I was called a Bigot

Recently I was engaged in a conversation regarding the Duck Dynasty thing and I was called a bigot because I do not agree with homosexuality.  Well I guess I am.

I believe that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Light.

I believe in Sacramental Confession and the ministry of the Spiritual Father.

I believe that Christian ministry (deacon, priest, bishop) should be exercised only by men, but that women play a large part in the priesthood of all believers.

I believe in preaching the truth as my Church teaches and has taught for more than 2,000 years.

I believe that marriage is between one man and one woman.

I believe that sex with anyone who is not your lawfully wedded spouse is adultery and a sin.

I believe that sex outside of marriage is fornication and a sin

I believe that homosexuality is a choice just like any sinful behavior.

I believe abortion is murder

I believe we are born the gender we are intended to be and if we wish to change that gender that is mutilation and a sin.

I believe that pornography objectifies women and if your married is adultery and if you are single it is fornication.

I believe war, although sometimes necessary, is sinful.

I believe that sentencing someone to death is murder and a sin.

I believe the taking of a life, although sometimes necessary, is a murder, as did St. Basil the Great and is a sin.

I believe divorce is one of the things that is killing society as we know it.  People get married for the wrong reasons and give up too easy.

I am not against rich people and I don’t believe welfare recipients are lazy.

I do not believe all faiths are equal. I believe that all faiths have some part of the truth but only the Orthodox Church has the fullness of the truth. But with that said I believe we Orthodox must be in dialogue with everyone, all faiths, Christian and non-Christian, we do not have to compromise on anything we believe but we have to talk to others.

I don’t believe that Pope Francis is a Communist, a Socialist, or the Anti-Christ.  I think he is speaking from his particular stage in life and hold true to Catholic Social teaching.

I believe rather than talking about taking guns away from people we need to have a discussion about mental health in America, although I do not know why anyone needs to own an Uzi or an automatic weapon.

I believe we have an obligation to help those who are less fortunate then we are but I do not believe in a redistribution of wealth.  I believe the Church needs to do more for the relief of the poor but that the government needs to be there as well.

I don’t believe that government is the solution to all of our problems and I believe that decisions need to be made at the lowest political level.

I believe that secularism is the cause of most of the ills of society

I think we spend far too much time talking about who is having sex with whom and worry about what other people are doing rather than being concerned about what we are doing.

I believe the fact that we live in the wealthiest country in the world but we have veterans living on the street, children going to bed hungry, and people that do not have health care is a travesty.

When pornography has become the highest grossing industry and we see more Christians, including seminarians and ministers addicted to porn, but yet condemn others behavior I find that a travesty.

However with all of that said I love all human beings because all of us have been created in the image and likeness of God.  We are all sinners, all of us, and we all need God’s forgiveness and each other to work out our salvation.

I accept you as a person broken and wounded just like I am but I will not accept or condone your behavior if it is against what my Church teaches, Jesus loved the woman at the well but pointed out that her multiple marriages were against the will of God.

I will not condemn you for your behavior and if you ask I will show you the way, the way along the narrow path, the way to salvation and a life in Christ.  Will we fall, yes we will we are all sinners, but I will be there to help you up.

My Church is open and affirming of all people and will affirm your dignity as a human being, but we are not, nor can we be, open and affirming toward behaviors we believe to be sinful.

If any of this or all of this makes me a bigot, so be it.  I think it makes me an Orthodox Christian and I make no apologies for it.