“A time is coming when men will go mad‚ and when they see someone who is not mad‚ they will attack him‚ saying‚ ‘You are mad; you are not like us.’” (St. Anthony the Great)[i]
Beloved in Christ‚
The raging war that is going on in our culture for some time has at its center the understanding of man and his relationship with the Divinity‚ if one even recognizes one. In other words‚ it is a problem of anthropology. To understand this‚ according to the well-known Christian Orthodox bioethicist‚ Tristram Engelhardt‚ of blessed memory‚ one “ought [to] acknowledge that the[se] disputes […] are located in a fundamentally religious conflict: a conflict between a traditional Christian culture and the emerging post-Christian culture with its collage of post-traditional Christian‚ post-Christian‚ and neo-pagan perspectives.”[ii]
The society in which we live today is becoming more and more unfavorable to traditional Christianity that continues to uphold the universal values revealed by God to humanity. These values are systematically replaced by an alternate‚ man-made set of values and hierarchies. This new axiology (order of values) highlights not man’s origin in God‚ but man’s escalating independence from God. It is a departure from the transcendent to the immanent‚ that is from an existence that is rooted in God to an existence that is rooted in creation‚ and more so‚ that denies that there is even any Creator.
Such an exercise tends to drive the application of traditional Christian beliefs and traditions out of the public forum into the private setting of homes and churches‚ to make space for other things that used to be private‚ like sexuality for instance. Without Christianity to keep things where they belong‚ in the right order‚ the wrong things are pushed in the fore-front of our public life‚ out of order. This means that rather being defined who we are by our relationship with God‚ and our sustained effort to achieve His likeness‚ we are being persuaded to define ourselves by biological functions (i.e. sexuality) that are liking us‚ not with God‚ but rather with the non-rational animals.
Rightly knowing the Truth however‚ means to rightly acknowledge and worship God‚ in other words‚ Orthodoxia. Any attempt to explain Christian beliefs through human rationality discounting God‚ will eventually fall outside of the mark‚ which‚ according to Orthodox theology‚ is the very definition of sin. Once we delink from God our way of thinking‚ which influences our actions‚ then we create not a new morality‚ but an anti-morality[iii]. The first chapter of the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Romans gives us the explanation: “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity‚ to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves‚ because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator‚ who is blessed forever! Amen.” (Romans 1:24-25). No God equals no eternal consequences; therefore‚ all bets are off.
The presence of truth in the context of the right knowledge and worship is the reason why generally‚ Orthodoxy prefers to speak about these things in a private setting‚ if possibly linked with the Sacrament of Holy Confession. Here‚ the assistance of the Holy Spirit makes both the priest and the believer be more permeable to the Truth of God. The believer‚ in his attempt to stay within the context of the Faith‚ as he understands and tries to exercise it‚ comes to receive a Sacrament that will help him recognize the good things he should do from the bad things he should avoid. He is involved in an upward movement of self-reflection and perfection that will help him achieve a more likeness of Christ and further along his personal relationship with Him. There is no good outside of this relationship with God. Christ Himself warns the young ruler coming to Him as to a regular “good” teacher‚ in search for eternal life: “No one is good but One‚ that is‚ God.” (Matthew 19:17). Without being open and committed to participation in the life in Christ‚ one will not grasp the transformational nature of traditional Christian morality.
It comes a time‚ however‚ when this discussion has to come to forward in public life‚ at least in a Church setting like ours today‚ especially because the forces pushing our values away from God are not silent. We have to learn why we are setting ourselves apart from the secular society in our way of thinking‚ why we act on or avoid certain things which‚ from a simple godless rationality‚ don’t make any sense. This is why I have decided‚ after careful reflection‚ to start a short series on current moral issues‚ in the hope that this will provide to the audience‚ you‚ my beloved parish‚ a more complete understanding of what is at stake in the current cultural wars and‚ hopefully‚ some tools to help you cope with the storm that is raging at us.
Recent news from various parts of the country: The March for Life in Washington DC‚ the new abortion law in NY‚ the installation of a new conservative judge in the Supreme Court and the prospect‚ even remote‚ of reversing Roe vs Wade‚ bring back into discussion the debate surrounding abortion‚ so‚ I will start with this. Very briefly‚ from an Orthodox perspective‚ abortion is wrong. There is no doubt about that. A major part of the population however does not believe the same thing. Why is this? Well‚ it has to do with the answer to the following question: ‘Do I believe in God and am I engaged in developing a transformational relationship with Him through right knowledge and worship?’ Answer ‘Yes’ and you agree with the Church. Answer ‘No’ and you will be off mark. That is the short answer.
The more nuanced answer is that abortion is at the core of the current cultural war. By giving control of their reproduction outcomes‚ abortion liberates women and their partners from the consequences of sexual actions. Women become therefore free from the burdens that a child could bring in their lives‚ careers etc. and true equality is achieved. This vision ignores completely the purpose of sexuality‚ the role of child bearing in women’s road to salvation‚ the commandments of the Lord and the sanctity of human life. Humanity is elevated at the level of God‚ deciding and forging its own destiny‚ like nothing else exists. They become the judges and the gods of the universe.
We have to make sure that we mention that the Orthodox Church is not against creating an environment of equal opportunity between sexes‚ but it places it‚ again‚ in the context of the right knowledge and worship‚ where our actions build us‚ or not‚ towards the Kingdom.
Traditional Christianity‚ Orthodoxy‚ to be exact‚ looks as sexuality as having the dual role of uniting the two‚ male and female‚ in one flesh and also the procreation of children. All this is achieved in the safe and blessed environment of the sacramental marriage. Sexuality is therefore not free and whole until is opened to the providence of God in regards to child bearing.
Abortion is trying to reverse this by de-linking sexuality from its procreational and sacramental purpose and demoting it to a mere physical function akin to drinking water or eating a sandwich. It is an itch that has to be scratched; it doesn’t matter with whom‚ how‚ when‚ it just has to happen. Once the door to a sexuality free of procreation is opened‚ all bets are off. In a world that comes from randomness and goes into non-existence‚ all things are possible‚ because nothing really matters. In the right order of an existence in God‚ however‚ not all actions are equally useful: “All things are lawful for me‚ but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me‚ but I will not be brought under the power of any. Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods‚ but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord‚ and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.” (1Corinthians 6:1’-14)
Having embraced this pseudo-morality‚ one has to secure its position by bringing to the table seemingly reasonable objections that would lead to the justification of a certain moral choice. One such avenue is the debate dealing with the status of the embryo: when an embryo can be considered a distinct individual‚ when it becomes a person‚ when is the time of ensoulment etc. The Orthodox Church teaches simply that human life begins at conception. This is the core belief. There is no doubt that from the stage of the zygote‚ there is already human life. Two live human gametes can only form a human embryo. Human life is present from the very beginning‚ despite the stage. The canons of the Church state it without hesitation that anyone choosing abortion and providing abortion is guilty of murder regardless of the developmental stage. “Let her that procures abortion undergo ten years’ penance‚ whether the embryo were perfectly formed‚ or not” [iv] (St. Basil the Great). Many other canons concur with him. Early Christianity‚ although sternly condemning abortion in all its forms‚ did this without overthinking the questions of ensoulment‚ beginning of personhood etc. They treated every stage of life as potentially leading to a full human person perfected in Christ. Stopping life at any stage would preclude such potentiality and therefore is murder.
Another avenue of justifying abortion is procured by certain particular and challenging situations like rape‚ teen-age pregnancies‚ genetical malformations of the baby‚ priority of saving the mother etc. According to secular belief‚ these extreme cases should be enough to justify the killing of the unborn. Obviously that these situations demand a very thorough examination of the particular context of each case‚ but should not lead to generalization. The principle should be the same: if one is anchored and engaged in the right faith and worship‚ then one will be guided by the Truth that transforms and not by fear of consequences. Even in these are cases‚ a woman still has a choice‚ a hard one‚ but still a choice. Being pregnant in teenage years is inconvenient‚ is shameful‚ is scary but how is it the baby’s fault? One cannot even imagine the torment a woman goes through when rape is involved‚ but could even this justify the killing of the innocent? How is adding the killing of a baby going to ease the psychological burden of a woman that went through such a traumatic event?[v] Genetical malformations are of course more than just inconvenience but‚ again‚ does this justify the infanticide‚ especially in cases where the baby is viable like Down syndrome? Obviously in cases like ectopic pregnancy‚ when the baby would not survive once the pregnancy gets to a certain point‚ a decision should be taken with the full cooperation of the doctors of bodies and the doctors of souls (priests). Such a decision is painful and can be taken only by knowing the exact diagnosis and the full implications on the mother and baby. The decision should be a therapeutic one‚ to save the mother and the baby‚ if possible‚ and‚ if not‚ the mother would generally take priority‚ because she already has responsibilities and relationships that an unborn baby does not have[vi]. The death of the baby would be the sad‚ unwanted consequence of the therapeutic effort of saving the mother. Such cases though‚ are‚ again‚ a very small percentage of all pregnancies‚ and cannot by any means become a basis for justification of any type of abortion.
You probably noticed by now that I am using a strong language: murder‚ homicide‚ infanticide etc. This is in a way purposeful‚ because the architects of the anti-morality pervasive in our culture today‚ have modified the language so it will make it more acceptable. The term pro-choice or pro-reproduction rights is used instead of pro-abortion. A baby in the womb is not a baby but an embryo‚ a fetus or an unborn. Killing a baby becomes a benign technical term: procedure‚ reduction‚ aspiration‚ emptying‚ termination of pregnancy‚ although the instruments used: poison‚ sharp knives and scissors are more common in murder. Pregnancy is portrayed as a freedom limiting disease rather than a wonderful event of caring a human life‚ abortion is a women health choice not killing and we can go on and on. This carefully chosen language denies any respect to these developing human persons‚ it strips them of dignity and ultimately it helps ease the conscience of those who advocate their killing. The reality is that through abortion a human being with a heartbeat‚ capable of smiling and who feels pain‚ is brutally torn from the womb. This is the naked truth‚ and no carefully chosen words can cover it.
The pro-abortion groups point fingers at Christians because apparently‚ we are not providing solutions for people to avoid being in situations like this. But the solution is simple: be faithful‚ marry young‚ do not commit fornication or adultery‚ trust in God’s providence and work for your salvation. This will cover 99% of all situations for abortion. I know that some people May scoff at this‚ but only because‚ by choice‚ they support a different godless‚ moral universe. The sexual revolution demands abortion because is the only way that both man and women can live free of the consequences of their sexual choices. One cannot mix this‚ however‚ with living a life in Christ. So‚ there is a choice. You cannot have cake and eat it too.
If one is committed to the Truth‚ one can find alternatives simply by asking for assistance in taking and living with such a critical moral decision. I know many faithful Christian parents of children with Down syndrome for instance‚ that are raising wonderful kids‚ and enjoy their presence in their lives‚ despite the obvious challenges. I know a priest in Romania[vii] that has helped hundreds of pregnant and abused women that‚ out of various reasons cannot care for their children. Rather than having an abortion‚ he offers them shelter and the option to give their children to faithful foster families‚ for care‚ until their situation improves and could eventually take them back. His example inspired many others to do the same. The Patriarch of Georgia‚ in an effort to help people understand the gift of life that God bestows upon us in Children pledged to baptize the third and later children of parents who have been married in the Church. He has now over 3’‚000 Godchildren.[viii] Also here in America‚ there are numerous non-profit organizations‚ Christian and not‚ who can educate young women navigate the decision tree. The options are here‚ one has only to seek them out.
As Orthodox Christians we have an obligation not just to tell the Truth but to live the Truth. We cannot change others‚ of course‚ but we can offer them support and a living example of a life that May compel some to join the Truth and start living towards the Kingdom. If we understand this‚ I think every one of us could potentially provide support‚ moral‚ spiritual‚ physical‚ to these mothers. Together we can save the babies and the mothers themselves‚ enabling them to live free of the consequences of such a terrible decision.
[i] St. Anthony the Great‚ The Sayings of the Desert Fathers: The Alphabetical Collection
[ii] H. Tristram Engelhardt Jr.‚ Moral Knowledge: Some Reflections on Moral Controversies‚ Incompatible Moral Epistemologies‚ and the Culture Wars‚ Christian Bioethics‚ Volume 10‚ 2004’– Issue 1‚ pp. 79-103
[iii] H.T. Engelhardt Jr.op. cit.
[iv] St. Basil the Great‚ 1995 Schaff‚ P. and Wace‚ H.‚ eds. 1995. “Basil the Great‚ St‚ The first canonical epistle of our Holy Father Basil”. In Nicene and post-Nicene fathers (Second Series)‚ Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers.‚ vol. 14‚ p. 604).
[v] H.T. Engelhardt Jr.‚ The Foundations of Christian Bioethics‚ H. Swets & Zeitlinger‚ 2000
[vi] John Breck‚ The sacred Gift of Life‚ St Vladimir’s Seminary Press‚ July 1‚ 2010
[vii] https://familynews.ro/the-st-john-chrysostom-order-awarded-to-fr-nicolae-tanase-who-built-a-village-for-children-saved-from-abortion-orphans-and-abused-women/
[viii] http://pravoslavie.ru/100350.html