The following statement was recently released by the Orthodox Clergy Association of Houston and Southeast Texas.
We, the Orthodox clergy of Houston and Southeast Texas, are compelled by our responsibilities before God to clearly denounce the rebellion against God’s created order that we see taking place at the local and national levels.
It is God who created both sexes and established marriage at the time of creation, as our Lord Jesus Christ tells us.
But from the beginning of creation, God created them male and female. It is for this reason that a man will leave his father and mother and cling to his wife; and the two will become one flesh. They are therefore no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate (Mark 10:6-10; cf. Genesis 1:27; 2:24; 5:2).
The so-called “Houston Equal Rights Ordinance” has no such thing; but rather gives a man who wishes to consider himself a woman, on any given day, the right to use the women’s restroom in the City of Houston. Such a man does not even need to have undergone “sex reassignment” surgery, or even dress like a woman, since “gender” is considered a state of mind rather than a fact biological. After the city council approved this unjust law, Christians of all races, faiths, and political affiliations organized a petition drive, which resulted in far more signatures than required for the issue to be placed on the ballot. voting. But Mayor Annise Parker, in defiance of the law, simply chose to disregard the will of the people and their right to vote according to the law. She also used the opportunity to unconstitutionally subpoena the sermons and private pastoral correspondence of pastors who were not even a party to a lawsuit aimed at forcing the mayor to simply obey the law and grant citizens from the city of Houston their right to vote. . We want to express our support for the fight against this unjust law and the illegal actions of Mayor Annise Parker, and we ask her to stop ignoring the will of the people – who she clearly knows do not support her actions, otherwise she would not be afraid to leave it to them to take care of it.
The issue of “gay marriage” is also before the Supreme Court, and there are fears that it could impose “gay marriage” on the entire United States.
We want our parishioners, our fellow citizens, our political leaders and the judges of our country to know that if this happens, it will be a violation of the letter and spirit of the United States Constitution. More importantly, it will be an act of rebellion against “the laws of nature and of nature’s God.” We have laws regarding marriage because only heterosexual relationships are capable of producing children, and those children are best nourished and properly raised in the context of traditional marriage. Same-sex relationships cannot produce children and therefore cannot fit the meaning of the word “marriage,” nor should the state bother to recognize such relationships. Same-sex couples also cannot give a child a father and a mother and therefore should not be allowed to adopt children.
The Declaration of Independence rightly declares that our rights come from God, not the state. The state can either rightly protect these rights or unjustly violate them. No government, much less an unelected court, can legitimately proclaim that a law violates God’s natural order.
The only way society can respond to gay activists’ demands to call their relationships “marriage” and allow everyone to choose the bathroom they want is to ignore that men and women are different and have different unique features, and pretending there are no toilets. difference between a mother and a father. This can only be accomplished if we all deny what we know to be true, and “remove truth from injustice” (Romans 1:18). Let it be known that we will never recognize such laws or judicial decrees as righteous or just, nor will we be intimidated into silence, but will continue to obey God rather than men (Acts 5: 29) and that we will proclaim the whole council. of God on these matters (Acts 20:27).
Sign
V. Rev. Serge Veselinovitch, Sts. Constantine and Helen Serbian Orthodox Church, Galveston
V. Rev. Dejan Tiosavljevic, St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, Cypress
V. Rev. Gabriel Karam, Antioch Orthodox Church of the Holy Forty Martyrs, Sugarland
V. Rev. Joseph Huneycutt, St. Joseph Antiochian Orthodox Church, Houston
V. Reverend, P. Anastasios Raptis, St. Basil Greek Orthodox Church, Houston
V. Rev. John Whiteford, St. Jonas Orthodox Church (ROCOR), spring
Hieromonk John (Anderson), St. Cyril Orthodox Church (OCA), The Woodlands
Father Lubomir Kupec, St. Vladimir Russian Orthodox Church (ROCOR), Houston
Fr. Cassian Sibley, Life-giving Spring Orthodox Church (ROCOR), Bryan
Father Michael J. Lambakis, Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation, Houston
Father James Shadid, St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, Houston
Father Richard Petranek, St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church, Katy
Father Demetrios Tagaropulos, Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation, Houston
Father Anthony Baba, St. Anthony Antiochian Orthodox Church, Spring
Father Symeon Kees, St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, Houston
Father Benigno Pardo, Saint-Jonas Orthodox Church (ROCOR), Spring
Father Christopher Xanthos, Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation, Houston
Dn. David Companik, Saint-Jonas Orthodox Church (ROCOR), spring
Dn. Juvenaly Hale, St. Joseph Antiochian Orthodox Church, Houston
