Page 8 - Fall2012

Letters

Three years ago (soon after the E.U. that distract us from what is most impor- SHOW US THE SCIENCE
conquered Bulgaria without a shot being tant, reject them, and in doing so, it is to It is impossible to estimate how
fired, and was welcomed as a liberator) be hoped, achieve a closer relationship many children will owe their future
we returned. Our culinary experience to God. Fasting is not, however, about good mental, emotional and physical
was worse than dismal. Even in the suicide, which is forbidden in orthodox health to Leslie Manookian and her
homes of many of our beloved friends Christianity. The Church forbids those excellent film, The Greater Good. This
and family, packaged foods had become who are not physically able from fasting film thoughtfully examines the use of
the norm. In five years' time true Bul- (confirmation that the Church acknowl- mandatory vaccines in the U.S., and
garian cuisine had become an outcast, edges the dangers of such a diet, albeit in calls into question the wisdom of this
banished to the back alleys, off the pursuit of a higher end) and condemns compulsory practice through the stories
beaten path. We actually heard women none, per Christ’s teaching, who do not of three families adversely affected by
on the streets of Sofia talking to each feel able to endure or spiritually benefit vaccines.
other about the glories of packaged food from its rigors. However, Manookian’s assertion
and how it liberated them from wasting Also, there is a monastic rule (the that “a large, long-term clinical study
their time cooking for their families, ideal fast, which, incidentally, allows comparing the health outcomes of vac-
presumably allowing them more time for the consumption of “fish without cinated versus unvaccinated patients
to shop for cheap Chinese junk (which backbones”―sort of giving inland- has never been done. . . ” is not correct.
has also flooded Bulgaria in the same ers like my own mountain people, On the contrary, there have been many
period). Carpatho-Rusyns, the shaft—err, um, longitudinal survey studies compar-
Eight years ago we observed no that is to say, greater opportunity for ing vaccinated versus unvaccinated
grossly obese people. This had been sacrifice) and a less rigorous rule for the children. Further, these studies have
a point of pride among many Bulgar- laity, which takes under consideration clearly demonstrated the occurrence of
ians in observing the trend in America. our modern way of life and its constant statistically significant vaccinosis―ill-
Three years ago the waddling malnour- demand for high productivity (requiring ness produced in an individual after
ished were already quite conspicuous. a high calorie intake) and which does receiving a vaccine―in the vaccinated
I would like to correct Ms. Schmidt not allow for winter’s (both of the main groups. The following summarizes a
on one point. Orthodox Christianity fasts on the Orthodox calendar occur in few of these:
has nothing to do with veganism (a winter) traditional period of relative rest. • 1992 New Zealand Study: 495
philosophical and political term coined, The fast is followed by a feast, a children surveyed with 226 vaccinated
I believe, in the mid 1940s). In fact celebration required no less than the fast, and 269 unvaccinated. “Results over-
all forms of vegetarianism (except for during which we eat of all the things, in whelmingly showed that unvaccinated
reasons of health, but we all know what abundance, of which vegans would insist children suffer far less from chronic
that’s worth) are antithetical to orthodox that we all be deprived. childhood conditions than vaccinated
Christianity. The very idea of giving Anyone eating soy “sausage,” children.” This included a ten-fold
up meat and dairy of all kinds should “meat” and “cheese” during the Fast increase in tonsillitis (26) and tonsil-
convince anyone of what a high value (aside from damaging his health) is lectomies (10) in vaccinated children,
our societies traditionally put on these merely following a pharisaical rule and as compared to three cases of tonsillitis
items. Fasting, in a religious context, is has not understood the true meaning and and no tonsillectomies in the unvac-
about sacrifice, not about health, or even purpose of the fast. cinated group. Similarly, the incidence
about food. When we fast, food is the Michael Strenk of ear infections (56 versus 16), sleep
very least of the things that we are to Sayville, New York apnea (14 versus 4), hyperactivity (13
give up. Rather, it is a time of spiritual versus 4), and epilepsy (4 versus 0) was
warfare wherein we confront the things statistically significantly higher in the
8 Wise Traditions FALL 2012 FALL 2012 Wise Traditions

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