Keep nurturing the disciplines and activities that tend to produce the fruit of the Spirit, and work to avoid the activities or relationships or situations that stir up your passions. This is what the Church calls asceticism.

The circumcision of Jesus is a sign that He fulfilled the requirements of the Law, and an invitation for us to receive the circumcision of our own hearts.

If we want to share personally in Christ’s restoration and fulfillment of the human person in God’s image and likeness, we must cut off from our hearts and minds all that would separate us from embracing the great mystery of the One Who was circumcised in the flesh on the eighth day.

Fr. John explores what exactly monasticim was in the days of St. Macarius.

We understand Jesus’ circumcision and devoted youth, described in Luke 2:2-21 and 40-52, in terms of the epistle reading for January first, Colossians 2:8-12, and with the help of various verses in Exodus, Deuteronomy and Numbers. In his new life, we are made new!

"Saint Francis of Assisi" from Saints: Lives and Illuminations, written and illustrated by Ruth Sanderson (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2007).

Fr. Ted boldly states that if we believe God is real, we should act accordingly.

Fr. Ted discusses the history and importance of monasticism.

Fr. Ted reflects on the life St. Anthony the Great, the father of monasticism.

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos explains the Synodal System within the Orthodox Church.

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos reflects on the meaning of being a servant of God in the parable of the Prodigal Son.

Steve McMeans talks to Fr. Josiah about St. John Chrysostom and his views on the relationship between marriage and monasticism. This show will suprise you...!

We continue the series of interviews with Fr. Jonah Paffhausen. In this program Fr. Jonah discusses monasticism as a response to the Gospel. While monasticism is a specific calling, there is also a foundation of universal principles that all Christians are called to. Steve and Fr. Jonah also discuss the process of becoming a monk, some of the pitfalls of monasticism and some common misconceptions about monks and monasteries.

What accounts for the differences between the Eastern and Western churches? Many things of course, but primarily the development in the West - through those such as Anselm and Aquinas - of an emphasis on human reason and intellect in the pursuit of theological understanding. Returning briefly to our discussion of Rome and the Eastern Church, we contrast rationalism with the Eastern tradition that bows to the Mystery of the Incomprehensible, that proclaims that "theologians" are pure in heart through love of God (the eastern Church grants the title of Theologian to only three Saints in all of Church History), and we begin to see how steeped our modern culture and we ourselves are in scholastic thinking.

Domingo 16 de Noviembre padre Nicolás predicó como Dios incluye todo. Su iglesia es para los hombres y mujeres, los jovenes y ancianos, los Mexicanos y Estadounidenses. Esto es obvio en los labores de la Iglesia Ortodoxa en México y la evangelización de nuestro Arzobispo Metropolita Antonio Chedraui. (Romanos 10:11-11:2) Sunday November 16 Fr. Nicholas preached about the inclusiveness of God. His Church is for all, men and women, young and old, Mexicans and Americans. This is obvious in the labors of the Orthodox Church in Mexico and the evangelism of our archbishop Metropolitan Antonio Chedraui. (Romans 10:11-11:2)

Dn. Mark contends that when making the decision to become the primary caregiver, you must do so with your eyes wide open and at least some idea of what you're getting into.

Dn. Mark continues his discussion of what to consider before making the decision to become a caregiver.

Nikolai, a counselor at St. John the Compassionate Mission, discusses Great Lent and the Early Morning Breakfast Program at the mission.

the ruling is "a knife in the back of libraries," claiming that authors won't write new books if libraries lend digital books for free #

There is today in the Orthodox Church a cult of personality—or, more precisely, of personalities, in the plural. That is, there are a number of men, mostly monastics and wearing the badge of “elder” who have set themselves up as judges and arbiters of Orthodox praxis. Most of the hubbub is over matters of ecumenism. Drawing upon the Fathers (often ripped from their historical context) these men declare that outside the Orthodox Church there is little or no grace and salvation. Accordingly, everyone who comes to Orthodoxy from another Christian confession must—not should, but must—be received by baptism, so that those who were received by chrismation must “correct” this “error” and be again baptized.

A wise man once said "what we believe always remains intellectually possible, and never becomes intellectually compulsive. I have an idea," he said, "that when this ceases to be so, the world will be ending."

I have just read two fascinating pieces about Pope Francis’ recent and controversial document Fiducia Supplicans, which officially allows Roman Catholic priests to bless persons in same-sex relationships, one by an Orthodox and the other by a Roman Catholic.

The feast of the Circumcision of Christ stands as a bridge between the old and new covenants. As we begin the new year, Fr Tom reminds us that we should resolve to fulfill the "Circumcision of Christ," our baptism. (Sunday before the Theophany)

In Greek mythology the young man Narcissus who pined away in love with his own image in a pool of water was turned into the flower that bears his name. Anyone can be a narcissist—young or old, male or female. However, Fr. Emmanuel Kahn says there are in fact two types of narcissists, extrovert and introvert.

Dr. Rossi begins a short series on the "Pendulum of Asceticism" with today's episode titled "Sane Asceticism."

Continuing his series on the "Pendulum of Asceticism", Dr. Rossi talks about "Dark Asceticism" and its dangers.

In the third installment on the general topic of asceticism, Dr. Rossi addresses the subtle temptation to slip into secularism.

Dr. Albert Rossi explains the narcissus myth and how the narcissistic tendency that is in all of us needs to be healed by the cross of Christ.

Dr. Albert Rossi interviews Dr. Michael Legaspi about the experience of his daughter becoming a monastic.

Fr. Philip LeMasters points out that our society more readily accepts discipline and sacrifice for sports than it does for religion.

When a sculptor works, he hammers and chisels to reveal the image that is already in the stone, but hidden. This is what God did in the life of Timothy, and what He does in our lives today, in order to reveal the image of God in us.

On the May 6, 2012, program, Kevin's guest was Father George Aquaro (Antiochian Orthodox priest), who has done advanced training as an exorcist. Continue the conversation on the Ancient Faith Today Forum found HERE.

St. Luke (2: 20-21, 40-52) treats us to a meditation on the two natures of Jesus Christ: Fully God - Fully Man. So does St. Paul writing to the Colossians (2: 8-12). Why? They both want you to know that your Salvation is found entirely in Him.

So, the year was 2011. I had just given a speech at Marie Forleo‘s live event. And everyone seemingly loved it. (She even got me to moonwalk on stage…) This was one of my first speaking engagements about business and entrepreneurship. And I was a little stressed out about it. Social Triggers was new. I […]

Barbora Krejcikova criticises a journalist's "unprofessional commentary" after he made a remark about her appearance on air.

Something for if you’re stuck overthinking something: Very few decisions are permanent. Almost all decisions can be reversed, altered, or adjusted.

Nantes condemn alleged racist abuse of their Wales international Sorba following a recent Ligue 1 defeat at Lens.

Northern Ireland Football League chief executive Gerard Lawlor says criticism in the wake of Larne's 4-1 defeat by Shamrock Rovers was "over the top".

The chancellor defends the rise in employer contributions telling BBC public finances had to be strengthened.

Proposals for renewable energy schemes in Wales could be sped up under new plans.

A council delays a decision on the Saunton Sands beach proposal for additional survey work.

People living nearby may hear the emergency siren and the site is likely to be in lockdown.

Bristol Rovers boss Matt Taylor says it will be a moment of "togetherness" as fans plan support for players who have suffered racist abuse.

Racism is 'unfortunately part of' football said Bristol Rovers forward Shaq Forde, after he was sent online abuse last month.

I was re-reading Iceberg Slim recently (as you do), and wondering what exactly it is the anti-sex brigade mean when they go around calling people "pimps".

I've been called a pimp before. By Julie Bindel, to my face, and I laughed because it is so ridiculous: I have never profited off of anyone's erotic capital but my own… and arguably Billie Piper's, though that makes me no more and perhaps significantly less pimp-like than (say) her agent and the show's producers.

I don't get particularly offended by such obviously over the top labels. But the word itself has started to crop up more and more in the arguments surrounding sex work and the proposed laws regarding prostitution. Take for example in Ireland, where the widespread assumption is that all sex workers are a) women and b) "pimped". Both of these are demonstrably and flagrantly not true, and yet are found in virtually any media coverage of the topic which is heavily influenced by an unholy coalition of extreme religious groups and extreme radfem ideologues.

The side issue dogging the proposed changes, that is, the discourse about what exactly constitutes trafficking and who exactly is trafficked, is of course pretty openly racist - both the words and the imagery. This has been covered in some detail and extremely well by eg. Laura Agustin, whose work on the topic I highly recommend.
 

Typical "trafficking" propaganda: shades of White Slavery all over the place.
 
Anyway, back to the concept of "pimp". Now we all know, or think we know, what a pimp is, and much of this archetype comes from highly fictionalised misrepresentations of Mr Slim's own work.
Go on, you know exactly what people mean by the word. What "pimp" implies. A man who runs women, lures them with money and romance, then turns them out to whoring, often beaten, always drug-addicted.

And he is black.

Starting to sound like casual use of "pimp" is dog-whistle racism, isn't it?

For the life of me I have never met a person even remotely like the stereotypical pimp, and yet I "know" they exist, largely because I have been told so over and over again. I've met streetwalkers, both drug-addicted and not; escorts and call girls, same; not one ever had what popular imagination would classify as a "pimp," but then I keep getting told I'm not representative, so maybe the literally hundreds of men and women, cis and trans sex workers I've met are just "not representative" too?

Occasionally you also hear talk of the "Eastern European gangmaster", but for some reason the class- and racially-evocative term "pimp" comes up far, far more often. Could that be because plain xenophobia just doesn't inspire the troops in quite the same way bald racism does?

Independent sex workers who organise their own affairs and work solo. Roommates who share a flat and both happen to sell sex. Managers running escorts agencies with a dozen or so girls they mostly interact with by text. Massage parlour owners. Women whose house is used by other sex workers, so technically I guess are madams. People who set up message boards and internet forums where clients and sex workers talk among themselves and with each other. All of these are people who get called "pimps" by the anti-sex lobby.

A guy in a crushed velvet suit on a street corner, keeping his girls high and working the neighbourhood? Not so many of those to the pound.

But, let's say he really is out there, because we all keep getting told he is. This working-class black man in the loud clothes who is sexually and physically aggressive and probably has a criminal record. This "pimp".

Do you think his choice of work isn't somehow constrained by society too? That he wouldn't rather be earning money some other way? Because anyone with any sense can surely suss out that a lot of activities, both legal and illegal, would be far more profit and far less hassle than running girls.


Iceberg Slim: hustling because it's not as if you were going to save him and his mother from poverty, were you?
 
This is the reality of waged work, all waged work, whether sex is involved or not. No one, but no one, has "free choice". If you think otherwise, remind yourself what you wanted to be when you grew up, and reflect on how exactly you ended up where you are now. Did you freely select from all career choices in the world, ever? Or did you choose as best you could from the options offered by your abilities and (more crucially) your circumstances? You know, like Iceberg Slim did?

Some folks seem especially resistant to acknowledging the truth about work, so I'll underline it some more. Entire towns in the North weren't full of miners because everyone there just happened to have the aptitude and preference for that sole job, but because it was the only job going. NE Scotland isn't full of fishermen because they have a particular concentration of people whose life's dream was to catch fish, but because that's what the job market offers. Everyone's outcome is the product of limited choices, from streetwalkers to the Queen. And no one's suggesting she needs to be "rescued" from her lack of career options.

If you want to improve someone's options, you address the things that constrain their choices in the first place. Poverty, addiction, education, to name a few. Not take away the only choices they have.

The pimp as we perceive him is a low-end tough. He's not exactly a criminal mastermind. And unlike a lot of the people who talk about "pimps" and whatnot, I know criminals. I have seen that life up close and fucking personal. I have lived in their neighbourhoods and their houses, and even in their families. I know that anyone who runs a business in the way the supposed pimp supposedly does is making little money, if any. What's 50% of that £10 anal bareback the anti-sex lobby claim is available in red lights everywhere? A fiver? Yeah, that sounds logical. Now pull the other one.

I know that his power - again, if he exists, because even when I was living in Cracktown, Pinellas County I saw shit that would stop your heart but I never once saw a "pimp" - is a power of an extremely limited kind. The power of someone with few and possibly no other options.

The anti-sex lobby's fantasy use of the term "pimp" is bogus and it is racist. Anyone who claims otherwise is being purposely disingenuous for the sake of striking fear into white, English-speaking, middle-class people.