Friday, May 29, 2015

Gay Marriage and the Houston Gay Rights Ordinance

An Orthodox Wedding

We, the Orthodox clergy of Houston and Southeast Texas, are compelled by our responsibilities before God to speak out plainly against the rebellion against God's created order that we see being waged on both the local and national level.

It is God who created the two sexes, and established marriage at the time of creation, as our Lord Jesus Christ tells us:

"But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" (Mark 10:6-10; cf. Genesis 1:27; 2:24; 5:2).

The so called "Houston Equal Rights Ordinance," is nothing of the sort; but rather gives a man who wishes to consider himself a woman, on a given day, the right to use women's restrooms in the city of Houston. Such a man need not have even had a "sex change" operation, or even dress like a woman, since "gender" is considered to be a state of the mind rather than a biological fact. After the City council approved this unjust law, Christians of all races, denominations, and political affiliations organized a petition drive, which resulted in far more than the required number of signatures to get the issue on the ballot. But Mayor Annise Parker, disregarding the law, simply chose to disregard the will of the people and their right to vote in accordance with the law. She also used the occasion to unconstitutionally subpoena the sermons and private pastoral correspondences of pastors who were not even a party to a lawsuit that is seeking to force the Mayor to simply obey the law and allow the citizens of the city of Houston their right to vote. We wish to express our support for the fight against this unjust law, and the unlawful actions of Mayor Annise Parker, and we call upon her to cease ignoring the will of the people -- which she clearly knows does not support her actions, or else she would not fear leaving the matter to them.

The question of "gay marriage" is also before the Supreme Court, and it is feared that they will impose "gay marriage" on the entire United States. We want our parishioners, fellow citizens, political leaders, and our nation's judges to know that if this is done, it will be a violation of the letter and the spirit of the United States Constitution. More importantly, it will be an act of rebellion against "the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God." We have laws respecting marriage because only heterosexual relationships are capable of producing children, and those children are best provided for and properly raised within the context of traditional marriage.* Homosexual relationships cannot possibly produce children, and so cannot possibly fit the meaning of the word "marriage," neither should the state concern itself with recognizing such relationships. Homosexual couples also cannot provide both a mother and a father to a child, and so should not be allowed to adopt children.

The Declaration of Independence correctly states that our rights come from God, not from the state. The state can either justly protect those rights, or unjustly violate them. No government, much less an unelected court, can justly proclaim something to be a right which violates God's natural order. The only way society can accommodate the demands of homosexual activists to call their relationships "marriage" and to allow everyone to pick which restroom they desire, is to ignore that men and women are different and have unique characteristics, and to pretend that there is no difference between a mother and a father. This can only be accomplished if we all deny that which we know to be true, and "suppress the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18).

Let it be known that we will never recognize such laws or judicial decrees to be either right or just, nor will we be intimidated into silence, but will continue to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29), and proclaim the whole counsel of God on these issues (Acts 20:27).

*Infertile heterosexual couples are still capable of providing adopted children with both a mother and a father. Also, having children, while a primary purpose of marriage, it is not the only purpose for marriage as far as the Church is concerned; however, having children is the only reason why the state has a legitimate interest in marriage.

Signed:
V. Rev. Fr. Serge Veselinovich, Ss. Constantine and Helen Serbian Orthodox Church, Galveston, Texas
V. Rev. Fr. Dejan Tiosavljevic, St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, Cypress, Texas
V. Rev. Fr. Gabriel Karam, Holy Forty Martyrs Antiochian Orthodox Church, Sugarland, Texas
V. Rev. Fr. Joseph Huneycutt, St. Joseph Antiochian Orthodox Church, Houston, Texas
V. Rev, Fr. Anastasios Raptis, St. Basil Greek Orthodox Church, Houston, Texas
V. Rev. Fr. John Whiteford, St. Jonah Orthodox Church (ROCOR), Spring Texas
Hieromonk John (Anderson), St. Cyril Orthodox Church (OCA), The Woodlands, Texas
Rev. Fr. Lubomir Kupec, St. Vladimir Russian Orthodox Church (ROCOR), Houston, Texas
Rev. Fr. Cassian Sibley, Life-Giving Spring Orthodox Church (ROCOR), Bryan, Texas
Rev. Fr. Michael J. Lambakis, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Houston, Texas
Rev. Fr. James Shadid, St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, Houston, Texas
Rev. Fr. Richard Petranek, St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church, Katy, Texas
Rev. Fr. Demetrios Tagaropulos. Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Houston, Texas
Rev. Fr. Anthony Baba, St. Anthony Antiochian Orthodox Church, Spring, Texas
Rev. Fr. Symeon Kees, St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, Houston, Texas
Rev. Fr. Benigno Pardo, St. Jonah Orthodox Church (ROCOR), Spring, Texas
Rev. Fr. Christopher Xanthos, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Houston, Texas
Rev. Dn. David Companik, St. Jonah Orthodox Church (ROCOR), Spring, Texas
Rev. Dn. Juvenaly Hale, St. Joseph Antiochian Orthodox Church, Houston, Texas
Rev. Dn. Gabriel Gadah. Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Houston, Texas

More names from the clergy association are likely to be added

16 comments:

  1. Thank you, reverend Fathers, for speaking the Truth. When we place our demands above the laaws of God, chaos reigns.

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  2. Churches'declaration is clear, wise, correct and true. It is firmly based on the Holy Bible, the Holy Gospel, Holy Fathers of the Church Recommendations, Creeds, Most Holy Saints Teaching, Orthodox Belief + Traditions. Before and after Loth, gay relations, gay + same sex marriage, have been and are cleary monitored by Satan, ennemies of Christians, ennemies of the Churches. Same sex relations are curse + calamity that bring human beings nearer to monkeys, apes, and beasts...and far, far, far away from Almighty Father + J.C. + Holy Spirit.

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  3. Pleas add my name to list The Most Rev Anthony J M Burns of The Child Jesus F.B.S.M ThD DD PhD American Orthodox Catholic Church Inc

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  4. I'm an Russian Orthodox layman in Sweden .
    I pray for you .
    Caj Ilotuuli .

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  5. I thank God that our Orthodox clergy and hierarchy are taking a clear and strong stand against this foolishness.

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  6. God bless you for your bold and righteous stance.

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  7. May God bless these Reverend Fathers for telling the truth to power. I am a New Zealander who was baptised and lives in Tbilisi in Georgia.

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  8. God Bless you all. As a Catholic I stand with my Orthodox brothers and sisters in their stance against an unjust "law".

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  9. Bless you all! The Lords tells us to be doers of the Word, not listeners. May you be an example to all.

    Rev. P. Elliott

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  10. Same-sex "marriage" seems to be a useful point at which to apply separation of church and state. The church should opt out of performing state-recognised marriages. If the state wont get out of the marriage business, then perhaps the church should.

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    1. Read this article to get a cogent argument why refusing to perform state-recognized marriages is ill-advised.

      https://canonlawblog.wordpress.com/2015/05/05/bad-ideas-know-no-borders/

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  11. Thank you Fathers, for writing and signing this petition. You speak the truth, which this city government wishes to deny. I stand with you as a Latin Rite Catholic. I will not be using public restrooms if I can avoid it, and stand to make quite a stir should I see a male in a female restroom. Won't allow my granddaughter in them either. This whole situation has crossed the line!!

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  12. May God Bless you Fathers!!! I am calling from Romania!

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  13. Orthodox Christians marriages are Sacramental marriages. Our sacramental marriage ceremony does not change. We need to start calling our marriages sacramental marriages. For example , tell your friends you have been "Sacramentally Married" for 10 years. Some people may not know what that means. It would be very difficult to change the meaning of sacramental marriage. A priest can simple say I only know how to perform a sacramental marriage. I don't know how to perform a marriage between a man and man or a woman and a woman. If only everybody followed their true nature to seek God first we would not be having this conversation because we would all be working hard to fight all our passions.

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  14. You are perfectly right. Keep doing good. Best Regards.

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