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
1494 Views
What's the language? Did they at least TRY to give a doctrinal justification?
- 12/05/2011 02:10:46 AM
1067 Views
Thank you for that rousing argument against married priests.
- 12/05/2011 03:36:51 AM
992 Views
Why ARE you letting women into the priesthood?
- 12/05/2011 04:16:50 AM
921 Views
Because Episcopalians don't listen to the Bible much.
- 12/05/2011 05:47:03 AM
857 Views
That's just fine as far as I'm concerned
- 12/05/2011 02:23:44 PM
882 Views
Yes, I suppose a church could go that route.
- 14/05/2011 07:38:02 AM
830 Views
I'm not attempting to impose a dichotomy on the Bible.
- 14/05/2011 03:25:30 PM
906 Views
I don't even know what following the Bible in its entirety means.
- 14/05/2011 09:09:10 PM
1069 Views
As an exercise, I tried to think of how I would justify allowing homosexuals as clergy.
- 14/05/2011 04:19:43 PM
902 Views
Thanks (I'm actually OK with women priests though).
- 12/05/2011 07:09:11 AM
958 Views
There's ample precedent for female religious leaders, even within the bible.
- 12/05/2011 06:51:05 AM
1004 Views
Since when is Moses' society the be-all end all?
- 12/05/2011 07:12:41 PM
859 Views
Since never, which is why I referenced five other eras you completely ignored.
- 14/05/2011 01:11:30 AM
964 Views
They did so, via negativa.
- 12/05/2011 04:22:17 PM
1029 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
838 Views
Your church has a constitution?!
- 12/05/2011 03:36:41 AM
898 Views
My Church has a congress!
*NM*
- 12/05/2011 03:37:52 AM
430 Views
*NM*
- 12/05/2011 03:37:52 AM
430 Views
Haha no way! *NM*
- 12/05/2011 03:46:32 AM
391 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
425 Views
*NM*
- 12/05/2011 05:51:09 AM
425 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
1071 Views
Every direct reference to homosexuality in the Bible is a reference to rape.
- 12/05/2011 04:12:43 PM
902 Views
Every single word that you wrote in your response is complete bullshit.
- 12/05/2011 05:50:07 PM
1037 Views
Knock off your eisegesis, try some exegesis
- 12/05/2011 07:02:45 PM
943 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
917 Views
There are cases in which hypocrisy is far better than the alternatives.
- 12/05/2011 10:04:32 PM
992 Views
Hypocrisy is better than, say, setting gays on fire, yes.
- 12/05/2011 10:10:40 PM
968 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
989 Views
Oh, is that how we're playing this, then?
- 13/05/2011 06:29:31 PM
927 Views
I'm not playing. I'm pointing out some glaring errors on your part.
- 13/05/2011 07:25:08 PM
826 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
894 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
814 Views
Another example...
- 12/05/2011 09:19:52 AM
814 Views
If you claim to follow the entire Bible, then you are completely correct.
- 12/05/2011 06:04:38 PM
811 Views
On the contrary, this move will take some butts out of the seats.
- 12/05/2011 07:16:22 PM
869 Views
We both know that isn't the case
- 12/05/2011 07:55:41 PM
973 Views
Cool cool. I have a question on a semi-related note, about Protestant Gospels
- 12/05/2011 05:33:49 PM
925 Views
No Protestant denomination has added so much as a word to the Bible
- 12/05/2011 05:58:16 PM
807 Views
So, everyone hates Judith, then?
- 12/05/2011 06:40:11 PM
886 Views
The Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Churches accept Judith as part of Scripture.
- 12/05/2011 07:51:27 PM
832 Views
Does the Eastern Orthodox Church also segregate deuterocanonical works like Roman Catholicism does?
- 14/05/2011 02:19:03 AM
1143 Views
The Eastern Church bases everything on the Septuagint.
- 14/05/2011 02:34:41 AM
889 Views
That sounds appealing, and makes sense.
- 14/05/2011 02:44:56 AM
899 Views
Oh, I just enjoy calling Protestants "heretics" to remind them not everyone agrees with them.
- 14/05/2011 03:25:42 AM
847 Views
Re: Cool cool. I have a question on a semi-related note, about Protestant Gospels
- 12/05/2011 08:52:48 PM
868 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
1014 Views
I find this really weird, to be honest
- 13/05/2011 05:48:28 AM
922 Views
Well, it wasn't just Athanasius. But yes, we are lucky in that respect. *NM*
- 13/05/2011 06:32:48 AM
365 Views
Athanasius's list reflected the victory of Pauline Christianity
- 13/05/2011 02:52:53 PM
835 Views
There's a school of thought that says that's a strong vindication of Athanasius.
- 14/05/2011 02:37:49 AM
790 Views
- 14/05/2011 02:37:49 AM
790 Views

*NM*