Seraphim Rose on the Matthewites

[Orthodox in Michigan]

I have noticed over the years you focus very much on the acts of other laity.

Who cares what the laity do? The question is- what does their bishop teach? How does he maintain the confession of faith?

I wouldn’t give credence to second or third hand accounts of how laity are involved in other churches, for two reasons-

1. To give the benefit of the doubt.
2. It doesn’t matter to existence of the Church they belong to.

Regarding Hierarchs and their need to repent, the synod they joined accepted them, and the synod can deal with it. It’s part of being Orthodox. Our job as a laity is to find a place we can trust doctrinally. AFTER that, we let go of the reins. Christ will judge.

“Perhaps the last rebels against the betrayers of the church and the acomplices of her ruin will be , not only not bishops and not arch priests but the simplest of mortals just as at the cross of Christ his last gasp of suffering was heard by a few simple souls who were close to him” st. Joseph of Petrograd. It seems very appropriate in the times were in .

[Barbara]

Good for you, OrthodoxinMichigan, to have provided that quotation from New Martyr Metropolitan Benjamin of Petersburg.

Maria, yes, that's the shocking case. I did look up the book, but it seemed written as more of a groundbreaking exploration of the topic, which has now gone far beyond the relatively tame examples given by the authors. I am not sure if there are more up to date sources at which to have a look ; I didn't think to check when looking this up on Amazon.
If you think there are still excellent reasons for reading Girl Wars, let me know and I can get it from the library

[Maria]

Good for you, OrthodoxinMichigan, to have provided that quotation from New Martyr Metropolitan Benjamin of Petersburg.

Maria, yes, that's the shocking case. I did look up the book, but it seemed written as more of a groundbreaking exploration of the topic, which has now gone far beyond the relatively tame examples given by the authors. I am not sure if there are more up to date sources at which to have a look ; I didn't think to check when looking this up on Amazon.
If you think there are still excellent reasons for reading Girl Wars, let me know and I can get it from the library

Girl Wars (2003) seems tame compared with the books being written in 2018. Things are getting worse as our schools brainwash the children.

[Barbara]

I did order it, so I will say more when it arrives ! I can imagine that this a serious problem everywhere in the Western world.

[Cyprian]

.

d9popov,

I find you to be a very disingenuous person. You constantly write things that are simply false and untrue, and even after evidence and facts are presented directly to your face to the contrary, you stubbornly persist, and stick to your disinformation campaign, which is obviously a deliberate agenda of yours.

I can dialogue with people that are simply a bit confused, but are genuinely seeking the truth, however, you are obviously not interested in the truth, but are pursuing an insidious agenda.

I do not wish to dialogue with you any longer. You are not Orthodox, and you've had your first and second admonition and refuse to listen to the Church.

I pray that God will take pity on you, and that you will come to your senses and repent of your prideful condition, where you are so deluded that you slander God's saints and continually promote a schismatic and heretical ecumenist like John Romanides.

Cyprian

[d9popov]

Dearest Cyprian: I clearly denounce several specific teachings of Father John Romanides: calendar, ecumenism, monophysitism, Severus of Antioch, one-sided apophaticism, down-playing Orthodox cataphatic theology, etc. I am not a follower of Romanides. He was in plani/prelest'/delusion on several issues. I have quoted Bishop Augustine of Hippo's view on using the best earthly science, which I suggest you follow. I follow the criticisms of Saint Vincent of Lerins, Saint John Cassian, Saint Photius, Saint Mark of Ephesus, and numerous saints of the received writings of Augustine of Hippo. I follow these saints' criticisms of Augustine's writings. It is a historical fact that he did not retract his earlier errors when he wrote his Retractationes late in life. I follow Saint Cyprian of Carthage on heretical baptism, not the grievous errors of Augustine on that issue. Bishop Augustine emphatically rejected Saint Cyprian's correct Orthodox teaching on heretical baptism. I highly venerate Saint Cyprian of Carthage! Augustine was the most famous bishop in Christendom, but not placed in an official Eastern Orthodox calendar until the 1950s. I follow the saints. I reject Augustine's departures from the patristic consensus. Romanides gives many such citations relevant to these issues. That is why you should consult some of his footnotes and the patristic texts to which they point. Also, everyone agrees that we are in the "seventh day" (an age) and that eternity is the "eighth day" (the ages of the ages) so why do you consider it impermissible that the first six "days" could also (possibly) be "ages"? I support the patristic consensus without addition or subtraction. I oppose divisions among traditional Orthodox Christians that are based on non-dogmatic accusations (like how many times "day" means "age"). We all agree that "day" does sometimes mean "age." So I choose to emphasize the agreement. I support purity of Orthodox dogma and unity among traditional Orthodox Christians. That is my motive.

[jdigrande]

Does someone have a link for the entire 1910 Encyclical of Pat. Joachim III on the calendar question and ecumenism?

thanks