An environment of understanding

Published June 24, 2006 - Glendale News Press - Los Angeles Time

IN THEORY

An environment of understanding

Q: Bill Clinton on Thursday praised evangelical Christians for signing "Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action," a statement that defines care of the environment as a Christian value. Do you agree that care of the environment is a religious imperative? And how can faith play a role in maintaining a healthy environment?

A: Without a doubt the care of our environment and our planet should be a top concern for all people of faith. The earth is the common denominator for all traditions because it is tangible and yet very sacred. From the tiniest seedling to the largest mountain, all of nature reflects the splendor of God.

Armenians have had the added responsibility of being custodians of the sacred lands known as the "Cradle of Civilization." In Genesis 2:10 the location of the Garden of Eden is mapped in Armenia. Following the account of the Flood in Genesis 8, life begins in Armenia a second time when Noah exits on the Mountains of Ararat.

If we treat all life as a gift from God then we understand ourselves as the trusted custodian of this earth.

I refer to a Native American proverb to remind us of our sacred duty to the earth. The saying is, "We do not inherit the earth from our parents. We borrow it from our children." Seen in this light, the emphasis has changed, we are not the recipients of this treasure, merely the custodians.

We have a duty and a responsibility to transfer this treasure in tact to generations to come.

FATHER VAZKEN MOVSESIAN

Armenian Church

Glendale

Morality of Genocide Non-Recognition?

Published April 29, 2006

IN THEORY

Morality of Genocide Non-Recognition?

Q: We are coming off of a week in which Armenians and Jews remember the genocide of their ancestors. Yet, in the case of the Armenian Genocide, the American government has not recognized it officially. Does the government have a moral responsibility to officially recognize this part of history? If so, is such recognition important from a religious point of view?

A: Morality is not the prime motivator for governments. Arguably, politics precludes moral responsibility. And certainly, moral responsibility will always get sent to the back burner while political agendas brew.

The Armenian Genocide is not up for debate. It doesn't need any more proof.

The extermination of the Armenian people was systematically orchestrated by the Turkish government. The press, the New York Times in particular, wrote about it. Visitors in Turkey, including the U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, witnessed it. And the bones, remains and spirits of 1.5 million Armenian souls lay as a testament to it.

Recognition does not validate the event. Recognition gives people an opportunity to express their humanity in the face of grave tragedy. In this respect it behooves every religious body to recognize the tragedy of others.

By doing so, they elevate their congregation to new heights. By recognizing the tragedy of others we begin to understand, we accept, we learn, we grow.

Recognition brings harmony among people. It lays the foundation to lasting peace.

FATHER VAZKEN MOVSESIAN

Armenian Church

Youth Ministries

Judas gospel: Rewriting history?

IN THEORY

Judas gospel: Rewriting history?

Q: Many biblical scholars are hailing the unveiling of a long-lost copy of the Gospel of Judas. They say the text gives an insight into a period of history when there were differing versions of the story of Jesus. In fact, they say the text puts Judas in a more positive light than what the Bible portrays, suggesting that Jesus gave Judas special, elevated status among the disciples. How significant is this find, in your opinions?

A: Let's imagine I wrote a story about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, which took place about 150 years ago. And let's say, in order to give credence to a particular viewpoint regarding the Confederacy and my personal agenda, I embellished the story with transcripts of a conversation between Lincoln and the murderer, John Wilkes Booth. Most historians and Civil War scholars would be quick to reject my thesis and dismiss my writing as fiction.

Now fast-forward 2,000 years and imagine someone finding a hard drive and after painstakingly cleaning the disk surfaces, they assemble portions of my story. Now, I ask, how accurate would it be to base the history of the United States of America on that story?

It's extremely important to put this find in perspective. You can't give the Gospel of Judas the same weight as the traditional four Gospels when defining Christianity. However, the Gospel of Judas gives us a chance to look back in time at the concerns of the early Christian communities. The character of Judas has always provoked speculation and wonder because of fundamental issues between free will and determinism.

From the Christian perspective, we are free to choose between good and evil, as did Judas. It is for this reason that we reject fatalism -- that evil is inescapable -- and we work and struggle for the good and peace. It is for this reason we believe in a resurrection beyond all the crucifixions in life. Happy Easter!

FATHER VAZKEN MOVSESIAN

Armenian Church

Youth Ministries

Having Faith In Music

Published April 1, 2006 IN THEORY Having Faith In Music Q: FaithJam '06, part of a nine-day Passover celebration in the Los Angeles Jewish community, is scheduled to bring together various faiths through music and culture. Stage performances will be mixed with religious dialogue with a goal of emphasizing the beauty of diverse faiths. How important is music in your own faiths and congregations, and does it matter who is listening? That is, if you have music, do you cater it -- the way it's performed, the styles -- to various tastes of your parishioners? A: In the Armenian Church, music is at the core of the religious worship experience; our entire liturgy is sung and chanted. The music of the church stems from the minds and hearts of individuals who have been touched by faith. At our parish, it is not so important who is listening as much as who is singing. As an Orthodox Church with apostolic roots, it is important for me that our worship resonates in the ambience of the early church, where there was no choir and everyone would sing. Where participants ask not what am I getting out of the church, but what am I putting into to the collective experience? Many times, we even challenge our youth to create their own liturgy and the result is literally soul-stirring and even healing. Over the course of the last century the liturgy of the Armenian Church has become overly ritualized. As a result, the role of most worshippers has diminished from participant to observer. Without proper context, what once were extreme reaches into the depths of the soul have effortlessly been lost as the fading relics of an ancient museum. Our biggest challenge as an institution is to provide context and meaning, otherwise our songs are empty mantra. Our music must be more than pleasure to the ears. It requires a contribution and participation from the congregant -- giving something back to the Maker. FATHER VAZKEN MOVSESIAN Armenian Church Youth Ministries

IRS Warning - Does it work both ways?

IN THEORY

IRS Warning - Does it work both ways?

Q: The IRS is warning churches and charities to stay clear of political messages when communicationg with congregations, and is stepping up its enforcement efforts. The IRS prohibits religious organizations from intervening directly or indirectly with political campaigns, if those organizations are to receive tax-exempt status. Do you agree with the law? Where do you draw the line between what is a political issue, which a religious organization should speak out on, and where it shouldn't?

A: It's interesting that this topic should come to forum this week, especially considering that right here in Glendale, the Mayor's "Prayer" Breakfast takes place with a keynote by Kenneth Starr. Now here's an interesting partnering of politics and religion.

So, on the one hand, the law mandates that churches should not engage in political campaigns, but on the other hand, political agendas can be hidden beneath the cloak of religiosity? Let's not fool ourselves, there's more to this than taxation. It would be nice if this could be debated objectively, but I doubt it will be any time in the near future.

FATHER VAZKEN MOVSESIAN

Armenian Church

Youth Ministries

Note: This response was submitted but for obvious reasons was was not published.

Applying death-penalty protocol to minors' cases

Published March 11, 200 - Glendale News-Press IN THEORY Applying death-penalty protocol to minors' cases Q: Do you agree with last week's Supreme Court decision declaring that it was unconstitutional to execute a person younger than 18 when the crime was committed? How does this jibe, or not, with the biblical reference in Exodus, an " ... eye for an eye, tooth for tooth ... "? A: Let's leave the constitutionality of the decision to the court and as religious leaders address the issue of a society that is willing to kill children. Life, as small and insignificant as it may seem to some, is a miracle and precious nevertheless. On religious grounds, there are no arguments for the death penalty, neither for children nor for adults. The Supreme Court's decision is the first step in many to abolish capital punishment. As a religious community, we must use this court decision to address the bigger issues in our society. Why should children be in court in the first place? Why are children committing these heinous crimes and resorting to violence? And more importantly, once analyzed, find means of rectification. In our own backyard, youth violence is certainly a hot topic. Yet with a majority of the school board up for election in less than a month, are we looking into ethnic tensions and truancy in our schools? It seems as if the vote will be decided on what color and how many signs a candidate can slap across a gas station entrance rather than what a candidate can do to improve the system and thereby the quality of life for our children. Do we understand that the only way to prevent future children from facing death -- whether by gunshot on the street, by a dropped bomb in war, or by lethal injection in prison -- must begin with our conscious decision to promote and propagate love? The churches, temples, synagogues and all faith centers have the ultimate answer for the death penalty. It's called love and compassion. It comes freely from the creator, and we are asked to share it, especially with our children. FATHER VAZKEN MOVSESIAN St. Peter Armenian Church & Youth Ministries' Center

Looking for new ways to practice faith

Published March 4, 2006

IN THEORY

Looking for new ways to practice faith

Q: A coalition of Jewish and Christian leaders has convened meetings in March to discuss common ways to meet challenges of revitalizing spiritual communities. The project, put together by the groups Synagogue 3000 and Congregations of Intentional Practice seeks new ways of living faith within congregations. Underlying the discussions is a belief that believers in traditional faiths are looking for new ways to practice it. Synagogue 3000, for instance, has sought out advice from Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Drive," on ways to revitalize Jewish worship.

Is there a need in religious communities to fuse traditional faith with more "modern" forms of worship? And are there things to learn from other faiths that can help? Have you found this to be true in your own spiritual communities?

A: You can't get more traditional than us, the Armenian Apostolic Church. We're as old as they get. We literally have a chain of leadership that dates back to Christ's apostles (Thaddeus and Bartholomew). So this discussion is one that surfaces all the time among church leadership. How do you make an ancient faith attractive to the children of the modern world? I personally have a different philosophy and approach to this question than most clergy in our tradition.

For me, the tradition and language of the ancient Armenian Church is the language of the angels. The way I see it, we have two options, either to bring the angels down to Earth to mingle with people, or lift people up to fly with the angels. I opt for the latter and it seems to be working.

In fact, at our parish we celebrate the Liturgy in the ancient Armenian language and in accord with the practices as established in the early Christian centuries. And yet, our church is filled to capacity on Sunday mornings with worshippers of all ages, and primarily young families.

I think one of the problems in finding new methods and practices is that we underestimate two things. First we have to believe that the Church belongs to God and He is in control. He will not let His Church fail. Second, people have a need for the spiritual and that realm is intertwined in mystery, that is, not everything needs to be explained with words and clarity, but with a pure heart striving for wholeness.

FATHER VAZKEN MOVSESIAN

Armenian Church

Youth Ministries