Why I am Orthodox

When I first began to reconsider the Christian faith, the one thing I accepted without hesitation is the premise that there is something terribly wrong with us, as humans. We are wonderful. And, we are amazingly so. I don’t deny that. And yet, we are capable of horrendous evil. And, the evil we bring into this world is in no way necessary.

Is Death Natural?

Is death natural?  It would seem that there is very little that is obviously more natural than death.  Every living being we perceive in this world comes into being, lives, and dies.  So why even ask the question?  I ask the question because we do not act as if death is natural.  In some ways we act as if death is unnatural.  It seems to me that if death is one of the obviously natural events in the existence of a living being, then the way that many living beings react to the prospect of death is strange.  Likewise, if death is simply a natural part of living; then why do we not welcome it, embrace it, cheer when a loved one's life ends?  I suppose there are a number of reasons why we do not embrace death and look forward to it.  Nonetheless, given the way we actually do, in most cases,seek to avoid death and become sad when our loved ones die...Is death natural?

Reflections on Striving, Sin, and Death

            We want to reflect upon a certain relation between death and sin.   First, it should be obvious to everyone that death is a highly likely, if not necessary, end of life as we experience it everyday. Second, and more important, all we can ever really say is that: everyone we have ever known, or heard about; has died, is dying, or will die.  But what if these two points were not the case?  What if we never died?  How would we think, act, and live?  The particular relation between death and sin that we want to observe is better understood if we assume for a moment how we would function in a world in which no one dies.