Law being prepared in Greece declaring offensive certain "expressions from the Gospel."
Православие.Ru, 3 декабря 2013 г.
Православие.Ru, 3 декабря 2013 г.
http://www.pravosla vie.ru/english/ 66398.htm
Athens, December 1, 2013
Metropolitan Nicholas of Fthiotida, one of leading Hierarchs of the Church of
Greece, has spoken about a new bill of the Greek government banning the reading
of certain "offensive stories from the Gospel, introducing responsibility for
patriotism, and legalizing same-sex "marriages."
Athens, December 1, 2013
Metropolitan Nicholas of Fthiotida, one of leading Hierarchs of the Church of
Greece, has spoken about a new bill of the Greek government banning the reading
of certain "offensive stories from the Gospel, introducing responsibility for
patriotism, and legalizing same-sex "marriages."
The Greek government in all probability is unhesitatingly continuing the
preparation of the new "anti-racist bill, which may soon became a federal law,
reports AgionOros.ru with the reference to Romphea.
It will include consent to "free relationships" , which will extend to same-sex unions,
removal from the Holy Week services of passages potentially "offensive to Jews,
and declare inadmissible any demonstration by Greeks of "excessive patriotism,
lest they offend the sensibility of non-Greeks. One of leading Hierarchs of the Church
of Greece, Metropolitan Nicholas of Fthiotida, commenting on the bill, is not concealing
his indignation over far-reaching plans of its developers.
"Are we living in the time of Sodom and Gomorrah?" he says. Regarding the consent to
"free relationships" , the Hierarch noted, "The introduction of bills opposed to the spirit
of the Gospel, like the consent to "free relationships", is a perverted and at the same time
immoral and anti-Christian action. All of us must draw a conclusion. Are we living in the
time of Sodom and Gomorrah? It is necessary to protect our people from
lawlessness, so that they may preserve the ideas of justice, freedom, independence, and
time of Sodom and Gomorrah? It is necessary to protect our people from
lawlessness, so that they may preserve the ideas of justice, freedom, independence, and
love. You cannot, after all, level everything in the world".
"What kind of people are these who want to revise the Bible?"
His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas said regarding the possible censoring of
the text of Holy Week services: "During Holy Week our priests in their churches
will read the Gospel containing such words as: “Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites, you strain at a gnat but swallow a camel", as well as
other passages about Judas, etc. Should they really be removed? What kind of
people are they who want to revise the Gospel? We are not haters of any people;
we respect the Jewish people and all other peoples. Besides, the Jewish nation
is the forerunner of Christianity. Our Lord was of Jewish origin, and the Jewish
people of the Old Testament believed in One, True God. Nobody treats Jews with
such respect as do we, Christians. But should the Gospel, the words of the Lord
Himself, be changed solely for this reason? And who are these latter-day
"mediators&quo t;, wishing to preach the new "Gospel" to us? For what reasons is all
this happening—for political ones, so that other people’s feelings might not be
offended? The Gospel cannot be changed, and it is the same for Church services.
The Church can adapt its approaches, but its meaning remains unchanged. And it
will be the same now. Let them prepare thousands of bills; will they really
imprison all Bishops, Patriarchs, priests, and monks? This is absurd."
"Greece is a courageous country, it has its own heroes, it struggled, it has
its own national holidays, its own flag, and parades. Must we really cancel
everything so that migrants may not be insulted?"
the text of Holy Week services: "During Holy Week our priests in their churches
will read the Gospel containing such words as: “Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites, you strain at a gnat but swallow a camel", as well as
other passages about Judas, etc. Should they really be removed? What kind of
people are they who want to revise the Gospel? We are not haters of any people;
we respect the Jewish people and all other peoples. Besides, the Jewish nation
is the forerunner of Christianity. Our Lord was of Jewish origin, and the Jewish
people of the Old Testament believed in One, True God. Nobody treats Jews with
such respect as do we, Christians. But should the Gospel, the words of the Lord
Himself, be changed solely for this reason? And who are these latter-day
"mediators&quo t;, wishing to preach the new "Gospel" to us? For what reasons is all
this happening—for political ones, so that other people’s feelings might not be
offended? The Gospel cannot be changed, and it is the same for Church services.
The Church can adapt its approaches, but its meaning remains unchanged. And it
will be the same now. Let them prepare thousands of bills; will they really
imprison all Bishops, Patriarchs, priests, and monks? This is absurd."
"Greece is a courageous country, it has its own heroes, it struggled, it has
its own national holidays, its own flag, and parades. Must we really cancel
everything so that migrants may not be insulted?"
Since the bill also touches upon "protection; of the sensibilities of those
who might be insulted by a demonstration of the Greek people’s "excessive"
patriotism, the Metropolitan has called upon the government to approach the
preparation of bills reasonably and with a sense of harmony, otherwise Greece
may simply be destroyed: "I think a similar bill already existed in 1979. What
kind of pressure is exerted on the government that it enacts such strange laws?
But the people have their own criteria. How can such a law be passed if by
following it Greeks have to be afraid to express their love for their motherland,
who might be insulted by a demonstration of the Greek people’s "excessive"
patriotism, the Metropolitan has called upon the government to approach the
preparation of bills reasonably and with a sense of harmony, otherwise Greece
may simply be destroyed: "I think a similar bill already existed in 1979. What
kind of pressure is exerted on the government that it enacts such strange laws?
But the people have their own criteria. How can such a law be passed if by
following it Greeks have to be afraid to express their love for their motherland,
simply because the feelings of other people—who had once enslaved Greece—
will be ‘wounded’? I mean Turks. If we are afraid to cite the examples of
our heroes because Muslim or Albanian children' s feelings will be affected, then
what will happen to our native country? We will destroy it! Bills like this one
can, of course, protect someone... But don't these people know that Greece is a
courageous country, it has its own heroes, it struggled, it has its own national
holidays, its own flag, parades, as every country does? So must we really cancel
everything so that migrants might not be insulted?"
our heroes because Muslim or Albanian children' s feelings will be affected, then
what will happen to our native country? We will destroy it! Bills like this one
can, of course, protect someone... But don't these people know that Greece is a
courageous country, it has its own heroes, it struggled, it has its own national
holidays, its own flag, parades, as every country does? So must we really cancel
everything so that migrants might not be insulted?"
