Orthodox Church and Xenophobia in the 21th century

[Stears555]

Hello!


How is it possible that a "christian" church generates racism and xenophobia in the 21th century? Which are the social causes of that phenomenon?


Google book results from 21th century
(Books, UN reports , and writtings of western Sociologist scientists and Civil Right movements)

There are more than 3 090 results for the relation of racism xenophoby and the Orthodox church. (it is an engine of ethnic hatred and chauvinism until this day)



UNITED NATIONS, Dag Hammarskjöld Library : United Nations Documents Index: No.4 January-march 2004 - Page 107

...by the Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, focuses mainly on the status and importance of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the situation of non- Orthodox



Cristian Romocea : Church and State: Religious Nationalism and State Identification ... - Page 137

Attempts at inner spiritual resistance and formal denunciations of xenophobic and anti-Semitic political activities came only ... Conclusion The investigation of the history of Orthodox church–state relations has shown that Romanian Orthodox


John Anthony McGuckin - The Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, 2 Volume Set - Page 504

.. (over Estonia and Ukraine) and the R.O.C. / Romanian Orthodox Church (over Moldavia); some of them are still unresolved. The ROC has also been deeply affected by the tides of widespread xenophobia, nationalism, fundamentalism,



Linda Woodhead, Christopher Partridge, Hiroko Kawanami: Religions in the Modern World: Traditions and Transformations

In many cases they have been active in supporting the resurgent forms of ( sometimes xenophobic) nationalism which have developed in the wake of communism. Themost notorious example has been in Serbia, where the Serbian Orthodox Church


Elizabeth Pond: Endgame in the Balkans: regime change, European style - Page 226

and thus maintain the unity of the Serbian Orthodox Church, as well as his rejection of Western liberal norms. ... figures" with the values of the Serbian Orthodox Church, "marked by archaism, collectivism, anti-Western stands and xenophobia.




Geraldine Fagan - Believing in Russia: Religious Policy After Communism - page: 205.

Alexander Verkhovsky, 'Role of the Russian Orthodox Church in Nationalist, Xenophobic and Anti-Western Tendencies in Contemporary Russia: Not Nationalism, but Fundamentalism', paper for 'Xenophobia and Postsocialism'

Raphael Walden :Racism and Human Rights - page 123.

Finally, given the prominence of the Russian Orthodox Church in the formation of post-Soviet national identity and its unhappy ... of the multi-ethnic Russian Federation, in the development of measures to combat xenophobia and intolerance.


Daphne Halikiopoulou - Patterns of Secularization: Church, State and Nation i

Homogeneity as the ultimate national value may promote xenophobia and totalitarian attitudes (Fragoudaki and Dragona, 1997: ... identity, and increases the need to assert this identity and rally around its main defender: the Orthodox Church.

Stephen R. Goodwin : World Christianity in Local Context: Essays in Memory of David A.

These xenophobic features of Bulgarian nationalism have cloaked ethnic and religious discrimination in patriotic wrappings, placing membership in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and devotion to the Fatherland above all. This nationalism


Daniel B. Clendenin: Eastern Orthodox Christianity: A Western Perspective

This xenophobia toward the West has ebbed and flowed over the past one thousand years in the life of Russia in general; in the last five years it has markedly increased within the Orthodox church. The Russian Orthodox Church, which with



Daniel Benjamin : Europe 2030 - Page 118

On the other hand, the growing influence of the Orthodox Church and widespread xenophobia and intolerance of minorities could generate social tensions and amplify Russia's demographic challenges. Russia should learn from Europe


Benjamin Forest, Juliet Ellen Johnson, M. T. (Marietta Tigranovna) Stepaniants: Religion And Identity In Modern Russia: The Revival Of Orthodoxy ... - Page 137

The Orthodox Church has also adopted a defensive position in regards to perceived religious competitors and free speech. Chistiakov laments the xenophobia and "opposition to Christians of other traditions" expressed by many in the Church



Allen D. Hertzke: The Future of Religious Freedom: Global Challenges - Page 193

In a July 2007 open letter, leading academics, journalists, and human rights activists accused the Orthodox Church of fostering a “new national and religious ideology” that risked negating democracy and “endorsing xenophobia and a cult of


Katja Richters : The Post-Soviet Russian Orthodox Church: Politics, Culture and ... - Page 23

that on 28th December 1998, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church noted with regret that 'some clerics declare civil weddings illegitimate or demand the dissolution of marriages between partners ... to nationalist and xenophobic.

 

[Aberdeen]

So I gather you're a Hungarian? Tell us about the typical Hungarian attitude toward the Romany, since we're discussing racism and xenophobia.

 

[Yetos]

hmmmm

I fell good now, as a non christian

I can use a condom,

I wonder which church allows condoms?

 

[John Doe]

hmmmm

I fell good now, as a non christian

I can use a condom,

I wonder which church allows condoms?

I suppose the Liberal churches allow the use of condoms.

 

[Stears555]

The roots of chauvinism and xenophobia:


There is a well known historical reason for this. Byzantium was always in close contact with the absolutism of the Eastern peoples, the ideas of despotism derived from there.
In Byzantium they could never separate religion from Imperial politics. The religion began under the patronage of the emperor, interwoven with the empire, with the realm, with the political power. The Orthodox Church's servility derives from here. This situation has not changed during the last one and a half thousand years, it produced the state-church in all Orthodox countries, executing the power of government administration and supervision, almost as an organ of police. In such a political system, the clergy cannot progress and remains on a low level, the state does not develop either, life becomes rigid. This is the cause of the amazing primitiveness one notices when crossing the border of Orthodoxia.
In Balkan fashion, lies are considered virtue and to cheat someone is a glory. It would be a mistake to believe that these acts would cause some sort of remorse.
The Byzantines wanted to dominate the world. They elevated this concept to the rank of messianism in the Balkans and later in Russia, where the Greek Orthodox faith was gaining ground. Ever since, in the ethos of Orthodoxia, the East is the incarnation of morality, perfection, truth, it is itself the light, as opposed to the West, which is the nest of sin and decay. The West has to be conquered. In the New Testament the chosen people are the Byzantines whose duty it is to guard the Ortho-dox faith and to prepare the redemption of humanity.
Professor Hans Kohn writes in his book Pan-Slavism (New York: Vintage Books 1960): "Khomyakov (1804--60) a leading Slavophile thinker was convinced by the events of 1848 that hope resided only in Orthodox Slavdom. He predicted in 1848 the end of Austria and of the last Charlemagne's Empire, and the disappearance of papal power 'in the archives of history, followed by Protestantism and by Catholicism... Now it is the turn of Orthodoxy, the turn of the Slav races to enter the stage of the world...'."
In the East, religious ceremonies are held in each country's language. Today this sounds quite natural, but during the Middle Ages when the Church (of Rome) had a definite role in uniting and reconciling people, the Latin liturgy played a great part in making it possible for the Church to became universal and international, and without doubt, this lead to the develop-ment of European spirituality. In the Balkans the Greek-language Church was established and with its assistance the Gothic- the Armenian-, the Syrian-, the Coptic-, and the Slavic national Churches arose. However the uniting strength and authority over individual nations and churches was missing from this system.
The Orthodoxy in every country remained on the level of its surroundings due to its rigid isolation. Basically it cultiva-ted bold nationalism, however in the early stages more accent was placed on religion than on language. This is well manifes-ted in the historic Serb--Croat hostility, which also serves as a good example of the type of thousand year-long religious ground-conditioning which cannot dissolve even with the decline of the importance of religion.

 

[Stears555]

So I gather you're a Hungarian? Tell us about the typical Hungarian attitude toward the Romany, since we're discussing racism and xenophobia.

Are there any difference between the attitude towards romani (gypsy) people in Hungary Slovakia Czech rep. Romania or Bulgaria and Serbia where gypsies live in high numbers? No.

 

[knjaz Milos]

Hello!


How is it possible that a "christian" church generates racism and xenophobia in the 21th century? Which are the social causes of that phenomenon?

there is no racism and xenophobia generated by orthodox church...
it is completely another question whether various christian churches of today fully understand what Christ actually tried to do or they have partially lost their way in worshiping and rituals... but among all christian churches I tend to see true Orthodox church members as most capable for understanding Christ...
i think author of the thread is being led by media propaganda that is trying to pass negative role from communism to orthodox...

 

[Piro Ilir]

More east we go, more despotism, autocracy, and anti human things we find. I don't think is about religion.

 

[Piro Ilir]

there is no racism and xenophobia generated by orthodox church...
it is completely another question whether various christian churches of today fully understand what Christ actually tried to do or they have partially lost their way in worshiping and rituals... but among all christian churches I tend to see true Orthodox church members as most capable for understanding Christ...
i think author of the thread is being led by media propaganda that is trying to pass negative role from communism to orthodox...

All Albanian emigrants throughout Greece during last 24 years, were forced to change their names and identities into orthodox Greek. This is a fact well known [emoji6] [emoji19] . From Ilir to Ilias, from Gjergj to Jorgo, from Aryan to Yianis, etc etc. [emoji2]



[emoji562]

 

[Yetos]

All Albanian emigrants throughout Greece during last 24 years, were forced to change their names and identities into orthodox Greek. This is a fact well known [emoji6] [emoji19] . From Ilir to Ilias, from Gjergj to Jorgo, from Aryan to Yianis, etc etc. [emoji2]



[emoji562]

do you prefer Islam and Jihad?
or ISIS and slain of non Suni?

source

http://www.newsit.gr/ellada/eidiseis-pyrros-dimas-arnoumai-thn-alvanopoihsh/413766


<<Αρνούμαι να μεγαλώσουν με έναν Χότζα πάνω απ'το κεφάλι τους και τον φόβο στην ψυχή τους.>>

I deny my kids to raise with a Hodja supervising over their Head, and the fear in their souls

From an Olympic winner who grew in Albania


Nobody forced Albanians to come to Greece, and nobody force them to change religion or name,they can leave Greece if they do not like and go home or elsewhere they like

THEY DO THAT AS AN ACT OF DENYING THE FEAR (TERROR) THAT EXIST IN ALBANIA
THEY FEEL GREECE AS THEIR HOME, AND NOT ALBANIA OF ISLAMIC TERROR

 

[Yetos]

@ STEARS555


the most Xenophobic in Europe are the modern Hungarians, and their prime minister
they are afraid of immigrants,
they do not accept immigrants from Syrria levant Iraq

Hungary is Building a wall in Borders with rest Balkans countries so not to accept immigrants

WHO IS THE XENOPHOBIC?

 

[Kardu]

While there often were nationalistic tendencies in Orthodox churches, as an institutuion it does denounce nationalism (Phyletism was even condemed as a heresy).
And Georgian Church has local Assirian, Armenian, Cabbadocian, Persian and Arab saints.
So i would not exaggerate meaning of those google search results.
I for one dont accept Christianity (official religion in Georgia since 4th century) exactly because of its universalist nature...

 

[linicx]

This is an odd subject for a thread but I think Knjaz posed an interesting question when s/he wrote: ". . . it is completely another question whether various christian churches of today fully understand what Christ actually tried to do or they have partially lost their way in worshiping and rituals. . .

I am in a strange place. I live in a town that has many forms of worship including Western and Eastern Catholicism. A priest of many years who is a friend said the split was never about religions, it was more about politics. I am not at all, but it my younger years I did read many versions of the Bible, the Old Testament, the Mormon Book, Qu'ran, and several books about the oldest religions .. those that came before Jesus the Christ was born. There was a consensus in the old books. I also read a lot of European history in the Catholic Encyclopaedia. It all seemed to indicate that every great religion known to man had a leader who tried to teach a simple lesson. In my opinion it's been lost in a modern world where new church buildings, fancy cars, private schools, and committing 10% of an income (you may not have) to a church fund are more important than treating others like you want to be treated.

 

[Piro Ilir]

I suppose the Liberal churches allow the use of condoms.

Are there liberal churches? It is a new religion?

 

[Piro Ilir]

do you prefer Islam and Jihad?
or ISIS and slain of non Suni?

source

http://www.newsit.gr/ellada/eidiseis-pyrros-dimas-arnoumai-thn-alvanopoihsh/413766


<<Αρνούμαι να μεγαλώσουν με έναν Χότζα πάνω απ'το κεφάλι τους και τον φόβο στην ψυχή τους.>>

I deny my kids to raise with a Hodja supervising over their Head, and the fear in their souls

From an Olympic winner who grew in Albania


Nobody forced Albanians to come to Greece, and nobody force them to change religion or name,they can leave Greece if they do not like and go home or elsewhere they like

THEY DO THAT AS AN ACT OF DENYING THE FEAR (TERROR) THAT EXIST IN ALBANIA
THEY FEEL GREECE AS THEIR HOME, AND NOT ALBANIA OF ISLAMIC TERROR

I don't see what has to do the jihad with what I said above. Too many tourists are going to visit Albania, more and more every day, and thanks God there is no way that the anti Albanian propaganda of the Greeks could win . Prime minister of Albania is a Christian. Many members of the government are Christians.

 

[Piro Ilir]

@ STEARS555


the most Xenophobic in Europe are the modern Hungarians, and their prime minister
they are afraid of immigrants,
they do not accept immigrants from Syrria levant Iraq

Hungary is Building a wall in Borders with rest Balkans countries so not to accept immigrants

WHO IS THE XENOPHOBIC?

The xenophobia of the prime minister of Hungary has nothing to do with the religion. It is a matter of democracy. I think he has problems with the democracy and the human rights. Religion has nothing to do here.