Oh, I just enjoy calling Protestants "heretics" to remind them not everyone agrees with them.
Tom Send a noteboard - 14/05/2011 03:25:42 AM
It's in the spirit of the joke about the man who went to Heaven and gets a tour from St. Peter. They walk past church after church, and the man looks in and sees people singing and praying, and then they sneak past the doors of the next church. "That's the Baptist church," says St. Peter. "They think they're the only ones here."
The Orthodox Church is far less legalistic than the Catholic Church because it recognizes that there is much we cannot understand with our limited faculties (we see through a glass and dimly). It will take doctrine up to a certain point and after that it will declare that the matter is a "Divine Mystery" and attempt no further explanation. This kept the Orthodox Church from lots of silly doctrines (like Limbo).
Another advantage it has is that it has an unbroken line of faith from the earliest churches (Orthodox churches still stand in many of the cities Paul wrote to), through the Roman Empire and Byzantine period all the way to the present, without any Latin innovations. If you want to find a Church that just DOES NOT CHANGE ANYTHING EVER FOR ANY REASON, it's the Orthodox Church. The priests still wear the style of robes and hats that were worn in the era of Constantine the Great, the same a capella music is sung with the same rules, the order of the Divine Liturgy has not changed one iota (a very literal statement for those who retain the original Greek of the first Christian communities), and doctrine has not changed. The world may change, but not the Orthodox Church.
The Orthodox Church is far less legalistic than the Catholic Church because it recognizes that there is much we cannot understand with our limited faculties (we see through a glass and dimly). It will take doctrine up to a certain point and after that it will declare that the matter is a "Divine Mystery" and attempt no further explanation. This kept the Orthodox Church from lots of silly doctrines (like Limbo).
Another advantage it has is that it has an unbroken line of faith from the earliest churches (Orthodox churches still stand in many of the cities Paul wrote to), through the Roman Empire and Byzantine period all the way to the present, without any Latin innovations. If you want to find a Church that just DOES NOT CHANGE ANYTHING EVER FOR ANY REASON, it's the Orthodox Church. The priests still wear the style of robes and hats that were worn in the era of Constantine the Great, the same a capella music is sung with the same rules, the order of the Divine Liturgy has not changed one iota (a very literal statement for those who retain the original Greek of the first Christian communities), and doctrine has not changed. The world may change, but not the Orthodox Church.
Political correctness is the pettiest form of casuistry.
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
Presbyterian Church (USA) passes Amendment 10-A.
- 11/05/2011 05:39:29 PM
1579 Views
What's the language? Did they at least TRY to give a doctrinal justification?
- 12/05/2011 02:10:46 AM
1146 Views
Thank you for that rousing argument against married priests.
- 12/05/2011 03:36:51 AM
1121 Views
Why ARE you letting women into the priesthood?
- 12/05/2011 04:16:50 AM
985 Views
Because Episcopalians don't listen to the Bible much.
- 12/05/2011 05:47:03 AM
931 Views
That's just fine as far as I'm concerned
- 12/05/2011 02:23:44 PM
964 Views
Yes, I suppose a church could go that route.
- 14/05/2011 07:38:02 AM
910 Views
I'm not attempting to impose a dichotomy on the Bible.
- 14/05/2011 03:25:30 PM
989 Views
I don't even know what following the Bible in its entirety means.
- 14/05/2011 09:09:10 PM
1151 Views
As an exercise, I tried to think of how I would justify allowing homosexuals as clergy.
- 14/05/2011 04:19:43 PM
986 Views
Thanks (I'm actually OK with women priests though).
- 12/05/2011 07:09:11 AM
1039 Views
There's ample precedent for female religious leaders, even within the bible.
- 12/05/2011 06:51:05 AM
1083 Views
Since when is Moses' society the be-all end all?
- 12/05/2011 07:12:41 PM
944 Views
Since never, which is why I referenced five other eras you completely ignored.
- 14/05/2011 01:11:30 AM
1047 Views
They did so, via negativa.
- 12/05/2011 04:22:17 PM
1123 Views
Sorry for the delay, particularly since it looks like I'll be spending a fair amount of time here.
- 14/05/2011 12:31:33 AM
923 Views
Your church has a constitution?!
- 12/05/2011 03:36:41 AM
977 Views
My Church has a congress!
*NM*
- 12/05/2011 03:37:52 AM
471 Views
*NM*
- 12/05/2011 03:37:52 AM
471 Views
Haha no way! *NM*
- 12/05/2011 03:46:32 AM
430 Views
Well, we have one group of laity and one of bishops, so it is only mildy utter chaos.
*NM*
- 12/05/2011 05:51:09 AM
470 Views
*NM*
- 12/05/2011 05:51:09 AM
470 Views
I'm happy to hear this, personally. I also wonder how you reconcile this with the Bible.
- 12/05/2011 04:11:31 AM
1156 Views
Every direct reference to homosexuality in the Bible is a reference to rape.
- 12/05/2011 04:12:43 PM
974 Views
Every single word that you wrote in your response is complete bullshit.
- 12/05/2011 05:50:07 PM
1110 Views
Knock off your eisegesis, try some exegesis
- 12/05/2011 07:02:45 PM
1024 Views
I'm trying to figure out just what your "gifts" are, because I don't see any.
- 12/05/2011 07:30:39 PM
990 Views
There are cases in which hypocrisy is far better than the alternatives.
- 12/05/2011 10:04:32 PM
1081 Views
Hypocrisy is better than, say, setting gays on fire, yes.
- 12/05/2011 10:10:40 PM
1051 Views
My statement is that, from a pragmatic point of view, hypocrisy shouldn't be discouraged too much.
- 13/05/2011 10:05:39 PM
1072 Views
Oh, is that how we're playing this, then?
- 13/05/2011 06:29:31 PM
1008 Views
I'm not playing. I'm pointing out some glaring errors on your part.
- 13/05/2011 07:25:08 PM
909 Views
The Bible says what it says. The problem... people like to tell us just what else it's saying.
- 13/05/2011 05:31:29 PM
967 Views
You don't reconcile... you pick the parts you like and adjust the rest to suit you.
- 13/05/2011 09:33:54 PM
885 Views
Another example...
- 12/05/2011 09:19:52 AM
889 Views
If you claim to follow the entire Bible, then you are completely correct.
- 12/05/2011 06:04:38 PM
890 Views
On the contrary, this move will take some butts out of the seats.
- 12/05/2011 07:16:22 PM
944 Views
We both know that isn't the case
- 12/05/2011 07:55:41 PM
1054 Views
Cool cool. I have a question on a semi-related note, about Protestant Gospels
- 12/05/2011 05:33:49 PM
1006 Views
No Protestant denomination has added so much as a word to the Bible
- 12/05/2011 05:58:16 PM
914 Views
So, everyone hates Judith, then?
- 12/05/2011 06:40:11 PM
984 Views
The Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Churches accept Judith as part of Scripture.
- 12/05/2011 07:51:27 PM
912 Views
Does the Eastern Orthodox Church also segregate deuterocanonical works like Roman Catholicism does?
- 14/05/2011 02:19:03 AM
1235 Views
The Eastern Church bases everything on the Septuagint.
- 14/05/2011 02:34:41 AM
966 Views
That sounds appealing, and makes sense.
- 14/05/2011 02:44:56 AM
979 Views
Oh, I just enjoy calling Protestants "heretics" to remind them not everyone agrees with them.
- 14/05/2011 03:25:42 AM
920 Views
Re: Cool cool. I have a question on a semi-related note, about Protestant Gospels
- 12/05/2011 08:52:48 PM
961 Views
The NIV is terrible. The NASB has the best translation I have found (of the NT, at least).
- 12/05/2011 10:43:58 PM
1098 Views
I find this really weird, to be honest
- 13/05/2011 05:48:28 AM
992 Views
Well, it wasn't just Athanasius. But yes, we are lucky in that respect. *NM*
- 13/05/2011 06:32:48 AM
401 Views
Athanasius's list reflected the victory of Pauline Christianity
- 13/05/2011 02:52:53 PM
931 Views
There's a school of thought that says that's a strong vindication of Athanasius.
- 14/05/2011 02:37:49 AM
868 Views
- 14/05/2011 02:37:49 AM
868 Views

*NM*