Diana,
Thank you for your reply and interest in the website, and this particular issue. While I will forward your comment and email to the original author, I would like to comment. What concerns me is that many people in the Orthodox Church, out of love for the Church, seem to want to suppress God, His message, and His voice to a very limited interpretation of the Scriptures, or a pick and choose methodology when reading and observing the Canons, or selecting certain words of a few bishops and priests. In your particular example of St. Mary of Egypt, there is a major difference in repenting from a life of receiving money in exchange for sexual favors, as in the case of St. Mary, and someone listening to the voice of God within them, to be the person that they believe God wants them to be. While I do not fault the priest who counseled this couple, I do wonder why the priest would address an issue he obviously knew nothing about. To be certain, the Orthodox Church has been very hesitant in accepting new scientific studies around the issues of gender and sexual orientation. I understand the reluctance of the Church to change, and indeed our Holy Mother should be very cautious in changing Holy Tradition. However, the Church should never fail to educate themselves, to comfort and admit that it does know. There is an old adage that learned in Seminary concerning that which we do not know. “In the Catholic Church all mystery is explained, in the Protestant Church there is no mystery, and in the Orthodox Church, all is mystery.” We need to remember that a little more humility, compassion, understanding, and love are called for.
I bid you peace,
Andriy

I can only imagine the pain that you are suffering and I truly wish you well.

However, what the priest said to you is the absolute truth, whether it suits you or not. And it looks like it doesn’t. Your priest wasn’t mean or heartless: he was just sticking to the precepts of the Gospel. From his point of view, that is: the Orthodox Church point of view, you are, as a sinner (like the rest of us) the one who has to make the change if you want to follow Christ. Not the other way around.

Can you imagine Saint Mary of Egypt saying “hey, I’ll follow you, Christ, but you’ve gotta let me keep “doing my thing” and accept me the way I am because You’re supposed to love everyone” ?

Your priest deserves a medal for being an incorruptible beacon in such troubled times.

Ask yourself this: Christ, our Lord, God and Creator willingly gave His own life for all of us, His creation, in order to save us. What are YOU willing to do for Him, in order to be saved ? The painful truth is that you can’t have it both ways, just like you can’t walk two paths at the same time. Now, which one will you choose ? Hint: the narrow one !

One last thing: God does not owe us anything. Just like anyone He created has the free will to ignore or reject Him, He too, has the freedom to ignore or even reject us. But the BIG difference is that it’s never out of spite, anger or pride, which is the human way. God’s ultimate goal is to save our souls, whatever it takes, and He wants that purely out of Love. Of course, it’s going to hurt, sometimes like hell. That’s the price to pay for our salvation. Which He paid with His Life. What price are you ready to pay ?

If you’re ready for the narrow path, I suggest you go back to that wonderful priest of yours and start working, under his guidance, on changing your painful situation instead of demanding an acceptance that is not on the menu.

Good Luck and God Bless !

Current nature is subject to the illness and the hereditary weaknesses of our original sin; it is surrounded by mortality; it is a product of our human pride and autonomy from God. If this pitiful world is “beautiful God’s creation”, why on earth would Christ spill His blood for us in ultimate agony and pain?

What Christ loves, what the Church loves, is the unlocking of the human potential (“καθ’ ὁμοίωσιν”) which, sadly, some people in this blog systematically deny. Why do they deny it? Because they love their pride more than they love God.

A final note – I return the characterisation about “narrow understanding”. If a man is married to a woman, what’s the point of calling any of the two “bisexual”? Just to invent names?
Christ stressed it is futile to try and change the tiniest bit of our hair; yet some people today preach that transgenderism is ok – and call themselves followers of Christ. THAT is “narrow understanding”, Andre.

Bobby

Bob,
While bisexuals have attraction to both sexes, the vast majority also are faithful to one person. Your comment is a misunderstanding of bisexuality. What you are referring to is polygamy, something entirely different. As a gay man, there are times that I am attracted to a woman, that does not mean I want to include a women in my marriage with my husband. We call upon the Church to love the beauty of all of God’s creation and not just those that fit into a very narrow understanding of gender and sexuality.
Andriy

Konstandena,
Thank you for your comment and support of this website. I understand your frustration and appreciate your vital questions. For many of us the Orthodox Church is our home, it is where we feel the most at home, closest to Christ, in spite of all of the problems and issues the Earthly Church has. Please pray for those who lead the Church, that their hearts will be softened, and hear the truth spoken by her gay children.
Andriy

David,
Thank you for your comment and support of the website. I am struck by your comment that the “priest allows you to come to church and struggle and pray there.” The Church has always been seen as a hospital for those who need and seek the grace and forgiveness of Christ as well as the love and support of His people. The Church is not a museum for saints or those without sin. You, as an Orthodox Christian, have every right to be in the Church. The fact that the Church has condemned gay people for being who God created us to be, is an evil and this type of evil can only be rooted out by prayer and fasting. The struggle is ours to implore Christ and His Mother to change the hearts of the bishops and leaders of the Church.
I bid you peace and strength,
Andriy

I was both saddened and encouraged, Handmaid of God, by what you wrote. Like you I know the pain of religious rejection all too well. I was saddened that another Pharisee has attempted to shut the door to the Kingdom to another earnest seeker like you but encouraged that you stood convicted of your own truth and your own spiritual integrity! Many others have allowed their misguided religious leaders to twist the Gospel of Christ and wound their souls in the process. The Orthodox Church still has more growing up to do and you played an important role in coming out and challenging a priest to open his heart. I’m so sorry that did not happen but your bravery may have planted seeds that cannot be seen right now.

Which brings me to Bob’s comments. I’m sure Bob meant well (such rejecting and shaming Christians always do) but there are many arguments of Biblical analysis that easily call into question the six Bible passages that Christians have distorted to condemn people who are sexually and gender-different. The condemnation Bob speaks of are NOT the words of Christ as I’m sure you already probably know. Christ had nothing to say about the matter so clearly didn’t believe it such a terrible sin. There is much written about this biblical analysis and defenses of us LGBT souls by Orthodox and other Christian believers online.

Just know I will be thinking of you and praying for your continued strength, healing and acceptance. You give hope to people like me also searching for a spiritual home. You are worthy of so many blessings, you and your family. May you find an understanding priests and loving community out there. They are out there but are not always easy to find. I have found such a priest who agreed to offer me chrismation. Whether or not others in the community will accept me as openly remains to be seen.
In Christ….