Author: Vlad Smetanko

Vlad Smetanko is a patriotic American who is an Orthodox Christian from Infancy.
by Vlad Smetanko

Possible Directions for This Blog

This blog is just about a year old, and it is a good time to take a breath and examine the direction in which we have gone and the possible places to go from this point on. There has never been a precise idea of what the content of this blog ought to be like, and perhaps that is a good thing. Yet there has been a general understanding that we produce intellectual posts that relate at least somewhat to Christian theology or religion in general. Let us divide such content into three groups: (i) confirming or illustrating a point … Continue reading “Possible Directions for This Blog” →

by Vlad Smetanko

Just Say it in American

Here I am, back from a long break, and the best block of content that I could think of was a guide on how to pronounce foreign words in English. How does this have to do with Christianity? Let’s just say that you will find out later. But in the spirit of writing about religious topics, I will begin by referencing an issue related to Islam. Months ago, Fox News contributor Judge Jeanine Pirro made a statement (in the form of a question) about Congresswoman Ilhan Omar that resulted in the judge’s two week suspension from her news network. “Think … Continue reading “Just Say it in American” →

by Vlad Smetanko

Bad Dichotomies

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You have probably heard, on multiple occasions, the distinction between knowledge and wisdom. “Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit,” they say, “But wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.” This distinction indeed exists, and perhaps even the tomato example is appropriate. But there is still something wrong, and the problem comes down to the takeaway. Most people, when presented with this example, interpret it as knowledge compared to intelligence. In reality, intelligence is no less different from wisdom than it is from knowledge. Intelligence usually refers to the ability to learn and use … Continue reading “Bad Dichotomies” →

by Vlad Smetanko

The Strange Image of America

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It is common in American immigrant communities to view things from their ancestral homeland as sacred and holy, while viewing everything American as profane and disposable. This trend is difficult to quantify, and it is based solely on my observations. Yet I noticed it consistently throughout immigrants from Eastern Europe as well as even some immigrants from China. It is not an explicit view that anyone articulates, but it is most similar to a gut feeling or a bias that ascribes more moral value to the heritage culture than to its American counterpart. In fact, I was myself prone to … Continue reading “The Strange Image of America” →

by Vlad Smetanko

The Worst Argument of All

worst argument ever

“You are not pro-life; you are pro-birth!” It is a common objection that the pro-life movement faces. In this article I will argue that this argument is not only fallacious and illogical, but also condescending, pathological, and destructive. It is the worst political argument ever made, and this fact should be common knowledge. I will not attempt to state the argument in my own words, because my extreme bias against it will likely butcher the point one way or another. Joan Chittister, a Catholic nun, provides the most well-known statement of this argument; thus I will represent it with a … Continue reading “The Worst Argument of All” →

by Vlad Smetanko

More on Words and Ecumenism

This post is a response to Zach, who responded to my article about words. The discussion goes back further than these articles and rallies around whether the word “ecumenical” should be used as a descriptor for Morning Walk. Fundamental issues such as the use of words have become the crux of the debate, which led to the posts that we have written. It turned out that the first half of my article was of little use, because Zach has claimed to agree all along. I felt somewhat betrayed, because I recall very vividly when he claimed (in a chat setting) … Continue reading “More on Words and Ecumenism” →

by Vlad Smetanko

Political and Theological Divides

The Eastern Orthodox Church, of which I am a member, has had a schism within itself during this past fall. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow broke all ties with the Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople over a land dispute in Ukraine. Opinions on this event within the Orthodox community have been split, and the debate continues. Both Patriarchs have been accused with acting on behalf of world political entities and even ties with intelligence agencies. I knew since the event that it would take a while for me to form a coherent opinion on this issue. It has been about two months, … Continue reading “Political and Theological Divides” →

by Vlad Smetanko

Individualism and Christianity

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Imagine two nutritional scientists arguing about cholesterol. One of them argues that it is good and cites all the benefits of high density lipoprotein (“good cholesterol”). The other argues that it is bad and cites all the reasons why low density lipoprotein (“bad cholesterol”) is unhealthy. This peculiar incident is an example of arguing over nothing. It is an easily solvable problem once detected, but the detection often requires either external knowledge or a high degree of insight. Because we have external knowledge about good and bad cholesterol, this strange argument seems completely trivial. But there are countless incidents when … Continue reading “Individualism and Christianity” →

by Vlad Smetanko

Religious Freedom in the Original Colonies

Barry_Lawrence_Ruderman_thirteen_Colonies

We all hear about American founding principles, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to self-defense, and many others. Yet we less often hear about the fact that these founding principles were, in many ways, a crossover between competing sets of values. We even less often think about the fact that these sets of values remain in contest with one another to this day. The history of religious freedom in three of the most important colonies (Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia) says quite a bit about the contrasting sets of principles that compete for American values. I am uncertain … Continue reading “Religious Freedom in the Original Colonies” →

by Vlad Smetanko

The Metaphorical Truth About Jordan Peterson

Jordan Peterson is a psychology professor at the University of Toronto, who is especially popular on YouTube for his incredibly interesting lectures. Those who know about Jordan B Peterson usually have a strong opinion about him. These opinions range from reverence to intense dislike, and this range does not diminish among Christians. He has criticized New Atheism in his lectures, creating a positive response from some believers; but his religious views have revealed to be moderate and vague, which created a negative response from others. (New Atheism, in this post, refers to the common beliefs and philosophies of Sam Harris, … Continue reading “The Metaphorical Truth About Jordan Peterson” →