Time to leave...

[CelticRebel]

shortly. Too much animosity, superior attitudes, contempt, hostility, etc. If my being here has brought this out, then I need to leave. I will always have several key issues in common with Orthodoxy, but I will continue to be far apart from Orthodoxy on other issues.

ArmyMatt asked me to list those doctrines in which I thought Orthodoxy was wrong or that made it not the one true church. I think I have already stated most of them. I still believe Orthodoxy is closer than almost all other expressions of the Christian faith, though.

I have met some very good people here, and I am thankful for that.

 

[ArmyMatt]

well, I hope you don't go man (even if you need to break away for a bit). keep asking and remember that it is easy to take things out of context online. I know I personally have misspoke on occasion, and come across not as I intended.

 

[All4Christ]

shortly. Too much animosity, superior attitudes, contempt, hostility, etc. If my being here has brought this out, then I need to leave. I will always have several key issues in common with Orthodoxy, but I will continue to be far apart from Orthodoxy on other issues. ArmyMatt asked me to list those doctrines in which I thought Orthodoxy was wrong or that made it not the one true church. I think I have already stated most of them. I still believe Orthodoxy is closer than almost all other expressions of the Christian faith, though. I have met some very good people here, and I am thankful for that.

I'm sorry that there has been animosity on TAW...I am glad for the discussions we all have had! You're always welcome here, and I wish you the best of luck in your journey. If you are ever near an Orthodox Church, I encourage you to visit just to see what it is like, if you haven't done so.

 

[CelticRebel]

well, I hope you don't go man (even if you need to break away for a bit). keep asking and remember that it is easy to take things out of context online. I know I personally have misspoke on occasion, and come across not as I intended.

Thank you once again for your kind words. The thought of leaving makes me sad, but it may be for the best -- seems as if the discussion has degenerated and not been very fruitful the last couple of days.

 

[CelticRebel]

I'm sorry that there has been animosity on TAW...I am glad for the discussions we all have had! You're always welcome here, and I wish you the best of luck in your journey. If you are ever near an Orthodox Church, I encourage you to visit just to see what it is like, if you haven't done so.

Thank you for saying that; it means a lot to me.

I do hope to visit an Orthodox church this summer.

 

[ArmyMatt]

PM me should you wanna carry the dialogue on, my friend.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I'm sorry the discussion has gotten a bit prickly. It's good to see you asking questions, and it's also good IMO if you feel safe to state your disagreements in such a way so they can be discussed.

I agree with All4Christ ... it would be great if you could visit a Church sometime just to see what it's really about. Online only gives you part of the picture.

Just a thought should you decide to hang around or come back ... I wonder if St. Justin's or St. Basil's might be more suited and make you more comfortable? I'm not there that much, so I'm not sure. Not even sure if you'd get your answers there - it seems a little low-traffic. But just a thought, especially if it's that or nothing, if you decide not to post in the fellowship area.

God bless you wherever you go!

 

[Wryetui]

Don't leave the road of Orthodoxy because some people online was harsh to you. We are all human and we err, Christ wants you in His Church and so do we, don't forget you are home here and you can come whenever you want

 

[rusmeister]

And don't forget, you are dealing with people who think they are actually right, and that people who come here with a different take are going to be challenged with what we see to be the enormous evidence, both intellectual and experiential, that affirms Orthodoxy. You came to us, we welcome you, determined debate is better put in St Justin's, in the main forum we are rougher with visitors who claim "different truths", as the house rules basically forbid it.
I've taken no offense, FWIW.
God bless!

 

[dzheremi]

Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously said "You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts", but if talking to people for years about Christianity in general (and Orthodoxy in particular for the last few) has taught me anything, it is that everyone's own opinion is a fact...and so "fact" means something different to each person.

 

[Gxg (G²)]

Thank you for saying that; it means a lot to me.

I do hope to visit an Orthodox church this summer.

Praying that your time at the Orthodox Church is a blessed one - and if you come back, praying your discussions are fruitful as the debates are always engaging in differing ways...

 

[FireDragon76]

shortly. Too much animosity, superior attitudes, contempt, hostility, etc. If my being here has brought this out, then I need to leave. I will always have several key issues in common with Orthodoxy, but I will continue to be far apart from Orthodoxy on other issues.

I've looked over some of the things you said and I'm not sure I see what you have in common. I don't think you realize the hand-grenades you are throwing around without trying to understand where they are coming from. Orthodoxy is not simply a bullet-point list of beliefs you happen to agree or disagree with, it is also a mindset shared by a community. And the mindset is maybe even more important than adhering to certain beliefs, at least in terms of actually being Orthodox.

 

[GregConstantine]

online discussion forums are not the place to learn about Orthodoxy. Like Firedragon said, it's not a list of doctrines, but a mindset, more than that, it is a way of life. It must be, or I should say, He, must be experienced and lived in a context of a relationship, not just a mental agreement to certain ideas or doctrines.

Please do not rely on internet forums. Go to a local Orthodox parish on a regular or semi regular basis.

 

[All4Christ]

online discussion forums are not the place to learn about Orthodoxy. Like Firedragon said, it's not a list of doctrines, but a mindset, more than that, it is a way of life. It must be, or I should say, He, must be experienced and lived in a context of a relationship, not just a mental agreement to certain ideas or doctrines. Please do not rely on internet forums. Go to a local Orthodox parish on a regular or semi regular basis.

Online forums can help with the initial steps of finding out about Orthodoxy, but you are right that it is important to experience Orthodoxy. In the case of CelticRebel though, I believe he mentioned that he is several hours away from the closest parish (correct me if I'm wrong CR). I agree 100% that if at all possible it is best to learn through experience primarily. It did work for me though to learn about Orthodoxy on TAW before I was ready to attend. A local parishioner contacted me through TAW (PM) to invite me to her parish...now my parish. Once I started attending though, my priest requested that I talk to him about my questions or some people he suggested in our parish, as well as recommended books, etc.

I definitely do recommend making the trip to the Orthodox parish though...it is an amazing experience and throws an entirely different light on Orthodoxy once you see it in person.

 

[ArmyMatt]

yeah, I think he is a ways away from his local parish. I would see about maybe meeting the priest halfway if possible to discusss things face to face, but ultimately the greatest teaching too we have are the services. so Fire, Greg, All are correct that you gotta attend the services and pray the prayers. talking online you can know about Christ, but the Church is there so you can know Him.

 

[CelticRebel]

PM me should you wanna carry the dialogue on, my friend.

Thanks very much, AM.

 

[CelticRebel]

I'm sorry the discussion has gotten a bit prickly. It's good to see you asking questions, and it's also good IMO if you feel safe to state your disagreements in such a way so they can be discussed.

I agree with All4Christ ... it would be great if you could visit a Church sometime just to see what it's really about. Online only gives you part of the picture.

Just a thought should you decide to hang around or come back ... I wonder if St. Justin's or St. Basil's might be more suited and make you more comfortable? I'm not there that much, so I'm not sure. Not even sure if you'd get your answers there - it seems a little low-traffic. But just a thought, especially if it's that or nothing, if you decide not to post in the fellowship area.

God bless you wherever you go!

I wasn't aware of these places. How do they differ from here?

 

[CelticRebel]

And don't forget, you are dealing with people who think they are actually right, and that people who come here with a different take are going to be challenged with what we see to be the enormous evidence, both intellectual and experiential, that affirms Orthodoxy. You came to us, we welcome you, determined debate is better put in St Justin's, in the main forum we are rougher with visitors who claim "different truths", as the house rules basically forbid it.
I've taken no offense, FWIW.
God bless!

Thanks!

I didn't know and still don't know about St. Justin's. I'll have to look into it.

 

[CelticRebel]

Online forums can help with the initial steps of finding out about Orthodoxy, but you are right that it is important to experience Orthodoxy. In the case of CelticRebel though, I believe he mentioned that he is several hours away from the closest parish (correct me if I'm wrong CR). I agree 100% that if at all possible it is best to learn through experience primarily. It did work for me though to learn about Orthodoxy on TAW before I was ready to attend. A local parishioner contacted me through TAW (PM) to invite me to her parish...now my parish. Once I started attending though, my priest requested that I talk to him about my questions or some people he suggested in our parish, as well as recommended books, etc.

I definitely do recommend making the trip to the Orthodox parish though...it is an amazing experience and throws an entirely different light on Orthodoxy once you see it in person.

Yes, closest church is 90 miles away.

 

[dzheremi]

Maybe you can visit on a semi-yearly schedule. Some of our people have to do that here, because we're the only Oriental Orthodox Church for hundreds of miles in any direction, so it's a real treat to see these people maybe once a year, or every two years. It probably wouldn't work out on a long term basis (I don't know what these people who visit so seldomly here do in the long term; I assume they're going somewhere when they travel where they can attend the nearest OO church there), but probably if you told the church that you were coming ahead of time, and of your circumstances, they would help you get the most out of your visit (in terms of asking the types of questions you are asking here, and making sure to get an answer). Maybe even the people at your nearest church know others closer to you who you could carpool with, if you wanted to visit on a more regular basis, or to get together with them with the blessing of the clergy for informal study/inquiry sessions to prepare you for your visits.