Sent: 17/08/00 4.16
Subject: Este ortodoxia gata de dialog?

Inca un document care da de gindit ...

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C U R R E N T F E A T U R E S T O R Y
by the Editors of ReligionToday

August 17, 2000


Russian Orthodox bishops convene in Moscow. Ecumenism is in but evangelism is out when it comes to non-Orthodox churches in Russia, the country's Orthodox leaders say.

.....Russian Orthodox bishops criticized evangelism by non-Orthodox churches during a recent meeting in Moscow but said there is need for better interchurch relations, according to news reports.

.....About 150 church leaders attended the Jubilee Bishop's Council to establish policies governing the church and its members into the 21st century. The Aug. 13-16 meeting was held at the newly
rebuilt Cathedral of Christ Our Savior, which was destroyed during the Soviet era. Social doctrine, the primacy of the Orthodox faith, and the need to work toward unity with other Christians dominated the agenda.

.....A statement on interchurch relations proclaimed the primacy of the Orthodox faith while acknowledging the need for greater cooperation with other churches. The 20-page document claims that the Orthodox Church is the one true church founded by Christ and rejects Protestant theories of an "invisible church" comprised of faithful members of all denominations, the Moscow Times reported.

....."The very concept of tolerance in matters of faith is unacceptable," the document says, according to the Times. The document also condemns "destructive missionary activity" by
Catholic and Protestant groups, claiming they use promises of wealth to steal away Orthodox members, the Times reported.

.....Such statements reflect the church hierarchy's fear of losing its monopoly, George Law of Russian Ministries told Religion Today. The Wheaton, Ill.-based Protestant group supports
indigenous evangelists in 300 communities across the former Soviet Union.

....."They see a great threat from the Protestant evangelical movement because it is growing so fast," Law said. The number of evangelical churches has tripled to 4,500 in the past decade,
while Orthodox churches have had marginal growth, he said. "If that trend continues there will be more Protestant churches,"  than Orthodox someday.

.....However, the bishops' statement recognizes the need for Christian unity, and encourages more communication between Orthodox and non-Orthodox groups. It proposes establishing joint
research centers, an exchange of theological students and professors, and cooperation on addressing social issues, the Times reported.

.....That is a positive development given the level of opposition to such efforts within the ROC, said Lauren Homer, a human rights attorney who has worked in Russia. "There are very significant
elements within the church that want no dialogue," and advocate cutting off contact with non-Orthodox bodies, including the World Council of Churches, she said.

.....The bishops also issued a landmark document on social doctrine, condemning as sinful homosexuality, euthanasia, abortion, and artificial insemination, Reuters reported.  Euthanasia is both suicide and murder, the bishops said, and Christian burials would be denied to those who choose it. Surrogate motherhood and genetic engineering were also deemed sinful.

....."The Holy Bible and the church unequivocally condemn homosexual ties as a perverse distortion of the God-given nature of the human being," the statement said, according to the Times. The bishops said gays and lesbians should be barred from teaching jobs and senior positions in the army, and condemned gay marriage.

.....It is the first time in more than 70 years that the church has taken a public stand on social issues because the communist government dominated the church during the Soviet era. The social declaration also calls for separation of church and state and says Christians should not accept government as the final authority. It says the state should not interfere in church doctrine or teachings, the Times reported.

.....The bishops canonized 860 clergy and laymen killed by the Bolsheviks. They declared saints those executed in 1937 and 1938, according to the New York Times.  Security
officials arrested more than 140,000 churchmen in those years and 106,800 were killed, the Times reported.

.....Among those canonized were Czar Nicholas II and his immediate family. Nicholas, his wife, Alexandra, and children Alexei, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia were killed in 1918. The bishops did not proclaim the family martyrs who were executed for their faith, but said they are "passion bearers" whose humility, patience, and meekness in their suffering and death exemplified
the character of Christ.

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Daniel,

Acest document ortodox mi-a placut si exprima foarte bine sentimentele mele.
Cred ca orice denominatie care se respecta are anumite convingeri cu privire
la credinta ei pe care nu o poate compromite in dialogul cu altii.
Intrebarea este, sunt baptistii gata de dialog cu ortodocsii sau cu
adventistii sau cu penticostalii. Cunoscind mentalitatea mea pe care am
avut-o ca baptist, presupun ca raspunsul este foarte simplu: baptistii sunt
interesati doar in masura in care spera sa-i influenteze pe ceilalti.

Pe de alta parte, experienta mea ca ortodox a fost ca un numar de fosti
prieteni baptisti cu care am incercat sa dialoghez m-au tratat ca pe un
renegat care trebuie izolat. Halal dialog!

Punctul din document cu privire la cistigarea de convertiti prin mijoace
materiale este foarte corect. Intr-adevar, cum poate concura o parohie
ortodoxa saraca dintr-un mic orasel rus, cu o biserica ruinata si cu un
preot fara educatie superioara cu forta unei misiuni baptiste sprijinita cu
multi $$$, cu persoane educate, cu posibiliatea de a trimite pe tinerii
convertiti la studii in SUA, cu materiale tiparite de cea mai inalta
calitate tipografica, cu filme, casete si afise?

Fara a vrea sa fiu cinic, doresc sa observ ca nu numai numarul de biserici
protestante a crescut in Rusia, ci si numarul de McDonald-uri. Ne spune
aceasta ceva despre adevarul unei credinte sau despre imperialismul cultural
al celei mai puternice tari din lume?

Mihai

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To: Mike Oara
Sent: 17/08/00 14.28
Subject: RE: Este ortodoxia gata de dialog?

Draga Mihai

Observ la tine o "evolutie" spre stari de intransigenta popeasca (dar asta este o alta problema).

Ma sperii ca te indentifici cu o politica "patronanta de teritoriu" ca cea publicata de biserica rusa. Vai, cit de departe sunt astfel de pozitii cu cuvintele Celui care a zis: "Acum imparatia mea nu este din lumea aceasta".
Biserica rusa cauta cu disperare sa "pastreze" dreptul sau de proprietate asupra unei natiuni (rusine peste rusine). O asemenea atitudine nu este nici in spiritul si nici in invatatura lui Christos.

Ce mai ramine din "libertatea de constiinta" si din despartirea intre Stat si Biserica ? Doar simple ipocrizii publicitare. Biserica ortodoxa doreste sa intoarca lumea cu citeva secole inapoi, spre vremuri in care stapinea si peste Stat si peste constiintele oamenilor. Ma mir ca nu vezi aceasta realitate, sau ... este cazul sa ma intristez pentru inegurarea care cade din ce in ce mai adinc peste sensibilitatea ta spirituala.

Cu regret si durere

Daniel Branzai

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Daniel,

Este evident ca in chestiunea patrunderii protestantismului in Rusia
opiniile noastre sunt diferite. Tu vezi lucrurile din punct de vedere al
libertatii religiei si al necesitatii de a evangheliza. Toate aceste
considerente sunt importante si le respect in mod sincer. Dar celalalt punct
de vedere este ca se desfasoara o competitie intre forte inegale. Una dintre
ele - protestantismul - are in spate cea mai mare putere din lume in ce
priveste banii, economia, armata si mass-media. Celalta a fost aproape
anihilata de 70 de ani de crunta persecutie. Acuzatia ca Biserica Ortodoxa
este indiferenta cu privire la mintuirea oamenilor si doar interesata de
putere mi se pare nefondata. Biserica Ortodoxa nu a acumulat imperii de
mass-media de $200 milioane cu a facut-o Jimmy Swagart.

Dar cred ca aceasta discutie poate continua in mod indefinit.

Am remarcat tonul ceva mai agresiv din ultimele noastre schimburi de mesaje.
Asa cum am mai mentionat, in ce ma priveste, prefer sa discut despre
invatatura crestina, nu despre oameni si organizatii. De ambele parti putem
gasi la infinit exemple negative de cealalta parte. Discutia publica a
acestora nu ne este de prea mare folos.

Unul din avantajele dialogului nostru - mai ales partea publica a acestui
dialog - este acela ca ne ajuta sa intelegem mai bine cum inteleg ceilalti
mintuirea si viata de credinta. Cred in mod sincer ca ortodocsii au ceva de
invatat de la baptisti (dragostea pentru Scriptura, educatia religiasa a
copiilor, spiritul evanghelistic). In acelasi timp, ortodocsii au o teologie
profunda si o traditie spirituala din care se pot invata multe lucruri
folositoare. Propunerea mea este sa ne concentram mai mult asupra acestor
aspecte.

Doresc de asemenea sa marturisesc faptul ca am apreciat profund dialogul cu
tine. Te-am vazut ca un spirit ales - in sensul crestinilor din Berea -
deschis spre idei si comunicare, si de aceea sper sa putem continua dialogul
nostru.

Dupa ce ma intorc de la Roma intentionez sa dau o explicatie cu privire la
Siluan Atonitul si Grigore Palamas, nu intr-un spirit de confruntare ci doar
cu intentia de a prezenta anumite aspecte mai greu de inteles ale
Ortodoxiei. Astept in continuare mesajul tau cu privire la mintuire, pe care
l-ai promis. Cred ca in felul acesta ne putem deplasa catre un teritoriu mai
putin confruntational.

Cu aceeasi dragoste si respect,

Mihai