Catherine Beyer, in www.learnreligions.com, wrote, “Religions are generally defined by one of two things: belief or practice. These are the concepts of orthodoxy (belief in a doctrine) and orthopraxy (emphasis on practice or action). This contrast is often referred to as ‘correct belief’ versus ‘correct practice.’”
While it is possible and extremely common to find both orthopraxy and orthodoxy in a single religion, some concentrate more on one or the other.”
In the Christian faith, both are present, or at least should be. In Christianity, the essential beliefs of the church are defined in its creeds, particularly the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed.
The word, “creed,” comes from the Latin, “credo,” meaning, “I believe.” Every church subscribes to a “creed,” whether written or not. To be an “orthodox Christian,” is to believe correctly, that is, what has been taught and believed from the beginning, at all times, and in all places.
To believe otherwise is to be “heterodox,” defined as “contrary to or different from an acknowledged standard,” that is, “contrary to or different from an acknowledged standard.” Another word for heterodoxy is “heresy.”
Yet, Christianity also insists on orthopraxy, which is living, thinking, and behaving ethically, morally, and scripturally. To live, in other words, according to the teachings of the Bible and the example of the Early Church. The Didache, (pronounced “did’-uh-kay”) also called “The Lord’s Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations,” dates to the late first or early second century and is the oldest extra-biblical source of information on Christian beliefs and practices.
Chapter 2 of the Didache. Which deals with “grave sins,” clarifies an important teaching of the ancient Church: “you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is born.” Chapter 3 includes sexual immorality in the category of sins which are to be avoided.
Concerning baptism, Chapter 7 records, “…baptize this way: Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in living water (running water). But if you have no living water, baptize into other water; and if you cannot do so in cold water, do so in warm. But if you have neither, pour out water three times upon the head into the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit.”
In all, there are sixteen chapters in The Didache devoted primarily to church life and Christian living (https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/didache-roberts.html). It has been called “The First Church Handbook” in history.
The point of all this is that, for the Christian believer, it does indeed matter what one believes. Certainly, there are different opinions about some doctrines and practices, hence the 48,000 different denominations in the world, but the key question is “What is essential?” On that, the ancient Church agreed.
It also matters how one lives. To sin is “to miss the mark,” for which the solution is repentance and amendment of life. To know what is right and to not care and to willfully continue in sin is rebellion against God.
What is also clear from the New Testament and The Didache is that the solitary, lone wolf expression of Christianity is neither biblical nor historical. There is no such concept as, “It’s just me, my Bible, and Jesus.” The Christian faith is communal and is to be lived out in a community of faithful believers.
No church is perfect just as no family is perfect. Yet, both are essential for the health and growth of the individual members.
None of this likely matters to non-Christians, but it is, or should be, important to those who desire to live biblically and participate in the life of Christ and His Church. To believe correctly and to live a life that need not be ashamed was the goal of the first Christians. It should be ours also.
[David Epps is the Rector of the Cathedral of Christ the King (www.ctk.life). Worship services are on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. and on livestream at www.ctk.life. He is the bishop of the Diocese of the Mid-South (www.midsouthdiocese.life). He has been a weekly opinion columnist for The Citizen for over 27 years. He may be contacted at davidepps@ctk.life.]
Such an interesting subject, orthodoxy and orthopraxy. Interestingly neither the Bible nor the early church had an official ruling on abortion. Fr Epps need not worry that abortion is a grave sin, and as he can’t commit it either way it’s really not his f’ing business. What the apostle Paul in the Bible does say is: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but so much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). Fr Epps can work out his own salvation with no opinion at all on abortion and probably should and leave the people with wombs and the possibility of pregnancy to work out their own salvation, too.
You might start with Exodus 20:13 and Psalm 139:13-16.
Children are a gift of the Lord (Psalm 127:3-4). An abortion is the selfish refusal of the gift the Lord has bestowed upon them.
Others can be as guilty of an abortion as those seeking one. By encouraging others to sin through killing the body of the soul that grows within their womb they become an accomplice and a participant.
Abortion is the absolute and permanent denial of the reproductive rights of the aborted (male or female), as well as their every other unalienable right, but most of all their right of life.
We have the right to choose from many available and effective forms of birth control, so our reproductive rights have not been denied. Further, because abortions are not banned at a federal level, we can still legally obtain one. Our “reproductive rights” have not been denied by the supreme court, but instead only inconvenienced, as they should be when it comes to willingly taking the life of another because of our own failures act responsibly.
If one should find themselves frequently in need of abortion services and doesn’t wish to be inconvenienced by traveling long distances to obtain them, perhaps one should consider moving closer to an abortion clinic for the sake of convince, mind you.
There’s a clear contradiction when anyone of faith supports unrestricted government-funded abortion for any reason up to the moment of birth (the Democrat position). That’s like seeing “Gays for Palestine” protestors rioting on behalf of Hamas.
There’s also the practice of the left to sanitize the language surrounding abortions, claiming “reproductive rights” are what is at stake. Nay, nay. You are absolutely free to reproduce, even be a “baby mama” to multiple fathers.
The “right” to abort a baby is found nowhere in our Constitution, as even Ruth Bader Ginsberg admitted. In fact, it was illegal for thousands of years until it became a sacred act for progressives, and big business for Planned Parenthood and Democrat politicians starting in the 60s.
So Constitutionally-speaking, we now have the issue properly as a state decision. President Trump and the Republican platform recognize this, and will not seek a national ban on abortion. Not my preference, but better than what Democrats plan.
Kamala Harris supports enacting a Big Government solution, superseding state rights and requiring abortion nationwide. She’s for plunging our country into a years-long, divisive debate to do it.
The only Biblical reference one needs goes back to the Ten Commandments: You shall not murder. But one does not need to be a person of faith to recognize that there are infant lives at stake in the abortion question.
The Dodds decision is the gift that keeps on giving. Like the dog that finally caught the car and discovered it was no real prize, the G.O.P. turned their most successful wedge issue for the last 50 years over to the Democrats. They also turned their allegiance to their once immutable grievance of governmental interference in people’s everyday lives on its head, establishing government control of what goes on in a woman’s pants.
This is the biggest political loser in my lifetime. It already swayed the midterms and state elections profoundly to the left, and, irony of ironies, it may be potent enough to keep 45 out of the White House in favor of a woman.
This was a very foreseeable consequence of selecting incompetent Supreme Court Justices, but none are so blind as those who refuse to see.
Hello, ToSirWithLove and My02—
In response, please re-read the final paragraph of my original comment to Fr. Epps,
St. Augustine of Hippo surely said it better than I, when it comes to Christian beliefs–
“In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.”
I stand by both.
Suz, I don’t see where either of us have failed to respect your right to your opinion. While you may speak on behalf of some that can speak, I do so for those that you seek to forever silence.
Hello, Fr. Epps–You are being a bit ingenuous in your on-going battle against reproduction rights.
Indeed, as you note, “…the essential beliefs of the church are defined in its creeds, particularly the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed.” As an Episcopalian, I affirm both weekly, at mass.
However, you neglect to mention that the Didache was rejected as a New Testament book by the Council of Nicaea. As I understand it, it did not adhere to 4th century orthodoxy as outlined by the council.
You have made it abundantly clear that you consider abortion a grave sin. That is YOUR belief. Which I respect. You might extend the same courtesy to those of us (yes, your fellow orthodox Christians) who disagree with you.
To this outsider, congruence between orthodoxy and orthopraxy seems to be inversely related to both the volume used to self-congratulate and the condemnation of others for any perceived divergence.
Is this consistent with what those of you inside the faith have observed?