What is forbidden for an Old Believer and why? (e.g., smoking, drunkenness, profanity, shaving the beard, playing cards, working in sinful industries like tobacco or cosmetics, having abortions, dancing, wearing makeup, painting nails, women wearing pants or immodest clothing, cutting or styling hair, dyeing hair, etc.) #
The Apostle Paul says:
“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful.”
(1 Corinthians 6:12)
Thus, we should view the restrictions mentioned not as a denial or violation of the freedom Christ has called us to, but as the Church’s guidance to help us on the path to salvation in Christ. Our life on earth is preparation for the “life of the age to come,” as stated in the Symbol of Faith. Our task is to shape our soul during this earthly life in such a way that it is ready to enter that eternal life, where nothing alien to it will be admitted.
According to the Gospel, the two greatest commandments are love for God and love for one’s neighbor. If we love God, we will not resist the image in which He created us. The Lord praised all His creation, saying it was very good. A man created with a beard and mustache who dislikes this appearance and shaves it off is clearly rebelling against God’s will, essentially accusing God of not having created him well enough. This is a blatant act of failing to love God, violating His “first and greatest commandment.”
The same applies to women who alter their appearance given to them by God—whether by dyeing their hair, applying makeup, or painting their nails.
Moreover, such men and women violate the second greatest commandment, love for one’s neighbor, because their altered appearance:
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Sets a bad example for others.
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Intentionally seeks to attract the opposite sex, often leading to impure thoughts or, in many cases, outright sin.
The same can be said of wearing inappropriate clothing as Christians—clothing that is overly tight or revealing—and of dancing. The Holy Fathers have said: “A dancing woman is the bride of Satan." Recall that the dance of Herodias’ daughter led to the murder of the greatest prophet, St. John the Baptist.
Drunkenness is an obvious sin condemned in Scripture. Along with smoking and drug use, it poisons the body and soul, destroys health and morality, and defiles the human body, which the Apostle Paul calls the temple of God. “Woe to anyone who destroys this temple!" (1 Corinthians 3:17)
Artificial abortion, regardless of the method, is the heartless murder of a child, a mortal sin that damages both the soul and the body of the woman, often leaving her unable to bear children in the future. If a woman who has agreed to an abortion, killing her defenseless child, does not repent and cleanse herself through tears, prayer, fasting, acts of abstinence, confession, and a prolonged period of excommunication from Communion, she will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.
Games, when played by adults, waste the precious time given by God for learning love, making them harmful. Additionally, playing cards—favored tools of sorcerers and fortune-tellers—should not be touched by Christians. Gambling (games for money) aims to enrich oneself at the expense of others, violating the 10th Commandment, which forbids coveting.
A Christian must not “participate in the works of darkness,” according to the Gospel. Therefore, it is improper to produce or sell tobacco or drugs, as this constitutes a grave sin against one’s neighbor.
In conclusion, all restrictions in Christianity do not infringe upon our freedom but protect us from using it in ways harmful to ourselves and others. They function like traffic rules—not intended to “oppress” drivers but to prevent their death, as well as the death of their passengers and pedestrians.
— Archpriest Vadim Korovin