Breaking the Silence on Sexuality within the Orthodox Church

Joseph Clarke

Open letter to OCA Holy Synod from college students and young adults

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    August 12, 2011 — Martyr Anicetus of Nicomedia

     

    To: Holy Synod of Bishops, Orthodox Church in America

    From: 15 Orthodox college students and young adults

     

    “Men and women with homosexual feelings and emotions are to be treated with the understanding, acceptance, love, justice and mercy due to all human beings.”

    — 1992 Synodal Affirmations On Marriage, Family, Sexuality, and the Sanctity of Life, Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America

     

    Your Beatitude, Your Eminence, Your Graces,

     

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Moral and Scientific Knowledge

Because modern science studies only observable and testable phenomena, it obviously cannot determine the moral acceptability of these phenomena. This does not mean that science has no role to play in Christian discourse, however. The Orthodox Church rejects the troubled epistemologies of explicitly anti-scientific movements such as young-earth creationism. Likewise, it would be foolish to think that Orthodox Christians could justifiably ignore modern empirical findings on a topic as complex as homosexuality. I would like to share my views, and to hear from others, about the ways that such research might inform moral thought and pastoral practice.

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Open Letter to Met. Jonah

Joseph Clarke

joseph.clarke@yale.edu

January 10, 2011

The Most Blessed JONAH

Your Beatitude,

Most Blessed Master, Bless!

I write concerning your letter of May 2, 2010 to the Armed Forces Chaplains Board regarding the repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, which profoundly affects my life as an Orthodox Christian.

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