Open Appeal to the Moderators of this site

[Ekaterina]

Fr Siluan:

Even in the light of Anti-Uniya, what Brother Nathaniel is doing is still Anti-Orthodox. What ever you may feel about "Anti-Uniya" he is nevertheless mocking Orthodoxy, mocking everything we believe in as Orthodox Christians.....regardless of our stance in this whole messy "disagreement".

Since when have the Saints and Fathers of our Faith taught that slander, gossip, dissemination, dillusions, lies and inuendo were the weapons that an Orthodox Christian is to use to fight wrongs?

This is not Christian or Orthodox.....it is not what Christ taught us.

Katya

[Kollyvas]

The essential point in allowing free speech even in cases of hyperbole, disinformation, and, perhaps, slander is to allow a person to freely delegitimize his own position. In which case, ROCOR loyalists are spared their challenge...You all know what I feel about corruption in the Russian church and my stance as a staunch Traditionalist, but my views and those of others are legitimate as long as what we say carries the day--if you agree or not--not if someone determines to call them "lies" or be "uncomfortable." We don't need to burn books....And I ignore what I term graffhitti (sic!)--not saying Brother Nathaniel's work is--usually, and it has no real bearing on my views.
r
I never read Christ telling anyone to "shut up," except the demons...Brother Nathaniel is a baptized Orthodox Christian. And, oh, the Fathers were not always kind in their polemics.

[AndyHolland]

When I read someone was exposed, I felt like throwing up.

We should follow the golden rule - and that is not

• he who has the gold makes the rules
• nor is it do unto others before they do unto me.

If someone slanders someone else, maybe we should privately Email them.

Now I'll be branded a hypocrite, because I expressed that I left the ECUSA for its presiding Bishop openly extolling the virtue of partial birth abortion and then consecrating openly homosexual clergy (eventually a bishop) and other sinful positions that were enumerated. Is that over the top?

It certainly is more sinful to pull a baby out breach to the neck, place a syringe in the neck and suck out the brains - often without anesthetic. That's a no-brainer - truly no pun intended.

Maybe the real problem is - the silence is deafening. Maybe we need to be challenged, and to challenge. Maybe its time for people to get a backbone.

yours in Christ Jesus,

andy

[DavidHawthorne]

I think we need to remember that the Scriptures and our Holy Fathers do not regard everything the world considers to be our indispensable right of free speech. They value something higher: moderate speech, courteous speech, compassionate non-judgemental speech. Whenever gossip, slander, detraction or the like fall under the umbrella of free speech for the world then we who are in the Church need to to hold to the higher and true value of sanctified speech.

[AndyHolland]

We must also remember John the Baptist - who called his congregation a brood of vipers. St. Nicholaus who slapped Arianus in the face. And St. Athanasius who grabbed the reigns of the emperor St. Constantine's horse.

There is a time and place for everything.

andy

[Kollyvas]

The Holy Fathers hold to one dictum:

EVEN ONE man and the Truth represents a majority of ONE...

One could begin with Christ reproving the Phariees & Scribes go to St. Paul attacking those who "preach another christ" or the sins of the Corinthian church to St. Cyprian, St. Basil, St. Maximos the Confessor, St. Gregory Palamas, et al. and see that forthrightness need not always be temperate, and sometimes it CAN'T be. Now, NO Father believed in silencing his brother but becoming of ONE MIND in Christ Jesus with him. That in effect is a license to freedom of conscience and speech and represents TRUE and APOSTOLIC sobornost'. The Church does not want mind slaves--God loved us enough to give us free will.
r
Christ wills that we be hot or cold, for the lukewarm will be spit out...

[Ekaterina]

Andy Wrote:

We must also remember John the Baptist - who called his congregation a brood of vipers.

Ah! but one would assume that John the Baptist knew the difference between a lie and a truth. In his case I would say he was divinely inspired. No where have I ever read that his words were doubted. But Brother Nathaniel is hardly of the same caliber as John the Baptist. Nathaniel mocks us, while John the Baptist told the truth. There was no dissemination in his words.

I never said that there was never a time for blunt truth. Rather that Truth needs clear thought and true facts, not the twaddle that we are being fed as "truth".

I'm coming to understand that as long as this twaddle is being aimed at ROCOR Orthodoxy it is okay with the moderators of this forum. I'm sure if it were aimed at ROAC or anyone else it would have been swiftly stopped. Sad that there should be such a double standard.

Katya