by Chris Banescu – How do you know when you have successfully argued and defended your position when debating with leftists or progressives on Facebook or other online forums (or even face-to-face)?
Look for these telling signs (not necessarily in this exact order):
1. They call you an “extremist, radical, racist, Teabagger, heartless capitalist, or FoxNews cultist.”
2. They declare that “you’re a ‘hater’ or you’re angry.”
3. They ignore the facts and evidence you present, and challenge your “motivations” instead. (Note, you are not allowed to question their motivations.)
4. They accuse you of “insulting” any liberal, progressive, or leftist that you criticize, and remind you that it’s “rude” to do so.
5. They question your intelligence, experience, education, ethnic background, and/or religious beliefs.
6. They denounce you as “intolerant and judgmental.” [Read more…]
by Chris Banescu – Jase and Missy Robertson one of the husband and wife couples from Duck Dynasty, the highest rated series in A&E’s history, take every opportunity to publicly proclaim their faith in Christ and recognize God’s supremacy in their lives. Jase and Missy were recently interviewed at the “K-Love Fan Awards” in June and were not shy in sharing their Christian values and referencing the importance of God as the foundation in all things. They emphasized how their strong moral values helped them remain pure before marriage and how those same principles strengthened their family ever since. Both expressed their firm belief that placing God first is very important in life.
It is reassuring and inspiring to see the Robertson family publicly and steadfastly bear witness to Christ and consistently proclaim the moral principles that truly matter in life. In the midst of the tsunami of superficiality, corruption, and immorality that floods our television screens daily, their testimonies are a welcome and much needed light unto others.
Here are some of Jase and Missy’s comments from that interview. [Read more…]
The increasing darkness, corruption, and delusion we witness all around us are direct and predictable consequences of man’s rejection of God and truth. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn warned of the devastating consequences that follow when men forsake God. Dennis Engleman issues a similar warning in his book Ultimate Things: An Orthodox Christian Perspective on the End Times regarding the dangers of man’s rejection of truth.
In rejecting truth, man, who was created in the image and likeness of God, denies himself and the godly nature with which he was blessed from the beginning by his Creator. He purposely blinds himself to reality and destroys the very faculty (reason) that allows him to find and discern truth. In rejecting truth, man purposely closes all “doors to authentic understanding” and obliterates the only avenue that can lead him into communion with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6).
When man rejects truth he rejects God and destroys himself. In abandoning truth man opens himself to all manner of delusion, falsehood, and corruption. He abandons the narrow road to salvation and wonders in the wilderness of “this world” at the mercy of evil. He forsakes God’s wisdom and embraces “worldly wisdom” which always leads down the road to perdition, to despair, suffering, and death. [Read more…]
by Chris Banescu – The Bible warns us that confronting and trying to correct and rebuke scornful and wicked individuals can be harmful. The Proverbs caution that “he who corrects a scorner [scoffer] gets shame for himself” and “he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself” (Proverbs 9:7). The Scriptures further instruct us to “not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you,” but instead “rebuke a wise man, and he will love you” (Proverbs 9:8).
A scorner (or scoffer) is typically someone who treats others with disdain and contempt, someone who unjustifiably considers others as despicable and unworthy.
Scoffers and the wicked unfairly dislike and disrespect anyone they disagree with, even on the smallest of points. They insult and ridicule those who try to correct and rebuke them, frequently responding with open hostility and outright hatred. They always resort to attacking the messenger and ignoring the message. The more reasonable, logical, and true the messages are, the greater the insults and anger that scorners direct at the messengers. [Read more…]
by Chris Banescu – In the Orthodox Christian view, Christianity is not just a “religion.” Christianity is a way of life. Christianity is complete reality. Christianity is the fully revealed truth about God and man. Christianity is the fulfillment of man’s search for divine truth and ultimate meaning.
The Christian Faith embodies the most important truths of this life and all human existence which God first revealed to Moses and the other Old Testament prophets. The fullness of that truth was then completely made manifest in the birth, life, teachings, miracles, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. “It is the fulfillment of all religions in their search for divine truth and human meaning as inspired by God’s law written on human hearts,” explains Fr. Thomas Hopko.
Our God is the God of the whole universe and all life. His laws and power govern all creation and all matter, seen and unseen. His wisdom illumines every field of human endeavor. This is why Saint John the Theologian so powerfully declared a truth that shook the very foundations of the world: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:1-5). [Read more…]
Fr. Basil (my grandfather) Preaching by Chris Banescu – Perpetual crises and suffering, societal unrest, financial emergencies, institutional dysfunction, governmental tyranny, murder and mayhem, wars, riots, terrorism, and the persecution of the righteous and innocent continues to be the “normal” state of affairs for people and countries around the world. Despite the constant assurances from most secular governments and politicians who promise us “utopia on earth” in exchange for surrendering more of our freedoms and embracing their atheistic and progressive “solutions”, things are getting worse, not better.
This seems to be a persistent problem of all human civilizations throughout history, not just a defect particular to our own age. “Terrific energy is expended — civilizations are built up — excellent institutions devised; but each time something goes wrong. Some fatal flaw always brings the selfish and cruel people to the top, and then it all slides back into misery and ruin. In fact, the machine conks. It seems to start up all right and runs a few yards, and then it breaks down,” observed C.S. Lewis. What is the real source of this suffering and is there any hope for a cure?
It is foolishness to believe that the turmoil, economic devastation, social corruption, and societal instability happening in Greece, Egypt, England, France, Romania, other European countries, and even here in America is simply about economics, politics, education, financial mismanagement, or religious, ethnic, or cultural differences. What it is about is the catastrophic moral failure of individuals with power and influence across many organizations and institutions, especially politicians and government leaders. The immorality, vanity, arrogance, hypocrisy, selfishness, corruption, cowardice, envy, greed, and reckless disregard for the long-term safety, liberty, and well-being of the people – whom they have sworn to serve and protect – that we see in the conduct of our leaders are symptoms of what always happens when man rejects God’s truth and wisdom and tries to setup for himself an earthly “utopia” separate from Christ’s teaching. [Read more…]
by Chris Banescu – As the Christmas season fades into the distance and the New Year is upon us, we tend to feel the passage of time most acutely. With the conclusion of the bright and joyous celebrations that commemorate and bear witness to the birth of the Messiah, we often experience a sense of loss, of sadness. We never seem to have enough time to fully immerse ourselves in the feast and absorb the joy and peace that our souls yearn to rediscover and embrace. It all goes by much too quickly. We find ourselves heading back toward the daily routines of our lives, feeling weary, tired, and spent. The light inside us that burned so brightly a few days ago is flickering.
In response, writes Fr. Alexander Schmemann, “come words from an infinite loftiness and an infinite profundity” from the Gospel of Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist. Jesus Christ “was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name… And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace” (John 1:9-12, 16). [Read more…]
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