Anathema on Ecumenism

[Justin Kissel]

Disregard my one question in the previous post: thank you Nicholas for the link (I will now read that as well).

[Nektarios14]

OOD,

None of us find the destruction of God's people funny. Us moderates are just annoyed with the anathemas flying at groups that have included saints. No one group within the Church, but the only the entire Church is infallible. The fact remains that many even under the current EP reject ecumenism and the like. One of the books on this sites recomended reading list is about an amazing Hieromonk who went through great sufferings for his Orthodoxy - was he just another graceless heretic because he remained under the MP? That is why we reject the extremist stance in favor of the moderate churches - not because we don't care about the Church.

Regarding the OCA document, I sent an email to them to ask if that is their official position of the personal opinion of a few loose canon "theologians" at Saint Vladimir's. I'll hold off judgement untill I recieve a reply.

[OrthodoxyOrDeath]

Nektarios,

These "loose canon theologians had the input and guidance of the OCA bishops during the entire consultation and before the statement was finalized.

"Official position"? Does this mean that if I go and get a tatoo, I don't have to repent if it wasn't my "official position"? Aren't you the one who mentioned "phariseeisms"?

[OrthodoxyOrDeath]

Paradosis,

And I did not mention another post-1983 anathema belief: What od the Monophysite "branch" theory. I know they will not use the term "branch", but what else could this belief be called?

[Nektarios14]

Officially the GOA holds that converts should be recieved via ecomony. I personally feel while this is acceptable the better way is to recieve a convert with baptism. In the same way just because some comittee at Saint Vladimir's says something doesn't mean that is what the Synod of OCA bishops actually believes and teaches.

[TomS]

I think it should depend on the denomination and the form of baptism. If it is a denomination that utilizes full immersion and invokes the Trinity, then I think that it would violate the Canon if the person was re-baptized.

I was accepted into the GOA in May by Chrismation. I was baptized Southern Baptist when I was 13 by total immersion, three times in the name of the FSHS.

Fortunately, I kept my Baptism certificate from November 1970 and was able to show it to my priest!

[尼古拉前执事]

Tom, are you saying that a Baptist preacher is able to have valid sacraments? The Baptist religion does not see Baptism as a Sacrament. In Orthodoxy, in case of a life or death emergency, laity can baptize, but a priest still does one if they survive the emergency. There is only one Sacramental Baptism IOW.