What's your opinion on Orthodoxy?

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Interesting. So according to this logic, it’s actually heretical to declare that it’s a grave matter to become a Freemason, or to perform stem cell research, since the Apostles never mentioned anything about Freemasons or stem cells?

How can a Church believe that there are no new “truths” at all concerning new modern-day sins? Surely the Orthodox don’t believe that sin cannot change either.:confused: Surely we can agree that there are “new” sins all the time…🤷
You look at what Tradition does teach for those answers, they don’t have to mention those issues specifically.

Stem-cell research, for example, is off limits because abortion is required (which is why adult stem-cell research is not condemned), abortion was condemned by the Church as early as the apostles.

Freemasons hold teachings at odds with the Church, and what do you know, in the apostolic age those who followed teachings at odds with the church were excommunicated.
 
I do disagree with you, in a friendly way 🙂

“Filioque” is not just any word.

It’s a word that changes in inner dynamics of our very God!

That’s a HUGE deal. Not something to be dismissed and brushed under the rug.

The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father (only)
OR
The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son

Who God is is the biggest and most important thing ever! How can we love Who we do not know.

If God, did not become “bound” in heaven by the pope when he added “filioque” to the creed, a matter of faith of which he is infallible, and change His inner Self by causing Jesus the Son to be a 2nd source of the Holy Spirit to proceed from then: a. The filioque is false or b. The pope is not infallible or c. The pope doesn’t have the keys or d. All of the above

I chose e. and came up with an explanation to reconcile the prior popes decrees regarding the filioque and the current stance. The two stances honestly don’t jive.

Sigh 🙂

Hanging by a thread and I hope there’s something soft below me to land on. 😃
Not making a statement is not the same as thinking it untrue. We certainly believe the Spirit was sent by the Son. It says so in black and white several places in scripture, and even more places in Tradition.

There are three Orthodox oppositions to the Filioque
  1. The way it was written is confusing (Is it a duel point of origin, or does the Holy Spirit move through the Son on its way to us, or what?).
  2. The Pope had no authority to add it
  3. The Thomist interpretation, which seems to be the favoured one these days, is not Orthodox.
 
Somrhow I knew that would catch your attention. 🙂
It was intended to. I am not going to say those people were wrong to say what they did. They were right.

Protestantism derives from Latin Catholicism, not from Eastern Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Many of the most important early Protestant thinkers and leaders were trained and ordained Latin Catholic priests. Almost all classic Protestant arguments are framed against this Latin Catholic background. Protestants and Latin Catholics speak the same language, they are just in disagreement.

For Orthodox, we do not even speak the same language as Protestants. Finding common ground in theology is very difficult because we cannot agree even on the terms.

For instance, Latin Catholics and Lutherans can burn a lot of bandwidth here on the subject of justification. For Orthodox it is nearly irrelevant and there will be very little participation, that blows some people’s minds.

Protestants and Latin Catholics usually agree on what Original Sin is all about. This is no accident.

Protestants and Latin Catholics both agree on what the Immaculate Conception of Mary means to them, they disagree on whether it is real or a lie, but they both know what it means. Orthodox do not agree with either party on the meaning of it, which really goes straight back to the Orthodox understanding of Original (First) Sin.

Protestants and Latin Catholics usually agree on what the Papacy is all about, both groups having had intimate experience with it. They just disagree on whether it is legitimate. Orthodox actually disagree with what Papal primacy means, not with the primacy itself, this is not the same argument.

Orthodox ‘speak a different language’ when it comes to religion. This ‘language’ has deep roots, it’s nothing new. Western Christians want to teach us their new language, as if it is better, more advanced and developed. It has become instead a Tower of Babel.

So no, we don’t really have a lot to talk about (theologically) with committed Protestants, unless some of us are former Protestants and want to talk old times. There are no compromises, we can not change our theology and will not change our liturgy to accommodate. There is nothing visitors will teach us theologically so if they come to visit an Orthodox temple it would hopefully be for polite fellowship.

https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/i...L8QiBn1pJf_5AXjp43FqS7Fn7QQotqZKKAkx27UIEB52C

Here, once again, is the account 2] of Philipp Melanchthon and Patriarch Jeremias …

Therefore, we request that from henceforth you do not cause us more grief, nor write to us on the same subject if you should wish to treat these luminaries and theologians of the Church in a different manner. You honor and exalt them in words, but you reject them in deeds. For you try to prove our weapons which are their holy and divine discourses as unsuitable. And it is with these documents that we would have to write and contradict you. Thus, as for you, please release us from these cares. Therefore, going about your own ways, write no longer concerning dogmas; but if you do, write only for friendship’s sake.

Farewell.
Jeremiah, Patriarch of Constantinople
Issued in the year 1581, June 6
Protonotarios Theodosios
 
You look at what Tradition does teach for those answers, they don’t have to mention those issues specifically.

Stem-cell research, for example, is off limits because abortion is required (which is why adult stem-cell research is not condemned), abortion was condemned by the Church as early as the apostles.

Freemasons hold teachings at odds with the Church, and what do you know, in the apostolic age those who followed teachings at odds with the church were excommunicated.
I’ve never heard that abortion was condemned by the Apostles. Could you offer me a link?

Freemasons hold teachings that are at odds with the Church, this is the truth. But the majority of Freemasons are in fact Christians, which means that it’s not so obvious after all. But the Popes have declared that by simply ‘taking the oath’ of Freemasonry, one has automatically cut off any hope for salvation… He is condemned to hell, in every single case without exception. The Roman position is very very clear… Which leaves no room for debate, like we see in the Protestant denominations.
 
I’ve never heard that abortion was condemned by the Apostles. Could you offer me a link?
I said it was condemned in the time of the Apostles.

It was condemned by Jewish law before Christ, it was condemned by Christians after, it is unlikely there was a window in which it was accepted.
Freemasons hold teachings that are at odds with the Church, this is the truth. But the majority of Freemasons are in fact Christians, which means that it’s not so obvious after all. But the Popes have declared that by simply ‘taking the oath’ of Freemasonry, one has automatically cut off any hope for salvation… He is condemned to hell, in every single case without exception.
In my opinion saying that they “cut off any hope for salvation”, would be a case of what Constantine was talking about. Simple excommunication though, would not be.
 
In my opinion saying that they “cut off any hope for salvation”, would be a case of what Constantine was talking about. Simple excommunication though, would not be.
The Roman Catholic position is that there is “No Salvation Outside the Church”, therefore one who is excommunicated cannot be saved unless the excommunication is lifted. Of course I would’nt suspect the Orthodox of believing otherwise, just that there must be no official teaching that declares this as an absolute “truth”… Even if it is. 😉
 
The Roman Catholic position is that there is “No Salvation Outside the Church”, therefore one who is excommunicated cannot be saved unless the excommunication is lifted. Of course I would’nt suspect the Orthodox of believing otherwise, just that there must be no official teaching that declares this as an absolute “truth”… Even if it is. 😉
Excommunication doesn’t mean you are out of the Church. :confused:
 
In Orthodoxy, it just means that a person is barred from receiving communion, right?
Yes, and it is a not uncommon ecclesiastical punishment. Anathema is being kicked out of the church.

I’d be curious to know when the idea that excommunication = out of the church came about. At Trent there was a clear distinction, but more recent Bulls seem to have avoided the phrase “anathema” while suggesting the souls of those who disobey are in trouble. Perhaps this is the origin?
 
Interesting. So according to this logic, it’s actually heretical to declare that it’s a grave matter to become a Freemason, or to perform stem cell research, since the Apostles never mentioned anything about Freemasons or stem cells?

How can a Church believe that there are no new “truths” at all concerning new modern-day sins? Surely the Orthodox don’t believe that sin cannot change either.:confused: Surely we can agree that there are “new” sins all the time…🤷
Okay, first stem cell research is not a sin. The Pope is actually in favor of it:
youtube.com/watch?v=TMYxJeaPPZ8

What the Church is against is the destruction of embryos to harvest stem cells. We all know embryos are living human beings and thus the destruction of embryos is murder. That is something the Apostles taught.

Second, Freemasons are forbidden not because of their association with Satanic worship. The Apostles have taught that we should not worship anyone other than the Trinitarian God.

So there are no new truths being taught here. You just took two words that are not in the Bible and tried to play semantics here.
 
Stem-cell research, for example, is off limits because abortion is required (which is why adult stem-cell research is not condemned), abortion was condemned by the Church as early as the apostles.
Stem cell research and use is not itself an evil. If we can harvest stem cells without destroying embryos (adult bone marrows, cord blood from the umbilical cord after the baby is born) then it is not a sin.
 
Good read. Makes me want to investigate further.

This really popped out at me: In the Catholic Church, the unifying mechanism “is acceptance of papal supremacy, even though the liturgical, theological and spiritual experiences are so varied as to be irreconcilable. Unity is then administrative and juridical. In the Orthodox communion, unity is brought about by an irresistible, indestructible bond of love and shared faith and spiritual-sacramental life in the Orthodox Churches. The unity is in worship and teaching, not administration.”

I’ve always been more drawn to the Eastern Church’s spirituality, so I think tomorrow morning, depending on the baby’s schedule, I’ll check out the Orthodox liturgy.
 
Good read. Makes me want to investigate further.

This really popped out at me: In the Catholic Church, the unifying mechanism “is acceptance of papal supremacy, even though the liturgical, theological and spiritual experiences are so varied as to be irreconcilable. Unity is then administrative and juridical. In the Orthodox communion, unity is brought about by an irresistible, indestructible bond of love and shared faith and spiritual-sacramental life in the Orthodox Churches. The unity is in worship and teaching, not administration.”

I’ve always been more drawn to the Eastern Church’s spirituality, so I think tomorrow morning, depending on the baby’s schedule, I’ll check out the Orthodox liturgy.
CH2R,

So you are aware the Administrative and juridical union you speak of teach that unity is in The Eucharist from which all else flows…
 
CH2R,

So you are aware the Administrative and juridical union you speak of teach that unity is in The Eucharist from which all else flows…
I quoted it from link the provided to me. Did you read the article linked, too?

What I got out of the reading the article was that the Eucharist is celebrated in the Church which is defined as the Bishop, his priests & deacons, that rang a bell with me because I remember that at least one of the church fathers I’ve read over the years cited that as the definition, if my memory serves me “where the Bishop is, there is the entire Church.” and also that the unity of the Catholic Church is in the from the Administrative/Juridical while the unity in the Orthodox is in the Teachings & the Liturgy, which naturally includes the celebration of the Eucharist.
 
Yes, and it is a not uncommon ecclesiastical punishment. Anathema is being kicked out of the church.

I’d be curious to know when the idea that excommunication = out of the church came about. At Trent there was a clear distinction, but more recent Bulls seem to have avoided the phrase “anathema” while suggesting the souls of those who disobey are in trouble. Perhaps this is the origin?
"Anathema remains a major excommunication which is to be promulgated with great solemnity. A formula for this ceremony was drawn up by Pope Zachary (741-52) in the chapter Debent duodecim sacerdotes, Cause xi, quest. iii. The Roman Pontifical reproduces it in the chapter Ordo excommunicandi et absolvendi, distinguishing three sorts of excommunication: minor excommunication, formerly incurred by a person holding communication with anyone under the ban of excommunication; major excommunication, pronounced by the Pope in reading a sentence; and anathema, or the penalty incurred by crimes of the gravest order, and solemnly promulgated by the Pope. In passing this sentence, the pontiff is vested in amice, stole, and a violet cope, wearing his mitre, and assisted by twelve priests clad in their surplices and holding lighted candles. He takes his seat in front of the altar or in some other suitable place, amid pronounces the formula of anathema which ends with these words: “Wherefore in the name of God the All-powerful, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, of the Blessed Peter, Prince of the Apostles, and of all the saints, in virtue of the power which has been given us of binding and loosing in Heaven and on earth, we deprive N-- himself and all his accomplices and all his abettors of the Communion of the Body and Blood of Our Lord, we separate him from the society of all Christians, we exclude him from the bosom of our Holy Mother the Church in Heaven and on earth, we declare him excommunicated and anathematized and we judge him condemned to eternal fire with Satan and his angels and all the reprobate, so long as he will not burst the fetters of the demon, do penance and satisfy the Church; we deliver him to Satan to mortify his body, that his soul may be saved on the day of judgment.”
newadvent.org/cathen/01455e.htm
 
"Anathema remains a major excommunication which is to be promulgated with great solemnity. A formula for this ceremony was drawn up by Pope Zachary (741-52) in the chapter Debent duodecim sacerdotes, Cause xi, quest. iii. The Roman Pontifical reproduces it in the chapter Ordo excommunicandi et absolvendi, distinguishing three sorts of excommunication: minor excommunication, formerly incurred by a person holding communication with anyone under the ban of excommunication; major excommunication, pronounced by the Pope in reading a sentence; and anathema, or the penalty incurred by crimes of the gravest order, and solemnly promulgated by the Pope. In passing this sentence, the pontiff is vested in amice, stole, and a violet cope, wearing his mitre, and assisted by twelve priests clad in their surplices and holding lighted candles. He takes his seat in front of the altar or in some other suitable place, amid pronounces the formula of anathema which ends with these words: “Wherefore in the name of God the All-powerful, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, of the Blessed Peter, Prince of the Apostles, and of all the saints, in virtue of the power which has been given us of binding and loosing in Heaven and on earth, we deprive N-- himself and all his accomplices and all his abettors of the Communion of the Body and Blood of Our Lord, we separate him from the society of all Christians, we exclude him from the bosom of our Holy Mother the Church in Heaven and on earth, we declare him excommunicated and anathematized and we judge him condemned to eternal fire with Satan and his angels and all the reprobate, so long as he will not burst the fetters of the demon, do penance and satisfy the Church; we deliver him to Satan to mortify his body, that his soul may be saved on the day of judgment.”
newadvent.org/cathen/01455e.htm
My goodness gracious! Those are some extraordinaryly strong words.

Do you happen to know what the formula was used about a century earlier when Pope Honorius was anathematized by all the bishops during the Sixth Ecumenical Council? Is there still hope for his salvation? I’d hate to think that there is a Pope in hell :eek:
 
I quoted it from link the provided to me. Did you read the article linked, too?

What I got out of the reading the article was that the Eucharist is celebrated in the Church which is defined as the Bishop, his priests & deacons, that rang a bell with me because I remember that at least one of the church fathers I’ve read over the years cited that as the definition, if my memory serves me “where the Bishop is, there is the entire Church.” and also that the unity of the Catholic Church is in the from the Administrative/Juridical while the unity in the Orthodox is in the Teachings & the Liturgy, which naturally includes the celebration of the Eucharist.
You may find of interest this thread which I began last year about the Eucharistic versus universal conceptions of ecclesiology. 🙂
 
It was intended to. I am not going to say those people were wrong to say what they did.
The conversation from Fab wasn’t about the reformation, it was about the overall attitude which leaves no room for communication. And as we see your conversation “insists” on a incorrect path of communication.
Protestantism derives from Latin Catholicism, not from Eastern Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Many of the most important early Protestant thinkers and leaders were trained and ordained Latin Catholic priests. Almost all classicProtestant arguments are framed against this Latin Catholic background. Protestants and Latin Catholics speak the same language, they are just in disagreement.
EVERYONE derives from the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church.
For Orthodox, we do not even speak the same language as Protestants. Finding common ground in theology is very difficult because we cannot agree even on the terms.
This is by choice, these are Christians, theres the common bond in history, Christianity, and living Christian. That Bible you read is common ground.
For instance, Latin Catholics and Lutherans can burn a lot of bandwidth here on the subject of justification. For Orthodox it is nearly irrelevant and there will be very little participation, that blows some people’s minds.]
Theological debate is all it is. St. Augustine wasn’t regarded by the East or known till the schism? This isn’t Biblical with sin and St Paul? News to me.
Protestants and Latin Catholics usually agree on what Original Sin is all about. This is no accident.
Catholic’s don’t raise St Augustines theory over St Athanasius, they realize these are Saints there teaching is regarded as such. The Apostle Paul and Scripture is the basis for Augustines theory. We don’t force Original Sin down the throat of Eastren Catholics and they have no issue with the IC. IMHO thats an utter failure of an arguement.

No you don’t speak a different language you speak the only one that serves your side of the debate. How “deep” are these deep roots you refer to? Oh right no deeper than Romes.

Rome is the ever evolving Church just as the Holy Spirit is present in the moment, so is the Church thats why its called the Mystical Body of Christ. There is no “better” there are just different theologys which relate to the same topic. The points you chose to differ on you cannot prove but only supply a “theory”.
Protestants and Latin Catholics both agree on what the Immaculate Conception of Mary means to them, they disagree on whether it is real or a lie, but they both know what it means. Orthodox do not agree with either party on the meaning of it, which really goes straight back to the Orthodox understanding of Original (First) Sin.
As to the IC you venerated this as did all Christianity in the One Holy Aposlolic Church. 🤷 We already been through its history need we repeat? The IC is your history as it is all Christianity. The fact that Rome spoke ex-cathedra on it is beside the point of History.
Protestants and Latin Catholics usually agree on what the Papacy is all about, both groups having had intimate experience with it. They just disagree on whether it is legitimate. Orthodox actually disagree with what Papal primacy means, not with the primacy itself, this is not the same argument.
And the EO limits itself to the Councils and Saints which Rome surely acknowledges but we are not confined and imprisoned by it for the the same foward progress then, exists now. Revelation in public ended, but the development of Christianity hasn’t.

But yet this intimate experence the EO denys is also its history.
Orthodox ‘speak a different language’ when it comes to religion. This ‘language’ has deep roots, it’s nothing new. Western Christians want to teach us their new language, as if it is better, more advanced and developed. It has become instead a Tower of Babel.
No you don’t speak a different language you speak the only one that serves your side of the debate. How “deep” are these deep roots you refer to? Oh right no deeper than Romes. The topic is Christianity when theres nothing one feels there is to talk about start there. And No Rome does not force its teaching on Eastern Catholics. In fact it disrupts outside culture as little as possible. We want to preserve every culture not consume it which in fact is what the EO insists on doing and is “impossible”.
So no, we don’t really have a lot to talk about (theologically) with committed Protestants, unless some of us are former Protestants and want to talk old times. There are no compromises, we can not change our theology and will not change our liturgy to accommodate. There is nothing visitors will teach us theologically so if they come to visit an Orthodox temple it would hopefully be for polite fellowship.
This is by choice, by you connecting Protestants to Catholic as you have above, then apparently you really don’t have much to talk about with Catholics either. Sad is what that is.

You can learn nothing from these Souls? I find this astounding as I converse with protestants all the time, many friends and we actually agree on many issues, its actually enlightening. And your right you cannot change your philosophy for you painted youself into the corner with it. Then named it “Truth” but can’t prove it. Most astounding is the conversation begins with the we are right you are wrong attitude. Then the walls go up, open minded dialogue will cease, as it quickly did with Fab. And this is a “constant” on this forum, you not right becuase you say so. you must PROVE your right. We are all waiting to see that day.

There is no New Revelation, developed and defined of that which existed is a natural process of learning and education. The Church doesn’t confine itself to St Thomas Aquinas philosophical/theological paradigms. Its a school of thought, no different than Augustine, Athanasius etc. Thus resides a difference from the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church you are committed to a paradigm. The teaching authority is not, you say you don’t believe in infallible yet you do and have.

The CC is not confined to the 7 ecumenical councils, nor by any individual Saint. Here resides the difference as explained above in the link I posted. Just as Christianity progressed from the First to the Seventh so too it continued. Infallible by the Councils is a fact, this also doesn’t mean the Church cannot develope its Dogma of the Councils as it is so revealed by the Holy Spirit to the Magesterium/Pope. It does not distract from the deposit of faith.

There is “no” difference from St Augustine and saying well we at the EO go with Athanasius. No sorry then there itself resides a flaw in the Council/Early Church Fathers which leads to the EO minus the Teaching Authority of the Church. Rome committed its own issues by the theorys of Augustine and Aquinas is the EO claim. Well for 12-hundred years why wasn’t the EO speaking up about Augustine then? Oh right we were in communion. Why wasn’t Augustines teaching on Original Sin discussed at the Councils? Right it wasn’t an issue. Its an issue you chose to make an issue in schism.

No one likes “change” we all get this its a fact of life for the logic is it disturbs one’s comfortability, but nothing is Constant but Change. Same issue with the reformation, Luther didn’t start the reformation, he became the voice of the movement. In fact Luthers thinking was influenced by Erasmus, and what did Erasmus state? WE NEED TO STICK TO THE TEACHING AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH at least non-dogmatically and admit we don’t have all the answers. NO ONE has all the answers including the EO and CC. But the division hurts the Mission of the Church, and its effecting the Family just as Erasmus stated it would.

We can’t sit here year after years promoting our theology of Christianity in triumphant pride be the EO/CC/Protestant etc. when Christianity is literally perishing in the middle east and Holy Land. The issue didn’t start with the Twin Towers its been on-going for well over a millennium. Who shall we count on? Russia, China and USAs social political hell to stand behind our mission? There is no Us and Them the CC and EO the Protestants and EO…There is only US and in the end thats what this comes down to.

While the link above exludes and minimized the Protestant side of the debate, I’m here to let you know, the Anglican side of the debate presents a brilliant arguement, make no mistake about this. So yes we all must proceed not with an assumption we are right and you are wrong. but lets talk as Christian Brothers and Sisters and see where we agree and disagree and why, and that is “after” you first develope a repoire as friends. Here you find the common bonds in humanity run very deep, we need to get back to human respect before we dialogue in vanity of whos right or wrong. and when you find that respect you proceed in humility thus love.
 
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