www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Jerusalem bans gay pride parade

Democracy is for the protection of the rights of minorities over the tyranny of the majority

We are all sinners. Let us hope that we live up to our Christian Faith and love one another as He has loved us

The purpose of so called Gay Pride is not to demonstrate that we are all sinners in need of God's mercy, but rather to proclaim that acts which God has condemned as an abomination are perfectly acceptable.

Would that tyrannical majority to which you refer happen to be the Church Triumphant?

Gaudior, wondering how you can say such things and yet say that your belief is Orthodox

Sometimes I wonder if we suffer from the tyranny of the minority.

Never mind them, Charles...have some chocolate and forget

Gaudior, I have reached the age where most things bounce off me and have little lasting impact anymore. The chocolate sounds great. I think I will have some.

Gaudior,

I am an Orthodox Christian and I am also an American citizen who believes in the Constitution and right of free expression and religious tolerance (I hope all Americans believe in that!) If you read The Federalist Papers, one of the foundations of this country was the protection of the rights of minorities from the tyranny of compulsion by a majority. I don't apologize for thinking that. One does not have to be a political conservative to be an Orthodox Christian and that was not on the list of those affirmations of the Orthodox Faith that I accepted at my Chrismation. I highly resent that implication about my Faith.



Peace to you although we disagree,


Brian

Dear Brian,

Political conservative? No. Adhering to the Orthodox faith, yes. Politics has nothing to do with it.

Gaudior, who really thinks that you should know by now that practicing homosexuality is in opposition to what the Church teaches, therefore, acting as advocate for the misbehaviour of people who identify with their sin and build their lives around it is also wrong.

The last time I looked, the "State of Israel" had no constitution. I have no reason to believe that a constitution has been adopted - but I could have missed it, which is why I inquired.

There are some countries of the Middle East which the Christians are leaving as fast as they can - that definitely includes the "State of Israel". But Syria, to take a good example, although a Muslim country, does not persecute the indigenous Christian Churches or individual Christians, which is why the Christian presence in the Old City of Damascus is visible and large. Aleppo is still an important Christian center. Christians from Turkey, Iraq and elsewhere have found refuge in Syria.

Incognitus

Incognitus,

It still does not, although the courts have accorded a certain "constitutional" status to various statutes:

The "Constitution" of the State of Israel [jcpa.org]

Many years,

Neil who, while not supportive of gay pride parades, agrees with Brian that restrictions on freedom of expression should be minimal and imposed only when the risk posed to public safety is clear, weighing the "feelings" of the majority, but not neglecting or ignoring the reality that there are minorities

Dear Neil,

You know I love you, but on this we disagree.

Ask Father Benedict Groeschel what goes on infront of St. Patrick's Cathedral at the Gay Parades in NYC. Suffice it to say, it might make one sick because of the desecration and blatant lewd actions.

I don't think that we can equate ethnic pride parades with Gay Parades.

In the name of etiquette, I don't think that parades should be held that advertise or promote what goes on in a person's bedroom. How would we feel about a 'Swinger's Pride' parade, or something like that? Why wouldn't that be equivalent?

Personally, I feel that Jerusalem is the holiest of cities in the world for the three major monotheistic religions. God willing, I hope to be going there this coming Fall on pilgrimage with my priest and others from my church.

The last thing I would like to encounter at this most sacred of all cities, when I hope to be transcended to higher spirituality and to another reality, is this kind of thing to remind me that all morality is relative in today's society and that, let's face it, the idolatry of sex reigns in these troubled times..

In Christ,
Alice, who reminds some nice posters here that this is not condemning their or their loved one's struggles, nor is it being intolerant of something people cannot control, but thinks that the sins we struggle with should be kept to ourselves and not marched around under the banner of 'pride'.

Alice, it's the "Oprah-ization" of America. No one has any secrets or, it seems, any shame anymore.

They happen here too - and they are really proud of their actions. Why do they have the right to force their opinions on those who do not agree. They are entitled to their opinions - and so are we - but tolerance seems to fly out of the window.

Sorry - sore point - was in Glasgow today and it was the BIG Orange parade - talk about not forcing your views - it's not safe to try and cross the road - you have to stand there till the parade has passed - could well take over an hour - but there you are - stuck !

Anhelyna

Shlomo CJ,

Sorry it has taken me a little bit to comment to this, but I have been very busy. Your facts about how Christians are treated in Israel are incorrect if you are refering to the indigenous Christian Arab population.

The reason that the Christian population has grown was because of immigration of Russians into Israel based on that state's Law of Return.

Here is what is driving out Christians in the Holy Land:

Unemployment- Frequent disruptions of the local economy due to religious and ethnic conflicts have taken their toll. Among Christian Palestinians and Muslims, unemployment has reached 50 percent for men and 85 percent for women. A recent study indicates that 30 percent of all Christians living in the Holy Land (Israel, West Bank and Gaza) are unemployed. Unemployment in the area is exacerbated by the on-going closure of the West Bank and Gaza to principal Israeli cities where the majority of Palestinians had been employed. The average annual income ranges from $4,000 to $6,000.

Education- The vast majority of Christians cannot afford the cost of higher education. The closures of territories due to the long-standing ethnic conflicts in the Holy Land completely disrupt the educational system for Christians and Muslims. During the closures, children and teachers may not be permitted to attend school for extended periods, and university students are also prohibited from pursuing their studies at schools outside the closure area.

Housing- The current shortage of subsidized housing is a major factor in the ongoing exodus of Christians, for whom rent costs, even for the inferior living arrangements, are prohibitively high.

Medical Care- Decreased income and high unemployment have left a great many Christians unable to afford even basic medical care for themselves and their children.

Also at present Israel is interfering with the Orthodox Church's affairs which is bringing matters to a boiling point.

Lastly, I would recommend that you consult Middle Eastern Christian sites about these matters instead of taking raw data that has not been properly outlined.

Poosh BaShlomo,
Yuhannon