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| PentecostalTheology.com
Chairman of the Department for external church relations of the Moscow Patriarchate (DECR) Metropolitan Hilarion, speaking before students of the Faculty of theology of the University of Winchester (United Kingdom), said that the differences between the Orthodox and Protestants, between “traditionalists” and “liberals” in Christianity every year are becoming larger and these differences relate to the very foundations of moral teachings, newsru.com writes.
“It would seem, after many decades of inter-Christian dialogue would expect substantial convergence. However, this convergence has not happened … On the contrary, the difference between, on the one hand, the Orthodox and the Roman Catholics and the Protestant world has become much more significant than they were 50 or 70 years ago, “the RIA Novosti cited the words of the representative of the RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH.
Differences between Christians of different denominations, he said, are today not only doctrinal issues, but also affect the morality is “one in which Christian witness would be the same regardless of doctrinal differences”. Some Christian communities, stated the head of the MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE, under the influence of the secular ideology away from fundamental moral norms enshrined in the pages of the New Testament — the preaching of Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul’s Epistles.
“Today is increasingly difficult to talk about a single, accepted by all Christians around the world the system of spiritual and moral values. Today there are various versions of Christianity, exhibited different communities, “said Metropolitan Hilarion.
From this point of view, he noted, all modern Christians can be divided into two major groups — the traditional and liberal. “And already a chasm separates the less Orthodox, Catholic or Protestant, Catholic and how many” traditionalists “and” liberals “. Some Christian leaders have argued that the Church should be “inclusive” enough to recognize alternative behavioral standards and formally bless them, “said the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church.
According to him, Liberals believe that the traditionalists must revise their views to keep up with the present. Traditionalists, in turn, accused the Liberals of the fundamental rules, other Christian in the erosion of the foundations of Christian moral teaching. According to the Orthodox Church, said Hilarion, in this case is not just about any otstavšem from the life of “tradicionalizme”, and the fidelity to the divine revelation contained in Scripture, and hence on the authenticity of Christian evangelism. ”
“And if the so called liberal Christians reject the traditional understanding of morality, it means that we are faced with an extremely serious problem: we are divided not only in matters from the point of view of the outside world a” technical “nature and related exclusively to the vnutrihristianskomu dialogue. Today we are at the very core of the evidence, which should be to the outside world, the recognized Metropolitan.
Christians do not speak with one voice, do not preach a moral teachings and “not capable of shared joint defending moral principles, which for centuries was the life of the Christian community,” added the Decr Chairman.
