Questions

My friend is an orthodox priest and he takes the scriptures very seriously, much more so than most Catholics or Protestants that I know. He also views The authority of church tradition as ultimate extension of God’s authority, as opposed to the scriptures, which is a point of disagreement between us, but from what I have gathered from him the church teaches on all of the concepts in those verses.

please let me know if non orthodox are allowed to post here I can’t exactly tell because for some reason I can’t figure out which sub Orthodox forum this is it just says ancient way

we take Scripture very seriously. not only are Orthodox encouraged to read it on their own, there are daily readings, our primary hymn book is Psalms, and our services are almost totally from Scripture.

what's your interest in those verses, if I may ask?

GaveMeJoy said:

My friend is an orthodox priest and he takes the scriptures very seriously, much more so than most Catholics or Protestants that I know. He also views The authority of church tradition as on par with scripture which is a point of disagreement between us, but from what I have gathered from him the church teaches on all of the concepts in those verses.

please let me know if non orthodox are allowed to post here I can’t exactly tell because for some reason I can’t figure out which sub Orthodox forum this is it just says ancient way

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just a small correction. for us, tradition isn't on par with Scripture. rather, Scripture is the central piece of the tradition.

ArmyMatt said:

just a small correction. for us, tradition isn't on par with Scripture. rather, Scripture is the central piece of the tradition.

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Thanks for the clarification I will fix in my comment

GaveMeJoy said:

Thanks for the clarification I will fix in my comment

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no worries!

Phoebe Ann said:

You most certainly may ask. I apparently got distracted when posting. View attachment 270961

I had a question about parenting. I don't know if my computer is the culprit or if my lousy internet service is.

The following was supposed to be part of that post:

Proverbs 14:29
29 He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

Proverbs 15:8
18 A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.

Proverbs 16:32
32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

Proverbs 17:27
27 He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.

(I lost the internet again. I may have to start over.)

Ecclesiastes 7
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

Proverbs 15:17
17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled* ox and hatred therewith.
* fatted

I believe that mealtime should be pleasant and that discipline of teenagers should consist of teaching instead of corporal punishment. I believe that angry parents often create angry or depressed children. Am I out in left field?

When the prodigal son ran off his father didn't run after him and restrain him.

Does your church advise parents?

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no, you're not out in left field. yes, our Church does advise parents, but something like this is between the priest, the parents, and the kids. but even when corporal punishment is used, it's best not to be used in anger.

Phoebe Ann said:

Thank you for taking the time to respond to me. I appreciate it.

I agree about the anger of course. But does the priest talk about this with every parent? A child who is already intimidated will undoubtedly refrain from saying anything negative about his parent. Too much corporal punishment and anger teaches a child that that is how things are handled if you want to be the one in control.

Don't get me wrong --- but how does a priest know if there's a problem at home?

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there are usually signs when there is abuse at home. but even if the parents do a good job at hiding it, they can't hide from God. to knowingly continue to sin without repentance brings about damnation.

I don't want to appear callous, but does a priest have to know if there is abuse in the home? If a person goes to the doctor and tells the doctor about some of his symptoms but not others, it is likely the person will go away unhealed. Likewise, if a person comes to confession and leaves things out, a priest cannot bring healing to those areas. That is unfortunate, but the goal of the Church is not to drag us to salvation against our will. If a person is worried that they are yelling or spanking too much, they will often bring such things to confession. However, I doubt most truly abusive people will do so. They deprive themselves of the chance for forgiveness and true repentance, but that is their choice.

If a child or spouse of an abusive person comes to a priest and mentions their home situation, One can try to help them directly. But that might not involve the abuser at all, it might involve telling them to flee. It is beyond most people to fix bad homes and bad situations. That's sad, but it's also the reality. I think the church plays a role in helping anyone who wants to repent to repent, but it begins with a desire to turn from sin.

Phoebe Ann said:

These are my thougts (but not judging others).There must be a way for a church to teach all the parents instead of putting father and mother on the spot. We don't want people to get angry and stop going to church. We don't want people to say, "It isn't abuse to be angry when you discipline if you don't leave broken bones or bruises."

I don't want to criticize anyone. I want all of us to brainstorm and try to help parents.

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just because you teach against it, that doesn't mean you're singling anyone out.

Phoebe Ann said:

I'm only very vaguely familiar with the Eastern Orthodox Church. May I ask if you do teach parenting tips in classes or Sunday messages? I'm more familiar with Protestant denominations. I've never heard a sermon or Sunday School class on parenting. How can that not be important? I'm wondering if Protestant sermons are aimed at not stepping on toes. I'm sure from having approached the topic here at CF, that other parents seem to resent the topic being brought up. I thought parenting was hard and my experience has been that most parents don't want suggestions or advice unless the situation with their child has reached a crisis and can hardly be fixed. How can I help anyone without offending? Any ideas?

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usually Sunday focuses on the Gospel as the message. but we do have, as one example, someone like Dr Philip Mamalakis who has written on this from an Orthodox POV.

Phoebe Ann said:

THANK YOU!!! I will probably order that from Amazon.

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you're welcome!

I wonder if this organization could also be helpful?:

OCAMPR | A Resource for Orthodox Christian Care-Givers

Lukaris said:

I wonder if this organization could also be helpful?:

OCAMPR | A Resource for Orthodox Christian Care-Givers

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Dr Mamalakis does a lot with OCAMPR