Vent: Facebook posts from Orthodox Christians

[All4Christ]

::vent on::

So, lately I've seen Orthodox Christians and Orthodox Christian Facebook groups posting a bunch of very non-Orthodox articles, opinions, etc. A lot of people seem to be posting articles from other Christian sources that are in direct contradiction to our beliefs. One of them is posting these unOrthodox articles as an Orthodox specific Facebook page! I'm very frustrated with our faith being portrayed on social networks incorrectly.

::vent over::

Is there anything that you think can be done to help prevent this from happening? I've posted back on some of them discussing what Orthodoxy says (since the posters are Orthodox) and they delete any of those posts and comments refuting the accuracy of the articles they post. I guess doing that isn't a viable option. My biggest problem / frustration isn't posting your own opinion, but posting inaccurate opinions under the name of Orthodoxy.

 

[GregConstantine]

are you referring to the ask an orthodox priest page? I left that group. I got so annoyed with some of the questions and comments.

 

[gzt]

Orthodox Facebook groups are the worst. I'm not sure what's worse, groups like that or the "Traditionalist" ones.

 

[~Anastasia~]

The groups are awful. I'm still in a few (and people seem to just be adding me) but I rarely visit. Every once in a while when I do, I either get questionable information (sometimes mixed with good) or pretty much have my head bitten off. I'm always surprised at the - animosity there - between Orthodox?

I tend to get very nice private messages from the occasional priest or monk though. And I have some friends there who post wonderful things, so I enjoy my newsfeed. But the groups???

I don't know. You can't override group owners. I kind of doubt any official channel (the bishop on up?) would do anything? Maybe not able?

I could say start one's own group and try to provide something better, but that would take a lot of time. And as for myself, I'm hardly in a position to tell others what to do.

I'm with you on the frustration though. I try to gently insert better comments sometimes, but I don't think I do any good and my time is probably much better spent on my own prayers and reading. Not to sound selfish, but I need work is what I mean to say.

 

[aChildOfMary]

There are Dissidents who try to force their own political agendas in every church or denomination of Christianity.

The difference is that in earlier times the Dissidents left the church and dwelled with their sin unwilling and uninterested in ever repenting.
Now a days they don't leave, but instead they try to enforce their lies on clergy and are aiming to change the church from within in order to suit their need.

We need to stand up against this apostasy and pray alot.




- aChildOfMary

 

[gzt]

Other way around: leaving the Church and doing your own thing is a modern notion. In earlier times, people doing bad things had to be forcibly expelled from the Church.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I would be very cautious about Facebook groups. I used to post a lot more than I do, because stuff gets way to silly, and far too many people think that their opinion on Orthodoxy actually matters. tread lightly if you tread at all.

 

[gzt]

Again, I'm not sure what's worse, the relatively unmoderated groups or the "Traditional (Canonical)" groups. They're both horrible trainwrecks, but of different sorts. The blind leading the blind or the grumpy leading the fascists.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I would be very cautious about Facebook groups. I used to post a lot more than I do, because stuff gets way to silly, and far too many people think that their opinion on Orthodoxy actually matters. tread lightly if you tread at all.

That's pretty much where I am.

Again, I'm not sure what's worse, the relatively unmoderated groups or the "Traditional (Canonical)" groups. They're both horrible trainwrecks, but of different sorts. The blind leading the blind or the grumpy leading the fascists.

Lol, I seem to bump against both blind and grumpy - especially grumpy. I somehow seem to rub at least several people in every thread the wrong way!

 

[E.C.]

I'd rather post in General Theology than go to an Orthodox Facebook page.

 

[seashale76]

I deleted my Facebook account a few years ago because Facebook made clear its stance on privacy. So, I was completely unsurprised when Egypt asked Facebook for information on some Egyptians that criticized Islam or simply 'liked' Christian posts, that Facebook handed it over. Now we have innocents in prison. To be part of Facebook is to be complicit in their imprisonment for me.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

That's crazy!? I never heard about that story in Egypt. I want to read about that! Do you have a link, Sea? Awful stuff!?

I deleted my Facebook account a few years ago because Facebook made clear its stance on privacy. So, I was completely unsurprised when Egypt asked Facebook for information on some Egyptians that criticized Islam or simply 'liked' Christian posts, that Facebook handed it over. Now we have innocents in prison. To be part of Facebook is to be complicit in their imprisonment for me.

 

[Gxg (G²)]

I deleted my Facebook account a few years ago because Facebook made clear its stance on privacy. So, I was completely unsurprised when Egypt asked Facebook for information on some Egyptians that criticized Islam or simply 'liked' Christian posts, that Facebook handed it over. Now we have innocents in prison. To be part of Facebook is to be complicit in their imprisonment for me.

Wow ...

Although I knew of the privacy dynamic, I had no idea on the account with the Egyptians and what occurred

 

[Gxg (G²)]

I'd rather post in General Theology than go to an Orthodox Facebook page.

Which Orthodox FB pages are we talking about, to be clear?

For I've seen several - some of them being ones talked on before on the forums..one of them discussed in What To Do About certain "Orthodox" FB group (as a couple of forum members here were a part of them/felt a lot of stereotypes were going down). Plus, there are groups from organizations like the OCA and others which are official as opposed to solely composed by lay-people

 

[E.C.]

Just in general.
I'm finding more and more that Orthodox people can be just as divisive in church affairs and as naive in others as our Protestant counterparts. That and several Protestant ideas about raising children are being embraced by Orthodox people. The difference is that we don't divide ourselves so much on theology as we do liturgics, administration and family life.

 

[gzt]

Protestant ideas about raising children? Do indulge me.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I was kind of wondering the same thing. My (now former, thank God) priest and deacon thought I was some kind of scumbag for sending my kids to a Lutheran private school. Yet another Orthodox priest of some friends of mine in Illinois RECOMMENDED they send their kids "only" to a Lutheran school in that area!? Some priests abhor birth control, others are loosey-goosey with it, some are in the middle. Do we have rubrics for being good Orthodox parents? At what point are we "Protestantizing" parents? I have no idea. And I don't think the priests have any idea either because their advice seems to come more from personal prejudices, private opinions, and their own experiences/perceptions rather than some patristic parent guide!

Protestant ideas about raising children? Do indulge me.

 

[All4Christ]

I could say start one's own group and try to provide something better, but that would take a lot of time.

I actually do have an Orthodox Facebook page that I run in conjunction with my Lenten Season website (Lenten Season: Orthodox Christian Resources for the Lenten fast - https://www.facebook.com/OrthodoxLentenSeason). I try very hard to not post any original ideas though and try to post quotes from Church Fathers, Orthodox articles to explanations about the current feast days, public domain icons, etc. I really do hope that someone would write to me if I posted something incorrect though. It's intended to be a ministry and I definitely don't want to mislead people. That said, it really frustrates me when people post their opinions when they don't seem to have a solid understanding of the Orthodox faith. Not to say that I am authoritative...it just feels like a responsibility to do all you can to avoid making anyone else stumble. I really do hope that it helps others - I never want to do the opposite. I hope people would say something if they thought my posts were inaccurate or misleading.

 

[All4Christ]

The other day, an Orthodox Christian Facebook friend posted a Protestant article talking about theosis being heretical. Tons of posts promoting Charismatic beliefs, etc. This person has tons of friends - and I worry that our faith is being portrayed to people very incorrectly. The same thing happens with another group that has Orthodox Christianity in the Facebook page name. Social media probably the most public way for our faith to be portrayed - and I can imagine many cases where people get the wrong impression about Orthodox beliefs

 

[gzt]

Yeah, that's just terrible nonsense.