When you think about it, it really all boils down to cartoons … “It’s an especially nice touch to suggest that many traditional Christians are upset about the concert segment in which Madonna hangs on a disco-mirrored crucifix because it contains too much religion. This is something like saying that Muslims were upset about the Danish cartoons because they contained too much religion, as opposed to the fact that they contained religious content that they considered offensive.” tmatt on tomatoes.... Read more

Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain gave as good a summary as any. When he was once asked where the soul goes when it leaves the body, he answered: “Well, when the watch stops working, it goes to the hands of the watchmaker. In the same way, our soul goes into the hands of God.” He also said this: “When I see Christians cry because their fathers passed away, I am upset, for they neither believe nor understand that death... Read more

Moscow, September 26, Interfax – Metropolitan Vitaly (Ustinov), former first hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, died at a hospital in Mansonville, Canada, on Monday evening, at the age of 97. Metropolitan Vitaly’s condition deteriorated sharply last week, sources in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia told Interfax. The late metropolitan was the primate of the ROCOR for many years. He was known as an implacable critic of the Moscow Patriarchate for its obedience to the... Read more

The late Mike Royko, longtime columnist for the Chicago Tribune, once told of a practical joke that was played on a man in Madison, Wisconsin. This man and three friends were enjoying a fishing trip at a secluded lake. They fished all day. Every night they went to bed at about 10:00 and got up before dawn for more fishing. One of them, who we’ll call Joe, was the first to his bunk one night. He was exhausted, and was... Read more

“Whatever you do, on no account condemn anyone; do not even try to judge whether a person is good or bad, but keep your eyes on that one evil person for whom you must give an account before God – yourself.” – St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, THE ARENA Thanks to FWD from Fr Josiah Trenham. Read more

Osama bin Laden is dead. Zorastrians are dying, too. Thanks to Muhammed, many lost their heads. Here’s an example of a head poorly used. Read more

Madonna (not this one) said: “I believe in my heart that if Jesus were alive today he would be doing the same thing.”Yes, well … no. Story. Read more

“A recent topic in the news has been the remarks of Pope Benedict XVI at Regensburg University. Well, to be accurate, his remarks have not been in the news so much as the reaction of the moslem world. We in the west see clearly the irony of moslems who use violence to demonstrate that Islam is not inherently violent! What we westerners, we Catholics, and dare I say we Anglicans do not see clearly is the point that his holiness... Read more

“As the world’s attention is drawn to events in the war against terrorism, the focus is on disturbing extremism expressed by militant factions of Islam. Reports are filed almost daily on terrorist activities breaking out with alarming regularity in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Asia. While in determined pursuit of terrorists responsible for 9/11, the U.S. and its allies find themselves entangled in an ideological confrontation with the Islamic world whose borders transcend national boundaries. As the bulwark of... Read more

The following tips are [excerpted] from Mother Pelagia of Lesna Convent, who prefaces them with the remark: “Orthodox families train their children from a very early age to acquire religious habits, in some of which I was myself, as a Protestant, brought up.” 1 – Prayers are said morning and evening, either together as a family or individually. 2 – A blessing (grace, we called it) is said by the head of the family before a meal, and a prayer... Read more