October 2019 Archives

Islamicization of Public Education Continues Apace

October 29, 2019November 6, 2019 by Orthodox Editors

Islamicization of Public Education Continues Apace by Fr. Mario Alexis Portella –
This is not just a violation of the First Amendment but an ongoing, albeit subtle, diffusion of Islam in our Western society.

On October 15, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a petition presented by the Thomas More Law Center (TMLC) to hear Wood v. Arnold, a case brought by Caleigh Wood, a Christian student in the 11th grade at La Plata High School in Maryland. Wood refused to take part in a school exercise she felt would deny her faith “by making a written profession of the Muslim conversion prayer known as the shahada—‘There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah’.” The TMLC argues the school violated the First Amendment’s Establishment and Free Speech clauses when it ordered Wood to do an assignment that she could not complete without violating her Christian beliefs; the teacher then gave her a failing grade. [Read more…]

Satan Attacks Purity First to Lead Us Away from God

October 23, 2019October 31, 2019 by Orthodox Editors

Satan Attacks Purity First to Lead Us Away from God by Peter Howard –
That’s why Satan attacks purity first because then we can’t see God (“Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God”). Lack of purity (moral impurity) results in loss of holiness and that lack of holiness leads to division in relationships, which results in lack of communion of life, which results in not transmitting life and love.

That’s the oversimplified, but nonetheless true, breakdown how impurity leads from a culture of life and love to a culture of death and self-centered immorality.

And the world — and many in the Church — have rejected the call to purity, embraced immorality and abandoned God, calling this insanity “freedom.” [Read more…]

Don’t Dialogue With Sin

October 9, 2019October 16, 2025 by Orthodox Editors

Dont Dialogue With Sin Fr. Ioannes Apiarius by Fr. Ioannes Apiarius –
Don’t dialogue with sin. Don’t engage sin. Don’t self-identify with sin. Don’t take pride in sin. Don’t define sin as essential to human identity. Don’t celebrate sin. Turn away from sin. Flee from sin. Repent of sin. Struggle and fight against sin. Help others turn away from sin. Help them to fight against sin. Teach others to avoid sin and reject sin.

“The demons want us to enter into dialogue with them. We must do everything we can to avoid this. The only way to do this is to totally ignore all their suggestions, to not pay them any attention,” wrote Elder Sergei of Vanves.

These are basic and universal Christian principles and moral precepts that keep us on the narrow road that leads to salvation and eternal life. They help us clear the weeds of destructive passions from the soil of our souls, and prep it for the Word of God to be implanted, take root, and bear much good fruit. They help us fight the good fight. They help us live in truth. They help us seek and worship the True God, not the idol many of us craft from our own distorted thinking and call it “god.” [Read more…]

Heresies and Schisms Will Appear in the Churches, in the Last Days

October 7, 2019October 7, 2019 by Orthodox Editors

St. Ambrose Heresies and Schisms Will Appear in the Churches Mocking The Holy Fathers St. Ambrose of Optina (1812-1891) –
My child, know that in the last days hard times will come; and as the Apostle says, behold, due to poverty in piety, heresies and schisms will appear in the churches; and as the Holy Fathers foretold, then on the thrones of hierarchs and in monasteries there will be no men to be found that are tested and experienced in the spiritual life. Wherefore, heresies will spread everywhere and deceive many.

The enemy of mankind will act skillfully, and whenever possible he will lead the chosen ones to heresy. He will not begin by discarding the dogmas on the Holy Trinity, the divinity of Jesus Christ, or the Theotokos, but will unnoticeably start to distort the Teachings of the Holy Fathers, in other words the teachings of the Church herself.

The cunning of the enemy and his “tipics” (ways) will be noticed by very few — only those that are most experienced in spiritual life. Heretics will take over the Church, everywhere, and they will appoint their servants, and spirituality will be neglected. [Read more…]

Blasphemy and Open Rebellion by Nik Jovcic-Sas the “Orthodox Provocateur”

October 5, 2019July 18, 2025 by Orthodox Editors

Blasphemy and Open Rebellion by Nik Jovcic-Sas the Orthodox Provocateur by Jennifer Davis –
Why would anyone invite Nik Jovcic-Sas to any academic conferences or ask for his opinion on any Orthodox Church issues? Have these clergy and academics lost their minds?

Nik Jovcic-Sas (Nik Jovčić-Sas), describes himself as “Violinist, LGBTQ+ Activist, Drag Queen, Eastern Orthodox Theologian & Vampire.” Nik also calls himself the “Orthodox Provocateur” and runs a Facebook page by the same name where he regularly posts blasphemous, offensive, and scandalous material.

None of that bothered the “consortium of scholars from the University of Exeter and the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University” who organized an Oxford Conference (Aug. 16-17) with the help of Deacon Brandon Gallaher and Gregory Tucker (man “married” to another man) where “contemporary issues of sex, gender, and sexuality were discussed in relation to the Orthodox Church.” Nik Jovcic-Sas was one of the invited speakers (I assume in the “LGBTQ+ activists” category) who presented at the conference. [Read more…]