The problem Johanna is that the Orthodox aren't doing anything today to confront the attacks of the faith by our contemporary culture.
Really? Nobody? I disagree. Conversions to Orthodoxy happen everyday. My day was August 15th, 1993. I baptised my god-daughter who converted a few years ago(with her younger daughter) and now her older daughter has become a catechumen. They were protestants. Tomorrow, I’m meeting with a young woman, who I met at work, last year and shared some Orthdox materials (The Philokalia - which she loved and other materials) to talk about Orthodoxy. Apparently, I say things to people that make them want to know more about Orthodoxy. Of course, there are hits and misses, but I always feel such joy when someone starts asking me questions, because they see that I live a life a little different then them. The biggest impression, at the start, is that I go to church every Sunday. There is another woman, at work, who seemed spiritually stressed and confided in me and wanted to discuss about God. I said a few simple words and she was interested in talking about it more. I lent her some old periodicals from Orthodox Living and a small excerpt about the Holy Light. I only repeated things that I read from the holy fathers. I read alot, for myself and no non-Orthodox writer could every instill the truth in my heart, that really matters, about the faith. I’m also talking to someone else who is struggling to learn the truth of God. I do what I can. I am thankful, to God, that He chooses to use me as a tool for their salvation. I don’t stand on a soap box, like the Protestants, though. Maybe that’s why it’s not so obvious, out there.
The reason I’m saying this is that there is alot more going on out there. It may not look like anything is happening, but it is. It’s just that the heteric Christians have more power, because they are accepted by the world. I don’t see Orthodox books in regular bookstores, only in stores that are religious and even then, they have a small section as compared to the papists and other religions. The only way to get a big selection is to buy from online Orthodox websites.
They're too busy fighting among themselves as to who is and who is not Orthodox -- church politics.
This is an internal battle, for sure. And the main cause is ecumenism. Plus, ecumenism is so strong because it is the way of the world.
It is evangelical and protestants scholars and theologians who are on the forefront in combating our culture and the ungodly teachings of the world.
They aren’t combating it...they are sugar-coating it. There’s a difference. That’s because they are also leading the people to ecumenism. If these scholars and theologians were true believers of Christ, then wouldn’t they have discovered Orthodoxy? Their knowledge is greatly flawed until they accept true theology which is not just a teaching but a way of life. Many Orthodox “theologians” have fallen into the secular scholastic circle of worldly acceptance too.
The identity of Christ is under attack today by Gnostics, Mason's Jews and atheists. Are you even aware of this?
Evfimy, I don’t appreciate your tone. Yes. I am FULLY aware of their attacks. And the protestants and the papists and the evangalists.
The protestants and evangelical scholars have pulverized their arguments.
You are obviously not aware of the game plan.
You haven't even read the books I listed and you draw conclusions prior to examination.
Because I know their game plan. It’s a waste of money and time to read their books.
I was selective in my bibliograohy. Nothing they say contradicts what we Orthodox hold to be true: God exists, Jesus is God, Jesus rose from the dead in His own body.
Since they are non-Orthodox, then don’t you think that they will have an underlying mis-conception of the spiritual depth of Christ; subtle to those who are well-read in Orthodox doctrine and theology by the holy fathers, but un-noticable to those who consider these protestant writers as actually having some view that matters. It’s a ruse.
Even a broken clock is right twice a day. We should be thankful God is using them.
That is a good analogy. It gives us a specific view that they are wrong 92% of the time. I don’t see God as using them to bring others to the truth. They care more about making money and mis-leading the blind. If anything, alot of protestant converts come to Orthodoxy because they are dis-illusioned by the protestant self-illumination. And their theology is completely wrong. Even their view of Jesus Christ is not expressed in truth as held by Apostolic succession. I would not recommend non-Orthodox books to someone who wants to convert to Orthodoxy.
The truths in heterodoxy is the Orthodoxy they have retained. They are ultimately our truths.
They are a complete distortion and a dead faith. Living in Christ can only be experienced in Orthodoxy when living in the true faith. If your kids wanted to eat only McDonalds every single day, breakfast, lunch and supper, would you appreciate the fact that they are eating or would you see, with logic, that you are killng their bodies faster than they are growing?
And I know from experience in debating atheists and people of other religions, that the material in the books I listed is irrefutable.
How many converted to Orthodoxy?
And the material in those books come from some of the worlds greatest scholars and experts.
Of the world, not of God. If they are such experts, then have they converted to Orthodoxy? If they are such great experts, then did they realize what is the full truth, with their great expertise? How can they miss something so obvious, since they see it with such expertise?
I've heard these arguements many times. They don't float.
