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Letters

Letter To The Guardian





The following is in response to the Guardian’s February 15 article on the lamentable decision of the Greek Parliament to recognize something as fictitious as “same sex marriage”. As an Orthodox Christian of Hellenic ancestry in America, I for one believe this was a deplorable decision by the Greek Parliament.


It was done undemocratically without conferring with the Greek people who were not even permitted a referendum on the matter. All of a sudden, the institution of marriage is altered and changed because the Prime Minister in an authoritarian manner chose to align himself with the ideological interests of America and Europe rather than with the traditional culture and faith of Greece. The issue here has nothing to do with equality. Marriageis an institution that has always existed between one man and one woman. 

Greece has been a functioning democracy since 1974 when the military dictatorship collapsed. Greece did not need Prime Minister Mitsotakis to come along to enlighten its traditions and heritage. All Greek citizens enjoy protection under the law, and this includes homosexuals. During the centuries of Ottoman Turkish rule, and more recently Nazi occupation and a Communist instigated insurgency, it was the Orthodox Church and the family that provided stability for Greece and the ability to rebuild following disastrous wars. 

Same sex marriage is a foreign idea that is the product of western moral confusion that has been imposed on Greece. This can be seen by the American and various European Embassies who gleefully congratulated the Greek Prime Minister after passing this notorious law. Every nation has its own faith and cultural traditions. What might work in one country does not work in another country. 

In any case, a great injustice has just been committed by the government of Greece against its own citizens. This is a historical affront and betrayal of Greece’s spiritual heritage and traditions. It is for Greeks such as myself a time of mourning, and not a time of celebration. 

Theodore Karakostas
Boston, MA
USA

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Letters

Letter To Catholic League

As a Greek Orthodox, I would like to condemn the desecration that occurred at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral by the lunatic LGBT neo pagans whose extremism in America and elsewhere continues unabated. An attack against one Christian Church or house of worship is an attack against all. Indeed, recently in the Greek town of Larissa, the Orthodox Cathedral was defaced and spray painted with hateful slogans by LGBT activists. Last week in Athens, Orthodox  Christians who gathered in front of Parliament to protest the introduction of a law to legalize same sex marriage were accosted. The editor of an Orthodox newspaper was stabbed by two radicals. 

The anti Christian hate by these extremists in unmistakable. Indeed, the horror show that took place at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral reminded me of the outrage last year when the LA Dodgers invited that LGBT group that ridiculed Roman Catholic nuns. It is apparent that our country is in danger not only from these extremists who are actively targeting and grooming children into their ideology, but from the media and all those who are silent when such blasphemous activities are undertaken.

Please know that Roman Catholics are not alone. As a Greek Orthodox, I stand with the Roman Catholics against these hate crimes. All Christians must stand together or else we will all suffer together if these extremists are not arrested and prosecuted. 

Theodore Karakostas
Boston, MA

Categories
political

LGBT, Schools, And The Democrats

Throughout the country, there have been incidents involving teachers targeting students and labeling them “trans” without the knowledge or approval of parents. Two recent cases have emerged which indicate that many teachers have brought their social activism to school in full violation of moral and ethical standards. One case involved a Greek American family and another involved an immigrant family from India.

In both cases, predatory teachers sought to persuade each girl to transition socially. This means giving them male names and identities. This was done through the means of deceiving parents. In the case of the Greek family, school officials flat out lied when the mother concerned about her daughter asked if teachers and councilors were aware if anything had occurred that might have affected her daughter.

In the case of the family from India, the teacher not only instructed the child in question to lie to her parents, she instructed the other children in the class to lie about the child’s social transition. Here we have examples where teachers are actively grooming children and instructing them to lie to their parents and others. This behavior on the part of teachers is twisted and immoral.

The parents from India were so horrified when they discovered what was happening that they fled the state of Washington for fear the state might take their child. They subsequently left the United States and returned to their native India without saying a word to anyone. As if America were a Stalinist society where the state can take children if parents do not go along with the state ideology.

The Greek family on the east coast pulled their daughter out of the school and enrolled her in a private school where she is reportedly doing better. In the America of the Democratic Party, school teachers can exploit children causing them emotional distress and anxieties as happened with these children. Creating a climate of fear for families is the outcome of the twisted and insane LGBT ideology that the Democrats embrace.

The above incidents demonstrate that the Democrats are waging a war on faith and morality. They are a national threat. The actions of school officials to undermine parents and their values is evil. Those who vote Democratic are voting for more of the LGBT ideology.

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political

Biden Narcissist

A Special prosecutor, Robert Hur claims that President Biden cannot remember important details about his life. This is entirely believable as anyone who has watched Biden on television can affirm that he is senile. This is not to be cruel to the President as his condition is one that deserves sympathy.

Sympathy for his condition aside, the fact remains that Biden has to make decisions about war and the economy. He is in no condition to make decisions on such important matters. Biden should never have run for President four years ago, and yet he is running for a second term.

During the Democratic debates in 2019 it was apparent that Biden was sick. He ran for President anyway. Biden served in the Senate for thirty five years and served as Vice President for eight years. Other politicians would have been happy with such a career and would have retired gracefully.

Being the narcissist that he is, Biden chose to run for President. He has shown the signs of being a sick man and ran in 2020 and is running again. Of course, his family deserves criticism as well.

His wife Jill is referred to as “Doctor Jill” by Democrats and the media. We are supposed to be impressed by her education. Yet, this woman is allowing her husband to run for reelection even as the entire world can see him deteriorating mentally. The man has lost the ability to speak coherently, he walks away at speaking engagements, and on one occasion proceeded to shake hands with someone who was not there.

Compare the Biden family with the family of actor Bruce Willis. The family of Willis persuaded him to retire from acting when it became apparent he had dementia. Willis will deteriorate in private away from the eyes of the world. He has a horrible disease but at least has a family to care for him and protect his privacy.

The Biden family is the worst first family in American history. Hunter Biden’s corruption has been enabled by his parents over the years. Joe Biden cares nothing about the country. Only about being in the political spotlight.

The Democratic Party is fiercely defending Biden and is arguing that Biden is in good health As if people who watch him speak cannot tell how sick the man is. The Democrats are in conflict with reality on other matters such as biology, so it is not surprising they are in denial about Biden’s health.

Biden is a sick man who should retire. His family and the Democratic Party are doing him no favors by supporting his reelection campaign. A senile old man has been a disaster for the country over the past three plus years and needs to go. The Trump campaign should not hold back when the Republican nomination is secured.

For the good of America and the world, Trump needs to defeat Biden. Biden’s family, the Democrats, and Biden himself need to be gone. Dr. Jill should now be referred to as Dr. Evil.

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political

The Turks Strike Again

The old Church of the Savior of Chora in Constantinople which had been a museum is set to be converted into a Mosque once again. The Erdogan government has again demonstrated its extremism. This is the same Erdogan that Prime Minister Mitsotakis invited to Athens a short time ago.

The Chora Church features beautiful iconography. We will be losing them, as eventually the Turks will destroy the iconography of Hagia Sophia. Sadly, the heritage of Greek Orthodoxy in Constantinople is being lost.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate to whom both the Chora Church and Hagia Sophia theoretically belong is itself acting like its Turkish oppressors in Ukraine where the Great Lavra a great source of Russian and Ukrainian spirituality is being taken from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Another cleric of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Longin has been beaten. The Ecumenical Patriarch in his expansionist activities is losing what is in theory, rightfully his.

In the end, he will end up with nothing. The conversion of the Chora Church is serious, but considering the persecution of the Church in Ukraine, few outside the Greek speaking world will care. The Greek government itself is more preoccupied with feuding with the Church of Greece over gay marriage than defending one of Greek Orthodoxy’s great Churches.

The conversion of the Chora Church demonstrates the failure of the policies of both Patriarch and Prime Minister. The Americans with whom the Patriarch collaborated in his anti Russian policies in Ukraine are predictably not helping him in Turkey.

As for the Prime Minister, his appeasement of Erdogan has been answered with the conversion of the Chora Church. The conversions of Chora and Hagia Sophia are outrageous insults to Christianity and Hellenism but the Greek world remains asleep despite these insults.



Categories
faith political

Spiritual War In Greece

The Cathedral of Saint Achillios in Larissa, Greece was desecrated with pro gay graffiti. Specifically, the graffiti denounced religion, country, and family. These are the values that sustained the Greeks during the centuries of Ottoman conquest and occupation. At least the person or persons responsible for this have announced the real agenda of the LGBT movement in Greece which is anti Christian and anti Hellenic.

We can also blame Prime Minister Mitsotakis for creating this problem. There was never any reason for the government to attempt to legalize same sex marriage. Only because the Prime minister is an internationalist committed to the dictates of western rule over Greece was this effort to overthrow the Greek family attempted. What ever the Europeans and the Americans say!

A fair compromise is to allow non married people (heterosexuals and homosexuals) to have the right to inherit and to allow whomever they wish to receive their benefits. And of course civil rights laws to protect individuals from physical harm or discrimination. Reforms should stop there.

Marriage is an institution between one man and one woman. This is an established fact that has been challenged only since the 1990’s. Greece has other important issues to be concerned with. The Mitsotakis administration has destroyed relations with Russia and Iran and has been giving Greek weaponry which will be needed in the event of Turkish aggression to the Nazi government of Ukraine.

The desecration of the Cathedral in Larissa by LGBT extremists is similar to attacks against Roman Catholic Churches in America by American LGBT extremists. The LGBT movement once again gives itself way. The Orthodox Church of Greece has hitherto done well in opposing the plans of Mitsotakis. With one important exception.

The holy synod has not mentioned the trans movement. The greatest argument against gay marriage comes from the trans movement. In America, gay marriage led to men claiming to be women using female restrooms. Women surgically mutilating themselves claiming to be men get pregnant and the LGBT movement has declared that men can get pregnant!

Liberal Democrats demand that the word mother be replaced by the term “birthing people” and pregnant women be replaced by “pregnant people”. Add to this child drag queens in which young boys are dressed up as adult women and dance in clubs for adult men. Furthermore, teaching children of both sexes that they are the opposite sex and giving the puberty blockers and in some cases surgical procedures regardless of age.

This is what gay marriage in Greece is going to lead to. American and European Neo paganism and depravity is going to destroy Greece spiritually and culturally, something the Turks were never able to do despite the horrors of physical persecution. Mitsotakis is another stooge who does what the west does without questioning whether emulating the west is good for Greece.

Let the spiritual war in Greece continue. The bishops must harden their position. Marriage is the domain of the Church and the Church is the guardian of Hellenism morally, spiritually, and historically.

This is a fight like the one undertaken by the late Archbishop Christodoulos against the foreign ruler Costas Simitis. This is a fight between Greeks (the faithful of the Church) against the collaborators who serve foreign interests (the politicians).





Categories
political

Gaza And Russophobia

Representative Nancy Pelosi has stated that Americans protesting the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel’s criminal campaign in Gaza need to be investigated as possible Russian agents. According to Pelosi, Vladimir Putin wants a ceasefire and so anyone critical of Israeli actions in Gaza is under Russian influence.

This is exactly the stupidity that brought on the Ukrainian war. Anti Russian demagoguery is alive and well among the Democrats. First, the Russians were blamed for Hillary’s election loss in 2020. The Democrats and the media stated that the evidence on Hunter Biden’s laptop was “Russian disinformation”. The Russians are blamed for everything.

For Pelosi and the Democrats, stupidity and warmongering have no bounds. The Democrats joined the neocons for four years in stirring up anti Russian hatred which led to support for Neo Nazis. Not to be outdone, the Canadians honored a real Ukrainian Nazi war criminal last September.

The protests against the atrocities in Gaza include people on the left and the right. The left protesting (and this is an instance where leftists are on the right side) are by no means friendly to Russia. Good people on both sides are appalled by the horrifying conditions in Gaza where people are lacking food, water, and electricity.

The problem here is that Pelosi and the Democrats believe their fanatical ideology which consists of the idea that Washington (and Israel and Turkey) is never wrong and always supports democracy. Blind ideology created the war in Iraq, the destruction of Libya and Syria, the Ukrainian war, and now Gaza.

All of these ventures have ended in disaster. Yet, the true believers in both parties continue calling for more war. Senator Graham, a Republican is once again calling for the bombing of Iran. The lunatics exist in both parties.

It is to the credit of America that free speech still exists and demonstrators are speaking against the foreign policy of the Biden administration. As for Pelosi, the woman is elderly and is a career politician who lost touch with reality as many of her colleagues in both parties have.

Categories
faith

Greek Orthodoxy Reawakens!

The Orthodox Church of Greece convened a synod on January 23. The bishops voted unanimously to oppose plans by the government to legalize gay marriage. It should be understood that there is no opposition to gay people sharing benefits or having what appears to be civil unions.

Marriage is a religious concept and belongs to the jurisdiction of the Church, and not that of the government. Prime Minister Mitsotakis is likely pushing this because of the European Union and Greek leaders traditionally accept all western dictates uncritically. Marriage from a biblical and theological perspective can only be between a man and a woman.

This is not “homophobia” which critics will label opponents of the Mitsotakis government. Only twenty years ago, a Massachusetts court found that marriage can include couples of the same sex. This ruling spit in the face of all civilizations and cultures. The issue which the Church is fighting has less to do with people who are gay, and entirely with the matter of an ideology that smacks of paganism.

The “right” of same sex couples to marry has led to the trans movement. Today, a man who declares he is a woman can enter the ladies room, women’s showers, and participate in female sports. Women and girls have been injured by them.

In addition, we have seen the rise of drag queen story hour, in which men in drag read books to school children and teach them about “twerking”. Then there are the horrors of “drag” children, boys dressed as girls dancing in clubs for grown men who throw money at them. In some states, it is legal for thirteen year olds to get sex changes WITHOUT the approval of parents. Wait till the bishops of Greece see what same sex marriage in America has led to.

The uproar by the Church in Greece has led to Patriarch Bartholomew expressing his opposition to same sex marriage. Some good things are developing. The Church must stand its ground against the pagan LGBT agenda but should make clear that the Church is a hospital for sinners and that gay people are welcome as are heterosexual sinners.

The New Testament teaches us not to judge others. Therefore, the defense of marriage is not aimed at gay people, but at the ideology that is being exported worldwide by the Biden administration. The US government is promoting LGBT ideology worldwide and targeting children.

The bishops of Greece are specifically motivated to stop adoptions by gay couples. It should be remembered that Greek boys under the Turks were taken from their families, converted to Islam, and forced into the Janissaries. Generations of boys were lost to the Turks.

Greeks will not lose further generations of children to the Rainbow Janissaries. Now that the Greek Churches have found their voices, they can do the right thing by breaking off with the fake “church” in Ukraine and reestablish communion with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

But one thing at a time.




Categories
political

Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government is the most extreme in the history of Israel. His coalition partner Itamar Ben Gvir who is in charge of national security is a follower of the late Meir Kahane. Kahane was expelled from the Knesset in 1988 and was barred from running for office in Israel.

The attacks on Israel by Hamas on October 7 were indisputably crimes against humanity and cruel and inhumane. The Israeli reaction however is also cruel and sadistic as Israel is bombing civilian targets without discrimination. A Greek Orthodox Church, Mosques, hospitals and homes have been hit. The civilian population is being punished collectively for Hamas despite not being involved in the attacks by Hamas.

The United States which has hypocritically lectured the rest of the world on human rights is continuing to arm the Israelis despite the mounting evidence of war crimes. Israel is looking to push out one million plus Palestinians from Gaza. Netanyahu has openly mocked the US by insisting there will be no Palestinian state when the war ends.

American officials have responded by pathetically saying Netanyahu will not remain in power forever. So, the US which theoretically supports a Palestinian state is going to allow Netanyahu to call the shots. Contrast Washington’s slavish obedience to Netanyahu’s government with their aggressive threats against Russia and others.

As a Senator, Joe Biden supported NATO’s aggressive bombing of Serbia. The bombing of Serbia was no different from Tel Aviv’s bombing of civilians in Gaza. American officials are as complicit in war crimes as the Netanyahu government. It is therefore not surprising that Washington is not doing anything to stop the destruction of Gaza.

The Netanyahu government is blocking humanitarian relief from entering Gaza. Famine is becoming a reality, as is the spread of disease. Palestinians are living without electricity and water. South Africa has brought a case against Israel before the International Court of Justice.

Chile and Mexico are supporting South Africa. Germany has announced it will defend Israel. The people of Gaza are not likely to be helped by any major western government. German. Support for Israel is reminiscent of the arms that Germany provided to the Turks during the genocides of the Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks during World War One.

The solution to a Middle East peace lies in a two state solution. American and European policies in the Middle East have failed. What the Middle East needs is greater Russian involvement. The Russians saved Syria from becoming a jihadist base a few years ago while the west was supporting ISIS and Al Quada. As the Ukrainian war is coming to a close, the Russians who have good relations with the Arabs and Israel may succeed in bringing about a ceasefire.

Categories
faith

Mount Athos, Church Of Greece, And The Struggle For The Faith

The Monasteries of the Holy Mountain have written a letter to Patriarch Bartholomew opposing the impending visit of Archbishop Elpidophoros. The reason for this are the controversial baptisms of two children of a gay couple. In addition, the Athonites cited the photograph of the Archbishop with the two men and suggest that the hierarch appears to endorse gay marriage.

This is an accurate assessment of the photograph. The monks have made clear that they do not wish to appear as if they are in agreement with the Archbishop or endorse his actions. We should recall that when the Archbishop asked for permission from Metropolitan Antonios of Glyfada to conduct the baptisms, he failed to mention the “parents” were gay.

The Archbishop deceived this hierarch and the Church of Greece in general. Furthermore, the use of a surrogate mother to provide these men with children represents a further moral issue with the entire affair. Archbishop Elpidophoros by all rights should be deposed.

This baptism is by no means the only controversy that he has stirred up. He has received into the Patriarchate’s Slavic vicariate a defrocked Archimandrite from the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and sought to elevate him into the episcopacy. Only threats from the other Orthodox Churches in the episcopal assembly forced the Archbishop to cancel his plans.

During the fall of 2021, the Archbishop attended a ceremony at the Turkish consulate in New York one year after the Turks converted Hagia Sophia into a Mosque. The Archbishop was in the presence of Ersin Tatar, the leader of the Turkish occupation of Cyprus. This move angered the governments of Greece and Cyprus.

Archbishop Elpidophoros gained notoriety from an article he wrote in 2013 stating the Ecumenical Patriarch was “first without equals”. In reality the Ecumenical Patriarch is considered “first among equals” with a “primacy of honor”. The then Metropolitan also compared the Patriarch with the first person of the Holy Trinity. This writing gave the current Archbishop a good deal of notoriety.

Considering Patriarch Bartholomew’s subsequent actions in Ukraine (the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church) it makes the Archbishop the minister of propaganda to Patriarch Bartholomew. Both the Patriarchate and the Archdiocese have aligned themselves with American pro war foreign policy establishment.

Even worse, they compromised the Patriarchate of Alexandria, several Athonite Monasteries and bishops in Greece and Cyprus when the latter all established communion with the fake “church” in Ukraine. Certainly all the above have to take responsibility for entering into communion with the artificial entity calling itself “Orthodox Church of Ukraine”. But it was Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Elpidophoros who started all this by trying to bestow on the Patriarch authority and power he does not have.

The Monasteries of Mount Athos contributed to the schism in Orthodoxy when they decided to let each Monastery pursue its own policy toward the illegitimate Ukrainian “church”. Furthermore, they permitted the fake “bishops” of Ukraine to desecrate the holy mountain by permitting them to participate in liturgical services. These frauds also raised the Ukrainian flag on Mount Athos and sang the Ukrainian national anthem. Such expressions of nationalism are supposed to be prohibited on the holy mountain.

The expressions of opposition to gay marriage by the Church of Greece and Mount Athos deserve praise. But there is much more to be done. The holy mountain and the Churches of Greece and Cyprus must reverse their decisions to recognize that thing in Ukraine masquerading as a “church”. The holy mountain and the Church of Greece must restore communion with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and to condemn the persecution of this legitimate and canonical Church.

If this can be done, the Church of Greece and the holy mountain will be restored. Then the Greek Church must prepare itself to act against the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Archbishop of America who have caused so much chaos in Orthodoxy and sought to ruin the name of Hellenism by carrying out their ecclesiastical crimes under the Greek flag which they have desecrated.