Time to Build Schools
In the ancient Church, it was common for the Church to enter a city, the people would convert to Christ, and the old temple would be dedicated to the service of Christ. Sometimes the old pagan temples would be totally destroyed. Other times, only the pagan elements would be removed and replaced with Christ. One thing is certain. NEVER in the ancient Church was it acceptable for Christians continue exposing their soul to paganism.
The other day, I heard a politician argue that there was no harm in allowing people to read any book that had been written. The implication was that by avoiding certain books, we were denying our children the freedom to choose their beliefs. Ironically, I have heard the same politician argue for the removal of certain books he thought were ‘dangerous’ for our society to tolerate. I wasn’t surprised by the hypocrisy. I’m sure you aren’t either.
If we are going to keep our young people in the Church, it is imperative that we protect their hearts and souls from evil. It is in fact dangerous to read certain books, not because of freedom, but because that is how the evil one infiltrates our soul. Just as the devil tricked Eve by using ‘just enough’ truth, the devil sprinkles his lies with just enough logic and truth to fool our young people into believing his lies.
I’m not advocating for book burning. I am advocating for protecting our faithful in the way the ancient Church protected them. We must avoid exposing ourselves to evil whenever possible. If that means keeping certain books off the shelves in our homes and Church libraries, then we must do it.
This is further evidence that we need to get serious about Orthodox Christian Parochial Schools. We can not depend upon the politicians to choose which books our children read, and which evil permeates into their soul. The time has come for the Church to act like the ancient Church and defend the faith of the people. If we have ‘lost’ the secular support of our faith, which I believe we have, then we have no choice but to build our own schools.
Even if this was accomplished there are immediate dangers in the home that are not being addressed that are more fundamental.
We listen to secular music, watch secular movies, speak with loose tongues using secular jargon, and tend to compartmentalize our faith to where we can switch our Orthodoxy on and off whenever convenient to the situation at hand. Byzantine chant on Sunday, rap, pop, and metal Monday-Saturday.
When many Orthodox Christian youth are raised around secular influences in their own homes (influences that have been permitted entry by parents who also succumb to such influences), whatever good may come from isolation amongst their peers in an Orthodox school will be limited.
Where an Orthodox way of life in its totality is accepted in a person’s heart, their homelife will reflect such an internal dispensation. Then there will be little need for clergy to petition for the creation of Orthodox schools. Orthodox laity will petition or self-organize to make such demands realized. The current state of affairs is the natural result of laity that don’t see a need to separate from secular influence, these likely believing that such influences may find coexistence or harmony with an Orthodox life, or these may be so deluded as to believe that secular media poses no danger to their spiritual life, whether by pride or ignorance.
Orthodox parishes that manage to inculcate such necessity of separation from secular influence into the hearts of the laity eventually have Orthodox homeschool co-ops which require little to no funding from the parish itself, if not their own dedicated school buildings.
Orthodoxy is brilliant in its mechanisms designed to inscribe the theology of the faith into the hearts of men. Just by listening to the hymns of the Church one can learn much of it, in addition to countless resources, depictions in iconography, and our countless rituals. The challenge is for clergy and laity to earnestly desire Christ. When this is achieved, we will accomplish learning not thought possible. As Christ entered into the home of Zaccheaus due to his ardent desire to see Him, so too will Christ dwell in our hearts when we earnestly desire to know Him.
Well stated.
Grateful for our Orthodox schools as many public schools changing their books and ways. Some charter schools are focusing on better ideals but our orthodoxy in the home is vital to our children.