Ever since the Beatles travelled to Rishikesh to learn at the feet of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Westerners have been attracted to Eastern spirituality. Western Christianity has seemed artificial, lifeless and powerless; while Eastern spirituality has a life-changing broadness about it. Below, Monk-Priest Damascene traces the path from Western desire to the East's authentic and life-changing answer.
Euthanasia and capital punishment both involve state-sanctioned killing: why does the thinking on one seem to be heading in the opposite direction to the thinking on the other?
Elon Musk is certainly the man of the moment. Tesla is on the verge of releasing its first mass market vehicle. Solar City is on the cusp of transforming the economics of home-based solar production. Gigafactory is slated to come online sometime before the end of the year. Elon says his Hyperloop has received tacit approval for its first route from some lawmakers — although he didn’t say which lawmakers or what approval he’d received. The South Australian government has signed a deal with Tesla for installation of world’s largest battery farm.
The history of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines begins with the immigration of Orthodox Christians from Greece, Russia, Lebanon and Syria in the last years of the 19th Century. The first wave of Lebanese immigration was in the 1880–90s. Immigrants found work hawking and peddling goods in the country areas of eastern Australia and in Dunedin. Along with Greek and Russian Orthodox faithful, they took part in the construction of community churches — Holy Trinity Church in Surry Hills, Sydney; and Holy Annunciation, East Melbourne.
We are moving ever closer to the Assisted Suicide Bill being moved in parliament — last week saw the release of the Ministerial Advisory Panel’s report. If we are to win this battle it is vital that MPs understand the reality of the risk of abuse of vulnerable people, of the elderly, seriously or chronically ill, those living with a disability being made to feel that they are a burden. People across Victoria are already doing great work providing feedback to members of parliament and we all need to continue taking action.
The Victorian Council of Churches have released an official statement opposing the proposed Victorian euthanasia legislation. It is quite apparent that the proponents of physician assisted suicide do not want the details of the legislation to be known by the community prior to the parliamentary debate. We have been advised that the legislation is to be introduced to parliament sometime in August, yet we still have not seen the draft legislation. What are they trying to hide?
In the same week The Age ran an in-depth expose revealing callous indifference and alleged fraud and coercion of the elderly, we attended a lecture by Professor William Toffler, MD, from the State of Oregon, USA.
Patriarch JOHN X of Antioch and All the East announces the repose of His Eminence Metropolitan PAUL (Saliba) of Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines. He fell asleep in the Lord on the morning of July 1, 2017, at the age of 77. Tribute Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen!
The attitudes that are driving the euthanasia lobby are already causing real harm for our elderly.
A bill to legalise euthanasia will be introduced into Victorian Parliament in the second half of 2017. Premier Daniel Andrews was previously against euthanasia but has since changed his mind. (It’s unfortunate how often this happens with our politicians these days.) Government and opposition MPs will be allowed to vote on the bill according to their conscience, which means that you can help keep Victoria free from the ravages of euthanasia legislation.