www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall America’s Chief Export: Immorality

Sure, it isn't a perfect world, and the U.S. is not a perfect country. However, how many people in the world have food, clean water, schools, clothing and any number of other good things from the generosity of the American people? It is too easy to focus on only the negative and not see the good.

Forum friends, immorality comes from the heart and the will; I have a hard time with the concept that it can be exported, or imported for that matter. Evil lurks everywhere, and at every time. For a brief moment, last year, my town became synonymous with harlotry, but actually very few do that kind of Zumba here. Caveat emptor, seems to fit.

No. Concupiscence is in the heart as a result of the Fall, and that is in every heart, but our Lord had particularly harsh words for those who would entice others in to immorality. He would not have given such warning if we did not have a responsibility to guide those we meet towards God rather than towards sin. Those who have encouraged evil in others will pay a price on the Judgement Day. And those who have done corporal and spiritual works of mercy will be rewarded, especially if they have helped others back to the faith.

OK, guys! Haircloth shirts, sackcloth and ashes for everyone. We wouldn't stoop to joy for this Christmas. LOL.

And yet, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus are the internet porn centers of the world.

Absolutely. And it's all just one click of the mouse away. That has to do with the heart and the will, I-R, whether in Virginia or up heah in cold New England. To click or not to click, that is the question

Are you aware that prostitution is legal and regulated in Greece and human trafficking a big problem there?

Today, many nations are revising their moral values and ethical norms, eroding ethnic traditions and differences between peoples and cultures. Society is now required not only to recognize everyone's right to the freedom of consciousness, political views and privacy, but also to accept without question the equality of good and evil, strange as it seems, concepts that are opposite in meaning.

This destruction of traditional values from above not only leads to negative consequences for society, but is also essentially anti-democratic, since it is carried out on the basis of abstract, speculative ideas, contrary to the will of the majority, which does not accept the changes occurring or the proposed revision of values.

We know that there are more and more people in the world who support our position on defending traditional values that have made up the spiritual and moral foundation of civilization in every nation for thousands of years: the values of traditional families, real human life, including religious life, not just material existence but also spirituality, the values of humanism and global diversity.

Of course, this is a conservative position. But speaking in the words of Nikolai Berdyaev, the point of conservatism is not that it prevents movement forward and upward, but that it prevents movement backward and downward, into chaotic darkness and a return to a primitive state.

Vladimir Putin--Dec 12, 2013

Yes I do. That is NOT what I am talking about! I really wish that people would actually read the entire thread to understand posts in their context.

I am talking about acceptable social mores both here and there.
I am talking about what the societal NORM was decades ago.

In my mother's generation, women were expected, both here in the United States AND in Greece to be virgins and to get married.

In Greece (especially), fathers were very strict and protective of the purity of their daughters. No RESPECTABLE family would allow their daughters (both here and in Greece) to become anything but a daughter given to marriage and motherhood.

Prostitutes, actresses and singers (considered the lowest profession, akin to being a whore, throughout history) were the EXCEPTION to the rule--often women chose such professions only because they were orphaned.

*Today*, virginity before marriage is not only almost extinct, but even more so, Hollywood shows casual sexual encounters as the NORM for the liberated, educated young woman. Hollywood does not generally depict a standard, normal, loving family raising children with religious values. Gone are the 'Waltons' and 'Seventh Heaven' families. In are the broken, dysfunctional, and alternative families.

I am speaking about the societal NORM, not the exceptions.

I seriously think there is something wrong if one cannot see around them this imposition of all things *sexually* immoral in today's society.

Brilliantly and bravely spoken.
We do our children and future generations no favor by living in a fool's paradise and burying our heads in the sand about the demise of socially conservative values.

And re: Hollywood, isn't it interesting that after 9/11 left Americans scratching their heads as to why Muslims hate us, Hollywood spokesmen said that they were pulling some movies and would in the future (quickly forgotten as the dust settled) create more *wholesome* entertainment. They know exactly what they are doing!

Dear Charles,

Christ is among us! I have no disagreement with you there. It truly is a pity that people of other countries often do not know how truly giving and beautiful the American spirit is.

However, one can only wonder if this will continue if we are desensitized to violence and sin, and lose the ecumenical love of God that has always defined us as a people.

Today my daughter and I volunteered (with 13 women from our parish) to help chop and clean, cook and serve a delicious lunch to 200 needy individuals at a soup kitchen. Those who volunteer there are from all traditions of Christianity. Then I think about the attack on Christianity and religion all around us, and I am sad. Those who attack organized religion do not understand that we are the backbone of compassion and assistance in our country, and that this is what has made our country great.

So very true! The greatest degrees of charity and help I am aware of comes from Christians.

Have you read any American History?

Anyone who does genealogy ends up comparing marriage records and birth records, which leads to some enlightening conclusions about how chaste our ancestors were. That is to say, the gestation period of a first child can vary between three and nine months, whereas for all subsequent children, it's usually nine months.

Actually, dear Alice, I think Stuart is more -- much more -- Conservative than he is Liberal. Just an observation from knocking heads with him on various sites.