(Dedicated to my friends Rex and Trog at Liberty's Thunder Radio)
Introduction:
Famed Orthodox writer and monk (some claim saint), Fr. Seraphim Rose
painted a dismal picture of life in a Republic, lumping all republican
governments into a category of revolutionary wasteland. Many people view
Seraphim Rose as a great "seer" and commentator. He was a keen
observer, but I see too much fatalism in the body of his work and
believe his thinking was colored by his young years, contaminated by the
massive "end time lore" of his day and without getting into a war with
his cult followers (and I mean no disrespect in that description, I know
they rightly love and admire him) I cannot help but wonder if some of
the Nihilism, Fr. Seraphim accurately saw did not color his own view of
the present possibilities. After all, he looked at the great vibrant
energy of his age and saw only dust, nothing in it that could be
influenced for the good. In fact he painted all efforts to promote what
is True, Good and Beautiful in a republic as a fatalistic exercise.
“A government must rule by the Grace of God or by the will of the people, it must believe in authority or in the Revolution; on these issues compromise is possible only in semblance, and only for a time. The Revolution, like the disbelief which has always accompanied it, cannot be stopped halfway; it is a force that, once awakened, will not rest until it ends in a totalitarian Kingdom of this world. The history of the last two centuries has proved nothing if not this. To appease the Revolution and offer it concessions, as Liberals have always done, thereby showing that they have no truth with which to oppose it, is perhaps to postpone, but not to prevent, the attainment of its end. And to oppose the radical Revolution with a Revolution of one's own, whether it be "conservative," " non-violent," or "spiritual," is not merely to reveal ignorance of the full scope and nature of the Revolution of our time, but to concede as well the first principle of that Revolution: that the old truth is no longer true, and a new truth must take its place.”
― Seraphim Rose, Nihilism: The Root of the Revolution of the Modern Age
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Orthodox Christian "experts" (clergy and teachers) have a handicap in this area; that of a citizen's responsibilities in a Republic. They quote a lot of things from the Holy Fathers, who lived under governments that were fundamentally different than our situation in a Republic.
To what ever degree we actually are "self-governed" in a Republic is very much up for debate at the moment, considering the massive powers that are arrayed against the idea and their operations to destroy the foundational institution of republican governance and replace it with technocratic rule administered by a ruling class whose allegiance is to Lucifer, if they have any allegiances at all, except self-serving lust and greed, displayed in a psychotic need to control everything to the detriment of human beings. The Luciferian goals of the Globalist Masters have not been hidden and have been openly stated. The question is, is this illegitimate Luciferian establishment given the status of a Monarch's God-given right to rule?
BTW, that is what this fellow is saying.
It is what the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of America is saying, as he blesses the Death Cult, and praises "president Biden, and it is what the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople is saying. The Russian Orthodox Patriarch is saying something just the opposite.
If we are to submit to this Globalist Luciferian Evil:
If it is that, then we must submit meekly and await our martyrdom at their hands which is sure to come; and quite a few Orthodox literally cheer this idea and boast that the Church grows on the blood of martyrs. With the release of the Beast of Technology that seems linked by history to the year 1844, just judging by the rate of inventions and development of technology before and after that year, something has entered the arena, unknown to the Holy Fathers, and all but the recent Saints.
One modern saint, confronted with both the expansion of technology, living in a Republic said, (he was active the last half of the 20th century, Reposed in 1996)
(1) The proper use of force.
(2) The difference between moral physical force VS violence.
(3) The nature of forgiveness.
(4) The Sovereign Administration of Justice.
People are religiously confused when it comes to the doctrines of church and state, religious rights vs secular rights, militancy vs forgiveness, especially those born into a Republic where the ordinary citizen is left with the same responsibility to safeguard against evils in society as is given the highest leader. In a Republic ordinary citizens of the Republic are given the responsibility to find and select leaders to accomplish the True, the Good and the Beautiful in the culture, to uphold the nation's moral structure for the safety and enjoyment of all. Further that responsibility encompasses more than merely selecting proxies to govern, but to create the guidance of standards acceptable in the society for the proper governance of all. Abstract principles of respect for the human person create in God's image, with unalienable rights giving by God, the right to all that is properly Just, Right and conducive to Generating health and the general welfare of the population. What those principles are and how the citizens will be governed is always an open debate in a Republic. In this the silence of Christians is automatic loss to the Luciferians, who are more than willing to "take charge."
The American Republic was born imperfectly, in fact born in public and open cognitive dissonance; as an example it was born with the presupposition that people should not be victimized by the British Government acting capriciously without the cooperation or input from the people they governed; the Brits were acting rather like an absentee Landlord who occasionally arrived and took possession of whatever he willed. Yet, those same people aware of their abuse by the Crown, who chanted in protest "Taxation without Representation is Tyranny" accepted slavery, which is in effect a 100% tax, as just, normal, even ordained by God. And if you doubt it, go read the sermons of many of the Protestant preachers of the time. I point this out not to disparage our founding, but rather that I be not accused of romanticizing the Republic's founding. It was imperfect, it cost upwards of Seven-Hundred Thousand lives in the civil war to get it right, or at least one aspect of it right, yet these 2.5 centuries later, here we are, so what should we do?
Saint Paul speaking to Christians, in the context of the Christian community, people whose purpose was the building up of their spiritual life in the Body of Christ, calling them to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they were called, admonishing them to lowliness and meekness, to forbear one another in love, stated that their goal was to try to keep unity of the Spirit in a bond of peace. He goes on to describe them as a single Body, that Body being Christ Himself, and the goal of the spiritual life IN that Body was to grow into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, surrendering their childish things, becoming mature so that they could then "withstand" those who would try to trick them with cunning craftiness and deceptions. Then he admonishes them not to continue to walk as the "gentile" did - meaning as the pagans did, who walk in the vanity of their own minds, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
In his time, even anachronistically Saint Paul describes perfectly the constant struggle that is inherent in a Republic, made up of Christians and all others. G.K. Chesterton understood that when picking a ground upon which to build a society, the Christian model was the most humane, best honored the dignity of all persons created in God's image, whether they were knowledgeable of that fact or not. He summed this up after demonstrating the inhumanity of Hindu, Shinto, Buddhist, Islamic, cultures, saying "Only Christianity can create a culture where both the Christian and the Pagan may safely play." I think his worldview assessment at the time was very insightful and true. It is still true today and can be true in America, but not without a constant battle.
Saint Paul pictures the separation that must come and the warfare that must come and says, "Be ye angry, (plural) and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Further, he says quite literally, "you be honest, never give place to the devil," then he describes what it takes to "act" with integrity and against evil saying that the Holy Spirit was present to aid in this task; then very specifically he said, "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice" then he adjures them to tenderheartedness, kindness, forgiveness, just as they have been forgiven by Christ.
Paul states elsewhere, "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (he says something similar elsewhere and ends with zealous of ALL good works.) Further:
These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee." Titus 2:11 Meaning don't be exposed the hypocrite, the actor saying one thing and doing another.
Nothing about this is passive, nothing about this is frozen, nothing about this is isolated. What does rebuke mean? Ultimately in all its shades of meaning it means foremost "to confront."
Saint John Chrysostom said, “He who is not angry, whereas he has cause to be, sins. For unreasonable patience is the hotbed of many vices, it fosters negligence, and incites not only the wicked but the good to do wrong.”
Obviously Saint John is describing a cold, rational, reasonable, purposeful, powerful, dispassionate anger, not a weak passion filled emotionalism. We know this because he said, "No matter how just your words may be, you ruin everything when you speak with anger" and "Poor human reason, when it trusts in itself, substitutes the strangest absurdities for the highest divine concepts." And we certainly don't want to do that.
I find this wisdom absent in too many modern Orthodox teachers whose teachings seem to be more Taoist than Apostolic, more pacifist than militant, never grasping the concept that at times if you are not angry you sin. Never acknowledging the mandate to "storm the strongholds" as anything other than personal purification.
Now along with Saint Paul saying "be ye angry and sin not", Saint John Chrysostom said, "the sign of insane anger is a man flailing the air with his fists, long after the conflict has ceased." And in this statement is much wisdom. When we battle do we battle with a heart filled with love or do we battle from the base of our own ego, pride, lusts, envy, and greed? It is the pivotal question that must be grasped to understand anything I'm saying.
I remember an old episode of a T.V. Show (can't recall the name, maybe "Kung Fu") where the star was a Chinese warrior (oddly enough played by the Caucasian David Carradine)
who because of politics had fled China to the American West and running across a young woman being attacked, was greatly offended and angered by the brutality and barbarity of the act and quickly whipped four saddle tramps, most violently. And when the battle was over, he immediately return to his normal demeanor, holding no hatred for the men he had beaten, and taking pains to see the young woman was safe. That depiction is far more Christian than would be the actions of a Christian pacifist, or a Saint willing "only to admonish." 
"In Christian combat" is this an admonition to pacifism or an admonition to forbearance with those who are our brothers and sisters in the faith, and those who we are leading to the faith? Those to whom we witness? certainly it is not the game-plan for battling Lucifer and all his hoards who destroy innocence and murder for recreation. Who was Jesus meaning when he said upon the Cross, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Who the they was is explained in the next sentence, "And they parted his raiment, and cast lots." Was Jesus forgiving the Jews who he would punish with great punishment as the Roman Legions razed the city? When we make great a sweeping statements about forgiveness we err. Forgiveness has context. Saint Dismas was saved of his sins, and forgiven by Jesus on the Cross, but was the unjust and arrogantly cynical murderer on the other cross?
My friend seemed to think that he needed to forgive Biden and other Luciferians like Hillary Clinton, John McCain, etc. I would extrapolate and say, why not Pol Pot, Stalin, Mao Zedong, Adolf Hitler . . . really why not Genghis Khan? In this thinking my friend is partly right and partly wrong. I ran into this first nearly 50 years ago when our Lutheran pastor went to a bigger church and we were left with guest speakers and finally a flashy interim Pastor who was batting way below his ambitions and grade, a Harvard graduate who proudly announced that if we could not forgive Adolf Hitler we were not yet truly Christian. And of course his definition of forgiveness was all sentimental and filled with psycho babble. I knew in my gut, having been friends with Corey Ten Boom that my "forgiving Hitler" was a silly and academic exercise, meaningless, except in my own pride. Now for Corey who had suffered in Ravensbruck Prison Camp, together with her sister who died there, and Orthodox nun and Saint, Maria of Paris who died there, letting go of her bitterness toward the NAZIS, all of them, including Hitler was a matter of LIFE and DEATH for her. 
Rather than become the strong sweet person, with a supple-leathered heart, (and by that I mean very tough, very tender, very strong, very broken) giving all of her life to sharing the power of the LOVE and PEACE she discovered in Christ, in her suffering, she would have become an embittered old hag, whose bitterness would color every moment of her surviving years, every aspect of her vision, of her relations, of her understanding, her soul would have died years before she did, shriveled heart, small, encrusted. Rather, Corey's heart, flowed with POWER and love, with the Power of Love. When I was a bitter teen, I found that I could be nothing but kind to Corey, but I hated being around her, because she saw through me, she said more than once, "Bucsh" - she could not pronounce Butch with her Dutch accent, it was Bucsh . . . she would say, "Bucsh, everyone thinks you are dangerous, but I see your wounded heart, and the hard shell you have created to protect it. One day the shell will break and your heart will become strong as supple leather, all bitterness will be gone and you will speak with love, even when you curse . . . " and I can't relate all she said because it is too challenging even now and too personal. Without a forgiving heart in the chest of Corey I quite possibly could have become permanently encased in my own bitterness. That bitterness wasn't fantasy, we all have bitterness Satan has fed us. The growth of that bitterness is the quickest way to destroy faith, hope and charity. All it takes is clinging to a reason, to a rationalism, to a justification for bitterness, it starts with first letting the sun set on your anger, hoarding your malice, which turns and destroys your own soul, calcifying your heart, encrusting it in a case of self-satisfied and prideful justifications, making it insensible to the good, and as Saint Paul said, "who
walk in vanity of their own minds, having their understanding darkened,
being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in
them, because of the blindness of their hearts: who being past feeling
have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness
with greediness." You see, that gentile person Saint Paul is describing is US, if we don't do the work of salvation, of baptizing our hearts in the Blood of Jesus' suffering and allowing his love to flow there.
This has nothing to do with pacifism, which is a cold inhumane dogma, or in our pride forgiving historical bad men, or thinking about theology or philosophy when we are being physically attacked. A short story:
I was land speculating a decade ago and had permission to hunt for buyers for a nearly 2000 acre piece of property with a couple miles of shoreline on a Georgia Power lake in middle Georgia. While learning the property, exploring it, I found myself standing in a clearing that was surrounded with dense forest and underbrush, the clearing itself was tall grass and saplings; I first heard the sound of saplings snapping, and then movement in the tall grass, I pulled my revolver from its holster leveling my aim at the noise, just in time to see a wild boar bearing down on me, I fired with rhythm, boom, boom, until six shots were gone and the animal huffed and collapsed mere feet from me. Every shot had hit the hog's sizable head, and past that last huff, it didn't even switch. My only thought had been, "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son and Word of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." I didn't feel any anger towards the animal, but I knew that if I did not stop it, my life was over.
Lucifer and all his hordes are running at us this very moment with all the brute strength and lust that ole boar held, yet, a thousand times more intelligent, and much more deadly, able to kill not just our bodies, but our souls IF WE ARE NOT PREPARED. Most of you don't realize the spiritual aspect of this War, that they are coming for your soul and the souls of your children and grand-children, not just their bodies, but their souls and they want to destroy or morph your children into human-technoids. Boris Johnson speaking in Luciferian double speak stated just today, speaking of NANO Technology, the technology than can alter your DNA without your knowledge or permission, that the goal was to "Remake the World, wondrously and benignly" that is the most Luciferian of all statements. Are you prepared? You have to be prepared! Only God can fight for us on the molecular/atomic/NANO level.
Speaking of being prepared:
Corey told me, that in that slave labor camp of Ravensbruck, that they could tell within a very few days which women would cater to their sense of being wronged, their personal case of "injustice," be so filled with indignation that they would reject the help of other prisoners, unable to recognize they were all in the same boat, filled with bitterness and hopelessness, they would cave in upon themselves, become totally isolated and soon give up ghost and die. She said, "On the other hand, just a single sparkle in the eyes and sweetness in their real tears and they were ready for the battle of survival." My buddy rightly said, "Forgiveness is something that happens IN US," this is what Corey was describing, and so, he is right but hear me now, that forgiveness IN US, can never be mistaken for or substituted for the Proper Administration of Justice in Society.
I don't hate George Soros, rather with clear eyes I know him. I did not hate the ole boar that was bearing down on me in that clearing that day, but rather with clear eyes, I knew him, I knew his hunger, I knew his lust, I knew his intentions and I had the means to stop him. All is true with Soros, except the means to stop him, I am left with, in the company of others, trying to construct a way. Now I use the person Soros as a mere representative of that Luciferian class of people who intend to destroy us all, anyone not aligned with their goals of Anti-Christ Religion and One World Government, and of course, the dirty secret is the first people they will kill are the ones operating the revolution for them. So, yes they will destroy much of their own faithful. The ideas of malice, hatred, and the need for forgiveness simply does not fit into this context. It is not out of any bitter secrets that I wish to see the Luciferians Stopped by whatever means is necessary, but out of love for all people of good will who are their victims, for the unborn, for the innocent children, for the young parents with innocent children, for the SANITY of preferring what is LIFE ENGENDERING to what is DEATH ENGENDERING. The Ole Boar is Bearing Down, the combat is well underway. Do we stop them before they cause more death and mayhem or do we withdraw in passive pacifism, claim it is Christian and pave their victory with the bodies of our loved ones.
When the Lutheran pastor, theologian and anti-NAZI dissident, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, plotted the failed assassination of Adolf Hitler, both his motives, intentions and actions were MORAL and of good character. Again, there are times when not to be angry is sin. I didn't make that up, I'm repeating the meaning of Saint John Chrysostom's words, as he was speaking, like Saint Paisios, as he was speaking about confronting and conquer an Evil in Society, this is the context of Proper Administration of Justice in Society, it is not about personal animus or personal forgiveness and we destroy ourselves when we are not discerning enough to understand the difference between personal animus and personal forgiveness vs the Proper Administration of Justice in Society. They are not synonymous though in many they become confused.
On the other hand, there is nothing so common as the masking of demonic hatred in the mannerisms and costume and prejudice of a supposed righteous cause. Always in such cases humans are dehumanized and there value reduced to that of an unwanted animal. Did I do that above, where I compared the real life danger of a charging wild boar with the present assault on us by the Luciferians? No, the comparison was of the danger. And there is a danger in naming the complex of Anti-Christ forces arrayed against us with a name like "Luciferian" even though the name is apt. But to the hater disguised in a "righteous cause" the easy language flows too quickly: Oh!
It's the Jews!
It's the Muslims!
It's the Blacks!
It's the Whites!
It's the Gays!
It's the Lesbians! ad infinitum.
There certainly is no forgiveness with such people, whose sense of Justice is evil, whose blood-lust is papered over with high sounding but warped words of indignation, and self-justification. We have seen this high-flying rhetoric in the mouths of Neo Con and Neo-Liberal American and Israeli Warmongers for two generations, which created Christian Genocide in Syria and Iraq, which sank our country into perpetual war and excuse to destroy Civil Rights, under the guise of "National Security" - all the time selling us into the New World Order Globalist/Crown and Red Chinese System.
In Christian Liberty:
A Christian has not failed to hold a proper forgiving character even when he engages in the proper use of deadly force. It is NOT evil to feel white hot anger discovering someone molesting your child, it is NOT evil to act with deadly force to halt a serious crime. Christians are RIGHTLY soldiers, policemen, jailers, etc., and there is NO conflict between their service to Justice and their moral character. If there is, it is not justice they are serving. Nor is there conflict between the heart and the hand when a civilian uses proper deadly force, for personal protection and protection of loved ones, friends, family and even protection of perfect strangers.
When Jesus said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" he wasn't picturing a warrior without arms and legs, volunteering to be a speed bump on the way to the slaughter of his friends. He was speaking of fighting for them without regard to saving one's on life. What was the context of this statement? He was speaking in the community of his closest friends. Friends who would come to hold such great love that they mimicked him in death, laying down their lives, also. These were the same people to whom he said, "But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one." The attempt to spiritualize this instruction is simply ideology and not theology. As certainly as to simply spiritualize the word of the Warrior David saying, "Blessed be the LORD my Rock, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight." David took Goliath's sword and beheaded him with it! Try to stuff that into your pacifist pipe and smoke it. And Jesus said that David was "a man after my own heart." He was a warrior and a poet, a man of strength and broken heart, a man blinded by beauty, and capable of murder, but also capable of love of Saul, who wished to kill him, who in the end accepted God's will, humbly with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
When humans have grown insane with lust, greed, taking pleasure in sadistic acts, whatever power is used to stop them is MORAL, JUST and EVEN a KINDNESS to them. To Wit:
I recently related a story of an inmate who had been insane on drugs, he was a serial murderer and rapist and was shot five time in the chest and by God's mercy survived it. He told me that the COP who shot him did him a good deed and had actually saved his life and his soul. Yes the officer shot him in exigent circumstances meaning to kill him, and frankly was shock the felon survived. He later made contact with the inmate, witnessed the saving power of Jesus Christ with him, told him he regretted the circumstances, the evil that created the deadly situation, but that he was glad he had shot him, because he had to be stopped. That set the inmate thinking and he too came to appreciate being stopped.
We cannot confuse proper anger with hatred, or more deadly to the soul, confuse deadly murderous hatred with righteous motivation. You see for me and many others this is not academic, it is not an exercise of the mind. At an early age I had a drunk member of a local "lodge" at 3AM pull a gun on me and a friend, mistaking us, in his drunken stupor, for burglars at the store where we worked. He came staggering out of his car, gun waving, cursing us "scumbags." He lost focus for a moment and I jumped him and disarmed him, breaking three of his fingers in the process and causing a gash in his forehead. My friend seeing the kinetic action was screaming at me, not at the man with the gun, "Butch, please don't kill him, just don't kill him." I remember thinking what a silly thing to be saying. I had no intention of harming the man any further than it took to neutralize the threat by securing the weapon. I held no ill will toward the man, but was not going to trust my fate or the fate of my friend to a self-righteous, self-deluded, knock-down drunk with a gun. The man later looked me up, six months into AA, showed me his chip and apologized. Underneath that drunk was an honest man. He said, "Honest, I though you two were burglars." I said, "I knew you were a drunk with a gun aimed at me. Drunk and Hero don't mix." Maybe he though I was ungracious, but he wasn't finished learning his lesson. No chip and lame apology served JUSTICE. Some time later we ran into one another again, I was then much bigger than him. He chuckled and said, "If you had been this size I may have driven on by." Do I resent the evil world that puts a drunk pointing a gun at two hard working people in the middle of the night? Did I resent his self-righteous drunken speech when he thought he was being a hero? Yes. But it taught me a lot about acting under false cause and delusion, a reminder how deadly it was, and for no reason other than misguided PRIDE.
Is your battle against the Luciferian hordes really about your own good will. It is really about clinging to what is True, Good and Beautiful? Is it really about finding those things so that we can create a society of equal Justice under Moral Law, or are you just insulted that someone is trying to steal something from you? Are you itching to get revenge from the NAZI guards, to f**k the commandant, to just feel the temporary HIGH of shedding blood? I know from the comments on my Bond Robin Channel that some of the people who listen to me are filled with hatred, they have named their evil and it is not inside them, and they want blood. Their comments reek with bitterness and entitled violence; their wet dream is to relieve their blood lust under the cover of righteous deadly force. You are not fooling anyone, in that case, your governance would be worse than what he have now, at least the present enemy is not pretending to be our friend.
Now before I introduce the Eastern Orthodox Understanding of a Just War, I want to remind you that the statements of the Church, of the Holy Fathers, of all but a few recent saints have been made in circumstances that shares very little with the war we are presently fighting, the "Unrestricted War" being waged upon us by the Communist Chinese Party, with the Aid of the American and European Luciferian Globalist, which is an Asymmetric War of multi-fronts, one inside our own Church. Just as the Pope of Rome has become a weapon of George Soros and the Globalist, so have some important Patriarchs, Archbishops, and Metropolitans in the Orthodox Church, and our Academic Establishments, most founded as ostensibly Christian have become centers of Luciferian Power; I give these hints because it would take a book to catalog the multiple fronts of this war. Very little said about War in the past applies to this new form of War in the present, yet the sum of the doctrine still applies.
Following is the Greek Orthodox Understanding of "Just War" which actually does not exist. But though it has not been spelled out clearly in canon, it exists in the Power of the Holy Spirit, and were it ever to be unleashed, Christ would command and his Holy Angels would be our rear guard.
I can save you reading the rest of the article by quoting the only significant paragraph which goes as follows:
"The Church has always condemned war, but has always been tolerant of
the Christian soldiers that served in a military unit. War may be
necessary under certain circumstances to protect the innocent and to
limit even greater evils." Please understand that what is true on the macro-level of nations in the old days, is also true on a personal level, in this Asymmetric War environment. The Truth, Goodness and Beauty that is required in an individual life, to produce the oases of peace for the benefit of family and community are not to be sacrificed to some abstract Taoist dictum of non-aggression, claimed to be Christian. When we see an evil in Society we DO NOT retreat. Unless we take up these arms, we have already lost.
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Never has the Church presented nor accepted a theory of just war, but it has tolerated it to protect greater standards." That "greater standards" cannot be more ambiguous. Yet, I can name an encyclopedia of things that deserve the protection of honest man, and the sacrifice of warrior saints.
Contents
Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Church
Many sociologists are intrigued with examining the formation and
results of wars in order to gain understanding of why war continues to
reoccur throughout the world.
The Greek philosopher Heracleitus believed war to be the "father of all...."
The Church teaches that God is the "Father Almighty."
Holy Scripture and the Tradition of the Church
In St. Paul’s epistle to the Romans, God is referred to as a "God of peace" (Romans 15:33). The development of a war is a result of a separation from God, which is also a separation from peace and love. Since God is the source of our existence, separation from God leads to chaos and destruction.
- "If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword…" (Isaiah 1:19-20).
- "…for all who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matthew 26:52).
- "…for the authority (civil) does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer" (Romans 13:4).
Christians are focused on peace and must work towards preserving a loving attitude that is not separate from God.
- "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews" (John 18:34).
- "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another" (John 13:34).
- "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9).
The Tradition of the Fathers and the Early Church
The Church during the first centuries was very negative towards the participation of Christians in war. Origen was completely against the idea of Christians participating in any form of military duty, while Tertullian believed that Christians should participate in military duty. Many of the Saints were involved in military duty and many Christians were members of St. Constantine’s army. The Church has always upheld her fundamental resistance towards war and does not allow clergy to be involved in any military activity.
Latin Fathers
Neither St. Ambrose nor St. Augustine accept the "just war" theory but recognized the reasons that lead to it – the defense of those unjustly treated. Never has the Church presented nor accepted a theory of "just war," but it has tolerated it to protect greater standards. War promotes its participants to murder one another and encourages all of the participants to bring victory to their side. It is difficult to have peace on earth when a man with a violent inclination has the potential to cause devastating destruction to the world.
Greek Fathers
According to Fr. Stanley Harakas, there is no ethical reasoning for war in the writings of the Greek Fathers. Fr. Harakas states that the fathers wrote that only negative impacts arise from war. Even in unavoidable circumstances, Fr. Harakas mentions that the fathers thought of war as the lesser of greater evils, but none the less evil. Fr. Harakas declares that the term "just war" is not found in the writings of the Greek Fathers. The stance of the Fathers on war is pro-peace and an Orthodox "just war" theory does not exist.
St. Athanasius
"Although one is not supposed to kill, the killing of the enemy in time of war is both a lawful and praiseworthy thing. This is why we consider individuals who have distinguished themselves in war as being worthy of great honors, and indeed public monuments are set up to celebrate their achievements. It is evident, therefore, that at one particular time, and under one set of circumstances, an act is not permissible, but when time and circumstances are right, it is both allowed and condoned" (The Letter of St. Athanasius to Amun).
- Fr. John Anthony McGuckin|John McGuckin]] says that this argument is misleading since it does not deal with justifying killing during war. According to Fr. McGuckin, this letter was regarding sexual activity and uses a "rhetorical example of current opinion to show Amun that contextual variability is very important in making moral judgements." For further information, please refer to the Rudder or the Letter of St. Athanasius to Amun.
St. John Chrysostom
"Christians above all men are not permitted forcibly to correct the failings of those who sin. Secular judges indeed, when they have captured malefactors under the law, show their authority to be great, and prevent them even against their will from following their own devices: but in our case the wrong-doer must be made better, not by force, but by persuasion" (St. John Chrysostom, "On the Priesthood").
The Canonical Tradition of the Orthodox Church
Any act of violence contradicts the ethics and principles of the Kingdom of God. St. Basil states that although the act of violence may be required for the "defense of the weak and innocent…it is never justifiable."
Canon 13 of St. Basil
"Our Fathers did not consider the killings committed in the course of wars to be classifiable as murders at all, on the score, it seems to me, of allowing a pardon to men fighting in defense of sobriety and piety. Perhaps, though, it might be advisable to refuse them communion for three years, on the ground that they are not clean-handed."
- St. Basil references the beginning of this canon to St. Athanasius in order to clarify and accurately interpret what was meant in his Letter to Amun (The Rudder). St. Basil the Great did not count the "shedding of blood" committed during wars as murder, but he does require the penitent to abstain from partaking of the Eucharist for three years. Although three years may seem harsh to us today, Fr. McGuckin states that this "was actually a commonly recognized sign of merciful leniency in the ancient rule book of the early Church."
Canon 83 of the Holy Apostles
"If any Bishop, or Priest, or Deacon is engaged in military matters, and wishes to hold both a Roman (i.e.; civil) and a holy office, let him be deposed. For "render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s" (Matthew 22:21).
Church and State
Christianity is responsible for first introducing the belief of non-violence. A true Christian would rather be killed than to kill. However, it is the civic duty of a Christian to obey the civil authority, not only because of fearing punishment, but since it is ethically and honorably conscience. It is inevitably understood that the will of the civil authority will conflict with God’s will over time, and it’s important to understand that "we must obey God rather than any human authority" (Acts 5:29).
The Church and the Roman (Byzantine) Empire
In the Byzantine Empire, the enemies of the State were also the enemies of the Church. So the defense of the State also became the defense of the Church. The State was considered to be protected by God since it was connected to the Church. The Church has upheld its position on war and has never deserted its stance. Emperor Nicephoros Phocas of Byzantium (963-969) requested the Church to recognize the people dying at war to be classified as martyrs.
- The response was "How could they be regarded as martyrs or equal to the martyrs those who kill others or die themselves at war, when the divine canons impose a penalty on them, preventing them from coming to Divine Communion for three years."
The Church has always condemned war, but has always been tolerant of the Christian soldiers that served in a military unit. War may be necessary under certain circumstances to protect the innocent and to limit even greater evils.
Orthodoxy Today
His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I
Address in Athens, Greece on May 24, 1999
- As declared by Patriarch Bartholomew, "...the irrationality of war is evident from its effect on humanity and on the natural environment."
- Through spiritual vigilance and focusing on safeguarding the world from destruction, war and the causes of war must be addressed and eliminated. Peace can only be upheld if the causes of war and hostility in our times are being addressed. Some of the causes of war relate with discrimination, subjugation, hostility, and depressing social conditions. As the causes of war intensify, our chances of upholding peace in the world fade away. For these reasons, we must use all of our resources on a global scale to eliminate these causes. The uncontrollable issues that are the strongest contributors to war deal with nations overemphasizing preparations for war and increasing the manufacturing initiatives of military ammunition.
Address in Novi Sad, Serbia on October 22, 1999
- Patriarch Bartholomew states that "War and violence are never means used by God in order to achieve a result. They are for the most part machinations of the devil used to achieve unlawful ends. We say "for the most part" because, as is well known, in a few specific cases the Orthodox Church forgives an armed defense against oppression and violence. However, as a rule, peaceful resolution of differences and peaceful cooperation are more pleasing to God and more beneficial to humankind."
- In addition to the aforementioned statement, Patriarch Bartholomew references St. Paul's epistle to the Romans, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21).
References
- Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch
- Cosmic Grace, Humble Prayer: The Ecological Vision of the Green Patriarch Bartholomew I. Ed. Fr. John Chryssavgis. Grand Rapids, Michigan. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 2003.
- Fr. Stanley Harakas
- Mantzarides, George. Christian Social Ethics: An Abridged Translation by Fr. George Dion Dragas. 2001. Brookline, MA.
- Fr. John McGuckin
- The Rudder. Agapios a Hieromonk and Nicodemos a Monk.
Additional Reading
Orthodox References
- Fr. Alexander Webster
- The Pacifist Option: The Moral Argument against War in Eastern Orthodox Theology and more recently
- The Virtue of War: Reclaiming the Classic Christian Traditions East and West
- "War and Peace: What does Orthodoxy Teach Us?"
- Fr. Steven Tsichlis
- Orthodox Peace Fellowship
- Jubilee Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in August 2000 (Moscow, Russia)
Non-Orthodox References
- The Sounds of Religion in a Time of War by Richard John Neuhaus, First Things, 133 (May 2003): 76-92
- Moral Clarity in a Time of War by George Weigel, First Things 128 (January 2003): 20-27
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