MP has oil to burn?

Justin Kissel · Post by **Justin Kissel** » Mon 2 February 2004 12:49 pm

OOD,

I have a question. I've read in secular history books (I've not read enough Orthodox history books to confirm it ) that at various times throughout history, Orthodox Churches had businesses, massive amounts of peasant workers (shall we call it feudalism? the historians do...), etc. So, if this indeed did happen, is what the MP is doing that much different than what, let's say, the Bishop of Ochrid was doing in the 11th century? I'm not saying that, if it happened before, that makes it ok or acceptable. I'm just trying to get some perspective on this.

Joe Zollars · Post by **Joe Zollars** » Mon 2 February 2004 2:30 pm

hmm maybe some of it has to do with WHAT industries its in.

Nicholas Zollars

OrthodoxyOrDeath · Post by **OrthodoxyOrDeath** » Tue 3 February 2004 9:10 am

Justin,

"You cannot serve God and mammon."

There are canons that a priest cannot be involved in secular business, yet most Orthodox priests I know have jobs because the church cannot support them.

Here I believe a measure economia must be seen since the "weightier matter of the law" are more important than the less. What good would it serve if these priests were not priests because they could not support their families?

I am not nesessarily saying the MP is right or wrong, but it certainly raises allot of questions on what is spiritually good and spiritually profitable when the "Church" (so they think) is joined to big business especially, as Nicholas mentions, the types of businesses they are involved in.