2.  SEC·U·LAR·ISM (SµK“Y…-L…-R¹Z”…M) N. 1.
RELIGIOUS SKEPTICISM OR
INDIFFERENCE. 2. THE VIEW THAT
RELIGIOUS CONSIDERATIONS SHOULD BE
EXCLUDED FROM CIVIL AFFAIRS OR
PUBLIC EDUCATION. --SEC“U·LAR·IST N.
--SEC”U·LAR·IS“TIC ADJ.
 FROM “THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY”

3.  AN INCREASINGLY SECULARIZED WORLD
VIEW HAS COME TO DOMINATE EVERY
PROFESSION, ACADEMIA AND,
ESPECIALLY, MEDIA AND
ENTERTAINMENT.

4.  Secularism can be defined as the
marginalization of God and the Church, and in
place of God and His Church, a focus on
"earthly things" (Phil. 3,19). That is to say, the
values of contemporary western world
including: radical individualism; moral
relativism; and religious and political
correctness, which guide individual and social
behavior and inform political/public policy.

5.  DANGER: “…without points of moral reference
and without a plan worthy of the human
person"
 “…only the satisfaction of one’s wishes is taken
into account”
 [Second Catholic-Orthodox Forum - Rhodes, Greece – 18th-22th October 2010- by
invitation of His Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew ]

6.  Secularism rejects God and His Church as the
touchstone of truth and meaning. Moreover,
when God is rejected, the locus of truth — the
place from which truth emanates and where it
is found — must necessarily rest in the created
order. The locus shifts to man himself, and as
pride and an inflated sense of Godless self-
sufficiency grows, ideas which find no court of
accountability apart from the like-minded, are
implemented in this quest for a new Jerusalem.

7.  Secularism claims to be indifferent to religion.
 The essential marks of religion: narratives,
symbols, and traditions concerning the
meaning of the universe and its existence, of
human life, and of societal values and how they
should be carried out.
 Religion has a public aspect and the secularist
religion has spared no effort in its desire to
establish itself as the public national and world
religion

8.  If Godly people were more aware of the secular
value agenda, they might see the need to
embrace and celebrate traditional religious
beliefs in our society instead of eradicating
them.

9.  Among the most egregious secularist principles
are: learn to use your enemies; conceal your
intentions; court attention at all costs; get
others to work, but take the credit; use
selective honesty; appeal to self-interest; crush
your enemy; keep others in suspended terror;
discover each man's thumbscrew; create
compelling spectacles (the aura of power).
[Greene R. (1998). The 48 Laws of Power. NY: Penguin]

10.  Abortion, adultery, alcoholism, anger, blasphemy,
child abuse (physical, psychological, sexual or
neglect), contempt, deceit, drug addiction, evil
speaking (talking about someone even if true),
fornication, gossip, harshness, hate, hypocrisy,
idolatry, insider trading, kidnapping, kickbacks,
lust, lying, negligence, not caring for the
environment, pre-emptive unjust warfare, same
sex marriage, smoking, spousal abuse, torturing
and/or belittling prisoners, using others for money,
power or sex, vengeance (national and personal).

12.  Many Protestant communities of the West cannot
be relied on to battle this brokenness. In fact, they
are part of the problem. As communities they have
abandoned the ancient Sacred Traditions of the
Church founded by Christ on His Apostles. They
have modified and redefined the fundamental
teaching of Christ to conform to the secular culture.
Some have even claimed their personal
interpretation of Holy Scripture is the work of the
Holy Spirit and use their personal views to justify
personal and societal sin. [Alfeyev, Archbishop Hilarion. (2009). Christ
the Conqueror of Hell: The descent into Hades from an Orthodox perspective. Crestwood, NY:
St. Vladimir's Seminary Press.]

13.  Some who label themselves Christian communities
are even teaching that several of the societal sins
listed above, such as abortion and same sex
marriage, are Godly acts. Some have acquiesced
to political correctness and teach that females can
be ordained to the holy priesthood and
episcopacy. The effect of this sell-out is not only to
not preach the Gospel as Christ has taught us, but
also to produce a greater alienation from the
Orthodox Church, which the non-Christian world
can perceive as outright scandal and hypocrisy. “It
has also undermined the common Christian
witness to the secularized world. Some Orthodox
have been infected with this disease

14.  Equally reprehensible is the message of those who
preach hatred, retribution, vengeance and death in the
name of Christ. This is a mockery of all Christ stood for
by His emptying of Himself (kenosis) of the Godhead
and taking on our human nature.
 St. Luke warned of wolves coming among those who
call themselves followers of Christ: "I know that after
my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not
sparing the flock." (Acts 20: 29). St. John tells us "This
is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the
Son." (2 Jn 2:22). St. John also told us: "He who does
not love does not know God; for God is love. So we
know and believe the love God has for us. God is love,
and he who abides in love abides in God, and God
abides in him." (1 John 4:8,16).

16.  Our holy Church Father St. Isaac the Syrian tells
us what abiding in love means. He tells us it
entails acquiring a merciful heart whereby we
become like God. St. Isaac’s words are exact,
concrete and practical: And what is a merciful
heart? it is the heart burning for the sake of all
creation, for men, for birds, for animals, for demons
and for every created thing . . . the eyes of a
merciful man pour forth tears . . . . he cannot bear
to hear or to see any injury or slight sorrow in
creation...he offers up tearful prayer continually. .
.for the enemies of truth, and for those who harm
him, that they be protected and receive mercy.
Alfeyev, Bishop Hilarion (2000). The Spiritual World of St. Isaac the Syrian. Kalamazoo, MI:
Cistercian Publications.

18.  For those who call themselves 'Orthodox
Christians,' but are really not totally committed
to Christ, that is to say not truly Orthodox
Christians, the condemnation is even worse
for they have been given the fullness of Christ's
gifts. Recall Our Lord's words: "Every one to
whom much is given, of him will much be
required." (Lk 12:48)

19.  After receiving the Eucharist at the Divine
Liturgy we sing, "We have seen the true light,
we have received the heavenly Spirit; we have
found the true faith, worshipping the undivided
Trinity: for He hath saved us." The Orthodox
Church of Christ has been given the totality of
Divine Gifts. Woe to any who waste the divine
gifts received at Holy Baptism and available
throughout one's lifetime by full and deep
participation of the life in the Church.

20.  The increasing homogenization of Christ's
teaching with Godless world values and
practice has accelerated in part due to
technological, economic and entertainment
globalization. Thus the need for true and
complete pastoral focus on Orthodox
catechesis is so critically necessary: A re-
commitment to Christ in emulation of the first
Christians in the Acts of the Apostles.

21.  Psychological research: When a threat is
perceived collaborative action takes place
 this means all, from the royal priesthood of the
baptized to the threefold priesthood, bishops as
arch-pastors, the priests as pastors of the local
community, the deacons, at the head of the
laity, have to perceive the great seriousness
and threat of the evils of politically correct,
post-modern, relativistic, secular society.

22.  awakening a passionate sense of the threat so that it
produces an internal psycho-spiritual revolution that
sparks a fervid call to action to combat this threat on all
fronts: in government, in politics, in the community, in
the parish churches, in the home (the domestic
church), and among ourselves as individuals totally
committed to Christ. Indifference is, and will be, the
greatest challenge to this needed psycho-spiritual
revolution. The Culture of Christ versus the Culture of
Godless Society, must be cultivated All have the fervor
of St. John the Baptist: "The voice of one crying in the
wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his
paths straight." (Mt. 3:3). We must become radical,
revolutionary Christians.

23.  The technological advances in modern society, have been
nothing short of amazing. The fact that our God-given
intelligence has given us television, computers, smart
phones, etc., is the fruit of mankind’s fulfilling God’s
command: “Then God said, "Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness; and let them have dominion… over all the
earth…” (Gen 1: 26). television is good in and of itself, but a
newscaster taking off an item of clothing after each report
until stripped bare is deplorable, as is programming
depicting promiscuity and same-sex marriage. Computers
could be a blessing, but posting pictures of teens physically
beating themselves or others to death, or posting explicit
sex encounters is reprehensible. A Smartphone can be such
a useful communication tool and time saver, but stalking
others for financial or sexual gain is condemnable.. We must
become passionate warriors against the axis of brokenness

24.  As God’s grace builds on nature, so does the work of the separator, the
divider, the evil one.
 St. Maximus the Confessor taught: "the grace of the most Holy Spirit does not
confer wisdom on the Saints without their natural intellect as capacity to
receive it." Goodness and wisdom is granted to man by his "volitive" faculty,
so that what He (Christ) is in His essence the creature may become by
participation" (Philokalia II).
 The evil one, on the other hand, is the source of disorder. And functions as a
liar and destroyer - as one who distorts God's truth and violently deconstructs
God's created order. St. John wrote that, "the devil has sinned from the
beginning" (1 John 3:8). He shed more light on the nature of the devil and his
evil in a conversation Jesus had with the Pharisees: "You are of your father
the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer
from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth
in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a
liar and the father of it" (John 8:44).

25.  The deception, deceit and camouflage of the evil one:
 A senior supervising devil tells a devil-novice: "Jargon, not
argument, is your best ally in keeping him from the Church.”
“. . . if your patient can’t be kept out of the Church, he ought
at least to be violently attached to some party within it. I
don’t mean on really doctrinal issues; about those , the more
lukewarm he is, the better. And it isn’t the doctrines on
which we chiefly depend for producing malice. The real fun
is working up hatred [between parties].”
 With brilliant insight Lewis pens the words of the senior
devil on how the evil one want Christianity to be used:
“Certainly we do not want Christianity to flow over into their
political life… we do want men [to] treat Christianity as a
means… to their own advancement… You see the little rift?
“Believe this, not because it is true, but for some other
reason.” That’s the game.”

26.  CIVIL RIGHTS
 POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
 RELIGIOUS CORRECTESS
 ONE RELGION (VALUE) IS AS GOOD AS
ANOTHER
 EMOTIONAL EMPATHY

27.  Moses in the book of Exodus (32: 19-21) writes of his own zeal. When coming
down from Mt. Sinai after receiving the Tablets of the Law from God Himself and
seeing the Hebrew people worshiping the golden idol “Moses' anger burned hot,
and he threw the tables out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the
mountain. And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it with fire, and
ground it to powder, and scattered it upon the water, and made the people of Israel
drink it. And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you have
brought a great sin upon them?"
 Consider David’s courage, diligence and zeal in standing up to the Philistines: "You
come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin; but I come to you in
the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have
defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand…”(1Sam 17: 45-46).
 The Prophet Elijah proclaims his own zealousness for the Lord: “. . . the word of the
Lord came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He said,
"I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the people of Israel
have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thy altars, and slain Thy prophets with
the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." And
He said, "Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord" (1Kg 19: 9-11).

28.  Consider St. Luke’s account of the zeal of a follower of Christ, who
proclaimed Christ’s teaching even though he had not yet been
given the baptism of Christ Himself: “Now a Jew named Apollos, a
native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man,
well versed in the scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of
the Lord; and being fervent [zealous] in spirit, he spoke and taught
accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the
baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue… ”
(Acts 18: 24-26)
 Examine how St. Paul’s instructions to the Romans (12: 9-12) can
be a model for our own zealous commitment to Church reunion:
“Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;
love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in
showing honor. Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve
the Lord. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be
constant in prayer.” Indeed we must have “a zeal for God.” (Rm
10: 2)

29.  Pastors must find combat strategies to overcome the Godless secularism that is
attacking Christ and His Church, and which is a serious threat to the salvation of
ourselves and our loved ones as well as of all mankind. Recall the words of St.
James: “What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not
works? Can his faith save him?” (Jas 2:14). What might be some “works” of our
Christo-centric moral and value strategy? Reflect the spirit of St. John the Baptist in
today’s age:
 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." For this is he who was spoken of
by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." Now John wore a garment of
camel's hair, and a leather girdle around his waist; and his food was locusts and
wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about
the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their
sins” (Mt 2: 1-6).
 Our wilderness may be no further than our own parish churches, our families, our
friends, our neighbors, our news media, our Politicians. Some examples: activities
such as: action committees, book clubs, conferences, e- mail action groups, lecture
groups, pilgrimages, right-to(all)-life action groups, social events, study groups.
Strengthen the Domestic Church

30.  ”. The existence of a “home church” dating
from apostolic times comes right from St. Paul.
In his instruction to the Romans (16:3,5) he
says: “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow
workers in Christ Jesus, … greet also the
church in their house.” And to the Corinthians
(16:19) he says: “The churches of Asia send
greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the
church in their house, send you hearty
greetings in the Lord. “.

31.  Ideally, a true Orthodox Christian domestic church in our day should
look like (but is not limited to) something like this: Jesus Christ is at
the center or hub. Husbands, and wives, as such, and as fathers and
mothers, should be the leaders of the "church at home" in Christ's
name. They should bless one another and their children, bless the
food which is partaken, give thanksgiving for all that God has provided
(house, furnishings, etc.), thank God for health and talents, and lead
by the sanctity of their conduct as well as their words (Morelli, 2005c).
 No catechesis can take place without the full deployment of the
Domestic Church. The Orthodox family home has to reflect in its
entirety the teachings of Christ and the application of these teachings
as understood by His Church in the world today. Formal parish
catechetical lessons usually at best may last 45 minutes to 1 hour a
week. The number of hours in an entire week is 168 hours.
Considering of the importance of models in shaping behavior, how
much impact can a 1 hour Church School have when it is not reflected
in the family lifestyle during the other 167 hours comprising the week?

33.  Children are probably among the greatest hypocrisy
detectors in the world. When they witness and
experience a discrepancy between what they are
taught by Christ and His Church and what is practiced
in the Domestic Church the consequences are
spiritually and morally devastating. The disconnect is
immediately seen. The children's faith in the credibility
of the Christian understanding of husband-wife, father-
mother, family life and/or the moral authority of Christ
and the message of His Church is shattered.
Contemplate Our Lord's dire warning: "Whoever
causes one of these little ones who believe in me to
sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were
hung round his neck and he were thrown into the sea."
(Mk 9:42).

34.  It all begins with pre-marital counseling
 Evaluation of
 Commitment
 Loyalty
 Moral values
 Sexual intimacy
 Importance of the God, the teachings of Christ and
His Church
 Romance

35.  Companionship
 Forgiveness
 Trust
 Respect
 Sensitivity
 Sex-Gender roles
 Physical attractiveness
 Sexual faithfulness
 Faithfulness during times of trial and tribulations

36.  Romantic Love
 Togetherness
 Romantic Fulfillment
 Fear of Being Alone
 Rejection Phobia
 Inclusion
 Trapped
 Perfectionism
 Disapproval

37.  Permission Seeking
 Domination/Submission
 Pleasing Others
 Anti-Negotiation
 ENTITLEMENT
 RECIPROCITY
 NAGGING
 Help Addiction
 Superman/Superwoman

38.  Achievement
 Romantic Personalization
 Parental Personalization
 Conflict Phobia
 Justice
 Coercion
 Hopelessness/Helplessness
 Ultimatum
 Disclosure Demand

39.  Truth
 Sameness
 Disclosure Phobia
 Mind-Reading

40.  THE UNHOLY TRINITY:
ENTITLEMENT
RECIPROCITY
NAGGING

41.  You feel you deserve love, happiness, respect,
because of your “title” (mother-father/husband-
wife) and when people do not live up to your
expectations you have the right to feel angry
and taken advantage of.
 Antidote: Preferences based on love and
people’s freedom

42.  You feel you have the right to have others do
for you if you have done something for them
even if they never agreed or even knew about
it ---a unilateral contract
 Antidote: be upfront tell people what you want if
you want them to do something for you before
you do something

43.  You feel expressing persistent reminders is the
best way to get others to do what you want –
people in order to maintain control over their
lives will frequently do the opposite of what you
want
 Antidote: After a single preplanned cue, giving
people freedom to be part of the decision
making process in their own behavior

44.  HUMAN LOVE IS INCORPORATED INTO THE
KINGDOM OF GOD- DIVINE LOVE
 ST. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: “HOUSE OF
GOD”: “I AM IN THE MIDST OF THEM” [MT
18:20]

45.  MARRIAGE IS THE IMAGE OF GOD’S
FAITHFUL LOVE FOR ISRAEL
 THE CROWNING:
JOY: THE COUPLE IN A SPIRIT OF LOVE IS
UNITED FOR ETERNITY; TRANSFORM
THEMSELVES INTO THE LIKENESS OF GOD BY
EMMANUAL (GOD WITH US) [IS 7:14] ‘DANCE
AROUND THE GOSPEL BOOK
MARTYRDOM: ENORMOUS SELF SACRIFICE:
THE COUPLE BECOME MARTYRS IN THEIR OWN
RIGHT: KENOSIS-THE SELF EMPTYING CHRIST

47.  The Orthodox Wedding Ceremony. After
praying that the servant and handmaiden be
united by God, the priest continues: “Unite
them in one mind and one flesh, and grant
them fair children for education in thy faith and
fear [acknowledging the awesome,
transcendent God].

48.  By their marriage Orthodox couple is ordained
so to speak or commissioned to create an
Orthodox home and family (The Domestic
Church). This is the vocation of Orthodox
marriage.

49.  This requires that parents not only be hearers
of the Word, but also doers of the Word. They
must learn the way of God, particularly His
design for marriage and family through study,
prayer, being united to His Church through
obedience, reception of its Holy Mysteries and
practice of the spiritual life.

50.  Orthodoxy: It is all interrelated
 Its all about connections. I am referencing Church
Tradition, Sacred Scripture, the Divine Liturgy,
prayer, the counsels and sayings of the Church
Fathers, icons and architecture, music. Orthodoxy
is a unified whole, all parts interrelated and
connected, which at the end presents a spiritual
perception that transcends any of the parts taken
alone. Essential to making these 'connections'
efficacious in the journey to eternal salvation is the
'Domestic Church.'

51.  Several years ago The Learning Channel (TLC)
ran a TV series developed by science historian
David Burke called Connections. The premise
of the show was that one cannot consider the
development of any event in isolation. Rather,
all must be seen as a gestalt, a web of
interconnected events. This is a perfect
definition of the Orthodox Church of Christ and
how the revelation of Christ and the mind of His
Church should be taught as well.

52.  The use of 'connections' in pastoral function is
consistent with study findings from educational
psychology research laboratories. In a review of the
literature on transfer of learning, Sternberg and
Frensch (1993) point out that numerous studies
indicate transfer [improved learning] is likely to occur
when material is presented: in multiple settings, is
organized, that is to say "connected" with material
already known by the student; when common themes
are highlighted across different lessons and when
students are challenged to apply these themes to new
learning. Similarly, Greeno, Collins, and Resnick, 1996
point out the importance of "multiple representations of
content." Greeno, J. Collins, A. & Resnick, L. B. (1996). Cognition and learning. In D. C. Berliner
& Calfee, R. C. (Eds.) Handbook of Educational Psychology. NY: Macmillan.
 Sternberg. R. J., & Frensch, P.A. (1993). Mechanisms of transfer. In D. K. Detterman & R.J. Sternberg
(Eds.). Transfer on trial: Intelligence, cognition and instruction. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.

53.  A teaching moment is a real life, media
mediated or question prompted event that is
used to initiate a discussion about a topic or
present a lesson.

54.  Parents and child are walking on the street and
they and their children observe two individuals
of the same sex in a ‘passionate kiss.’
 A child has to step-over a homeless, poorly
clad and unkempt person sleeping on the
sidewalk

55.  A family is at home watching the TV news after
dinner: A segment including streaming video
and commentary of a gay rights parade is
being broadcasted.
 A same sex couple is being interviewed, and
they proclaim their ‘unbelievable’ happiness
that now they have the ‘right to marry.’
 A popular magazine shows pictures of a young
unmarried teen star (& model), who is
pregnant.

56.  In Church School Class, Workshop, Teen
Discussion Group, or planned Family
Discussion time (or un-resistant personal
conversation):
 Hey (Jack/Jill) have you ever seen two boys or two
girls ‘really’ kissing, what do you think?
 Jack/Jill, your classmate Mary, just got herself
pregnant ..how do you feel about that?

58.  What makes this problem distressing to
pastors, parents, church school teachers and
confusing to the children is that the star played
the role of a "moral heroine" on the show. She
talked about sex in the context of committed
relationships and marriage. She dealt
assertively with peers who wanted her to try
alcohol, drugs and the like. She was described
as "standing up for her beliefs."

59.  Talking with children does not mean preaching.
Adults can be preached to. Children have to
discover for themselves. The best way to talk with
children is to first ask them how they think
and/or feel about the topic. Then see if they can
make the connection to Our Lord's life and
teachings. The English word "education" is derived
from the Latin word "educare" which means "to
draw out." Parents, pastors, teachers may have to
help draw out these connections.

60.  The discussion should focus on the love God
has for us and the love husband (father) and
wife (mother) have for each other in a God-
blessed committed relationship (Blessed by
God in the Orthodox Marriage Service).
Parents should focus on this "as the same love
we have for you as our children.” This is the
same love we should have for one another.

61.  The discussion should focus on the
holiness of sex, its part in God's creation
 Example questions:
 Who created us? (God.)
 Who does God get to help him? (Mommies and
daddies. Older children may want to discuss the
physiology involved, parents should be un-
anxiously straightforward and choose age-
appropriate terms etc.)
 How does he choose them? (He blesses their
marriage.)

62.  The theme of this discussion is that since the fall of
our first parents, we are inclined to do what we
want and not what God wants. God loves us and if
we love Him we want to do what He wants, (follow
His will).
 Example questions:
 Have you ever done anything wrong?
 If you have done wrong what can you do? (Answers: ask
forgiveness, repent, do better, follow God's will.)
 Have you ever done anything God would be unhappy
about?
 Have you ever done anything mommy or daddy would be
unhappy about?

63.  God's Love, Mercy and Forgiveness
 The child should be helped to see God's never
ending love, mercy and forgiveness. The Gospels
are filled with examples of Jesus forgiving the sins
of those whom he encountered. Parents may want
to mark a few passages so they could go over
them with their children. With older children,
parents and children should read the Parable of
the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), and the account
of the woman caught in adultery (John 8: 3-11)
look at the icon depicting the parable and event.
Children should be asked for the meaning of these
passages in terms of the current news story and
their own lives.

64.  If you have done something wrong (fallen
short, sinned), are really sorry, and ask God
to forgive you, what will He do?
 Because you have done wrong does it
mean God, or mommy or daddy does not
love you?
 Does God want you to displease Him (sin
against Him) again? (cf. Romans 6.)
 What is the best way to please God after
displeasing (sinning against) Him? (Ask
forgiveness [for older children, especially by
going to Confession] and try with all our
heart not to displease Him or sin against
Him again.)

65.  Does Jamie's pregnancy outside of marriage cause God to
stop loving her? (No, He hates her sin, but not her, just as
we, your parents, hate when you disobey us, but still love
you.)
 Does God want you to love her?
 What can you do to show your love for her? (Pray for her,
pray she asks God to give her the grace to grow in His love
of Him, obey Him and do His will.)
 Because she did something wrong is it OK for us (you) to do
something wrong?
 What is more important: To please God or your friends?
 What is more important: To do what pleases God or to do
what you see movie stars do?
 Why not? (Because we want to love God with all our hearts
and mind, so we can please Him and be with Him in
paradise.)
 What do we do when we or someone gets in trouble? (Pray
for them. So we should pray for Ms. Spears, and all those
whom God loves, and that means all of us even the worst of
sinners.)

66.  Connecting God’s Love with our love of
God:
 The best way to show our love of God is to
love Him and do what He has commanded;
pray with all our heart to know, love and
serve Him. Pray that Our Lord's words to the
woman caught in adultery be what He would
say to this popular actress and ourselves:
"Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not
sin again" (John 6:11).

67.  Priestmonk Christodoulos (Angelou, 1998), biographer
of Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain, said of the Elder:
"He only saw the good things in life and was blind to
every evil." Fr. Christodoulos also said: "I believe that if
someone develops positive thoughts, ... he will not be a
loser, because God, who knows our deepest intentions,
will do him justice."
 What a beautiful way to apply the Elder's teaching to
this media event. One overheard comment that reflects
the spirit of the holy Elder's words was by a woman
who said, "One good thing, she decided to keep her
child and not have an abortion."
 Especially with older children, the choice for life over
death could be emphasized. They could pray that
Godly choices like this could continue to be made. This
could be a starting point leading to a family discussion
on abortion and the sanctity of life.

69.  Pastors and parish priests must engage the
question of same-sex marriage. Behavioral
research on effective persuasion strategies with
children (the way persuaders try to convince
children that their position is the right one to hold)
reveals that the best tactic is to associate the
message with fun and happiness, rather than
provide any factual content about the message
(Barcus, 1980). Also associating it as a civil rights
issue. We see the tactic employed consistently in
the newscasts about same-sex marriage. (Barcus, F. E.
(1980). The Nature of Television Advertising to Children. In E. Palmer & A. Dorr
(Eds.), Children and the Faces of Television (pp. 273-285). New York: Academic
Press.)

70.  First validate the feeling:
 The first step is to help the child understand
that just because something looks good does
not make it good. In other words, if your child
says that the scene of say, the happy
homosexual couple, makes him happy,
acknowledge it. The feeling of happiness is a
real experience and denying it will either
confuse him or cause him to discount what
you say.

71.  The child may something like, "Boy, they
sure seem happy." The parish priest
and/or parent could reply, "Yes, they sure
do.“; "But Johnny, let me ask you a
question, 'Because you are happy about
something, does that mean it is good for
you?'" He might answer yes, thus
affirming that if something makes him
happy it must be good.

72.  Ask the next question as a game (older children and
adolescents can be asked the questions straight up).
Pick something the child really likes, their favorite food
or toy for example. They should be emotionally excited
about your choice; something they see as "really
good." Then add some unforeseen and very
unfavorable consequence that compels him to think a
bit more deeply. For example: "Suppose the food were
filled with poison and you would get very sick if you ate
it, or suppose you were playing with your toy and an
accident happened and you got hurt." Let the child
discover through your questions that just because
something looks good and makes you happy does not
mean it is good for you. (Let the child answer)

73.  “…and you show that you are a letter from
Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but
with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets
of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (2Cor
3: 3)

74. RULES ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN

75.  Emulates: the Love of God and His actions
 Relationship of love between the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit.
 The creation of the cosmos, living things and
mankind
 The self-emptying of the Godhead in taking on our
nature
 The love of Christ for us by His Passion, Death and
Resurrection

76.  To treat a prohibition on same-sex marriage
outside of its Divine context is easily
interpreted as arbitrary and capricious. Some
smart children and adolescents will sense and
perceive this. Priests, parents and educators
have to be able to answer the question their
children's ultimate question: Why? Of course in
their own education process, the parish priest
parents, spiritual director must focus on spirit,
not rules.

77.  THE SCIENTIFIC & ORTHODOX REALITY:
 Sex: What a person is biologically.
 Sexual Orientation: The sex of the individual the
person is sexually attracted to whether same-sex
or opposite sex attraction.
 Sexual Desire or Strength: The degree of
attraction, from weak to strong.
 Sex Partner Differences in Arousal:
Males: Multiple partners.
Females: A single bonded individual.
 Gender Identity: The sexual characteristics a
person perceives himself as having that are
socially defined, irrespective of their biological sex.

78.  If the term sex is replaced with the term
gender, then biological concreteness is
subsumed by cultural values leading to
the confusion we see today: the denial of
male-female distinctions, the
reformulation of human relationships
(such as marriage) in culturally relative
terms.

79.  Proposals by some (thank God very few) to
ordain ‘female priests’

80.  "You're right, we're made in God's image and
have to be like Him." "Making kids is God's
work." "Yeah! I know what having sex is all
about, two girls or two guys can't 'do it' the
same way as a girl and a guy can." "Wow! Two
fleshes become one flesh, and the child is your
flesh too, I never thought of it that way. So
marriage has to be holy too!"

81.  Younger children may find it difficult to
conceive of the meaning of "one flesh." St.
Paul himself said: "This mystery is a profound
one…" (Ephesians 5:32). I have found it useful
to use concrete objects that a child is familiar
with to illustrate more abstract concepts. Most
children play with blocks and have experience
with various geometric forms in games such as
pegboard etc.

82. MALE –FEMALE—HUSBAND-WIFE BECOME ONE

83. CANNOT BE JOINTED TOGETHER

84. CANNOT BE JOINED TOGETHER

85.  One of the stumbling blocks in any discussion of
homosexuality and same-sex is the charge "Don't
judge!“ Secular moralists are using it to obliterate
any distinctions between what the way the Church
understands scripture concerning right behavior
and relationships.
 Nevertheless, the charge stops many Christians in
their tracks. It's also a powerful shaper of young
minds. Children want to be fair. They may know
homosexuals, or even children of same-sex
couples. "Don't judge!" translates into "You've got
to be fair!" This should be dealt with.

86.  St Luke's words, "Now the tax collectors and
sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the
Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, 'This
man receives sinners and eats with them'" (Luke
15: 1-2).
 A child may be asked, do we see Jesus ever
condoning prostitution or thievery? Of course not.
At the same time, Jesus saw the prostitutes and
tax collectors as more than their sin. He reproved
the religious establishment, the people who
thought that because they had a lock on religion
they were guaranteed a place in the kingdom of
God, with some harsh and unexpected words.

87.  A child may be asked, "How could this be
applied to gay people you might meet?" If the
child knows someone who is homosexual, use
the name of his acquaintance. More thought-
provoking questions include: "How should we
treat someone gay when we meet them?"
"What should be our mood?" "How should we
think about them?" "Should we pray for them?"
"What did St. Paul say the purpose of God's
kindness was?"

88.  Tom may be gay, but he is also a child of God.
 Jane is free to act the way she wants, she can choose to
live the way God asks us to act according to His Will or
'do her own thing.' I will pray for her.
 Jesus has told us that only a man and woman can marry
and be blessed by the church. Tom and his male friend
cannot have a blessed marriage in Christ.
 If a male-female couple decided to just live together or
get a "justice of the peace marriage," it would not be
blessed either.
 All of us, male and female are asked by God to love and
obey Him, but it is our choice.

89.  I cannot judge Tom, only God judges, but I can
pray that we all do God's will.
 Jesus told us Jane cannot be married to her
girlfriend, but God also gave us free will. I will pray
for them. God told me to only look at myself—I
sure know the sins I have done.
 Listen, I have chosen to live my life the way Jesus
has told us. I may mess up, but I keep trying.
 Just because Tom and his friend, and Jane and
her friend were "married in court" doesn't mean it is
blessed by God. God only blesses a man and a
women who marry in church.

90.  Please note that the script models the
essentials of a Christ-like response: kindness
toward all; non-judgment of persons (judgment
belongs to God only); and affirmation of the
truth that only a blessed marriage between
male and female is acceptable to God, and
humility in that we are to judge ourselves, not
our brother or sister.

91.  O Lord and Master of my life, do not give me
the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power and
idle talk

But rather give me the spirit of chastity,
humility, patience and love to thy servant.

Yes, Lord and King, grant me to see my own
transgressions and not to judge my brother,
For blessed art thou unto ages of ages. Amen