of its listeners are bad people… but they’re listening to stuff that corrodes their minds.
******
Y’know… His Holiness sees through it, too… the Church stands AGAINST the “Free Market” and all of its works. Neither SVS nor Jordanville publicise His Nibs’ good-sense sayings… who woulda thunk it that Gundyaev would turn out as he did? Thankfully, he did so… and I believe that he’s gonna fry some fish to a good turn soon… but only at the proper time. Then, Hilarion will be Metropolitan of Australasia (which is all that he wants, in any case), and who’ll lead us in the USA… I haven’t the slightest! It WON’T be a Lukianov, that’s for sure (God willing, it’ll be Kirill Dmitrieff). If the Centre has brains, Alaska will return to the Mother Church Proper (it’s a grand place for Kapalin, no?) and Canada should be on its own (its culture is RADICALLY different from the USA).
******
That’s why I believe that ROCOR is part of a general train wreck involving it, the OCA, and Paris. The Centre’s staying out of it… because it must. If it were to get involved now, well, it’d just spin things out longer. The Centre has to let things collapse; then, and only then, can it move in. I weep for the lost souls in the meantime. It’s going to happen… you or I can do nothing of it… we can only wait for the wreck, for that’ll be the only thing that’ll wake most people up, sadly enough. I sometimes find “ignorance” attractive… such people don’t see what we see… they go about their lives “blissfully”. Then… I remember… the Lord doesn’t give the same “gifts” to everybody. I don’t know why I’ve been given the “talents” that I have… I only know that I must use them to good effect, or I’ll have to answer for it on the Last Day. Moreover, I MUST remember that I didn’t create my talents… the Almighty gave them to me, freely. That’s the way of it, isn’t it? We live in this crazy world, hutsky-klutsky as it is, and we’re the “Light of the World”. Be good… and pray for Nicky and me.
******
You seem fond of the late Mr Layton. He was a working man who never forgot his origins, who spent his life labouring to make every Canadian’s situation better. He was a dedicated Socialist, yet he saw and understood the value of unity under the monarchy. Thus, he always defended his sovereign from Conservative Party slander and attack. The Canadian Conservatives look to US Republicans and Tea Party for inspiration, whilst the Socialist NDP and Liberals draw on Canada’s own loyalist heritage. Isn’t history strange? North America’s “1776 Land of Revolution” is now a font of racism, xenophobia, and ignorance. Loyal-Royal Canada is Social Democratic, avowedly tolerant, and enlightened; the Head of State is still the British Monarch, Elizabeth II, now styled “Queen of Canada”.
{THIS is why Canada and Canadians aren’t the same as the USA and Americans… it’s why they deserve their “own” Orthodox metropolia: editor}
******
Cooperation is Open to Everyone
Soviet poster
1920s
______________________________
The Soviet period was a reality… a reality born of a tsarist system that wasn’t up to the stresses that the times subjected it to. Lenin’s a reality… he’s not an exemplar. Oddly enough, Stalin wasn’t as thoroughly evil. He did relent in his persecution; Vladimir Ilyich wouldn’t have done such. Yet, Lenin’s a reality… you can’t just act as though he never was… that’s the rub. I still say… a synthesis of both Red and White… a Restoration of either pre-1914 Imperial Russia or the pre-1991 USSR is impossible. Any new state will be a synthesis of the two… a monarchy organised on a Social Democratic basis. Remember, it’s the merchants who’re the evil class in society, not the nobles, peasants, or workers (that’s been true throughout all history). We must avoid V I Lenin on the left and the Neoliberals on the right… both are dead-ends. Look at contemporary Byelorussia… it’s no paradise, but the people don’t want oligarchy, and they’ve kept it out. They prefer a strongman (Lukashenko) to the rule of the monied pigs… and I can’t say that I blame them. At least, Lukashenko hasn’t sold the country to the highest bidder.
Do we agree? Not entirely… but we can pass the glass and laugh. If we can agree on what’s at hand, we can work together. If you agree with me on EVERYTHING… I have a nice place for you to live… they’re very nice there… they won’t even let you leave! BE GOOD!
What we need is a people’s monarchy and your image of socialists bowing to the King is absolutely right and quite natural… the people’s Duma. What we don’t want is monarchism… that’s quite different. That’s right-wing fascist stuff. If only the Communists hadn’t persecuted the Church. That was their only real mistake.
******
I can be more “up front” than you are… I’m an ordinary lay woman… not a cleric! I’d refuse ANY “official” office if offered (e.g., head of official website)… it’d DESTROY my independent position. There needs to be SOMEONE who watches the Church with a CRITICAL eye. That doesn’t mean carping… it means that one doesn’t cheerlead or write hagiographic nonsense. That’s my position.
******
One shouldn’t get overconfident. Don’t forget the fate of Fegelein… he was one of Hitler’s cronies. In the last days of the war, he decided to go to ground and hide in civvies for the end of it all. He didn’t lie doggo enough… he got mouthy… and the Gestapo caught him and shot his ass dead less than a week before Hitler shot himself. PRUDENCE.
******
I always seek the TRUTH… wherever one finds it. If it’s on the right-hand side, so be it… if it’s on the left-hand side, so be it. I’m preparing a piece on the coming synthesis in Russia… the NEW USSR will probably be a monarchy… a tsar presiding over a Socialist state. I HATE falsehood. It’s why I hate Rush Limboob et al… they don’t tell the truth. They’re ranting because they know that their day’s done… the new gated communities in exurbia aren’t behind berms for no reason… they’re that fearful of what’s coming.
******
After World War II, Norway voted to go Social Democratic, but the Socialists didn’t touch the Established Church and Monarchy. They retained full and even special rights under Socialist rule. No Socialist PM can assume power without a blessing from the Royal Evangelical Lutheran Church AND without kneeling before the King and vowing loyalty to the Throne of Norway. What DID happen is that the state expropriated ALL natural resources for the common benefit. Thus, if geologists find oil, it belongs to all the citizens; the Feds couldn’t hand it over to whichever Transnational Corporation is willing to pay the most, as it is in the USA (Screw the citizens!). Oil, natural gas, timber, uranium, gold, silver, and all other resources have produced enormous national wealth; it’s seen as “the common property of all”, and the profits are SHARED.
This wealth provides the subjects of the Socialist Kingdom of Norway with one of the very highest standards of living on earth (the rightwing USA sucks wind… it’s only #13!). EVERY Norwegian gets subsidised housing, health care, and universal education (through graduate school) or job training, FOR FREE (of course, it’s paid for by taxation, but because it’s done in bulk, it’s cheaper than the “private” alternative in the USA). Cradle to grave, N0 Norwegian need fear unemployment, hospital bills, or old age insecurity, quite unlike the “Free Market” USA. Each Norwegian is free to live their own life as they see fit… there’s NO State interference in anything from religion to sexuality. It’s YOUR life! This political and economic LIBERATION drives the Norwegian fascists insane; this led one of them to commit the horrific events that occurred there on Friday. The US rightwing fears that people will hear of the SUCCESS of Socialism… what’s not to like in it?
******
Notice that His Holiness sent Archbishop Mark Golovkov, not “Metropolitan” Hilarion Alfeyev, on this very important and highly sensitive MP external affairs mission to North Korea. This speaks volumes… do note that the REAL Church operates in all places and circumstances… She doesn’t deify or demonise any governmental or political system contrary to what some in the United States might lead others to believe…
******
Warnecke actually found the Crestwood property and was the “wheeler-dealer” who negotiated everything and made it happen… ADS WASN’T equal to this or similar tasks… they (SVS) were very dependent on Warnecke. In fact, when they purchased additional property adjacent to what they already owned later on for expansion, Warnecke had to negotiate that deal, too. He was a rather nasty sort; especially, in regards to his power and position… he had a good deal of personal wealth (business interests and real property in the Syracuse NY area). In 1988, when they celebrated the 50th anniversary of the founding of SVS, Bobby K had to coordinate and plan the banquet at the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel in East Rutherford NJ, because the SVS lot were too inept to do that. When it comes to anything practical, they’re FIRST CLASS SCREW-UPS!
******
Editor’s Afterword:
Running this site has led to some fruitful correspondences… I’ve learnt more about the Church (and things in general) in the last four years than I have in the previous fifty. I’m not over-exaggerating… one person can only see what’s in front of them… they can only hear what they’re present to hear. When people band together, there’s a synergy, it leads to the sum of their efforts being greater than the individual amounts added into it. It’s the way God works… cooperation is open to everyone, as the old Red poster had it. What does that tell you about those who advocate unbridled “individualism” and laissez-faire buccaneer economics? I’ll say that it leads to nothing good… what about you?
BMD
8 June 2012. A Picture IS Worth a Thousand Words… It Isn’t Just Hypocritical Born Again Pols…
Tags: Catholic sex abuse cases, Christian, Christianity, Clergy, Eastern Orthodox Church, History of the Eastern Orthodox Church in North America, Holy Rollers, OCA, Orthodox, Orthodox Church in America, Orthodoxy, Paffhausen, political commentary, politics, Religion, Religion and Spirituality, Republican, right-wing, Rush Limbaugh, Sexual abuse, United States, USA
______________________________
This cartoon illustrates a sad and pathetic situation. It’s interesting how unforgiving and nasty the Born Agains, Holy Rollers, Mormons, and Orthodox konvertsy are towards those they label “outsiders” (especially if they deem them “immoral”). Yet, if a rightwing pol or one of their clergy gurus fucks up… “You MUST forgive them!” There seems to be a contradiction here… forgiveness for their clergy gurus (and the right kind of lay folk)… condemnation for all other laypeople (especially if said laypeople disagree with miscreant power-hungry clergymen). Note well how they all listen to King Rush… and Rush has been married four times (or divorced three times, to put it another way)… and accuse the rest of us of sleazy and evil behaviour and leanings. None dare call it hypocrisy…
I respect the institution of the priesthood and the episcopate. However, that being said, that doesn’t mean that clergy are “entitled” to either “respect” or an automatic “pardon” of all their crank actions. If you’re secretive… if you’re corrupt… if you’re nepotistic… if you’re an abuser or an abettor of abuse, I’m going to fight you, I’m going to oppose you, and I’m going to expose you… for such people drag the Lord Christ through the muck in ways that we lay folk simply can’t. We have to have the guts to name names. That’s why Benjamin Peterson has to resign immediately… his arrest for public drunkeness behind the wheel shamed the Church. That’s why Matthias Moriak’s son has to be kicked out of the Columbus parish… it was his father’s influence that got him there (and he shouldn’t be sent to the Diocese of NY & NJ… the bishop’s his kum). That’s why Ray Velencia has to be kicked out of the priesthood… he had the gall to sue another priest in open court without launching a church action first or securing the permission of the bishop involved (that’s what Lebedeff screams about, all the time… hey, let’s put it into action).
That’s why we have to stand up and defend ALL victims of all kinds of clerical abuse… whether it’s sexual abuse, fiscal abuse, legal abuse, or power abuse (that’s why I defend Stokoe and Wood… they’re wrong, but their attackers are even MORE wrong, if you catch my drift). They’re all just as filthy. We won’t be “clean” until we do so… and God will NOT strike you dead for opposing crank clergy. It’s your DUTY…
BMD