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SCOBA STATEMENT ON MORAL CRISIS IN OUR NATION SCOBA STATEMENT ON MORAL CRISIS IN OUR NATION As members of the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), representing more than 5 million Orthodox Christians in the United States, Canada and Mexico, we are deeply concerned about recent developments regarding "same sex unions." The Orthodox Christian teaching on marriage and sexuality, firmly grounded in Holy Scripture, 2000 years of church tradition, and canon law, holds that marriage consists in the conjugal union of a man and a woman, and that authentic marriage is blessed by God as a sacrament of the Church. Neither Scripture nor Holy Tradition blesses or sanctions such a union between persons of the same sex. Holy Scripture attests that God creates man and woman in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:27-31), that those called to do so might enjoy a conjugal union that ideally leads to procreation. While not every marriage is blessed with the birth of children, every such union exists to create of a man and a woman a new reality of "one flesh." This can only involve a relationship based on gender complementarity. "God made them male and female... So they are no longer two but one flesh" (Mark 10:6-8). The union between a man and a woman in the Sacrament of Marriage reflects the union between Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5:21-33). As such, marriage is necessarily monogamous and heterosexual. Within this union, sexual relations between a husband and wife are to be cherished and protected as a sacred expression of their love that has been blessed by God. Such was God's plan for His human creatures from the very beginning. Today, however, this divine purpose is increasingly questioned, challenged or denied, even within some faith communities, as social and political pressures work to normalize, legalize and even sanctify same-sex unions. The Orthodox Church cannot and will not bless same-sex unions. Whereas marriage between a man and a woman is a sacred institution ordained by God, homosexual union is not. Like adultery and fornication, homosexual acts are condemned by Scripture (Romans 1:24-27; 1 Corinthians 6:10; 1 Timothy 1:10). This being said, however, we must stress that persons with a homosexual orientation are to be cared for with the same mercy and love that is bestowed by our Lord Jesus Christ upon all of humanity. All persons are called by God to grow spiritually and morally toward holiness. As heads of the Orthodox Churches in America and members of SCOBA, we speak with one voice in expressing our deep concern over recent developments. And we pray fervently that our nation will honor and preserve the traditional form of marriage as an enduring and committed union only between a man and a woman. +Archbishop DEMETRIOS, Chairman Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America +Metropolitan HERMAN Orthodox Church in America +Metropolitan PHILIP, Vice Chairman Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America +Archbishop NICOLAE Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America and Canada +Metropolitan CHRISTOPHER, Secretary Serbian Orthodox Church in the USA and Canada +Metropolitan JOSEPH Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church +Metropolitan NICHOLAS of Amissos, American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese in the USA +Metropolitan CONSTANTINE Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USA +Bishop ILIA of Philomelion Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America Print Article��Email to a friend   TURKEY'S FRONTLINE FOREIGN POLICY 1 Light at the End of Greece¢s Difficult Tunnel Condemnation of the death of our compatriot Aristotelis Goumas From Albanian terrorists. Statement by the Honorable Chris Spirou, President “International Congregation of Agia Sophia” Press Conference-Hellenic American Union Auditorium, Athens, Greece Today's Zaman reports on 'Bartholomew hopeful Orthodox Church will survive' Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers. Dogtooth, an allegorical critique of family life, OPENS september 3 on SFFS SCREEN AT sundance kabuki cinemas Foreign Tourism to Düsseldorf Region grows by 9.2% Explaining “How & Why” Cancer Cells Eat Us Alive: They Use Stress to Steal Nutrients from Nearby Cells to Survive, Evolve, and Spread FOUNDERS OF AMERICAN HELLENIC COMMUNITY OF FLORIDA, INC. CNN reports on 'The last Orthodox patriarch in Turkey?' Liturgy at Hagia Sophia on Sept. 17, 2010 INVITATION TO A PRESS CONFERENCE In Memory of Angelo Ravanos CNN's "World's Untold Stories" to examine Greek Orthodox Community in Turkey Greek Restaurant Review: Corfu Grill: One of Forest Hills' Finest Eateries Seminarians Have Life-Changing Experience as Part of an OCMC Mission Team FORMER GOVERNOR PATAKI REITERATES HIS SUPPORT FOR REBUILDING ST. NICHOLAS AT GROUND ZERO Congressman Joe Sestak for Senate Efforts to support the greek-american community Baltimore¢s Greek Sister City Selects Veteran Baltimore Police Commander to Compete in Athens Marathon Man Murdered in Albania for Speaking Greek The National Hellenic Society and American College of Greece Release Heritage Greece Program Research Rep. Bilirakis Statement on Mosque Near Ground Zero St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church stood across Liberty Street from the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, USA. It was completely destroyed in the September 11, 2001, attacks when the South Tower collapsed.