What Septuagint (Old Testament) to Use for Study?

The Orthodox Church uses the Septuagint over the errant Masoretic Old Testament for many reasons previously mentioned in articles on this blog. See the following blog posts for more on that: 

• "Protestant Myths About the Deuterocanonical Old Testament"
  from 02 August 2010 
  
  
• "The Text of the Orthodox Bible"
  from 25 November 2010 
  
  
• "Metropolitan Isaiah: Which English Translation of the Bible Should I Use?"
  from 29 September 2011 
  
  
• "Why Orthodox Christians Prefer the Septuagint"
  from 10 March 2012 

But if you aren't fluent in Greek, then which English translation should you use for Bible study? While the Lancelot C. L. Brenton Septuagint Version is written in a poetic style like the KJV and NKJV versions of Holy Writ, it is not as good for accuracy, as beauty is the more important goal. 

After decades of studying this, and since Holy Apostles Convent has yet to make an Orthodox Old Testament or a Prophetologion, I have settled on the NETS: A New English Translation of the Septuagint translation. It uses a more wooden literal translation for better understanding like The Orthodox New Testament and The Orthodox Psalter (Psalterion), which makes it worthy for study. 

This is how the translators and editors at the Oxford University Press describe their translation:

"The Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of Jewish sacred writings) is of great importance in the history of both Judaism and Christianity. The first translation of the books of the Hebrew Bible (plus additions) into the common language of the ancient Mediterranean world made the Jewish scriptures accessible to many outside Judaism. Not only did the Septuagint become Holy Writ to Greek speaking Jews but it was also the Bible of the early Christian communities: the scripture they cited and the textual foundation of the early Christian movement.

Translated from Hebrew (and Aramaic) originals in the two centuries before Jesus, the Septuagint provides important information about the history of the text of the Bible. For centuries, scholars have looked to the Septuagint for information about the nature of the text and of how passages and specific words were understood.

For students of the Bible, the New Testament in particular, the study of the Septuagint's influence is a vital part of the history of interpretation. But until now, the Septuagint has not been available to English readers in a modern and accurate translation. The New English Translation of the Septuagint fills this gap."

As an added bonus, the version linked above is the same size as the other aforementioned books, as seen in the photo of one of my bookshelves above.  

Christ Opening the Eyes of the Blind Man through the Works of His Apostles and their Disciples

Just like previously with my physical therapist, my doctor at MyoCore (MyoFascial Release and Chiropractic) and I were talking about the stories behind the stories in the Holy Writ, such as how the reason that Jesus used dirt to make the blind man see was because the blind man was born without eyes and Christ was showing us that he was God by making human organs from the dust, like he did when he created Adam in the Garden of Eden on the sixth day. 

He, being unaware of many of these connections that fascinated by them, asked for 5 or 6 books that would open his eyes to these connections. Thus I suggested the following: 

1. The Orthodox New Testament Volume One: The Holy Gospels (Evangelistarion)
2. The Orthodox New Testament Volume Two: Acts, Epistles, & Revelation (Praxapostolos)
3. The Orthodox Psalter: The Psalterion According to the Seventy, With the Nine Odes, & Patristic Commentary
4. The Lives of the Holy Prophets: The Major & Minor Prophets of the Old Testament
5. The Lives of the Holy Apostles: Saints Peter, Paul, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, Jude, Simon, Matthias, Mark, Luke, & James
6. The Life of the Virgin Mary, The Theotokos

I also pointed to him to the following three blog articles I wrote on this blog:

1. The Gospel According to Saint John, Chapter Six: A Parallel of the Passover & the Exodus of Israel
2. The Theophanies of Christ in Both the Old & New Testaments
3. Types & Anti-Types in the Holy Bible

If you or anyone you know are interested in the connections of the Old Testament to the New Testament, or the stories behind the stories in the Bible, as explained by the apostles and their disciples, check out these books and articles, which will help you see what perhaps you were once blind to and you too can have your eyes opened like the blind man that Christ healed. 

How Should We Live?

 

Because we all need a reminder from time to time, including myself... 

Luke 3:11 “And answering, he saith to them, ‘The one who hath two tunics, let him share with him who hath not; and the one who hath food, let him do likewise.’” 

Acts 5:32 “And of the multitude of those who believed there was one heart and soul; and not even one of them was saying that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but all things were common to them.”

Acts 5:34 “For neither was there any among them in need; for as many as were owners of lands or houses, selling them, they were bringing the values of those being sold,” 

Romans 15:1-2 “We then who are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. For let each of us be pleasing his neighbor for the good, toward building up.”

Iakovos (James) 2:15-16 “Now if a brother or sister be naked and wanting of daily food, and any of you should say to them, ‘Go in peace, warm yourselves and feed yourselves,’ but ye give them not the necessities of the body, what is the profit?”

The above quotes are taken from The Orthodox New Testament:  Volume 1, The Holy Gospels, Evangelistarion & The Orthodox New Testament: Volume 2, Acts, Epistles, and Revelation, Praxapostolos. 

More on Some of You Wrongly Trying to Elevate Worldly National Politics to Dogma

Just a few reminders from the Holy Writ, which you should be holding above that of politicians, if you are a Christian, even if only in name. I offer these quotes without commentary, as they should be clear to anyone that this vile gnashing of teeth over politicians as if they were saviours to you, your land, your city, your state, your country, and the world is contrary to the teachings of the Church and thus, Antichrist behaviours which you should repent of. I say this, having once been guilty of this same mortal sin. 

The following quote is from The Orthodox Psalter with Commentary (Psalterion): 

Psalm 145:2 (146:2) Do not have trust in rulers, in sons of men, in whom there is no salvation. 

The following quote is from The Orthodox Study Bible: 

1st Kingdoms (1 Samuel) 12:19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.” 

The following quotes are taken from The Orthodox New Testament: Acts, Epistles, and Revelation, Volume 2: 

Romans 12:14 Keep on blessing those who persecute you; keep on blessing, and not cursing. 

Romans 13:1-7 Let every soul be subject to authorities which govern. For there is no authority except from God. So that the one who sets himself against the authority hath withstood the ordinance of God; and they who have withstood shall receive judgement to themselves. For the rulers are not a terror to good works, but to bad ones. And dost thou wish not to be afraid of the authority? Be doing that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same. For he is a minister of God to thee for the good. But if thou be doing evil, be afraid; for not in vain doth he bear the sword, for he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to the one who practiceth that which is bad. Wherefore it is necessary to be subject, not only because of wrath, but also because of the conscience. For on this account ye also pay tributes; for they are public workers of God, persevering for this same thing. Render then to all their dues: to whom the tribute is due, the tribute; to whom the customs duty, the toll; to whom the fear, the fear; to whom the honor, the honor. 

Titus 3:1-2 Be reminding them to submit themselves to rulers and authorities, to obey a superior, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to not be contentious, but equitable, showing forth meekness toward all men. 

Hebrews 13:17 Be obedient to those who lead you, and keep on submitting, for they are watchful for your souls, as those about to render an account, that they may do this with joy, and not groaning; for this would be unprofitable for you. 

Iakovos (James) 1:26-27 If anyone among you seem to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue, but deceivith his heart, the religion of this one is vain. Religion pure and undefiled before the God and Father is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. 

1 Peter 2:13-25 Therefore be subject to every human institution for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as being supreme, or to the governors, as being sent by him indeed for punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good; for so is the will of God that by doing good ye may muzzle the ignorance of foolish men— as free, and not as those who are having freedom as a cloak of wickedness, but as slaves of God. Honor all, be loving the brotherhood, be fearing God, be honoring the king. Household slaves, be subject in all fear to your masters, not only to the good and fair, but also to the crooked. For this is a grace if for the sake of conscience toward God anyone endure griefs, suffering unjustly. For what kind of good report is it if, when ye sin and are buffeted, ye shall endure? But if, when ye do good and suffer, ye endure, this is a grace from God. For to this ye were called,  because Christ also suffered for us, leaving behind for you an example, that ye should follow His footsteps: "Who did not sin, neither was guile found in His mouth"; "Who, when He was reviled, reviled not in return; when He suffered, He threatened not, but kept on giving Himself over to Him Who judgeth righteously; Who "Himself carried up our sins" in His body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, should live to righteousness—by Whose bruise "ye were healed." For ye were "as sheep being led astray," but were turned about now to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. 

I'm so Sick and Tired...

 ...too many people, not only Orthodox Christians, but people who declare any faith, or even no faith at all, have made it clear their one and only true religion. It is, sickeningly, whatever their political party tells them to believe. Their only 'saviour' is their favoured political candidate. 

It should be clear to any person of faith, that neither American party of the duopoly teaches the same as the Bible. Each pick and choose parts to say that they do, and show how their opponents' teach the opposite, but as politics prove time and time, politicians and political parties cannot be trusted. 

"Do not have trust in rulers, in sons of men, in whom there is no salvation." 

-Psalm 145(146):3

Bible verse comes from THE ORTHODOX PSALTER: THE PSALTERION OF THE PROPHET AND KING DAVID, With the NINE ODES and the interpretation of how the Psalterion ought to be recited during the whole year Translated into English from the Greek according to the Seventy, and compiled, arranged, and versified according to the Greek Psalterion, including Patristic Commentary.

Connecting the Dots & Finding the Hidden Truths Behind Well-Known Stories

As I mentioned in my last post, I recently shattered my ankle, damaging a lot of the soft tissue in my lower leg and foot. I have had home health nurses and physical therapists visiting my home three times a week since then to help me get to the point where I am now walking with a very cool yet functional cane. 

My physical therapist and I were talking about the stories behind the stories in the Bible, such as how the reason that Jesus used dirt to make the blind man see was because the blind man was born without eyes and Christ was showing us that he was God by making human organs from the dust, like he did when he created Adam in the Garden of Eden on the sixth day. 

He, being unaware of many of these connections, yet fascinated by them, asked for books that would show him more. Thus I suggested the following six books for him: 

1. The Orthodox New Testament Volume One: The Holy Gospels (Evangelistarion)
2. The Orthodox New Testament Volume Two: Acts, Epistles, & Revelation (Praxapostolos)
3. The Orthodox Psalter: The Psalterion According to the Seventy, With the Nine Odes, & Patristic Commentary
4. The Lives of the Holy Prophets: The Major & Minor Prophets of the Old Testament
5. The Lives of the Holy Apostles: Saints Peter, Paul, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, Jude, Simon, Matthias, Mark, Luke, & James
6. The Life of the Virgin Mary, The Theotokos

I also pointed to him to the following three blog articles I wrote on this blog:

1. The Gospel According to Saint John, Chapter Six: A Parallel of the Passover & the Exodus of Israel
2. The Theophanies of Christ in Both the Old & New Testaments
3. Types & Anti-Types in the Holy Bible

If you or anyone you know are interested in the connections of the Old Testament to the New Testament, or the stories behind the stories in The Holy Writ, check out these books and articles, which will help you see what previously was unseen to you. 

Rejoice! Book 5 of The Philokalia has Finally Been Published in the English Language!

The Philokalia is a collection of texts written between the fourth and the fifteenth centuries by spiritual Elders and Saints of Orthodox Christianity First published as a compiled manuscript in Greek in 1782, The Philokalia has exercised an influence in the recent history of the Orthodox Church far greater than that of any book apart from the Bible. It is concerned with themes of universal importance: how one may develop their inner powers and awake from illusion; how they may overcome fragmentation and achieve spiritual wholeness; how they may attain the life of contemplative stillness and union with God.

For many years, Orthodox Christians have been awaiting the English translation of the 5th and final book of the Philokalia, the first 4 books having long been translated by Bp. Kallistos Ware and Mother Maria. However, the fifth book of the Philokalia has been translated and published by Anna Skoubourdis and Saint George Monastery in 2021, in both hardcover and paperback, just like the other four volumes published in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Here are the links to all five volumes that are now available: 

• The Philokalia: Volumes I, II, III, & IV in 4 paperback books
• The Philokalia: Volume I in hardcover
• The Philokalia: Volume II in hardcover
• The Philokalia: Volume III in hardcover
• The Philokalia: Volume IV in hardcover
• The Philokalia: Volume V in paperback
• The Philokalia: Volume V in hardcover

This is great news for English-speaking Orthodox Christians everywhere! Glory be to God! 

The Teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church has Finally Been Completed!

Back in 1986, The Reverend Father Michael Azkoul, Ph.D. wrote The Teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church: Volume 1: God, Creation, Old Israel, Christ in 236 pages, which was edited by Hieromonk Gregory of Dormition Skete with the blessing of His Grace, ROCOR (Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia) Bishop Alypy of Cleveland. Save for its attacks on Blessed Augustine of Hippo, the author of The City of God, it is a good book that does a really good job of explaining the typology of the Old Testament revealed in the New Testament's Holy Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Revelation, and I hoped to see Volume 2: The Church and Volume 3: Mystagogy of The Teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church in the future. Volume 1's five chapters are: 

1. Introduction
2. God: The Holy Trinity
3. The Creation
4. The Economy of Old Israel
5. Jesus the Christ

The second and third books were not to be, as Father Michael Azkoul broke away from the ROCOR and joined the HOCNA (Holy Orthodox Church of North America) while then-Archimandrite Gregory (Gregory Abu Assaly) later departed ROCOR for one of the GOCs (Genuine Greek Orthodox Churches). Interestingly, Father Michael Azkoul in now in one of the GOCs that Archimandrite Gregory was formerly a member of, and now-Archbishop Gregory is the head of his own GOCA (Genuine Orthodox Church of America).

In 2020, Archbishop Gregory completed the volumes of The Teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church in 602 pages, making it into one book, making a re-edited, reformatted, and revised Part 1 while also adding a Part 2, the later of which consisted of what would have been Volume 2 and Volume 3 in Father Michael Azkoul's original plan. Volume 1 has now been renamed Part 1: God, Creation, and the Economy of Salvation. The chapters to Part 2: The Church are: 

1. The One Church
2. Christ and the Church: The Heterodox
3. The Church of God
4. Mystagogy I: Holy Baptism
5. Mystagogy II: The Eucharist
6. Mystagogy III: The Other Mysteries
7. The All-Holy and Ever-Virgin Mary, The Mother of God, with All the Saints
8. The End of the Age
9. Augustine of Hippo

While the unfortunate attacks on Blessed Augustine of Hippo (commemorated 15 June in the Orthodox Church) remain, besides this, this is a very good book that is a good introduction to Orthodoxy, even better than the far more-errant introductory two volume set, The Orthodox Church and The Orthodox Way, by the then-layman Timothy Ware, now Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware). 

The Orthodox Psalter has been Updated and Expanded! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As you know, back in 2011 I highly recommended "The Orthodox Psalter" by Holy Apostles Convent in this blog post/article and continued to point out the superiority of the translation in another blog post/article the same year. I still stand by that recommendation, but recently I found that there is a new 3rd edition of this Psalterion published in 2017.

There are 9 more pages of patristics than the 1st edition, which includes explanations of verses and psalms from the Church Fathers from both the east and the west. The Orthodox Psalter includes both the Septuagint and KJV numbering systems, 20 Kathismas, 9 Biblical Odes, 160 pages of Patristic Commentary, 6 Tables for Usage, 2 General Listings, The Verses and Couplet to the Prophet David, and the excellent introduction, "In Praise of the Psalms" by Saint Basil the Great. All in a full-sized 6.25" x 9.25" sturdy Deep Purple Smyth-sewn case-bound book, with gold stamping, and a burgundy double-sided grosgrain ribbon marker. As an author I appreciate that it is printed on high-opacity acid-free 80-pound cream coloured pages, in a very easy-to-read 14-point bold typeface for the Psalms, and a readable and clear 10-point typeface for the Commentary. 

Aesthetically, the "Deep Purple" that I think of more as an indigo, looks great with the green "The Holy Prophets", the dark navy "The Orthodox New Testament Volume One", and the dark burgundy "The Orthodox New Testament Volume Two". These books are must-haves for any Orthodox Christian. 

The Orthodox Psalter and the other mentioned books are available at Amazon or can be ordered directly from the Convent.

Politicians aren't Saviours and Political Parties are NOT the Church!

 

While I have blogged about government before such as in the post titled, "What the Bible says about those who govern us?", there are some essential verses of the Bible that it seems some politically-motivated Christians seem to forget in both the United States of America and other countries. Here is a verse that many seem to be forgetting as of the last decade or so. Here is a quick reminder.

Psalm 145(146):2 Do not have trust in rulers, in sons of men, in whom there is no salvation.

Verses from The Orthodox Psalter: The Psalterion of The Prophet and King David, According to the Seventy, With the Nine Odes, And Patristic Commentary.

The 5 Types of Love in Ancient Greek

Though there are more Greek words for love, variants and possibly subcategories, a general summary considering these Ancient Greek concepts are as follows:

Agápe (ἀγάπη agápē) means "love: especially charity; the love of God for man and of man for a good God." Agape is used in ancient texts to denote feelings for one's children and the feelings for a spouse, and it was also used to refer to a love feast. Agape is used by Christians to express the unconditional love of God for his children.

Éros (ἔρως érōs) means "love, mostly of the sexual passion." The Modern Greek word "erotas" means "intimate love". Plato refined his own definition: Although eros is initially felt for a person, with contemplation it becomes an appreciation of the beauty within that person, or even becomes appreciation of beauty itself. Plato does not talk of physical attraction as a necessary part of love, hence the use of the word platonic to mean, "without physical attraction". In the Symposium, the most famous ancient work on the subject, Plato has Socrates argue that eros helps the soul recall knowledge of beauty, and contributes to an understanding of spiritual truth, the ideal "Form" of youthful beauty that leads us humans to feel erotic desire – thus suggesting that even that sensually based love aspires to the non-corporeal, spiritual plane of existence; that is, finding its truth, just like finding any truth, leads to transcendence. Lovers and philosophers are all inspired to seek truth through the means of eros.

Philia (φιλία philía) means "affectionate regard, friendship", usually "between equals". It is a dispassionate virtuous love, a concept developed by Aristotle. In his best-known work on ethics, Nicomachean Ethics, philia is expressed variously as loyalty to friends (specifically, "brotherly love"), family, and community, and requires virtue, equality, and familiarity. Furthermore, in the same text philos is also the root of philautia denoting self-love and arising from it, a general type of love, used for love between family, between friends, a desire or enjoyment of an activity, as well as between lovers.

Storge (στοργή storgē) means "love, affection" and "especially of parents and children". It is the common or natural empathy, like that felt by parents for offspring. Rarely used in ancient works, and then almost exclusively as a descriptor of relationships within the family. It is also known to express mere acceptance or putting up with situations, as in "loving" the tyrant. This is also used when referencing the love for one's country or a favorite sports team.

Xenia (Greek: ξενία, romanized: xenía, meaning "guest-friendship") is the ancient Greek concept of hospitality, the generosity and courtesy shown to those who are far from home and/or associates of the person bestowing guest-friendship. The rituals of hospitality created and expressed a reciprocal relationship between guest and host expressed in both material benefits (such as the giving of gifts to each party) as well as non-material ones (such as protection, shelter, favors, or certain normative rights).

Matthew 5:16: "Thus, let your light shine before men that they might see your good works, and might glorify your Father Who is in the heavens."

Verse and Patristics taken from the Orthodox New Testament Volume 1: The Holy Gospels (Evangelistarion) as usual.

"As many therefore as stand indebted to you, either for money, or for trespasses, let them all go free, and require of God the recompense of such your magnanimity. For so long as they continue indebted to you, you can not have God your debtor. But if you let them go free, you will be able to detain your God, and to require of Him the recompense of so great self-restraint in bountiful measure. For suppose a man had come up and seeing you arresting your debtor, had called upon you to let him go free, and transfer to himself your account with the other: he would not choose to be unfair after such remission, seeing he had passed the whole demand to himself: how then shall God fail to repay us manifold, yea, ten thousand fold, when for His commandment's sake, if any be indebted to us, we urge no complaint against them, great or small, but let them go exempt from all liability? Let us not then think of the temporary pleasure that springs up in us by exacting of our debtors, but of the loss, rather, how great! Which we shall thereby sustain hereafter, grievously injuring ourselves in the things which are eternal. Rising accordingly above all, let us forgive those who must give account to us, both their debts and their offenses; that we may make our own accounts prove indulgent, and that what we could not reach by all virtue besides, this we may obtain by not bearing malice against our neighbors; and thus enjoy the eternal blessings, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might now and always, even forever and ever. Amen." –Saint John Chrysostom

The Utah National Parks Council of the Boy Scouts of America is introducing the Duty to God Buffalo Award.

“The Scout in his promise undertakes to do his duty to his king and country only in the second place. His first duty is to God. There is a higher mission before us, namely the promotion of the kingdom of God. That is the rule of peace and goodwill on earth.” –Lord Baden-Powell

The Duty to God Buffalo Award is a necklace with a realistic, western-style buffalo skull and a swiveling medallion in the center that shows the Duty to God shield on one side and Matthew 5:16 on the reverse.

"He did not say, "You must display your virtue," for that is not good; but rather He said only, "Let it shine," so that even your enemies will marvel and glorify not you, but your Father. If we practice virtue, we must practice it for the glory of God, and not for our own glory." –Saint Theophylact of Ochrid

This item is a good reminder of Scouting’s focus on Duty to God. The requirements are focused to help the individual better understand and implement their Duty to God:

1. Read Matthew 5:16 and summarize what it means to let your light shine. How does letting your light shine glorify God? Share with your group or leader. 
2. How can “men see your good works”? Write a plan and set goals to serve those around you and your community. Perform a service project of at least one hour. 
3. The Holy Spirit is here to guide you. What are ways you can reduce the worldly noise around you to clearly hear His promptings? 
4. A Scout promises their first duty to God. Discuss with your group or leader how you can fulfill this promise by putting God first in your daily routines such as daily prayer and scripture study, participating in church duties (if any), etc. 
5. God loves us and wants us to gain as much knowledge as possible. Make a list of these opportunities you’re given and share with your group or leader.

The Council encourages all Scouting units and youth groups to incorporate the Buffalo Award and associated activities during your time at camp this summer.

You can apply for the award at http://blog.utahscouts.org/duty-to-god/duty-to-god-buffalo-award-2019/

Great Lent 2019/7527

The 13 Most Popular Posts of 2018 and All Time

The Orthodox Scouter's first post of 2019 isn't even about 2019, it is all about 2018! The top 13 viewed posts on this blog in 2018 were not all from 2018, so here are 2018's 2 most popular posts authored in 2018, 2018's 7 most popular viewed posts from years previous to 2018, and the 4 most popular posts of all time that are not listed in the lists prior to it. Read them all and let us know what your 13 favorite posts from this blog are.

2018's Top Viewed Posts Authored in 2018

1. Saint George the Trophy-Bearer Patch
2. DESMOS: International Link of Orthodox Christian Scouts

2018's Top Viewed Posts NOT Authored in 2018

1. Updated "Duty to God" Faith Requirements for Cub Scouts
2. HOW-TO: Traditional Orthodox Pascha (Easter) Basket
3. HOW-TO: Find Orthodox Christian Camps for Summer and Winter in America
4. The Scout Oath and the Holy Bible
5. The Scout Law and God's Laws
6. Conservation of the God-Created Environment in the Holy Bible
7. The Gospel According to Saint John, Chapter 6: A Parallel of the Passover and the Exodus of Israel

All Time Top Viewed Posts (Not Listed Above)

1. Sleeping Positions of Married Couples and What They Mean
2. Tattoos
3. A Timeline of Church History: Tracing the birth and continuity of the Christian Church from Pentecost to the present.
4. 30 Severely Corrupted Scriptures in the New Living Translation (NLT) Bible

Saint George the Trophy-Bearer Patch

On the EOCS: Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting Facebook page, I read that a Roman Catholic Activity Badge was available to non-Roman Catholics, and weary of such a thing, I checked it out. This is actually a cool little activity for Orthodox Christian Scouts:

About this activity
The goal of this activity is to share the life of the saint so that the youth might relate to what this saint has done and maybe look to the saint as a role model.

How to start

• Read about Saint George.
• 1st - 5th Grades - Complete 4 requirements and 2 of the activities.
• 6th - 12th Grades - Complete 5 requirements and 3 of the activities.

Requirements

1. Where and when was St. George born?
2. When is the feast day of this saint?
3. St. George is considered the Patron Saint of?
4. What is St. George known for (major accomplishment)?
5. St. George is probably best known for the legend of St. George and the Dragon. What was this legend all about and what similarities does it have to St. George's real life?

Activities

1. Draw a picture showing some of his actual accomplishments. Introduce others to St. George by telling the story and sharing this picture with your family and friends.
2. Identify the next Religious Emblem of Faith that you can earn as a scout and meet with your Scout leader or family and start working on this next program.
3. Create signs and posters that get people to ask themselves how they can be a better Christian. Place these in your school or church.
4. Perform an examination of conscience.
5. What would you do if you saw someone being bullied? How might you imitate St. George?

Completion of the Activity
After completing the requirements, the participants will order the patch online.

UPDATE: My Cub Scouts earned this badge by reading about Saint George from this book: The Martyrdom of Saint George of Cappadocia from Saint Shenouda Press' All Time Heroes from All Times Series. I highly recommend this book for both youth and adults!

Frequently Asked Questions

• May only Roman Catholics Scouts earn this? No. Any Scout may earn any of the activity patches. The requirements are grade-specific.
• Is this activity considered a religious emblem and may a Scout receive a religious knot after earning this activity? No. This activity is considered a religious activity, not a religious emblem. Scouts may not receive a religious knot for earning any of the activity patches.
• Who may serve as an adult mentor for this activity? Any parent or adult who meets the standard BSA YPT requirements.
• Is there any time requirement? Only that the grade-specific requirements need to be completed while in the respective grade level.
• Do the answers need to be submitted? No. The answers should be reviewed by an adult. The Order Form and patch fee are the only things that need to be submitted.
• Who do I check with once I complete the requirements for my grade level? Any knowledgeable parent, Scout leader, Priest, Deacon, Monastic, or Catechist.

My DNA: Tracing my ancestory to Noah, Adam, and Eve!

I recently had my DNA tested by 23andMe. If you'd like to check out your DNA, you can save by registering at this link: https://refer.23andme.com/s/ir2tk I guarantee that you will find it fascinating!

Most of it was unsurprising, such as having Irish ancestry. My paternal grandfather was born in Ireland shortly before immigrating with his mother, Queen Tobin Stanosheck to America. Recently we learned that my maternal grandfather's family had lived in Ireland for some time before immigrating to America. Through my maternal line it appears we are related to Clan McLaren/MacLaren too.

Both my maternal grandmother's and grandfather's families had lived in Germany so having German DNA was not surprising.

Now the last names of my grandfathers are Polish-Russian and Welsh. So having DNA from Poland and Great Britain was not a surprise. But what was a surprise was that although my last name is a blend of Polish and Russian, I have no Russian DNA, but do have Ukrainian DNA. (I've actually had an intuition about this before getting tested).

Surprise #2 is that we were always told that my maternal grandmother was Czech, but according to my DNA, she was actually Slovak, as I have Slovak DNA but no Czech DNA.

Surprise #3 is that my DNA can be traced all the way back to Noah. We are related to Noah via his son, Japheth, his grandson Gomer, and his great-grandson, Ashkenaz.

It looks like someone in my ancient family members moved from Syria to the Slavic lands, and then up to Scandinavia. Where exactly, my DNA doesn't know, but it was in my mother's side of the family.

So many people who get their tests done get surprise African or Asian DNA, but my test showed my DNA to be solely European (as far as it can go back). Here is the exact (to 99.98% accuracy) breakdown:

Here are the histories that my DNA tells:

The stories of all of our paternal lines can be traced back to just one man: the common ancestor who lived in eastern Africa at the time, Adam.

Your paternal-line ancestors gradually moved north, following available prey and resources as a shifting climate made new routes hospitable and sealed off others. Then a small group ventured across the Red Sea and deeper into southwest Asia. Your ancestors were among these men, and the next step in their story is marked by the rise of  your ancestors in the Arabian Peninsula.

Passing through the Middle East, your paternal-line ancestors continued on to the steppes of Central Asia, vast grasslands stretching all the way from central Europe to the eastern edge of Asia.

The next step in your story can be to the common ancestor of a man who likely lived in Central Asia. His descendants roamed the vast steppes of the continent, where they hunted huge mammals like the mammoth.

Your ancestral path forked off again in western Asia, but farther south in the Iranian Plateau your ancestors flourished.

As the people of the Fertile Crescent domesticated plants and animals for the first time. Around 8,000 years ago, the first farmers and herders began to push east into Central Asia and north into the Caucasus Mountains. Some of them eventually reached the steppes above the Black and Caspian Seas. There, they lived as pastoral nomads, herding cattle and sheep across the grasslands, while their neighbors to the south developed yet another crucial technology in human history: bronze smelting. As bronze tools and weaponry spread north, a new steppe culture called the Yamnaya was born.

Perhaps triggered by a cold spell that made it difficult to feed their herds, Yamnaya men spilled east across Siberia and down into Central Asia. To the west, they pushed down into the Balkans and to central Europe, where they sought new pastures for their herds and metal deposits to support burgeoning Bronze Age commerce. Over time, their descendants spread from central Europe to the Atlantic coast, establishing new trade routes and an unprecedented level of cultural contact and exchange in western Europe.

The men from the steppes also outcompeted the local men as they went; their success is demonstrated in the overwhelming dominance of the lineage in Europe, especially Ireland and Wales.

You descend from a long line of women that can be traced back to eastern Africa. If every person living today could trace his or her maternal line back over thousands of generations, all of our lines would meet at a single woman who lived in eastern Africa, Eve. The story of your maternal line begins with her it.

While many of her descendants remained in Africa, one small group ventured east across the Red Sea, likely across the narrow Bab-el-Mandeb into the tip of the Arabian Peninsula.

Your story continues with one of two branches that arose from southwestern Asia. Researchers have long debated whether they arrived there via the Sinai Peninsula, or made the hop across the Red Sea at the Bab-el-Mandeb. Though their exact routes are disputed, there is no doubt that the women migrated across all of Eurasia, giving rise to people from Portugal to Polynesia.

One of those branches traces back to a woman who likely lived in the Middle East or the Caucasus Mountains. Her descendants appear to have migrated into northern Europe, and then through southwestern Asia as far as Pakistan with the expansion of agriculture about 8,000 years ago.

Women carrying this haplogroup likely migrated into and across Europe during this stretch of milder climate.

Today, they are mostly spread across southeastern Europe and into the Middle East, including in the North Caucasus and northern Iran. Some can also be found in the northern and western reaches of Europe, including in Britain, Finland, and even western Siberia.

Encyclical of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for the Indiction and Day of Protection of the Environment

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
Prot. No. 702

+BARTHOLOMEW
By God’s Mercy Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch
To the Plentitude of the Church: Grace, peace and mercy
From the Creator of All, our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ
(September 1, 2017/7526)

***

Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord,

With God’s grace, today we enter the new ecclesiastical year, even as we continue to provide witness “through him who loved us” (Romans 8.38) and “give an account for the hope that lies in us” (1 Peter 3.15), living in the Church, in Christ and according to Christ, who promised to be with us “all the days of our life, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28.20)

Twenty-eight years have passed since the synodal decree of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to establish the Feast of the Indiction as the “Day of Protection for the Environment,” when we offer prayers and supplications at the sacred Center of Orthodoxy “for all creation.” The relevant patriarchal encyclical (September 1, 1989) invited all Orthodox and other Christian faithful on this day to lift up prayers of thanksgiving to the Creator of all for “the great gift of Creation” along with petitions for its preservation.

We express our joy and satisfaction for the broad reception and fruitful influence of this initiative by the Church of Constantinople. We demonstrated the spiritual roots of the ecological crisis as well as the need to repent and prioritize the values of contemporary humankind. We affirmed that the exploitation and destruction of creation constitute a perversion and distortion of the Christian ethos, rather than the inevitable consequence of the biblical command to “increase and multiply” (Genesis 1.22), but also that our anti-ecological conduct is an offense to the Creator and a transgression of his commandments, ultimately working against the authentic destiny of the human person. There cannot be any sustainable development at the expense of spiritual values and the natural environment.

The Holy and Great Church of Christ has championed and continues to champion the eco-friendly dynamic of our Orthodox faith, emphasizing the Eucharistic purpose of creation, the response of the faithful as “priest” of creation in an effort to offer it unceasingly to the Creator of all, as well as the principle of asceticism as the response to the modern sense of gratification. Indeed, respect for creation belongs to the very core of our orthodox tradition.

We are especially disturbed by the fact that, while it is clear that the ecological crisis is constantly escalating, in the name of financial growth and technological development, humanity has become oblivious to the global appeals for radical change in our attitude toward creation. It is obvious that the resulting deformation and devastation of the natural environment is a direct consequence of a specific model of economic progress, which is nevertheless indifferent to its ecological repercussions. The short-term benefits dictated by the rise of living standards in some parts of the world simply camouflage the irrationality of abuse and conquest of creation. Corporate business that does not respect the planet as our common home cannot be sanctioned as business at all. The contemporary unrestrained commerce of globalization goes hand-in-hand with the spectacular development of science and technology, which despite manifold advantages is also accompanied by an arrogance over and abuse of nature. Modern man knows this very well, but acts as if he is entirely unaware. We know that nature is not restored and renewed endlessly; yet we ignore the negative implications of “trading” in the environment. This explosive combination of unrestrained commerce and science – that is to say, the limitless confidence in the power of science and technology – merely increases the risks threatening the integrity of creation and humankind.

The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church spelled out with wisdom and clarity the dangers of “autonomizing economy” or separating economy from the vital needs of humanity that are only served within a sustainable environment. Instead, it proposed an economy “founded on the principles of the Gospel”¹ in order to address the modern ecological challenge “on the basis of the principles of the Christian tradition.”² In response to the threats of our age, the tradition of the Church demands “a radical change of attitude and conduct”; in response to the ecological crisis, it proposes a spirit of asceticism, “frugality and abstinence”³; in response to our ”greed,”⁴ it calls for “the deification of our needs and attitude of acquisition.”⁵ The Holy and Great Council also emphatically referred to the “social dimensions and tragic consequences of destroying the natural environment.”⁶

Therefore, echoing the decisions of this Council, we too underline through this encyclical the close connection between ecological and social issues, as well as their common roots that lie in the “imprudent heart” that is fallen and sinful as well as in the inappropriate use of our God-given values,” by spiritual and ethical damage. When material possessions dominate our heart and mind, then our attitude toward our fellow human beings and toward creation inevitably becomes possessive and abusive. In biblical terms, the “bad tree” always “produces evil fruit.” (Matthew 7.17) Furthermore, by extension, we would underline that respecting creation and other people share the same spiritual source and origin, namely our renewal in Christ and spiritual freedom. Just as environmental destruction is related to social injustice, so too an eco-friendly attitude is inseparable from social solidarity.

What also becomes apparent is that the solution to the multi-faceted contemporary human crisis – namely, the crisis facing human culture and the natural environment – demands a multi-dimensional mobilization and joint effort. Much as every other vital problem, the underlying and interconnected ecological and social crisis cannot possibly be addressed without inter-Christian and inter-religious collaboration. Therefore, dialogue becomes the fertile ground for promoting existing ecofriendly and social traditions in order to stimulate environmental and communal discussion, while at the same time initiating a constructive criticism of progress understood exclusively in technological and economic terms at the expense of creation and civilization.

In closing, we once again reiterate the inseparable nature of respecting creation and humanity, and we call upon all people of good will to undertake the good struggle for the protection of the natural environment and the establishment of solidarity. May the Lord and giver of all good things, through the intercessions of the all-blessed Mother of God, grant all of you “a burning within your hearts for all creation”⁷ and “a stirring of love and good works.” (Hebrews 10.24)

+ Bartholomew of Constantinople
Your fervent supplicant before God
_________________________________
1 Encyclical of the Holy and Great Council, paragraph 15.
2 Encyclical, paragraph 10.
3 “The Mission of the Orthodox Church in the Contemporary World,” paragraph 10.
4 “The Mission,” paragraph 10.
5 Encyclical, paragraph 14.
6 Encyclical, paragraph 14.
7 Isaac the Syrian, Ascetical Treatises, Homily 81.

The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America's Response to the Racist & Extremist Violence in Charlottesville

The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America stands with all people of goodwill in condemning the hateful violence and lamenting the loss of life that resulted from the shameful efforts to promote racial bigotry and white supremacist ideology in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The Orthodox Church emphatically declares that it does not promote, protect or sanction participation in such reprehensible acts of hatred, racism, and discrimination, and proclaims that such beliefs and behaviors have no place in any community based in respect for the law and faith in a loving God.

The essence of the Christian Gospel and the spirit of the Orthodox Tradition are entirely and self-evidently incompatible with ideologies that declare the superiority of any race over another. Our God shows no partiality or favoritism (Deuteronomy 10:17, Romans 2:11). Our Lord Jesus Christ broke down the dividing wall of hostility that had separated God from humans and humans from each other (Ephesians 2:14). In Christ Jesus, the Church proclaims, there can be neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female, but all are one (Galatians 3:28). Furthermore, we call on one another to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather to expose them (Ephesians 5:11). And what is darkness if not hatred? The one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness (1 John 2:11)!

Furthermore, in 1872, Hierarchs from around the world assembled in Constantinople and denounced all forms of xenophobia and phyletism. They agreed that the promotion of racial or national supremacy and ethnic bias or dissension in the Church of Christ is to be censured as contrary to the sacred teachings of the Christian Gospel and the holy canons of the Church. It is formally condemned as heresy, the strongest category of false teaching.

Finally, such actions as we have witnessed in recent days, by self-proclaimed white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and various racists and fascists, betray the core human values of love and solidarity. In this, we pray wholeheartedly for the families of those who lost their lives or suffered in these tragic events. In like manner, we cannot condone any form of revenge or retaliation by any group or individual. Therefore, we fervently appeal to every person of good will, and especially the leaders of our great nation, to consider and adopt ways of reconciling differences in order to rise above any and all discrimination in our history, our present, and our future.

The bishops of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America includes:

• Geron Archbishop Demetrios of America
• Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta
• Metropolitan Antony of the East
• Metropolitan Athenagoras of Mexico
• Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey
• Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco
• Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York
• Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver
• Metropolitan Joseph of North America
• Metropolitan Joseph of the USA, Canada, and Australia
• Metropolitan Methodios of Boston
• Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit
• Metropolitan Nikitas of Berkeley
• Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh
• Metropolitan Tikhon of America
• Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco
• Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America
• Archbishop Mark of Philadelphia
• Archbishop Melchisedek of Pittsburgh
• Archbishop Michael of New York and New Jersey
• Archbishop Nathaniel of America
• Archbishop Nicolae of the Americas
• Archbishop Nikon of New England
• Archbishop Peter of Chicago and Mid-America
• Bishop Alexander of Dallas and the South
• Bishop Alexander of Ottawa, Eastern Canada and Upstate New York
• Bishop Anthony of Toledo and the Midwest
• Bishop Antoun of Miami and the Southeast
• Bishop Basil of Wichita and Mid-America
• Bishop Daniel of the West
• Bishop David of Alaska
• Bishop Demetrios of Chicago
• Bishop Irinej of Eastern America
• Bishop John of Caracas and South Americaa
• Bishop John of Worcester and New England
• Bishop Longin of New Gracanica-Midwestern America
• Bishop Maxim of Western America
• Bishop Nicholas of Brooklyn
• Bishop Pankratij of Mexico
• Bishop Paul of Chicago and the Midwest
• Bishop Saba of North America
• Bishop Thomas of Charleston, Oakland, and the Mid-Atlantic

Here are some of the Bible verses in context from the Assembly's statement (Old Testament quotes are from The Orthodox Study Bible and New Testament quotes are from The Orthodox New Testament, Volume Two):

Deuteronomy 10:17-19: For the Lord your God is the God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. He administers justice for the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, and loves the resident alien, giving him food and clothing. Therefore love the resident aliens, for you were resident aliens in the land of Egypt. 

Galatians 3:26-29: For all are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many as were baptized into Christ, ye put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male and female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. 

Ephesians 5:11-12: And cease having fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 

1 John 2:9-11: The one who saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in the darkness until now. The one loving his brother abideth in the light, and there is not an occasion of stumbling in him. But the one hating his brother is in darkness, and walketh in the darkness, and knoweth not where he goeth, because the darkness blinded his eyes.

The Biblical Stand Against Nagging, Arguing, or Being Angry (Especially With Your Spouse)

Do you nag your spouse? If so, then stop! Why? The Bible (both Old and New Testaments alike) clearly tells us not to.

Psalm 36(37):8 Cease from anger, and leave rage; have no emulation to do evil.

Proverbs 14:1 A wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish will pull down with her hands that also which is built.

Proverbs 14:29 He that is patient, is governed with much wisdom: but he that is impatient, exalteth his folly.

Proverbs 19:11 The learning of a man is known by patience and his glory is to pass over wrongs.

Proverbs 19:13 A foolish son is the grief of his father: and a wrangling wife is like a roof continually dropping through.

Proverbs 21:9 It is better to sit in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling women, and in a common house.

Proverbs 21:19 It is better to dwell in a wilderness, than with a quarrelsome and passionate woman.

Proverbs 22:24-25 Be not a friend to an angry man, and do not walk with a furious man: Lest perhaps thou learn his ways, and take scandal to thy soul.

Proverbs 25:8 The things which thy eyes have seen, utter not hastily in a quarrel: lest afterward thou mayst not be able to make amends, when thou hast dishonoured thy friend.

Proverbs 25:24 It is better to sit in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman, and in a common house.

Proverbs 27:15 Roofs dropping through in a cold day, and a contentious woman are alike.

Proverbs 29:11 A fool uttereth all his mind: a wise man deferreth, and keepeth it till afterwards.

Ecclesiastes 7:8-10 Oppression troubleth the wise, and shall destroy the strength of his heart. Better is the end of a speech than the beginning. Better is the patient man than the presumptuous. Be not quickly angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of a fool.

Matthew 5:22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother without just cause shall be liable to the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca' shall be liable to the Sanhedrin, but whosoever shall say, 'Thou fool,' shall be liable to the fire of Gehenna.

Romans 12:14-18 Keep on blessing those who persecute you; keep on blessing, and not cursing. Be rejoicing with those who rejoice, and be weeping with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Mind not high things, but bring yourselves down to associate with the humble. Cease becoming wise in your own deceits. Render to no one evil for evil. Provide for yourselves right things before all men. If possible, as to that which depends on you, be at peace with all men.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 Love is long-suffering, is kind; love is not jealous; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up; doth not behave unseemly, seeking not its own, is not provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; covereth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things, Love never falleth away. But whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away; whether tongues, they shall cease; whether knowledge, it shall be done away.

Ephesians 4:26-27  Be ye angry, and sin not. Let not the sun set upon your provocation. Cease giving place to the devil.

Ephesians 4:29-32 Let not any rotten speech proceed from your mouth, but if any, such that is good for building up, as the need may be, in order that it may give grace to those who hear. And cease grieving the Holy Spirit of God, in Whom ye were sealed until a day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and anger, and wrath, and clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice; and keep on becoming kind to one another, compassionate, graciously forgiving one another, even as God in Christ also graciously forgave you.

Ephesians 5:22-25 Wives, be subordinating yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also the Christ is head of the Church, and is Himself Saviour of the body. But even as the CHurch subordinates herself to the Christ, so also the wives to their husbands in everything. Husbands be loving your own wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself up for her.

Colossians 3:8 But now ye also put off from yourselves all these things: wrath, anger, malice, blasphemy, foul language out of your mouth.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Wherefore be comforting one another and building up one another, even as also ye do.

1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 Now we exhort you, brethren, be admonishing the disorderly, be consoling the faint-hearted, be supporting the weak, be longsuffering toward all. See ye that no one render evil for evil to anyone, but always be pursuing the good both toward one another and toward all.

1 Timothy 5:1-2 Do not rebuke an elder, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, elder women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.

Iakovos (James) 1:19-21 Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for man's wrath doth not work out God's righteousness. Wherefore lay aside all filthiness and surplus of wickedness, and receive in meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

Iakovos (James) 1:26 If anyone among you seem to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, the religion of this one is vain.

Iakovos (James) 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, the world of injustice. So the tongue, the one which defileth the body, is being set in our members and setteth on fire the wheel of birth; and it is set on fire by Gehenna.

Iakovos (James) 4:11 Cease speaking against one another, brethren. He who speaketh against a brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law. But if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. One is the Lawgiver and Judge, Who is able to save and destroy. But who art thou who judgest another?

1 Peter 3:10-12 For the one who doth wish to love life and to see good days, let him stop his tongue from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are toward their entreaty; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

1 Peter 4:8-9 And before all things have fervent love among yourselves, for "love shall cover a multitude of sins." Be hospitable to one another, without murmurings.

---

Verses from the Books of the Old Covenant/Testament are from the Douay-Rheims Holy Bible, except for the Psalms, which are from The Orthodox Psalter: The Psalterion of the Prophet and King David According to the Seventy, with the Nine Odes and Commentary. Verses from the Books of the New Covenant/Testament are from the The Orthodox New Testament Volume 1: Evangelistarion - The Holy Gospels and The Orthodox New Testament: Volume 2: Praxapostolos - Acts, Epistles, and Revelation. 

Conservation of the God-Created Environment in the Holy Bible

We as Christians should be conservation minded, to take care of the environments on the world that we live on. We are called to be stewards of that which we are blessed with, including our planet, earth. But where can we find this in Sacred Scripture? Let's look at this in detail, in both the New and Old Covenants/Testaments of Holy Writ.

Verses from the Books of the Old Covenant/Testament are from the Douay-Rheims Holy Bible, except for the Psalms, which are from The Orthodox Psalter: The Psalterion of the Prophet and King David According to the Seventy, with the Nine Odes and Commentary. Also consulted were The Lives of the Holy Prophets: The Major and Minor Prophets of the Old Testament and Genesis, Creation, and Early Man. Verses from the Books of the New Covenant/Testament are from the The Orthodox New Testament Volume 1: Evangelistarion - The Holy Gospels and The Orthodox New Testament: Volume 2: Praxapostolos - Acts, Epistles, and Revelation. 

First let's look in the Old Covenant/Testament to see to whom all of creation belongs and how we should treat it. All 5 Books of the Mosaic Law speak to this, let's find out where.

Genesis 1:6-12, 21-25, 31 And God said: Let there be a firmament made amidst the waters: and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made a firmament, and divided the waters that were under the firmament, from those that were above the firmament, and it was so. And God called the firmament, Heaven; and the evening and morning were the second day. God also said: Let the waters that are under the heaven, be gathered together into one place: and let the dry land appear. And it was so done. And God called the dry land, Earth; and the gathering together of the waters, he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.And he said: Let the earth bring forth the green herb, and such as may seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind, which may have seed in itself upon the earth. And it was so done. And the earth brought forth the green herb, and such as yieldeth seed according to its kind, and the tree that beareth fruit, having seed each one according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [...] And God created the great whales, and every living and moving creature, which the waters brought forth, according to their kinds, and every winged fowl according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And he blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the waters of the sea: and let the birds be multiplied upon the earth. And the evening and morning were the fifth day. And God said: Let the earth bring forth the living creature in its kind, cattle and creeping things, and beasts of the earth, according to their kinds. And it was so done. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, and cattle, and every thing that creepeth on the earth after its kind. And God saw that it was good. [...] And God saw all the things that he had made, and they were very good. And the evening and morning were the sixth day.

Genesis 2:15 And the Lord God took man, and put him into the paradise of pleasure, to dress it, and to keep it. 

Exodus 20:13-17 Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house: neither shalt thou desire his wife, nor his servant, nor his handmaid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is his.

Exodus 23:10-11 Six years thou shalt sow thy ground, and shalt gather the corn thereof. But the seventh year thou shalt let it alone, and suffer it to rest, that the poor of thy people may eat, and whatsoever shall be left, let the beasts of the field eat it: so shalt thou do with thy vineyard and thy olive yard.

Leviticus 25:3-5 Six years thou shalt sow thy field and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and shalt gather the fruits thereof: But in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath to the land, of the resting of the Lord: thou shalt not sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. What the ground shall bring forth of itself, thou shalt not reap: neither shalt thou gather the grapes of the firstfruits as a vintage: for it is a year of rest to the land. 

Leviticus 25:23-24 The land also shall not be sold forever: because it is Mine, and you are strangers and sojourners with Me. For which cause all the country of your possession shall be under the condition of redemption. 

Numbers 35:33-34 Defile not the land of your habitation, which is stained with the blood of the innocent: neither can it otherwise be expiated, but by his blood that hath shed the blood of another. And thus shall your possession he cleansed, myself abiding with you. For I AM the Lord that dwell among the children of Israel. 

Deuteronomy 20:19 When thou hast besieged a city a long time, and hath compassed it with bulwarks to take it, thou shalt not cut down the trees that may be eaten of, neither shalt thou spoil the country round about with axes: for it is a tree, and not a man, neither can it increase the number of them that fight against thee.

Now let's look at 4 (of the 9 Books) of the Books of Wisdom from the Old Covenant/Testament which remind us of the above lessons, and that humans can learn about God from His creation, but also warns us not to fall into the error of worshipping the earth or her creatures, who were so beautifully created by God.

Psalm 23(24):1-2 The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the inhabited world and all those dwelling in her. He founded her upon the seas, and upon the rivers He prepared her. 

Psalm 94(95):3-5 For the Lord is a great God and a great King over all the earth. For in His hand are the ends of the earth, and the heights of the mountains are His. For the sea is His, and He made her; and the dry land did His hands fashion. 

Job 12:7-12 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee: and the birds of the air, and they shall tell thee. Speak to the earth, and it shall answer thee: and the fishes of the sea shall tell. Who is ignorant that the hand of the Lord hath made all these things? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all flesh of man. Doth not the ear discern words, and the palate of him that eateth, the taste? In the ancient is wisdom, and in length of days prudence. 

Proverbs 12:10-11 The just regardeth the lives of his beasts: but the bowels of the wicked are cruel. He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that pursueth idleness is very foolish. He that is delighted in passing his time over wine, leaveth a reproach in his strong holds. 

Wisdom of Solomon 1:13-15 For God made not death, neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living. For he created all things that they might be: and he made the nations of the earth for health: and there is no poison of destruction in them, nor kingdom of hades upon the earth. For justice is perpetual and immortal. 

Wisdom of Solomon 2:1, 6-9, 21-24 For they have said, reasoning with themselves, but not right: [...] The time of our life is short and tedious, and in the end of a man there is no remedy, and no man hath been known to have returned from hell: Come therefore, and let us enjoy the good things that are present, and let us speedily use the creatures as in youth. Let us fill ourselves with costly wine, and ointments: and let not the flower of the time pass by us. Let us crown ourselves with roses, before they be withered: let no meadow escape our riot. Let none of us go without his part in luxury: let us everywhere leave tokens of joy: for this is our portion, and this our lot. [...] These things they thought, and were deceived: for their own malice blinded them. And they knew not the secrets of God, nor hoped for the wages of justice, nor esteemed the honour of holy souls. For God created man incorruptible, and to the image of his own likeness he made him. But by the envy of the devil, death came into the world: And they follow him that are of his side. 

Wisdom of Solomon 13:1-7 But all men are vain, in whom there is not the knowledge of God: and who by these good things that are seen, could not understand him that is, neither by attending to the works have acknowledged who was the workman: But have imagined either the fire, or the wind, or the swift air, or the circle of the stars, or the great water, or the sun and moon, to be the gods that rule the world. With whose beauty, if they, being delighted, took them to be gods: let them know how much the Lord of them is more beautiful than they: for the first author of beauty made all those things. Or if they admired their power and their effects, let them understand by them, that he that made them, is mightier than they: For by the greatness of the beauty, and of the creature, the creator of them may be seen, so as to be known thereby. But yet as to these they are less to be blamed. For they perhaps err, seeking God, and desirous to find him. For being conversant among his works, they search: and they are persuaded that the things are good which are seen.

Next, we will look at the 19 Books of Prophecy, specifically 3 (of the 7 Books) of the Major Prophets of the Old Covenant/Testament who tell us not to harm the earth.

Isaias(Isaiah) 24:4-5 The earth mourned, and faded away, and is weakened: the world faded away, the height of the people of the earth is weakened. And the earth is infected by the inhabitants thereof: because they have transgressed the laws, they have changed the ordinance, they have broken the everlasting covenant. 

Jeremias(Jeremiah) 2:7, 9-10 And I brought you into a fruitful, plentiful land, to eat the fruit thereof, and the best things thereof: and when ye entered in, you defiled my land, and made my inheritance an abomination. [...] Therefore will I yet contend in judgement with you, saith the Lord, and I will plead with your children. Pass over to the isles of Cethim, and see: and send into Cedar, and consider diligently: and see if there hath been done anything like this. 

Ezekiel 34:18 Was it not enough for you to feed upon good pastures? But you must also tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures: and when you drank the clearest water, you troubled the rest with your feet.

Now we will move on to the New Covenant/Testament. First let us check 1 of the (4) Holy Gospels written by the Holy Evangelists which shows us how to be stewards of what we are given, including the earth from the Word of Our Lord and Saviour, God the Son, the Son of Man, and the Sun of Righteousness, Jesus Christ.

The Gospel According to Saint Luke 19:11-26 And as they heard these things He added and spake a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God was immediately about to be shown forth. He saith therefore, "A certain well-born man went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And having called his own ten slaves, he gave ten minas to them, and said to them, 'Transact business while I go and return.' But his citizens kept on hating him, and sent forth an embassy after him, saying 'We are unwilling for this man to reign over us.' And it came to pass, when he returned, having received the kingdom, that he commanded those slaves to be called to him, to whom he gave money, in order that he might find out what each gained by trading. And the first came up, saying, 'Lord, thy mina gained ten minas.' And he said to him, 'Well done, good slave! Because in a very little thou wast faithful, be thou having authority over ten cities.' And the second came, saying, 'Lord,thy mina made five minas.' And he said also to this one, 'Be thou also over five cities.' And another came saying, 'Lord, behold thy mina, which I was keeping laid up in a napkin. For I was afraid of thee, because thou art an austere man. Thou takest up what thou didst not lay down, and reapest what thou didst not sow, and gatherest together where thou didst not winnow. He saith to him, 'Out of thy mouth will I judge thee, O wicked slave. Thou knowest that I am an austere man, taking up what I did not lay down, and reaping what I did not sow, and gathering together where I did not winnow; and why didst thou not give my money to the bank, and indeed after I came I would have exacted payment from it with interest?' And to those standing by he said, 'Take away the mina from him, and give it to the one who hath the ten minas.' And they said to him, 'Lord he hath ten minas.' For I say to you that to everyone who hath shall be given; but from the one who hath not, even what he hath shall be taken away from him."

Now let's check from 1 of the (21) Epistles that the Holy Apostles wrote in the New Covenant/Testament, teaching the Word of Christ to the local individual churches of the Church.

The Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans 8:19-22 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly awaiteth the revelation of the sons of God. For creation was subjected to vanity, not willingly, but on account of Him Who subjected it in hope, that the creation itself shall be freed from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth together and travaileth together until now.

And finally we will check 1 of the Apocalyptic Books written by the Saints of the New Covenant/Testament that warn us about our future and the consequences of our actions.

The Revelation of Saint John the Theologian 11:18 And the nations were angry, and Thy wrath did come, and the time of the nations to be judged and to give the reward to Thy slaves the prophets and to the saints, to those fearing Thy name, to the small and to the great, and to destroy those destroying the earth.