8 December 2016. Pravoslavie FUCKS UP ROYALLY… AGAIN! Bad Translation from the Platina Nutters, Yet Again

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Shevkunov strikes again! That is, he hands over translation of material to dumbass rightwing Amerikantsy converts, with predictable results (he likes sending stuff to the Platina nutters… the Rose crowd or to rightwing bozos like Jesse Dominick). His handling of HH’s comments on same-sex marriage and homosexual orientation were interesting… in the sense that Chinese people mean when they wish you, “May you live in interesting times”. First, we have the Russian original posted on patriarchia.ru. Next, is my translation… the Pravoslavie abortion is last. Note the howler in the name of the Parisian archbishop. That’s a proof of ignorance and laziness… two things seen in abundance amongst konvertsy… read on, kids…

BMD

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Russian original

Ваше Святейшество, мы видели, насколько болезненна для многих французов тема легализации однополых браков. Были массовые протесты. Касались ли Вы этой темы в ходе своего визита?

Да, мы коснулись этой темы во время беседы с архиепископом Парижским кардиналом Андре Вен-Труа. Всем хорошо известна роль Католической Церкви, которая категорически выступала против легализации однополых браков. И миллионная демонстрация французов, в основном, католиков, была ясным свидетельством несогласия значительной части населения с тем, что произошло.

Нужно сказать, что ничего не меняется в позиции Церкви, и измениться не может, потому что это против христианской морали. Еще раз хочу сказать, что мы никого не осуждаем – ни католики, ни православные. Мы не требуем некоего ужесточения в отношении людей, у которых есть какая-то особенность в сексуальной ориентации. Но мы категорически против уравнивания этих взаимоотношений с браком, который определен Богом и в результате которого рождаются дети, продолжается жизнь человеческого рода. То, что входит в Божий замысел, не может корректироваться никакими политическими доктринами и никакой политической практикой. На этом основывается позиция Церкви.

http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/4706946.html

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My translation

Your Holiness, we’ve seen how gay marriage is a painful topic for many French people. There were mass protests. Did you touch upon this subject during your visit?

Yes, we touched on the topic during a conversation with André Cardinal Vingt-Trois, the Archbishop of Paris. The role of the Catholic Church is well-known in this; it strongly opposes legalising same-sex marriage. The demonstrations involving millions of French people, mostly Catholic believers, were a clear sign of that; they showed that [Catholics] disagreed with the majority opinion [in France]. I must say that nothing has changed in the Church’s position; it can’t change, as [any change would be] against Christian morality. Once again, I want to say that we never condemn anyone… [“we” meaning] both Catholics and Orthodox. We don’t ask that there be restrictions against people of a different sexual orientation. However, we categorically oppose any changes equating such relationships with marriage, which is Divinely Ordained, within which children are born, so that the life of the human race continues. That is part of God’s plan. We can’t modify that with political measures or political ideologies. That’s the basis of the Church’s position.

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6 December 2016 Pravoslavie.ru article

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all the Russias has noted that while the Orthodox Church has strict traditional stances on marriage and family matters, it doesn’t condemn people, who are always called in love to repentance. In Paris to consecrate the new Trinity Cathedral and spiritual centre, His Holiness also met with the Catholic archbishop of Paris, Cardinal Andrew-Ben-Tura in which the theme of sexual orientation was raised. Summarising the Church’s stance, at a press conference the Patriarch stated:

I must say that nothing changes in the Church’s position, and can’t change, because it’s against Christian morality. I want to say again that we don’t judge anyone… neither Catholics nor Orthodox. We don’t require a hard line towards people of a peculiar sexual orientation. But we categorically oppose the equating of such relationships with marriage, which was defined by God and results in children being born and the continuing of the human race. What is included in God’s design can’t be corrected by any political doctrine or practise. On this is built the position of the Church.

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/99221.htm

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The rubber hits the road with какая-то особенность в сексуальной ориентации. Literally, it’d be some feature of sexual orientation. That jangles in English, doesn’t it? OK, how do we “English” this in a way both correct and pleasing (not so easy, as my experience tells me)? What’s the primary word here? I’d say that it’s особенность. It depends on the context, but it mostly gets “Englished” as feature or particularity. Other possible choices are quality, factor, or trait. It’s clear to me that some konvertsy brat chose peculiar as it fit their ignorant Yahoo rightwing opinions. HH was being very careful not to be judgemental, so it’s clear that’s not what he meant. Indeed, the choice of such an unusual idiom (usually, Russian uses non-traditional sexual orientation to indicate homosexuality) proves that he bent over backwards in his effort not to offend anyone. To carry over this into English, I chose people of a different sexual orientation. It has the same flavour of vagueness and nonspecificity found in the original. The “translation” on Pravoslavie destroyed that… peculiar turned HH’s carefulness and wish not to offend anyone into a mindless Yahoo rant. That’s unforgivable. I believe that we’ve ordained far too many ex-Evangelicals… things such as this prove that they’re not “of us”. I’d say that the bishops would do well to defrock most former-Evangelicals. They’re not of us, never can be, and they distort what the Church truly says. Shall we have the courage to do it, though?

BMD

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25 July 2015. The Church Needs Some REAL Reflection on Sexuality… NOT Rightwing Verbiage and Posturing

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Firstly, let’s be clear on what I’m NOT talking about. To begin, the Church has spoken on gay marriage; there’s no need for anyone, on any side of the discussion (for there are more than two sides in this), to bring this up. Indeed, I’d like to see the bishops formally muzzle discussion on gay marriage (as they did in re the tollhouse kerfuffle… they should reiterate their ban on tollhouse discussion, to muzzle the loud righties amongst us)… the Church gains nothing by rightwing asshats fulminating against it. We’ve made our decision, that’s that… there’s no need for further discussion, save to inflate the egos of the terminally ignorant and narcissistic (and those seeking to kiss the ass of their Republican and heterodox pals). Secondly, we should silence all those who attempt to propagate the notions of deluded “Evangelical” sectarians (they’re not Christians, that’s that, their ideas don’t belong in Christian circles).

We face a real moral dilemma that we can’t resolve by issuing cartoonish repetitions of heterodox fancies (both pro and con). We could begin by reflecting on HH’s statement, “The Church respects all human decisions, including those of sexual orientation. However, the Church reserves the right to call sin a ‘sin’”. This does NOT reiterate the juvenile and reductionist “Evangelical” trash mouthed by the Orthodox rightwing (we know who they are… Dreher, Reardon, Whiteford, and Potapov are their main spokesmen). It implies a nuanced and pastoral approach. I know that the Mother Church does NOT “excommunicate” homosexuals per se… yes, there are voices that advocate such, but no canonical or synodical action embodies such a notion. We have to take an attitude similar to HH’s… for instance, there’s a bitter feud between Archimandrite Rafail Karelin and Professor A I Osipov, yet HH respects both, and he’s rejected neither of them. We have to avoid the childish attitudes found in Dreher and Whiteford, where one can deduce from their writings that they believe that all those who disagree with them are in the Outer Darkness and the Church won’t accept all those who disagree with these fine gents back until they kiss these said fine gentlemen’s asses in public for all to see. That’s simply out of line. Of course, those fine gents are in the Church. Being an asshat doesn’t “automatically excommunicate” you. Indeed, do be suspicious of all who advance that concept… they’re saying that if you transgress in ways that particularly displease them, you have no defence. That’s rubbish. The REAL Church believes in pastoral oikonomia, always has, always will. It has room for all sorts… including ignorant semi-Evangelical konvertsy. Don’t fall into the same trap as they did… if you do, you confess that you’re the same as they are, underneath it all.

None of the above is a “defence” of gay marriage. I’ve taken that off the table. A certain percentage of people have always been homosexual… the Church hasn’t simply condemned them and expelled them (such is really the Orthodox rightwing’s submission, after all). Yes… the Church has communed homosexuals in the past… it does so now… it shall continue to do so. It always did such on an individual basis, based on personal pastoral needs. That’s how it’s done now… it’s how we shall continue to do it in the REAL Church. A priest in Russia put it this way to me, “Homosexuality is a sin of the flesh. Greed is a sin of the soul. That’s why the Church considers greed far more grievous than homosexuality is. One is of the flesh, it’ll fall away after our deaths… the other is of the soul and eternal. That’s why greed, not sexual sin, is the root of all evil”. This was a personal opinion of one priest… it isn’t the “Teaching of the Church”. Be wary of all those who dress up their opinions as such.

Before I leave, I’d like to leave you two links. They’re serious “food for thought”. Read this and this. Read them, then, come back to them a week later… THINK on what these people are saying. After all, we’re Christians, NOT Sectarians… NOT “Do Your Own Thing” people. I’ll say this… “Christ never rejected anyone… the only ones who rejected Him were the Pharisees and the Rich Young Man. Those who reject Him today are their spiritual descendants”.

Do think on that… it’s a meaty reflection.

BMD

14 July 2015. Is it Lawful to Give Tribute unto Caesar, or Not?

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There’s been much kerfuffle amongst the konvertsy about the so-called “gay marriage” issue. I think that the bishops should step in and STOP THE DISCUSSION NOW (and their obsession with the Jenner Affair). It isn’t building up the Church nor is it helping anyone’s salvation. This is the same set of asshats that beat the tollhouses to death thirty years ago and the ROCOR SOBs had to say… “Stop! There’s not much revealed on this and this discussion isn’t helping the Church. We order it to cease”. I wish that they’d do the same thing today. It’d do wonders for my old bones (and for many others, too) to see people like Dreher, Reardon, Elijah Borek, and Jesse Dominick shut up. The Church stated its position recently, the best expression being that of the ROCOR Diocese of Eastern America. There’s truly nothing further of use to say. I think that it’s time for the bishops to sit on all idiots who want to keep this pseudo-issue alive. The Church isn’t going to “do” gay marriages, that’s that, and there’s nothing further to say. Perhaps, the loud asshats could try doing good works… I’ve heard that they help one win salvation… which pointless discussion on the internet does not.

Them’s my two cents…

BMD

7 July 2015. A Thought from the Righteous Elder Amvrosy Grenkov of the Optina Pustyn

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