Sarah Riccardi-Swartz does not follow Orthodoxy
I love Orthodoxy, and even though I am oriental, if someone is attacking my brothers from the East, I must defend them every chance I get if I am in this position. Recently, a new convert has been making strides, by going out of their way to create ludicrous claims that Eastern Orthodoxy is too patriarchal and adding her own progressive twist on things. Her website and her works can be seen here:
Anthropologist and Filmmaker | Sarah Riccardi-Swartz (riccardiswartz.com)
She is attacking masculinity and traditionalism. Masculinity at its core by the way, is protecting women. Men are meant to be the priest of their household in marriage. This is a role of love, not hate. She also goes out of her way to call the gracious Russian Orthodox Church as promoting an ideology of hate. While I am not a big fan of certain financial aspects of the papacy, they are still at the end of the day apostolic and defenders of the faith.
The values of Mother Russia and the church there, are true Christian values. Never have I met a Russian person who would not kiss the icon of the Holy Theotokos, or be at such peace during their liturgy as if they are looking up to Heaven. I love both the Russian and Ukranian Orthodox faithfuls’ so much, and the Russian Orthodox Christians outside of Russia value the gospel with such passion.
They are by far, some of the most beautiful people spiritually I met in my entire life. They have far more morals than many of the progressive values in the west. If this is your take on them and the churches there, then I urge you to consider to be a scholar of something different. Even for truly Orthodox and ancient hymns sang in their native tongue, if you do not know the language, it still creates such peace and can move away anxiety. They love Christ, this is what I see, not some ideology of hate.
