Question
I am writing a research paper on the culture war, the clash between conservatives and liberals, in America. In order to fully write about the Christian perspective behind this issue, I need the OCA position in my paper. Will you please give me your position on this issue, your scriptural basis behind it, and the actions the OCA has done to combat the liberal attacks on Christian morality.
Answer
Neither the Orthodox Church in America, nor any other Orthodox Church, has an “official policy” in this regard, primarily because the Church throughout its history, and throughout the world today, has lived and continues to live in a wide variety of civil societies and cultures, all of which are transitory in nature, and none of which are fully Christian in essence. Hence, for Orthodox Christianity, such things are not a matter of “liberal” vs. “conservative,” especially in the political arena; it’s a matter of truth vs. the lack of truth. As Christians, we strive for the fullness of truth, which the Church possesses, and we attempt to discern the presence of truth elsewhere, as in political circles.
The basic principle at work here is found in Christ’s words in Mark 12:17: “Render under Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s.” Orthodox Christians are called to obey the laws of the land in which they happen to live, unless those laws require a Christian to do something that stands in conflict with his or her faith.