Archive for the ‘Philomena Lux’ Category
Thoughts On Protestant-OC Dialogue
Unlike the overwhelming majority of my fellow parishioners at the church I attend, I came to Orthodoxy not from protestantism, but the Catholic Church. With the exception of a fine little collection of Enlightenment/post-Enlightenment philosophers, my exposure to the “protestant faith” (loosely defined, I suppose, as a faith in Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity which rejects the traditional hierarchy of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches) was almost null until I met my fiancee nearly a year & a half ago. In that time I have come to be exposed to such a wide variety of individuals professing a “protestant faith” yet oftentimes their beliefs and worship would be almost unrecognizable to another protestant. Almost all point to Holy Scripture as the guiding light of their faith, yet what teachings they take from the text (or from those to whom they have deferred interpretation to) are as bountiful and varied in shape as snowflakes in Antarctica.
I am left to wonder then on what grounds is it possible for the Orthodox to dialogue (generally) with protestants? Shamefully, I have found myself becoming mute as to the particulars of my own faith when religious discussions are taken up because I feel utterly incapable of translating it into a language most protestants would understand (and not be offended by!). I have marveled at some Orthodox clergy who have been able to bridge the gulf between Orthodoxy and protestantism, though I have also felt strong reservations about whether or not that bridge typically entails some “watering down” of the Orthodox faith. My own youthful biases coupled with the good natured skepticism of a learned, adult mind compels me to worry that a number of the damaging attitudes that have come to exemplify modern protestant Christianity will tunnel their way into Orthodoxy (including fundamentalism). While I have certainly come to know some *amazing* protestant Christians with a faith which shines brighter than the stars on a summer night in rural Michigan, I cannot say that I am anything but cautious/nervous in how myself or other Orthodox approach them in dialogue.
The fact of the matter is that both Orthodox and Catholics share a core set of beliefs that are diametrically opposed to many of the assumptions of protestantism. At the same time, we all hold as truth that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who came into the world to save sinners. Except with the extreme fringes, all Christians hold a Trinitarian understanding of God. Even though the protestants have deleted books out of the Bible, it is certainly not diminished in any way with regards to their willingness to adhere to it. But is that enough? No protestant is going to likely accept that St. John Chrysostom hit the nail on the head for the Church when it came to understanding Romans or endorse Thomistic thought as the official Christian philosophy. How important are these differences? And heck, are there not even more fundamental ones I haven’t even touched upon?
Contraception Galore
Today’s Chicago Sun Times has a couple of articles that really jumped out at me. The first one is an article (I can’t seem to find it on-line) about more and more younger men opting to get vasectomies. It includes charming quotes from guys who are just plain worried that they might have to face the natural result of sexual intercourse, i.e., pregnancy. This was very troubling at first, then a new thought came to me: although I’m not a fan of contraception, given the assumptions in our culture that childbearing is solely our choice, and if the method fails, then resorting to abortion, perhaps this could help reduce the number of abortions people are having. The article points out that vasectomies are 100 times more effective than condoms in preventing pregnancy (.15% to 15%). Leaving aside the other problems this raises, perhaps, minus a huge shift in our society’s values (to viewing children as blessings rather than nuisances or commodities), this could be a good thing. I should also point out that the article does include a pro-adoption statement from one of the men, which is good to see.
Speaking of children as commodities, this article was also in the Sun Times today. It’s about the Discovery Health Channel airing 10 hours of footage on women in labor and giving birth. The columnist wants to do away with any romantic notions people might have about childbirth. Never having seen a child actually being born (nor having given birth myself, obviously), I can’t comment on that, but I do want to comment on the author’s statement that “anyone actually wanting to have a baby may want to know what they’re in for.” First, she makes it sound as if only crazy people actually want to have babies. Second, I think her overall negative view of the (for lack of a better term) “nitty gritty” of childbirth is related to this attitude. If children are a commodity, then what a messy way to acquire a new model. I would think that if she considered childbearing to be about the children and not the parents, she might view this a little differently. Any of you parents out there want to comment? As I said, I’m speaking from some measure of ignorance here.
Tags: Contraception, Galore