An Orthodox Reflection on Truth and Tolerance

Pensees · Post by **Pensees** » Sat 23 December 2006 5:57 am

I post this article because I believe its message is one that "traditionalist" Old Calendarists should take to heart:

Rev. Dr. George C. Papademetriou

Orthodox Christianity is committed to the truth claim of the Christian Faith. This claim includes the Biblical truth that all human beings are created by God in His image and that Christ is the only Savior of the world.

Consequently, Orthodoxy is strongly committed to Christ as the Messiah and to the tolerance of other religious expressions. In this double commitment lies the source of a creative tension for Orthodox Christians involved in the interfaith dialogue and attitudes of the non-Christian religions.

Orthodoxy affirms continually the centrality of Christ in the Church and world. He is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Orthodox Christians are committed to the truth claim of the Christian Faith not as ideology but as an expression of holiness. At the same time Orthodoxy is committed to the tolerance of other religious expressions.

Orthodox Christian people most often live in societies of cultural, linguistic and religious pluralism. For that reason, the Orthodox have developed an attitude of respect for others, and a tolerance and understanding for people of other faiths. The Orthodox Church does not have an “official” pronouncement expressing the attitude toward other religions. However, Orthodoxy has a long-standing tradition showing respect and tolerance for people of other faiths. It is well-stated by an Orthodox Christian theologian and Archbishop, Anastasios Yannoulatos, of Albania, that, “being created in the image of God, every human being is our brother and sister.”

It is a strong Orthodox view that our commitment to the Christian truth claim must affirm a pluralistic democratic setting for all people to live in peace and harmony. Orthodoxy holds fast to the truth of Christianity and defends the right of other religious expressions to co-exist in harmony in a democratic system where the law equally protects all.

The question of truth is of highest importance to Orthodoxy. “What is Truth?” Pontius Pilate asked (John 18:38). Christ kept silent. Christians interpret this silence a His reply that the “Truth” was standing before him-Christ is the “Truth.” “Truth” makes reference to the knowledge of being. Tolerance “implies a certain relationship of religious faith with truth in every concrete manifestation in the world, whether national political or sociological” (Damaskinos Papandreou, “Truth and Tolerance in Orthodoxy”). The source of all truth is God the Creator, who gives existence to all beings. God is the originator and the human being is the receiver.

For Orthodoxy there is a fusion between the truth claim of Christianity and a mandate for tolerance. We may say that one cannot be a Christian if he/ she does not embrace the doctrine of tolerance as a mandate of Christian love.

This most significant teaching of tolerance in Orthodoxy is contained in an encyclical letter of Ecumenical Patriarch Metrophanes III (1520-1580). This document was written to the Greek Orthodox in Crete (1568) upon hearing of the mistreatment of the Jews. In it he states, “Injustice, therefore, is and stands, regardless to whomever acted upon or performed against, as still injustice.

The unjust person is never relieved of the responsibility of these unjust acts under the pretext that the injustice done is done against a heterodox and not to a believer. As our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospels said, “Do not oppress or accuse anyone falsely; do not make any distinction or give room to the believers to injure those of another belief.”

I close with the thought that all human beings are the children of God created in His image, and tolerance of other people having different faith is an imperative commend given by Christ himself. I am also committed to the words of our Lord, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6).
http://www.goarch.org/print/en/ourfaith/article8075.asp

Peace.

Constantine · Post by **Constantine** » Sat 23 December 2006 11:26 am

I post these canons and sayings of the Fathers because it is something that followers of the monphysite heresy should take take to heart.

Heresy separates every man from the Church."
-Seventh Holy Ecumenical Council

Even if one should give away all his possessions in the world, and yet be in communion with heresy, he cannot be a friend of God, but is rather an enemy,
-St. Theodore the Studite

Guard yourselves from soul-destroying heresy, communion with which is alienation from Christ.
-St. Theodore the Studite

He that saith not ‘Anathema’ to those in heresy, let him be anathema
-Seventh Ecumenical Council

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not according to the tradition which he received from us
-II Thessalonians 3:6

Constantine

TomS · Post by **TomS** » Sat 23 December 2006 2:02 pm

Mr.C wrote:
I post these canons and sayings of the Fathers because it is something that followers of the monphysite heresy should take take to heart.

Pensees · Post by **Pensees** » Sat 23 December 2006 6:03 pm

Mr.C wrote:
I post these canons and sayings of the Fathers because it is something that followers of the monphysite heresy should take take to heart.

Please discontinue your false accusations agains the Oriental Orthodox.

This most significant teaching of tolerance in Orthodoxy is contained in an encyclical letter of Ecumenical Patriarch Metrophanes III (1520-1580). This document was written to the Greek Orthodox in Crete (1568) upon hearing of the mistreatment of the Jews. In it he states, “Injustice, therefore, is and stands, regardless to whomever acted upon or performed against, as still injustice.

The unjust person is never relieved of the responsibility of these unjust acts under the pretext that the injustice done is done against a heterodox and not to a believer. As our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospels said, “Do not oppress or accuse anyone falsely]; do not make any distinction or give room to the believers to injure those of another belief.”
http://www.goarch.org/print/en/ourfaith/article8075.asp

Peace.

ioannis · Post by **ioannis** » Sat 23 December 2006 9:36 pm

Pensees,

Your article is based on a false premise. We "tolerate" other religions only in-so-far as we love our neighbors. Therefore, we do not dialog, negotiate, or sign agreements with heretics because we are not seeking anything from them, we only confess our faith because we have everything.

Your article equates "tolerance" of other religions, or more clearly put, loving our neighbors, as having to be "proven" by some strange willingness to negotiate faith as if they are equal, and in many cases, even confess their faith is the same!! And this is exactly what is happening.

Giving even a hint that your neighbor's error, which separates him from Christ's Church, might be something acceptable is not love, but hate, because how will this person EVER find the church?! Tell me, how is the Balamand agreement helping the Latins? How is this love? This is not love, this is a sickness in and of itself.

This is what the ecumenists should take to heart.

Constantine · Post by **Constantine** » Sat 23 December 2006 10:49 pm

Pensees, you state "Please discontinue your false accusations agains the Oriental Orthodox"

The translation of Orthodox is "correct teaching", Monophysites do not have correct teaching and in your heart you know this, all monophysites spend their whole lives trying to justify that they really are Orthodox, because deep down they know they are not. You do not accept ALL the Ecumenical Councils, you do not accept that the Chalcedon council was settled by a miracle from God, you do not accept that you have fallen into schism and heresy. And you post some stupid ecumenstic article that attacks Old Calender traditionalist Orthodox.So along with being schismatic and heretical you can add ecumenist.

Peace...without truth, is from the evil one.

Constantine

GOCTheophan · Post by **GOCTheophan** » Sun 24 December 2006 7:21 am

"It is a strong Orthodox view that our commitment to the Christian truth claim must affirm a pluralistic democratic setting for all people to live in peace and harmony. Orthodoxy holds fast to the truth of Christianity and defends the right of other religious expressions to co-exist in harmony in a democratic system where the law equally protects all."

Pensees you claim to be a disciple of Fr Seraphim Rose. Honestly what do you think he would have made of that statement? For he believed in Autocratic Monarchial goverment and clearly demonstrated the satanic nature of Democracy in his brillant essay on Nihilism. Have you ever read St John Chrystostomn's sermon's on the epistle of Titus? His attitude towards heresy and heretics is very different to the one put forward in that article.

Theophan.