It is becoming increasingly difficult to tell. With each new day the support of the Red County/State MAGA types for Jews and the nation-state of Israel continues to grow more fanatical and irrational: Trump vows harsh punishments for antisemites US Senators threaten ICC with sanctions if members try to arrest Netanyahu US House member readies impeachment articles for Pres. Biden for withholding weaponry from Israeli military But something is strange about all of this.  There is a hyperfocus on Jews and their wellbeing by ‘Christian America,’ yet there has never been a comparable outpourin ..read more

Nicholas, chief editor of Orthodox Reflections, joined Buck Johnson on his Counterflow Podcast to discuss Red States passing laws outlawing “antisemitism”. The discussion was based on this article, “Red States Are Lurching Toward Antichrist” by Walt Garlington. The discussion touched on the threat this trend poses to Freedom of Speech, how it can affect the Orthodox Church in the future, and why all of this is happening. Ironically, the show dropped the day before the US Congress passed the “Antisemitism Awareness Act”,  which threatens to extend censorship of “antisemitism” to the entire ..read more

Growing up Evangelical, Easter never seemed to live up to the hype. On Easter, we would show up at the usual time for church. Many ladies would have new outfits. A lot of the kids too. Hats seemed to be a big deal. There would be more flowers than usual. The Praise and Worship Band would usually kick us off with something “Resurrection” related such as: Alive, alive, alive forevermore! My Jesus is alive, alive forevermore! Alive, alive, alive forevermore! My Jesus is alive. Sing hallelujah! Sing hallelujah! My Jesus is alive forevermore! Sing hallelujah! Sing hallelujah! My Jesus is alive! Bes ..read more

Recently Aristotle Papanikolaou, of Fordham University, had a Twitter interchange with Fr Whiteford, in which he derided Fr Whiteford’s alleged “Yosemite-Sam Orthodoxy:  gun-loving, Confederate-sympathizing, pro-death-penalty, Trump-MAGA-supporting, pro-brutal-dictators, etc.” Frankly, Yosemite-Sam Orthodoxy sounds kind of awesome, but obviously this is not what the normal Orthodox parish is doing. Normal Orthodoxy is just looking for normalcy. But let’s break down the illustrious schoolteacher’s accusation. What is he sending the kids to the principal’s office over? Guns. Papanikolaou w ..read more

On April 19th, Nicholas of Orthodox Reflections was honored to sit down with Michael Sisco to discuss the topics covered in the article – Why the US National Security State’s Orthodox Christian Obsession? Click here for the full show One of the topics Nicholas and Michael discussed was the incessant “labeling” that goes on so in our society. Orthodox Reflections asks everyone to take that part quite seriously. Based on research, here are some labels that the 3 letter agencies (NSA, FBI, CIA, etc.) look for in assessing who could be a “potential terrorist” (which makes you worthy of surveillanc ..read more

It happens on a regular basis. A potential inquirer, or a visiting Orthodox Christian from another parish, sidles up to one of us members and asks, “What happened here during COVID?” Most of those asking had been “locked out” of church during COVID, were interested in joining our community, but only if they were assured our parish considered Christian worship an “essential service”. On behalf of our parish, we can happily assure everyone that we were open the whole time, with masks optional and the icons were never put away or protected from veneration. When they hear this from us, there is of ..read more

The following post was originally published as part of Why the US National Security State’s Orthodox Christian Obsession? That is a very lengthy post, and there was concern among some readers that the information below was not getting the exposure it deserves. After multiple requests, we are publishing just this section as a stand-alone piece dedicated to the topics of undermining the Russian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Faith generally.  For those who have not read the original article, here is what is meant by the word: “blob” used below: The US National Security State is so lavish ..read more

Russia is not just an enemy of the West. Russia, and her Orthodox Church, are the enemy of the West. Russia, under her deranged dictator Vladimir Putin, is out to destroy everything the West stands for. The war in Ukraine, unless the rampaging Mongol Hordes are stopped, is just a prelude to invading Europe. Only the might and financial resources of NATO, led by the United States, can save the world! Thus was it in the beginning. Is now. And ever shall be. That is, at least until Russia is defeated, broken up, and stripped for spare parts. But, why? Independent analysts, politicians, world lea ..read more

A Philosophical Dialogue About the Western Rite Question There have been attempts within the Orthodox Church to incorporate the Western mass since the late 19th century. Many Orthodox Christians question whether this is appropriate and what reason could there be for doing something other than the standard liturgics. There have been many liturgical scholars and propagandists, but there has never been a philosopher-theologian who could explain why the Western Rite is important and sketch out a singular vision while dealing honestly with the dynamics and inherent weaknesses within the Western Rit ..read more

On March 12th the Texas Monthly published a hit piece titled “Inspired by the Confederacy and Czarist Russia, “Ortho Bros” Are on the Rise.” This “article” was primarily an attack on my father-in-law, Fr. John Whiteford, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), and the notion of Southern Orthodoxy. This article was authored by a recent convert named Meagan Saliashvili, a graduate of Harvard Divinity who posts many things which may lead one to believe she is an advocate of pro-LGBTQP church policy, abortion rights, and a female diaconate/priesthood&nb ..read more