Confession and reconciliation.

[MoeSzyslak]

I went to confession this past weekend and am officially a member of the Orthodox church (Serbian).

I was originally baptized into "orthodox" church through Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Boston many years ago. (Many years before the whole sleeper awake stuff, so don't ask about it. I know nothing.) I lived there for awhile as a novice. I have Asperger syndrome so I found the whole black and white way of them seeing things to reside with me nicely. I was having doubts. One night I was praying at Mother Stephania's grave. I asked for a sign if I was supposed to leave HOCNA and the monastery. The next day, a monk walked up to me and handed me a prayer rope and said "here, its a prayer rope that was owned by Mother Stephania for some reason I think I am supposed to give it to you." So I packed and left very shortly thereafter.

Since then I have been bouncing around with no real home. I have trouble with the grey areas in life. There must be some middle ground between the black and white thinking of the schismatic groups and the complete theological relativism of the western world. Hopefully I 'll find it.

I don't post in CF a lot, but thought I'd say hi.

 

[ArmyMatt]

you will.

Lord have mercy and welcome!

 

[FireDragon76]

Since then I have been bouncing around with no real home. I have trouble with the grey areas in life. There must be some middle ground between the black and white thinking of the schismatic groups and the complete theological relativism of the western world. Hopefully I 'll find it.i.

I've come to the conclusion that most ordinary religionists look on their religious self-understanding with romantic eyes, eyes that we as Aspies simply do not have, or through which we see poorly. I believe a great many Orthodox treat their self-understanding far more romantically than you realize, which is why you are frustrated. You are realizing in your heart the issues are not so clear cut, but you have been taught to believe they are and this fits with your intellectual understanding as well.

The issues are never so clear cut. What you see as theological relativism is the same greyness that is the reality that we live in a deeply broken, hurting world, and religious institutions don't escape that brokenness.

 

[Kristos]

 

[MoeSzyslak]

I've come to the conclusion that most ordinary religionists look on their religious self-understanding with romantic eyes, eyes that we as Aspies simply do not have, or through which we see poorly. I believe a great many Orthodox treat their self-understanding far more romantically than you realize, which is why you are frustrated. You are realizing in your heart the issues are not so clear cut, but you have been taught to believe they are and this fits with your intellectual understanding as well.

The issues are never so clear cut. What you see as theological relativism is the same greyness that is the reality that we live in a deeply broken, hurting world, and religious institutions don't escape that brokenness.

I don't understand the phrase "romantic eyes". I don't think people look at their religion romantically?

I don't think I have been taught everything is clear cut. I think that is my doing. My pastor's repeated phrase to me is "let it go". I think he is trying to show me the grey, yet at the same time show me the acceptable boundaries.