On prison and Christian thought
Recently someone posted the note below on my post regarding prison and recidivism. However, I forgot to answer it, so here it is in full: Great post. Would that we all would take chances on those in prison. So often we stop after visiting the, if we even do that! I wonder if Orthodox thought has addressed the fundamental idea of prison. To me the premise seems fundamentally flawed. Sure, perhaps some... [Read more]
Posted by Fr. Ernesto Obregon on Thursday, May 21, 2009
Tags: prison
Felicitations a la Francaise
French frigate Nivose Allons, enfants de Patrie, Le jour de gloire est arrive; Contrenous de la tyranne, L’etendard sanglant est leve, L’etendard sanglant est leve, Entendezvous, dans les campagnes, Mugir ces feroces soldats? Ils viennent jusque dans nos bras, Egorger nos fils, nos compagnes. Aux armes, citoyens! Formez vos bataillons! Marchons, marchons! Qu’un sang impur abreuve... [Read more]
On the boy who cried wolf (God) once too often
As you look at the cartoon above, realize that this is the point to which some of our televangelists have brought us. Some of them have the attitude that the Holy Spirit personally informs them of God’s plans. In addition, they cannot resist the desire to one-up those whom they consider to be either liberal or non-Christians. As was pointed out many years ago, it is interesting that these same... [Read more]
The Reformation and popular religiosity
Let me continue on with popular religiosity. The Reformers were reacting against a Church that had gone rogue in some areas. The Radical Reformers (the Anabaptists) reacted so strongly that they threw history away. A fiction was created of a culture-free Christianity which could be recreated if only we cleaned out the supposed cultural elements well enough. More than that, the idea grew that we must... [Read more]
Support Oxfam
Father Orthoduck flies south for the winter. Many years ago, when he flew south to one of the Andean countries, he ran across some British missionaries who told him about Oxfam. What is Oxfam? Well, from their website: Oxfam International is a confederation of 13 like-minded organizations working together and with partners and allies around the world to bring about lasting change. We work directly... [Read more]
On us and popular religiosity
May 16, 2009 | by Fr. Ernesto Obregon | 1 Comments
When I was a missionary with the Anglican Church, we prided ourselves on having a “rational” faith. Now, rational did not mean that there were no mystical elements to what we believed. Neither did it mean that we had figured out all mysteries. Neither did it mean that we had no traditions, rather we prided ourselves on our traditions. Rather, it meant that as we practiced the faith,... [Read more]
Posted by Fr. Ernesto Obregon on Saturday, May 16, 2009
Tags: theology
On Thanksgiving and popular religiosity
George Washington's Thanksgiving proclamation Well, yesterday Father Orthoduckâ„¢ gave a real-life example of the negative side of popular religiosity, that is, he showed how our popular religiosity with regards to ex-cons actually contradicts and goes against both our official religiosity and even what we declare and believe about ourselves as Christians. In fact, when most people think about... [Read more]
On recidivism and our responsibility
Father Orthoduck recently received a note in which a person commented on the problems that an ex-con faces, and there is significant truth in what that person said. The problem is an offshoot of the popular religiosity subject which Fr. Obregón is beginning to discuss on his Orthocuban posts. In the USA officially we believe that when a person has served their full time (incarceration plus parole)... [Read more]
What is popular religiosity?
OK, so what is popular religiosity and why is it important that we know what it is? Well, first let me print a couple of quotes that will help you begin to understand it. You need not read the quotes to understand the posts that will come out after this one. [Warning: the quotes are heavy going.] Today I am only going to print the quotes. Tomorrow I will begin working with the idea. The... [Read more]
On children raised as Christians
May 12, 2009 | by Fr. Ernesto Obregon | 12 Comments
Recently Fr. Orthohippo posted: An evangelical is slow to understand how a person could know God (including Jesus) from birth, even if they lapse and leave their faith for a time, and return later. A Catholic or Orthodox wonders how an evangelical can ignore the wisdom and history of the Church and insist on individual decision as final authority. Cultural blinders. I can remember listening to an... [Read more]
