1. Archpriest George Morelli, PhD

9.  And he said: Let us make man to our image and
likeness: and let him have dominion over the
fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and
the beasts, and the whole earth, and every
creeping creature that moveth upon the
earth. And God created man to his own image:
to the image of God he created him: male and
female he created them. And God blessed
them, saying: Increase and multiply. (Gn 1: 26-28)

10.  In the Divine Liturgy the priest exclaims (2nd
Antiphon): For Thou art the Good God who
lovest mankind and to Thee we ascribe glory,
to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy
Spirit.”

12. “I”---”Thou”---”I”---”He”

13.  The Persons of the Holy Trinity interrelate
amongst themselves in Love.
 “That they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in
thee; that they also may be one in us; that the world may
believe that thou hast sent me.” (Jn 17: 21)
 But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will teach you
all truth. For he shall not speak of himself; but what things
soever he shall hear, he shall speak …. He shall glorify
me; because he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it to
you. All things whatsoever the Father hath, are mine.
Therefore I said, that he shall receive of mine, and shew it
to you. (Jn 16: 13-15)

14.  “God had no need to create the world …God
created the world because He wanted the
superabundant life and goodness within
Himself to be shared with other beings
[subject-object—lover-beloved] who would
become partakers of divine blessings and
holiness.”(Alfeyev, Bishop Hilarion. (2003). The Mystery of Faith.
London, England: Darton, Longman & Todd).

15.  “By the word of the Lord the heavens were
established; and all the power of them by the
spirit of his mouth: Gathering together the
waters of the sea, … let all the inhabitants of
the world be in awe of him. For he spoke and
they were made: he commanded and they were
created.” (Ps 32: 6-9)

16.  ”In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with (Gk: towards pros ton Theon).
God, and the Word was God. The same was in
the beginning with God. All things were made
by him: and without him was made nothing
that was made.” (Jn 1: 1-3)

17.  “And the earth was void and empty, and
darkness was upon the face of the deep; and
the spirit of God moved over the waters.” (Gn
1: 2)

18.  “By the word [Logos] of the Lord
[Father] the heavens were
established; and all the power of
them by the spirit [Holy Spirit]
of his mouth.” (Ps 32: 6).

19.  “it is the crucifying love of the Father, the
crucified love of the Son, and the love of the
Holy Spirit triumphing through the power of
the Cross.” [St. Philaret of Moscow in Ware, T. (1995). The Orthodox Way.
Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir‟s Seminary Press.]

20.  Our bodies are created by God and are good
and made for good.
 God made us to be in union with Him and
others.
 How we use our bodies tells us our meaning of
our lives.
 How we use our bodies tells all how we love
God and others.

21.  For Orthodox Christians the "theology of
sex", based on Divine Love. It goes to the
essence of God Himself. St John tells us "...for
love is of God ....God is love." (1 John 4:7-8)
This is the love we are to have for one another.
Archimandrite Sophrony (1999) reports St.
Silouan the Athonite echoing the Church
Fathers said: "Both Christ's commandments - of
love towards God and love toward neighbor -
make up a single life.“(Sakharov, Archimandrite
Sophrony, (1999). St Silouan the Athonite. Crestwood, New York: St. Vladimir's
Seminary Press.)

22.  Creation is an act of love between God and His
creation. He creates in love and continues to
keep the universe and mankind in being out of
love. The infinite God, creates out of nothing,
and continues to create through the laws of
nature He has created.
 “I beseech thee, my son, look upon heaven and
earth, and all that is in them: and consider that
God made them out of nothing, and mankind
also.” 2Mac 7: 28)

23.  “A person may be defined as an essence with
individual characteristics'.” St. Thalassios , Philokalia II, p.
330-1)

24.  “When God brought into being natures
endowed with intelligence and intellect He
communicated to them, in His supreme
goodness four of the divine attributes …
being, eternal being, goodness and wisdom …
being and eternal being, to their essence …
goodness and wisdom to their volitive [willing
faculty] so what He is in His essence the
creature may be by participation. (St. Maximus the
confessor, Philokalia II, pp. 86-87)

25. 
“Or know you not, that your members are
the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in
you, whom you have from God; and you are
not your own?” (1Cor 6: 19)

27.  In his Discourses St. Dorotheos of Gaza wrote:
"In the beginning when God created man he set
him in paradise (as the divine holy scripture
says), (Genesis 2:25) adorned with every
virtue, and gave him a command not to eat of
the tree in the middle of paradise" (Genesis
2:16-17). (Wheeler, E.P. (1977). (ed., trans.), Dorotheos of Gaza:
Discourses and Sayings. Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications.)

28.  The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was
placed in the Garden to test Adam, but in terms
different than we might at first think. God's
intention was not to see Adam fall. Rather, the
test would allow Adam to affirm his freedom
through obedience and thereby grow into
greater grace. Freedom makes available the
possibility of disobedience; otherwise freedom
is really not free.

29.  The Church Fathers taught that it was a fuller
knowledge of good and evil that Adam and
Eve did not yet possess. Thus, when the devil
(who appears in the Genesis narrative as the
serpent) told them "they would be like God" he
was telling the truth, but only by half. Adam
and Even did indeed gain the knowledge of
good and evil, but also became subject to the
evil as a result. Hence the radical disordering --
the brokenness -- of creation that we call "The
Fall."

31.  “And [God] commanded him, saying: Of every
tree of paradise thou shalt eat: But of the tree of
knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat. For
in what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt
die the death.” (Gn 2:16-17). We know our
ancestors failed this test, and in the words of St.
Dorotheos, "fell from a state in accord with his
nature to a state contrary to nature, i.e. a prey to
sin, to ambition, to a love of the pleasures of this
life and the other passions; and he was mastered
by them, and became a slave to them through his
transgression. Then little by little evil increased
and death reigned and everywhere was ignorance
of God (Rm 5:14)."

32.  God has given mankind through its two modes
of male and female a share in His creation.
Sexuality is the gift from Him, by which we
share in His creation. Therefore, sexuality and
life is holy and should be treated as
such, because it is the way we were made to
share in God's creation by the material bodies
He gave us.

33.  “He created him: male and female He created
them.: (Gn 1: 27)
 And the Lord God said: It is not good for
man to be alone: let us make him a help like
unto himself. (Gn 2: 18)
 “And Adam said: This now is bone of my
bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called
woman, because she was taken out of
man. Wherefore a man shall leave father and
mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they
shall be two in one flesh.” (Gn 2: 23-24)

34.  “Marriage is a bond, a bond ordained by
God…They come to be made into one body. See
the mystery of love! If the two do not become
one, they cannot increase; they can increase only
by decreasing. How great is the strength of unity!
God's ingenuity in the beginning divided one flesh
into two; but He wanted to show that it remained
one even after its division, so He made it
impossible for either half to procreate without the
other…(Of Adam and Eve)…He reunited these
two into one, so that their children [emphasis mine]
would be produced from a source…husband and
wife are not two but one.” (St. John Chrysostom. (2003). On
Marriage and Family Life. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press)

35.  “How do they become one flesh? As if she were
gold receiving the purest of gold, the woman
receives the man's seed with rich pleasure, and
within her it is nourished, cherished and
refined. It is mingled with her own substance
and she then returns it as a child! The child is a
bridge connecting mother to father, so the three
become one flesh…” (St. John Chrysostom, 2003)

38.  “It were better for him, that a millstone were
hanged about his neck, and he cast into the
sea, than that he should scandalize one of these
little ones.” (Lk 17: 2)

39.  Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain:
"Both father and mother will responsible for
not looking after their children…The
parents, who do not look after their
children, are not good parents and they will
have to justify their actions to
God" (Ageloglou, Priestmonk Christodoulos. (1998). Elder Paisios of The
Holy Mountain. Mt. Athos, Greece: Holy Mountain.)

41.  “But if any man violate the temple of God, him
shall God destroy. For the temple of God is
holy, which you are.” (1Cor 3: 17)
 Thus the words of St. Paul to the Corinthians have
so much meaning: “For you are bought with a
great price. Glorify and bear God in your body.”
(1Cor 6: 20) As God's love is not
casual, crude, rude and self-centered; so too, our
love of self and others should not be this way. As
God's love is giving, emptying and creative; so too
our love of self and others should be this way.

42.  Body Mind Spirit

43.  Are based on selfishness and self-
centeredness, indifference to mankind, lack of
attention, interest, & love of others.
 They all involve a self focus that de-values the
dignity of others & their personhood, made by
God in His image.

44.  Counsel
 Command
 Consent
 Provocation
 Praise or Flattery
 Concealment
 Partaking
 Silence
 Defense

45.  PRIDE—Self Centered Superiority & Power.
 GREED---Depriving Others Of Their Physical
& Spiritual Needs.
 LUST---Worship Of Sensual Pleasure at
Expense Of Others.
 ANGER---Having The Right to Strike Out at
Others
 GLUTTONY---Taking More Than One Needs
 ENVY---Jealousy Of God‟s Gifts To Others
 SLOTH---Lack Of Duty To Mankind

46.  abortion, adultery, alcoholism, blasphemy, child or
spousal abuse (physical, psychological, sexual or
neglect), drug addiction, evil speaking (talking about
someone, even if
true), fornication, graft, gossip, homosexual
relationships, insider trading, kidnapping, lying, pre-
emptive unjust warfare, pornography, same sex
marriage, torturing and/or belittling prisoners, using
others for money, power or sex, acts of vengeance
(national and personal). These indicate various
underlying sinful
attitudes, e.g., anger, contempt, deceit, harshness, hatre
d, hypocrisy, lust, negligence (such as not caring for
the environment); disrespect for the God given sexual
gifts given by God: promoting female ordination

47.  abortion, adultery, alcoholism, blasphemy, dru
g addiction, fornication, same sex marriage or
relationships, or habits that harm one‟s own
body, like smoking and overeating.

50.  Loving versus Using- Jesus tells His Apostles:
“A new commandment I give unto you: That
you love one another, as I have loved you, that
you also love one another.” (Jn 13: 34)

51.  You are at a party. Most are drinking. Some are
even doing drugs. Many are getting „intimate‟
with one another. You see a couple go off to a
vacant bedroom. Some do not even need a
bedroom they are beginning „hooking-up‟ in
front of others. The person who has hanged
around with you practically the whole time at
the party keeps saying “Lets have some fun.
Come on everyone is doing it.”

52.  At some point, after a some increasing
passion, starting to go beyond kissing and
fondling: “Come on it doesn‟t mean
anything, it is just „hooking-up.‟ Come on
everyone is doing it.”

53.  Is this an example of real love or using?
 Is the „hooker-upper‟ looking out for the good
and welfare of the wished for „hooker-upee?‟
 Is the „hooker-upper‟ respecting the dignity
and personhood of the desired „hooker-upee‟?
 Can the „hooker-upper‟ be trusted?
 If a “hook-up‟ takes place, what is the likely
outcome?

54.  A couple is dating. They enjoy spending time
with each other. They certainly have a mutual
attraction.

55.  Is quality time spent with each other‟s family?
 (Depending on age of those dating) Are
curfews set up by parents kept?
 Can those dating be honest with their parents
about the person they are dating?
 Has dating brought you closer to friends and
family?
 Do you attend Divine Liturgy and pray
together?

56.  Do you see your date as a loyal, committed
spouse?
 Do you see your date as a loyal, committed
caring parent?
 If you already have had intimate relations with
your date would the person stay with you if
you wanted to stop any sexual intimacy until a
blessed marriage?
 Are you willing to set boundaries and would
they be respected by your date?

57.  Do you and your date avoid situations that
would lead to „going too far?‟
 If your family and parish priest knew
everything about your dating relationship
would they approve?
 Do you think that „self-arousal‟ is OK, because
it is private and doesn‟t involve or hurt
anyone?

58.  When you see an attractive girl do you imagine
sexual intimacy with her?
 Do you speak respectfully about girls or in
some course sexual innuendo?
 Do you flirt and hint with your girlfriend (or
other girls) in such a manner as to invite a
sexual encounter?
 Do you get angry if your girlfriend sets sexual
boundaries?

59.  Do you cheat on your girlfriend?
 In the back of your mind do you know you will
not marry her?
 Do you look at pornography (DVD‟s websites,
magazines, strip clubs)?
 Do you brag to your friends about you sexual
exploits?

60.  Have you had sex to make a boy stay interested
in you?
 Do you give in to you boyfriend‟s sexual
advances to prevent rejection or avoid
arguments?
 Do you dress provocatively to get attention?
 Do you talk about sex with your girlfriends?
 Do you flirt with boys with no intention of
dating?

61.  Do you flirt (and/or sexually flirt) with others
while dating your boyfriend?
 Do you cheat on your boyfriend?
 Do you „go along with the crowd‟ so as not to
be prudish and or rejected.
 Do you justify sexual activity outside of a
blessed marriage because it is „love‟
 Is porn part of your life and/or do you put up
with your boyfriends pornography lifestyle?

62.  A couple is ordained as the leaders, crowned
asking and queen of their domestic
church, granted grace for the "fair education of
children" (Orthodox wedding service).
Authentic and true love seeks to replicate the
type of self-sacrifice Christ revealed to us when
He became man and dwelt among us (and
which is still expressed today in Christ's
faithfulness to His Church).

63.  Conforms to the Great Commandment to love
our neighbor more highly than ourselves. In so
doing we also love and honor God (Matthew
25:36-40, 1 John 4:19-21). This kind of love
between husband and wife, even if imperfectly
practiced and not always realized, constitutes
what St. John Chrysostom called the "small
church" and as such ensures the health and
stability of the family in raising children (Homily XX
on Ephesians 5: 22-33 http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/230120.htm).

64.  The "crowning" of the couple actually
references martyrdom, that is, giving one's life
for the other. As a martyr gives his life for
Christ, so must the spouse be willing to give
his life to his wife (and the wife to her
husband), and in so doing fulfill the law of
Christ which is to love the neighbor as yourself.
It is a call to love that rings through the
intoxication of pleasant emotion into the
deeper reservoirs of the heart and soul from
where sacrificial love is drawn.

65.  Marital self-emptying however, occurs only if
each partner consents to it. In making man in
His image, God gave man freedom. This leads
those in a marital union to a crossroad: The
path of righteousness where marriage is a
joined duality, or the path of self-satisfaction
where marriage is defined as a singularity.

66.  Self-centered marriage is a marriage in name
only. Self-sexual arousal is likewise self-
centered. After the Fall we are predisposed to
self-centered choices directed by the passions
(lusts) rather than choices based on agape. St.
Isaac of Syria tells us: ". . . pandering to the
flesh, produce(s) in us shameful urges and
unseemly fantasies" (Early Fathers from the
Philokalia).

67.  The Epistle (Eph 5: 20-33) read at the Orthodox
wedding service is often misunderstood. The focus
of the understanding is the beginning of the
passage, describing the husband as "head" and
wives as "subject.“- interpreted in Western culture
as misogynist. Understanding the meaning of the
quoted passage is the later verse: "For no man ever
hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it,
as Christ does the church." This means the wife
and husband are of the same flesh and value. He
would value her and her preferences as he values
his own. Thus an equality in respect and love.

68.  From early childhood to the teen years, parents
and child caretakers should present this
"theology of sexuality." The parents in word
and action must first model this presentation.
Use of crude words for body parts or the sex
act undermines the holiness and sanctity of sex
itself. It also bespeaks unbelievable hypocrisy.
Any presentation of sexuality must be age-
appropriate. Ordinary daily events give
parents so many opportunities to discuss
sexuality and its meaning.

69.  Most importantly, never separate the explanation of
sex from the love of God in terms of His creation and
commitment to us and the creative act and
commitment implied in the sex act within marriage.
When family members are exposed by way of the
media to sex that is devoid of God's creative love and
commitment, parents can comment on it. Simple
interpretive comments on advertisements can be very
effective. When a suggestive ad on TV appears for
example, a parent may comment: "Look how this ad is
using that look (posture, etc). Where is the deep
meaning and love they should have for one another as
Christ had for us"? Comments do not have to be long
and preachy. Children learn very effectively from
short, pointed statements.

70.  Frequently sex focuses on the "hedonistic", pleasurable
feelings that accompany a sex act. This topic should
also not be avoided but addressed. God allows us to
feel pleasure. This is the way He made us. The acts that
can produce pleasure can be either acts that help
ourselves and others grow psychologically and
spiritually, or that can enslave us and others in terms of
ordinary human development: socially, occupationally,
and spiritually. Pleasure blinds and enslaves us when
we are motivated to act selfishly and not for the good
and welfare of the other whom God asks us to Love.
Pleasure as a result of a loving act can help and
motivate us to continue sharing in God's loving
committed creative acts.

71.  Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain wrote: "We
should do whatever can be humanly achieved;
the rest which is beyond our power, must be
left in God's hands.“ (Ageloglou, Priestmonk
Christodoulos. (1998). Elder Paisios of The Holy Mountain. Mt. Athos
, Greece : Holy Mountain .)