Introduction
The Orthodox Church in America, being, with all Orthodox Churches in the world, the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of Christ, acting upon her mandate to teach God’s truth to all people, solemnly affirms that every human person is made in God’s image and likeness for everlasting life in God’s coming kingdom.
As the crown of God’s good creation, redeemed by Christ and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, all men, women and children-young and old, sick and healthy, rich and poor, powerful and weak, educated and uneducated, born and unborn-are eternally precious in God’s sight.
All human beings will be raised from the dead on the last day. Those who seek the truth, do good and follow God’s law written on their hearts and fully revealed to the world in Jesus Christ, God’s incarnate Word, will inherit everlasting life. Those who persist in their evil ways, following their own will, will be forever lost (cf. Romans 2:14-16; John 1:1-18, 5:25-30).
The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America, assembled in council with priests and elected parish lay delegates, is gravely concerned about the degradation of human life in our day. We are especially concerned about the desecration of marriage and family life, the vilification of celibacy and virginity, the perversion of human sexuality, the devaluation of human suffering, and the destruction of the natural environment. We therefore take this opportunity, being gathered at our Tenth All-American Church Council, to reaffirm the God-given vision of these elemental aspects of human being and life.