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Really?? In America, we are led to believe that Europe and much of the rest of the world has embraced gay marriage and other gay rights, and that we are behind the times. Our media is incredibly liberal and biased.

Yes, this is it. Crimea was always part of Russia until this century when a Ukrainian born Russian leader "gifted" Crimea to Ukraine. The people of Crimea are ethnically Russian. Ukraine wants to join the EU, but the Russian people in Crimea want to belong to Russia again. So they asked...

I'm so sorry you are going through this. :( I'm in a similar boat except my struggles are with Orthodoxy itself and not with faith in God in general. I've been Orthodox for five years struggling with it for three. It is a horrible state to be in. I've come to realize that I wasn't fully...

This one. Orthodox Childrens Illustrated Bible: American Bible Society: 9781585168279: Amazon.com: Books

How it is exercised is subjective. One would say the form was correct so we'll bring you in through crismation, which we are allowed to do because of economia. Another believes that Grace does not exist outside of the church at all and would rebaptise everyone.

I'm not talking about objective, doctrinal truth. I'm talking about subjective beliefs and praxis. Like tollhouses or frequency of confession, or just crismation vs rebaptism, rigidity of fasting, etc.

Welcome to Orthodoxy, Gurney! This is one of my bigger stumbling blocks. We all believe the same doctrine, but when it comes to Orthodox praxis, we live like protestants, each doing our own thing. Two bishops can say opposite things, but they can both be right, because they're bishops...

Right there with you. I never felt 100% assured as a protestant, but I was definitely a lot more confident than I am as an Orthodox. Sign me up!

Seriously? You're talking in circles.

This is my favorite article on that site. It just gives you the warm fuzzies. Young Children in the Orthodox Church

Assembly IV Concludes; Assembly Issues Statements to the Faithful | Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America

Pithless Thoughts: Orthograph #22 - Toll Booths?

What this says to me is: 1. Father Seraphim Rose believed in the literal tollhouses, which we all know. 2. Father Seraphim Rose believed that if someone DOESN'T believe in the literal tollhouses, it is because they are too afraid and/or spiritually immature to handle it. 3. Father Seraphim...

I agree. And as to it being truth JUST because numerous previous Orthodox have talked about it, Hyperdox Herman says the first time is innovation, the second time is normal, the third time is tradition... Gurney, just take comfort in the fact that the tollhouses are not mentioned AT ALL in...

Bravo! It all boils down to whatever your priest said based on whatever his bishop said.

I'm a big nay, and one of the IMers. I do that because it's pointless and a waste of time to "ignite the ire" of SR true believers. It does not accomplish anything but more arguing and disagreeing; and nobody's mind is changed. I love Father Hopko's explanation. And just for the record...

Have you given consideration to the fact that they're not Catholic? They don't believe in Apostolic succession the way Catholics or Orthodox do, that whatever power Christ gave the apostles, they then passed on to their successors. That passage doesn't mean the same to them as it does to you...

Exactly, what we should fear is life without Christ. Just an fyi, St John of Damascus also said this: From St. John of Damascus (The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers:Second Series Vol. IX; Eerdmans pg. 75): "Death itself, which once was man's chiefest terror, has been overthrown, and now that...

Let no one fear death, for the Savior's death has set us free: he that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it. By descending into hell, he made hell captive. He embittered it when it tasted of his flesh. And Isaiah, foretelling this, cried: "Hell was embittered when it encountered thee in...

No, it shouldn't be scary... We are to try our best to not fear death and keep our hope in Christ. Fr. Seraphim Rose is not for the lighthearted or the novice Orthodox. His writings are deep and dark and not necessarily Orthodox doctrine.