← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · wild_bill
Thread ID: 12833 | Posts: 3 | Started: 2004-03-22
2004-03-22 16:30 | User Profile
ORTHODOX VIEW OF INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE Bishop Iakovos, Prof. of Orthodox Theology, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. 1987.
QUESTION: "No matter what Hollywood and the Church say, I can't believe God smiles on such (interracial) marriages."
ANSWER: I wish to respond to the brief comment on several levels. On the level of the issue itself, the expression "God smiles on such marriages" can be understood in a number of ways. If by it, you mean that you believe that God does not encourage racially mixed marriages, the, I believe we are not in disagreement. I feel I made it very clear that the Church does not feel such marriages are desirable, for many different reasons, many of which are practical and have to do with the chance of success for such marriages. In addition, we should also add that the Church holds that races and nations were created by God. Consequently, the total intermarriage would destroy the races which God created. The Church has never advocated or encouraged racially mixed marriages.
Nevertheless, to assume a stance that would completely prohibit such marriages, would mean that the Church was racist, in that the criterion which is used was not one of faith, or belief, or the equal dignity of all human beings as the "image and likeness of God," but solely a racial criterion. This it has never done, nor can it do and remain faithful to its teachings. If by the idea that "God does not smiles on such marriages," you are saying that God absolutely forbids these marriages, then, I believe the burden of proof is on you - since we have no New Testament teaching, nor canonical directives, nor Church practice to that effect.
2004-03-22 19:25 | User Profile
Yeah, that's my understanding of the matter.
Humanity is one, inasmuch as Christ died for us all: Jew and Greek, white and black and yellow and red.
Yet, as the Bishop says, nations were created by God Himself. They exist because families exist - since nations are really just very extended families. We do not exist solely as individiduals but rather as part of organisms we call tribe and nation. Our individual choices about marriage and family must take into account not only our individual preferences but also the interests of that larger social organism of which we are each part.
While w cannot say then that all interracial marriage is a priori excluded by Christian teaching, we can and should affirm that nations have a right to protect their bloodlines, and the marriage laws are a matter for the civil authorities to detail within the context of Christian teaching.
We'll always have some interbreeding, but it should be kept to a minimum, and even then the further we are genetically from other nations and races the less frequently it should happen.
Like the rest of Christian social doctrine, this is just common sense, really.
Walter
2004-03-22 19:52 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Walter Yannis]Yeah, that's my understanding of the matter.
Humanity is one, inasmuch as Christ died for us all: Jew and Greek, white and black and yellow and red.
Yet, as the Bishop says, nations were created by God Himself. They exist because families exist - since nations are really just very extended families. We do not exist solely as individiduals but rather as part of organisms we call tribe and nation. Our individual choices about marriage and family must take into account not only our individual preferences but also the interests of that larger social organism of which we are each part.
While w cannot say then that all interracial marriage is a priori excluded by Christian teaching, we can and should affirm that nations have a right to protect their bloodlines, and the marriage laws are a matter for the civil authorities to detail within the context of Christian teaching.
We'll always have some interbreeding, but it should be kept to a minimum, and even then the further we are genetically from other nations and races the less frequently it should happen.
Like the rest of Christian social doctrine, this is just common sense, really.[/QUOTE]
I think its always worthwhile to keep the traditional Christian view of interracial marriage clear in our minds. And although the article I posted is from an Orthodox book, I think it acurately expresses the traditional view that was widespread until recently.
Another reason is that I get thoroughly tried of anti-Christians constantly making the false claim that "Christianity advocates racemixing." No, some liberalized modern churches might do that, but not because they are following any traditional teaching. They are following fashion and apostasy. I mean we now have churches installing openly practicing sodomites into the pulpits and church administration. How much more corrupt can they get? This marks just another highwater mark of subversion that we can certainly expect to be surpassed. Unfortunately, we are living in a era of degeneracy and apostasy that constantly exceeds our worst expectations and the weak churches are obviously being affected.
Trying to find an upside in this, maybe the situation will be of some good and could end-up functioning as a great weeding-out process where only the churches who staunchly resist subversion and preserve Christ's teachings will survive and have God's favor. Its not a pleasant think about.