Monastic presence in Alaska?

[David Naess]

This question isn't really about a specific monastery per se, rather about the notable absence of monasteries!

With all of the work that the Russians did in Alaska, how come there is only one monastery in the entire state? (And that one is not even Russian!)

[Herman Blaydoe]

Well, it might not be the whole story, but Orthodoxy was pretty firmly surpressed by the US when they bought the state. Orthodox children were taken away from their parents to be involuntarily raised as Protestants....

Sad but true.

[Demetrios Galanidis]

Tell us more of this, Herman, please.

[Effie Ganatsios]

Well, it might not be the whole story, but Orthodoxy was pretty firmly surpressed by the US when they bought the state. Orthodox children were taken away from their parents to be involuntarily raised as Protestants....

Sad but true.

yes, I would also like to know more, Herman.

Were these Orthodox Eskimos, perhaps? I know that in Australia, Aborigine children were forcibly taken from their parents to be raised in an Anglo-Saxon Protestant environment. At the time these people thought they were doing what was best for these children, never realising that taking them from their natural environment would destroy many of them. This severing of bonds from their traditional way of life has led to many ills, alcoholism being one of them.

Effie

[Herman Blaydoe]

There is some information available on the state of the Church in Alaska here: Fr. Michael Oleksa Audio Series (http://www.fatheroleksa.org/4.html)

As I understand it during the 19th Century, the United States Government "gave" various Native American Tribes to various Church groups for their oversight. Some tribes of Aleut or other Orthodox Native Americans were placed under the care of Seventh-Day Adventists, who would permit only those who converted to Adventism to purchase food from the church-run stores. Those who would not died of starvation, preferring martyrdom for the sake of their love for the Holy Trinity and Orthodoxy. Apparantly the US government was encouraging missionaries until the 1960s to convert the Orthodox of Alaska.

During WWII, Aleut villages were burned by the US military, the people were deported to camps where many died. Before burning, the GIs apparantly looted the houses. The compensation offered Aleuts was about half that offered Japanese-Americans, and no official apology has been made, to the best of my knowledge.

[Anthony]

I have also heard that native children were taken away to boarding schools and denied contact with the Church, especially communion ("primitive superstition").

[Nicolaj]

America, the Brave! Yeah!

[Effie Ganatsios]

America, the Brave! Yeah!

Nicolaj, similar incidences have happened in many countries. I have already mentioned Australia, but similar things happened in some of the South Pacific Islands - they didn't actually take children away from their families but the Protestant missionaries did try to destroy the local customs of the natives by forbidding those that didn't want to embrace the christian faith (their version of it) from buying things from their shops, and making life difficult for them in general. It was either convert or suffer.

Effie

[Nicolaj]

Dear Brethren!

Don't get me wrong, this wasn't just about the failures in America. I maybe orthodox but I am reading newspapers and every now and then I am even watching TV! But I know how proud many Americans are about being American without seeing that they also make failures like all of us and me in the first!

This practice is so old as there are conquerors and those who lose. The Turks did it with Christian children for example. But America did also after WW2 although they knew what the Nazis had done and the Communists and...

Christos voskrese! Nicolaj

Oh and not to let someone out, the missionaries, equal whether RC or Protestant, also did it like this everywhere they got. Give those who hunger first after they converted!

[Effie Ganatsios]

Dear Brethren!

Don't get me wrong, this wasn't just about the failures in America. I maybe orthodox but I am reading newspapers and every now and then I am even watching TV! But I know how proud many Americans are about being American without seeing that they also make failures like all of us and me in the first!

This practice is so old as there are conquerors and those who lose. The Turks did it with Christian children for example. But America did also after WW2 although they knew what the Nazis had done and the Communists and...

Christos voskrese! Nicolaj

Oh and not to let someone out, the missionaries, equal whether RC or Protestant, also did it like this everywhere they got. Give those who hunger first after they converted!

All the above is certainly true, Nicolaj. Evil has always been with us and continues. We try to pretend we are civilized but unfortunately our actions disprove this.

Effie

[Nicolaj]

Dear Effie!

Thank you for hitting the point! Now I understand so much more the Fathers why they leave the world to be more close to God... I don't think we will be civilised ever. Not me...

Nicolaj

[Effie Ganatsios]

Dear Effie!

Thank you for hitting the point! Now I understand so much more the Fathers why they leave the world to be more close to God... I don't think we will be civilised ever. Not me...

Nicolaj

The strange thing is that things seem to be getting worse. There are so many reports of incidents that are so horrible we have trouble believing that humans can do such things. One terrible example - a man put his baby son into the microwave oven. Are these incidents increasing in the world? Did similar things happen in the past but the difference now is that we hear about them because of technological advances?

[James Blackstock]

Are these incidents increasing in the world? Did similar things happen in the past but the difference now is that we hear about them because of technological advances?

It's getting worse! The Scripture tells us that in the last days "....it will be as it was in the days of Noah" It was at this time that The Lord brought the Flood" because the earth was filled with violence. It's latter than we think.

InXC,
James

[Kris]

One terrible example - a man put his baby son into the microwave oven. Are these incidents increasing in the world? Did similar things happen in the past but the difference now is that we hear about them because of technological advances?

Josephus speaks of a woman who, because of hunger, ate her own baby to stay alive during the destruction of Jerusalem in the 1st Century. I'm not so sure people were all that different back then.

[Paul Cowan]

Man has not changed in 7000 years. The only thing that has changed is his technology. We have as much evil and corruption in our hearts now as we did before the flood. Only now we can do "it" more precisely, quicker and cleaner.

Paul

[Matthew Roberts]

This question isn't really about a specific monastery per se, rather about the notable absence of monasteries!

With all of the work that the Russians did in Alaska, how come there is only one monastery in the entire state? (And that one is not even Russian!)

Bp. Nikolai (OCA) just blessed the ground in Eklutna for the founding of St. Nicholas Skete last Spring. While it is true there currently aren't any active monasteries in Alaska (that I know of), +NIKOLAI is making efforts to revive the monastic tradition here in Alaska.

And what others have said about protestant missionaries leading the native Orthodox people away from the Church is sad, but true.

[Olympiada]

This question isn't really about a specific monastery per se, rather about the notable absence of monasteries!

With all of the work that the Russians did in Alaska, how come there is only one monastery in the entire state? (And that one is not even Russian!)
Why not give thanks that there is one monastery in the OCA in Alaska and remember that there are other jurisdictions in Alaska with other monasteries.

[James Haddad]

The things that some protestants will do in order to "convert" people really sickens me. Its not all protestants that do this, but the protestants that go around to Orthodox doing these things is really indescribable. Why no convert people with the power of Christ's love which is the heart of the Gospel.

[James Haddad]

I was pretty annoyed by these protestant "missionaries" so I figured I should add that, I didn't remember Jesus' admonition to starve out other Christians until they start doing things your way.