Ian, I was trying to be NICE. Unlike a lot of posters on Orthodox sites, particularly NFTU which is the rudest and crudest I have yet seen.
I thought the Euphrosynos Cafe was much more refined and intelligent than there. But you are pulling it down by such attacks that you made above.
One makes a nice comment to try to uplift someone who did maybe a lot of work putting together posts, or people who are doing good work for the Church such as building a monastery, and you people attack as if something cruel had been said. Why can't you stand a person making a POSITIVE comment?
I was about to resign from this site the other day. Then I saw that one person, Kybihetz, had written a thoughtful answer to something I had asked.
Otherwise I was prepared to say that I'm tired of these displays of hatred toward a group about which they know NOTHING. And toward Catholics too. For what? Does this make you a "man" to lash out like this?
I think it's pathetic.
There a billion pieces of Jewish and Protestant and much other propaganda garbage against any aspect of Islam. I don't need you to go hunting amongst that huge volume flooding the internet and bring it here.
For any person seeking to find a bunch of lies, there are many demons willing to oblige and lead them right there.
THIS simple injustice and darkened prejudice alone is enough to cause huge disasters for America: slandering a good people who are devoted to God more than any Christians I have met of this era. I'm not talking about the Great Orthodox hierarchs and Saints of the past.
Whether Orthodox or anyone, Christians today have a zero rating for basic human kindness.
Not every one but the vast majority of Americans and so=called Christians are selfish, arrogant in the extreme, full of all sorts of temper outbursts quite often, even have mental and emotional problems due much to the presence of demons. Don't laugh. Get rid of the demons that cause these serious distortions of mental outlook.
So why is anyone supposed to take these as a model, or worship at their shrine? THESE are the New Chosen People?
Give me a break.
God looks at who is good, number one.
You don't get a free pass to heaven for being Orthodox or Christian of any denomination!
So ungrateful, so cruel in your attacks.
My observation is that in general the Orthodox I have met are quite insensitive and think only for ONE person: himself.
It takes a HEART to have an ability to FEEL what other humans may FEEL to reach out to others and be supportive and thoughtful of THEIR feelings.
They don't even know what having a heart means, nor do they strive to improve their heart. They think they have it all just by becoming Orthodox. It's not really different that simplistic Protestant idea of getting "saved" by proclaiming Jesus. Who cares what sins they do or how cruel they are, oh, no they will be with God no matter what.
Wake UP, don't fall into the same devil's distortion!
It's obvious you, Ian, are putting a lot of work into these posts. I for one am grateful to get the information.
Days you didn't post updates, I was waiting for the next installment of for example BP oil spill news.
But many readers of all these sites are so passive, they never give any reinforcement for GOOD or BENEFICIAL insights or comments or news. Posters and readers say nothing, much of the time.
What alarms is that there is no healthy emotion; no reaction, no "affect" as it's called in psychology on many Orthodox forums. That is not a sign of Angels but of the opposite. It's sad that only on extreme liberal Orthodox discussion groups, like OCA, do people treat each other with a modicum of respect.
Our moderator is the exception to this, and also Kyb. who is more conciliatory in his mode, and once in awhile others.
I'm asking for people here to elevate the level of their mentality and interaction with other posters.
Because no one commented, and because I felt glad for the information - but not your conclusions or pro-Israel take on the attack which repelled me - I tried to express gratitude and show that people ARE reading and assimilating the information you laboriously have generated assumedly for our edification.
Instead of responding politely, you just viciously attacked me.
Why this hated in so many of these so-called "Christians"?
I haven't seen a bit of Christian consideration for anyone but the person himself or herself.
I pray no one will even read your vicious attacks on Muslims. Because they DO extend themselves to help others, no matter what religion.
Maybe you came from evangelical quarters yourself - you sound like them in your "Christian Supremacy" attitude.
