What does it mean to be Orthodox?

The Orthodox faith teaches a way of living that leads to eternal life. This also means a person acknowledges the struggle with sin and human passions, particularly related to man-woman relationship, sexuality, and the purpose of marriage as revealed by God

The articles in this book use Scripture and traditional sacred writings as a foundation to explain Orthodox views on these topics and others. Written by Orthodox priests and laymen, the articles provide insight into God's will and the human spirit.

I have been a Romanian Orthodox priest for over forty years, during which time I collected numerous articles on social issues. I selected the articles in this book to provide the reader with a deeper understanding of the Orthodox faith regarding the pertinent issues we are faced with in our society.

Most Americans know very little about the Orthodox faith. These short articles will challenge them to think about a way of life they may have never heard of before. The goal of an Orthodox life is to seek the Kingdom of God and eternal life. That means, each individual is to struggle to overcome their passions and lead a life in Christ. This struggle is in opposition to what they have been exposed to in their education; namely, to seek pleasure and happiness and to avoid any pain or suffering. The Orthodox Church teaches that we are to love God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and Jesus Christ, God-Man, with our heart and soul, so that we willingly sacrifice ourselves for the love of Christ.

After reading the articles in the book you now understand there is a choice in the life style one choses to live. The next step is to learn more about an Orthodox way of life through the Church Fathers (e.g., Ss. Justin the Martyr, Athanasius, John Chrysostom, and Gregory Palamas, to name a few). If this has led you to do further readings, then I believe the effort to bring this book to print has been fulfilled.