At the website AllExperts, this question was posed:

Hi. I am a teacher at a school for students with Special Needs. Within this school we have students with Down’s Syndrome. In your opinion, why did God create such a disability and how and in what state do such people with this disability achieve ‘everlasting life’? I find this a stumbling block in my spiritual path. Regards, Steve.

Click on this website address for an answer by Subdeacon Herman: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Eastern-Orthodox-1456/Faith.htm#b

About Subdeacon Herman: http://www.allexperts.com/ep/1456-29080/Eastern-Orthodox/Herman.htm

Reprint from April 2007

For the record, I want all readers to know that this website- from very near its beginning- has the blessing of my Bishop. Here’s the “email trail:”

First, I asked our Parish Priest about asking Bishop Thomas’ blessing. Here’s what I emailed Fr. Peter (Nov. 2, 2006):

Sorry for the length of this, Fr. Peter; I just want to show you some contacts I’ve made, a response, and to seek your advice about how to proceed. I sent out this email expressing my intent and desire that a disability website accessible toAmerican Orthodox Christians be developed to KhoreaMaggie Hock, head of Antiochian Family and Marriage Dept., Matushka Wendy Cwiklinski (San Diego) of theOCA, who wrote an article for OCA ministry resources on the subject, and has herself put together disability websites, and to Marina Katsoulis, contact person for the Greek Orthodox Challenge Ministry on Long Island. Khorea Maggie responded positively, and Matushka Wendy sent this email. She gave some good but challenging advice. Shawn Buscay directed me to begin with a WordPress.com blog and go from there. My problem is that the person in charge of FriendshipCommunity’s computers does not seem to be in favor of my going further [than a blog], with all the software involved [in website production]. I don’t think I can do all that Matushka Wendy suggests. But I have the blog set up now at least. I’m actually hoping someone with more facilites and expertise will take this ball and run further with it than I can. This does not come easily to me. My main questions is, shouldn’t I be approaching Bishop Thomas or someone like that if I’m going to be doing this kind of thing, especially since I mentioned pan-Orthodox co-operation in my email? (I took note that in that recent Chicago meeting the bishops suggested more pan-Orthodox humanitarian efforts would be a way forward.). . . May God grant you many years, Ephrem . . . P.S. I will send you by email my Blog, though it maybe in a somewhat distort form.

From: “+Bishop THOMAS”

To: [Ephrem Gall]

May God bless you always!

Thank you for the information about your thesis. I’ll make this very simple: Fr Peter is the dean of eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Baltimore, and if he blesses this activity, you may proceed.

Please remember that when sending mail to the Diocese, that “Charleston” precedes “Oakland” in the title.

Thank you.

Yours in Christ,

Yours in Christ,

Bp Thomas

I forwarded this email from His Grace to Fr. Peter, and this was his response:

From: “Fr. Peter Pier”

To: “‘Ephrem Gall’”

Glory be to Jesus Christ!
Greetings Ephrem. Wow, I had no idea I have such authority! Anyway, you
certainly have my permission. May our good God bless your endeavor.
Fr. Peter

His Grace, not knowing me very well, left the decision to Fr. Peter. It may be a somewhat vicarious blessing, but His Grace Bishop Thomas’ letter is clear on the matter.

I felt it necessary to establish these matters before all of you readers of this blog because I recently reread the letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch, who, after having the led the flock of God in Antioch, Syria for 40 years from 69-109 A.D., having been said to have been a disciple of St. John the Apostle, he was crowned with martyrdom in Rome. He wrote 7 letters to churches as well as the Bishop of Smyrna, St. Polycarp, who himself would receive the crown of martyrdom decades later.

My point is, St. Ignatius urged the churches- the hearers of his letters- to “do nothing apart from the Bishop.” He emphasized this many times in these letters. The unity and harmony of the Church was being threatened, As St. Paul asserted in Acts 20, by wolves and heretics- Judaizers, Gnostics, etc. And the generation following the Holy Apostles, with St. Ignatius of Antioch in the lead, was interpreting the directives of the apostles concerning the roles of the bishops, presybters, and deacons- such as the letters of St. Paul to Timothy and Titus- in light of this situation.

I would invite all non-Orthodox readers to read the letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch and consider whether perhaps their pessimistic assessments of the generations following the apostles should be reconsidered. For the Holy Spirit continued to work in the life of the Church, and not only through its written documents. (2 Thessalonians 2:15) There is a website where you may access these letters;

click on: Letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch (you may have to scroll down to get to these specific letters)

Christians therefore ought to strive continually, and never to pass judgment on anyone - no, not upon the harlot on the street, or upon open sinners and disorderly persons - but to regard all men with singleness of intention and purity of eye, so that it may become like a fixed law of nature to despise no one, to judge no one, to abhor no one, to make no distinctions between them. If you see a man with one eye, be not divided in your heart, but look upon him as if he were whole. If a man is maimed of one hand, see him as not maimed, the lame as straight, the palsied as whole. This is purity of heart, when you see sinners or sick people, to have compassion on them and be tender-hearted towards them. It happens sometimes that the saints of the Lord sit in theatres and behold the deceit of the world. According to the inner man they are conversing with God, while according to the outer man they appear to men as contemplating what goes on in the world.”

from http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_Christianity

and for more on and from St. Makarios the Great, click on http://wordpress.com/tag/st-makarios-the-great/ & http://benedictseraphim.wordpress.com/2008/01/19/our-father-among-the-saints-macarios-the-great/

Icon from http://www.coptic.net/EncyclopediaCoptica/

1. St. Mary’s Syrian Orthodox Church in Bangladore, India (non-Chalcedonian) “serves the needs of mentally handicapped children:”

St. Mary’s Opportunity School
The church and its members, without resting on the past achievements felt the need to do something even more substantial in the field of education, in serving the needs of mentally handicapped children. With this vision, an opportunity school was started on st June 1998. The scarcity of funds did not deter the members of the church, who had immense faith in the belief that ‘God will provide’ and that they could count on the support of generous members of the society. The donations, in cash and kind, have come spontaneously, and have gone a long way in sustaining the project.
The school has progressed well. Presently there are 13 mentally handicapped students. The next academic year holds the promise of more children being enrolled and requires financial resources.
The first steps in the long journey of service to the less fortunate have been taken. We now appeal to everyone of you to pray and contribute towards this task, to be a part of this humble service to our Lord Jesus Christ. Anyone who wishes to support this endeavor may send payments by cheque/DD drawn in favour of St. Mary’s Opportunity school, No.13, Queen’s road, Bangalore - 560052. http://sor.cua.edu/ChMon/GIndia/BangaloreSMary.html

2. Mar Gregorios Rehabilitation centre (MGRC)

is a charitable organization under the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and is engaged in the rehabilitation of poor Persons With Disabilities (PWD’s). . . .

Anoop is 9 years old. He lives with his family. His father is a laborer. As part of its regular survey the centre found him bedridden. After a medical assessment he has been undergoing physiotherapy. If supported, he can sit in a chair. The exercises have strengthened his neck muscles. He needs a continued service. http://www.charityfordisabled.com/

And if you were wondering, here is a short explanation of the differences between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Church (Coptic, Syrian, Armenian): CLICK ON: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_primary_difference_between_the_Coptic_Orthodox_Church_and_the_Greek_Orthodox_Church

from http://www.pravmir.com/article_141.html (Orthodoxy and the World) (originally from www.interfax-religion.com)

The deputy head of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations Rev. Vsevolod Chaplin said that medical termination of newborn babies’ lives is unacceptable provided they are capable of independent viability.

However, the advisability of artificial life-support may be questioned in some cases, he added.

‘Sometimes it is really questionable whether we should artificially support the functioning of a baby born obviously incapable of life. Christian common sense must be taken into account in such cases. We should remember that the Lord will receive the baby’s soul with love,’ Rev. Vsevolod told Interfax on Wednesday.

These are his comments on the Church of England Bishop Tom Butler’s recent saying that medical doctors should be given the right to terminate lives of seriously disabled newborns.

At the same time he underscored that so-called active euthanasia, when a human person capable of living without artificial life-support has his life terminated, is ‘absolutely unacceptable.’

‘The church always hopes for a miracle,’ he added.

Rev. Vsevolod said that in his practice as a priest he baptized babies ‘practically doomed to die by their physicians. Yet, they have grown absolutely healthy and enjoy the fullness of life making their parents happy.’

There is in our American (U.S.) society a struggle occurring in regard to caring for the terminally ill AND the severely disabled- how far shall we go to sustain life, and, just as importantly, who makes the decisons?

Increasingly, there are pressures, from those who count the financial cost of it all, to manage care, to ration it, to create decision-making mechanisms which sacrifice the health care options of those whose lives are deemed to be of questionable quality for “the greater good” (convenience) of, variously, the extended family, the community at large, and probably also the hospital’s efficiency and profit.

Of course, the hospital committees that have assumed this role would protest the nobility of their efforts. But the fact is, they are playing god with the lives of defenseless persons.

The blog Not Dead Yet has recently addressed this “futile care” approach for the threat to humanity that it is; see http://notdeadyetnewscommentary.blogspot.com/search/label/futile%20care

The Orthodox Churches (jurisdictions of the One Church) have addressed the issue of Euthanasia, but not “futile care” specifically as yet. Khorea Frederica Matthewes-Green addresses Euthanasia in her blog: http://www.frederica.com/display/Search

And here is a useful bit if information by a physician, Peter Bushunow, M.D., on “The Orthodox Christian at the Doctor’s” (the issues in question are dealt with as well as other practical and moral considerations): http://www.roca.org/OA/147-148/147x.htm

Here’s an official Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese Statement on Euthanasia from 1994:

WHEREAS all human beings who are in a condition of medical dependency because of illness, age, or for some other reason, must be provided with the basic amenities of food, water, cleanliness, warmth and relief from pain. These can never be considered as “extraordinary” measures in the context of medical treatment, and,WHEREAS Christians do not fear bodily death but rather consider it as a Passover between earthly life and the life of the Kingdom. Therefore, all such medical treatments that prolong the dying process while offering no benefit to the individual (with the exception of those ordinary measures previously stated) may, in good conscience, be refused by the individual or those acting on his or her behalf. In some instances, even food and water may become, in the last hours of life when the body may be unable to accept them, a burden from which the sufferer should be delivered: however, these are individual circumstances which should always be judged in a Christian context, and,

WHEREAS the taking of a human life, however understandable the motive, is a serious sin directly and repeatedly forbidden by God. Even where it seems an act of mercy, such as an attempt to alleviate suffering, without sincere repentance, it will surely lead to a loss of God’s Kingdom. As Christians we acknowledge that we do not always recognize God’s will and why things happen as they do in our world. However, we have, as the followers of Christ, promised to place our trust in Him and His love for us and all mankind. This trust includes the patient acceptance of those burdens which may seem, at the time, to be unbearable.

BE IT RESOLVED that this Archdiocese, in accordance with the Tradition and theology of the Orthodox Church condemns all forms of euthanasia or “mercy killing.”

Also of interest: “Death with Piety is Death with Dignity,” by Christopher Huckabay: http://www.stnicholas-billings.org/OurParish/fatherjohn.htm

See also http://orthodoxwiki.org/Euthanasia

Here is a story, a brief picture of an Orthodox Christian Priest, who, in addition to serving Parish communities for as a priest for the last twelve years, has also been active in service to persons with disability. He has a son who has Down Syndrome, who serves with his father in the altar. Here is that part of Father Ernie’s story:

Meet Rev. Fr. Coulouras, “Father Ernie”

. . .During the 1970’s Rev. Fr. Coulouras was the director of Camp Paul for Exceptional Children (now the Paul Center for Learning and Recreation), a camp for children with special needs, for five years. He helped raise funds to build a handicapped accessible in-ground pool, solicited help from the Nashoba Valley Technical High School to build cabins and replace tents, and was one of four volunteers to put up their own homes as collateral to purchase additional camp property. Rev. Fr. Coulouras has been on the Board of Directors and Advisory Board for Camp Paul for over 20 years.After serving three years as camp director, Rev. Fr. Coulouras’ youngest son, “Johnnie” was born with Downs Syndrome. Johnnie attended Camp Paul until the age 21, and today faithfully serves at the altar of St. George with his father. . . .

for the rest of the story, click on: http://www.stgeorgegreeklowell.org/ (on this website click on “About Us“)

The Paul Center- click on: http://www.thepaulcenter.org/

Fr. David Kirk

In the last years of his life he was, to some degree, physically disabled by a chronic illness. Concerning this situation he wrote this thank you note to an Emmaus House supporter:

This is a very reflective time in my life which makes me be thankful for all things, beautiful or sad, all that I have seen, heard, received. Thankful, as I have to do so much sitting with my illnesses, for the winter wind that caresses my face and for the trees that nod to me at my window. Maybe God lets us be a little disabled so that we may see more deeply so much that we once walked by. Which means to thank the Lord for always being there, and you personally for being there for us. (Road to Emmaus, Vol. IX, No. 2 (#33), p. 62)

from Road To Emmaus Journal (click to access)

click on the following websites for more on Fr. David:

In Communion » Remembering Fr. David Kirk (source of picture)

In Communion » Fr. David Kirk’s Legacy of Hope

Father David Kirk, Memory Eternal - The Byzantine Forum

Rev. David Kirk, 72, Crusader for New York City’s Disenfranchised …

A Priest for the Poor - Restoration

I AM

the Bread of life,

the Light of the world,

the Good Shepherd

and the Door,

the Resurrection

and the Life,

the Way, the Truth, and the Life,

the true Vine. (without Whom we can do nothing)

We in He (the Tree of life) bearing much fruit- together we can

The King of kings and Lord of lords made our humanity His Own

through the Theotokos,

bearing our infirmities

that we may share

in His Glory

and His Life

of Holy Love.

Jesus wept.

“Not My will,

but Thine be done.”

These are the words

He lived down here.

Glory and honor

to the Name

of the Father

and the Son

and the Holy Spirit

-the Lord Jesus Christ-

our fullness of joy

forevermore

Amen

by ephrem gall

That last post was rather long; it was meant as a further exploration of the legitimacy of the word “socialization,” which an Orthodox Christian homeschooling Mom questioned here: Bourgeois Baby: “What about socialization?”

Ultimately, as Orthodox Christians we are in the process of discovering- unwrapping- the inexpressible gift of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- one God- that we are to be one with Him and one another as our Lord Jesus Christ (and the Holy Spirit) is one with the Father. (St.. John 17)

This gift of His uncreated Grace comes to us like the wind, in many ways, some of them unexpected (St. John 3); this Grace also comes to us through the Most Holy Theotokos in the form of the Incarnate Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who remains incarnate, seated at the right hand of the Father. And by the Holy Spirit Christ’s tangibility is continually made manifest through the sacraments of the Church- baptism, chrismation, the Eucharist, holy unction, confession and repentance, ordination, marriage, as well as the innumerable sacramentals of the Church- all the means by which the Lord lovingly touches us, spirit, soul, and body.

As St. Paul writes, we are one bread, one body, as we partake of His Body and Blood, (1 Cor. 3) just as the Shepherd of Hermas writes of one tower, the House of God. We learn to lay aside our preferences and say “Thy will be done,” to God’s will and our neighbors’ interests. We are given strength to forsake our ways, which only disable us for the purpose for which God made us: to show forth His likeness, to bring Him glory thereby, and to be one with Him and each other.

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as Persons, do not manifest any individualistic independence- there is one Divine Mind and one Divine Will in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is one. And our sanctification and deification consists in participating in the Divine energies that our God has manifested in His creation - becoming one with Him not only in purpose, but in our very being, in ways beyond our conception. With Christ the Only-Begotten Son, we become adopted sons of God. We become persons- in the true sense of the word- in Him! We may be given varying gifts, but they are given for a common purpose, for loving service. (1 Cor. 12)

Socialization is a word for the process of becoming one with one another in our communities, primary or otherwise, in this life, in the Church, and forever. Our tendency toward willful independence is checked first and foremost in the family, and in the Church, in favor if loving interdependence.

In any case, while the word “deification” cannot be found in Holy Scripture, many scriptural passages, especially 2 Peter 1:4, show that this term, with longstanding usage in Orthodox theology, has  scriptural roots.

And similarly, 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and 1 Peter 2:5 (the “living stones” analogy) provide a scriptural grounding  for the word “socialization” (at least as it is used by respected Orthodox theologians like Dr. John Boojamra).

Language is a dynamic thing, and the meaning of a word can depend on its context. Perhaps “socialization,” as used in some secular contexts, is far from scriptural, as the aforementioned Orthodox homeschooling Mom warns. Time will tell if it will be accepted by the Church in a lasting way according to the definition that such as Dr. Boojamra gives it in his book “Foundations of Orthodox Christian Education,” which was the major basis for my own thesis. (Click on “About“)