Difference. I've been told that by Protestants.
and you think I haven't heard likewise sentiments from EO, RCC, etc...?
We're all a heretic in someone elses eyes.
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Nor was I when the pope removed himself from the Church. Yet, we still follow one legacy or another.
or, if you believe them, everyone left the Pope.
there is another line of thought, one that you likely won't accept. And that is the attempt to distance yourself from ANY of this Partisan politic style Christianity has gotten itself into. of course, you would say becuase I don't accept the EO as the one true church, I'm following the legacy of the protestors. I haven't separated from anything. I'm not even a PART of anything, frankly, beyond a family of believers that meet together to serve Christ and love each other. I'm not interested in playing that game.
I actually have to give them a little credit. I know not of any other faith/religion/Church/cult that could assembly line and distribute so many articles of clothing to so many with such good efficiency!
doesn't hurt, anyways.
Only about three to five. About 30,000 others just claim to be "the way".
ah, so because only three to five claim to be the one true church, that somehow makes it more credible? And I don't by the 30,000 BS argument. the number changes all the time, 30, 40, I've seen someone claim 60. I've seen very very FEW of them that claim to be "the way." (as in, we are right, y'all are wrong.)
Nope.
Try Eusebius. Or Timothy Ware. I could name a few others if you'd like, both pre and post Schism.
As well as a number of academic.
uh huh.
I think
that "will have" would be more accurate. Since we know quite a bit, our level of expected responsibility is higher than that of, let's say, a man on a deserted island since birth. We have more to be accountable for than the average Protestant since we treasure our history, Tradition and roots. Since we know more, we are expected to act it.
My priest once said that one of his professors at seminary would say at the end of the class "Now you know and you have no excuse".
which is where I find the disparagement. Us poor Protestants don't know anyting, by comparison. We are to be pitied.
But do you sit and watch as Protestants proselytize those already Christian? Or do you participate in the act?
participate? no. and I HAVE spoken up, but it does very little.
it only serves to have TWO groups spitting at me, instead of one. (beyond which, it's really REALLY hard to have much gumption to defend someone who pretty much dismisses your faith in the first place.)
I try not to judge. However, it always pains me how polarized this forum is between Rome, Protestants and Orthodox. The only time there is ever some quasi-unity is when one of the three is on the ground being stomped upon by the other two.
agreed on that.
It would be nice, if whenever one is being stomped by the two, if someone from one of the other camps would come out and at least say "hey, take a break".
I have made that attempt. It's done nothing of value so far.
The difference is that Canadians (at large) are much more liberal than Americans and will thus attack conservative-esque ideal or institutions. I used to watch the CBC for a while, but got sick of it for that just reason.
Americans, on the other hand, are the world's teenagers that think they know everything and thus attack anything that is either considered "ultra liberal" or "ultra conservative".
That being said, we could end up in the same boat one day.
oh, likely. give it enough time. the "fortress America" will happen sooner or later. More's the pity.
Examine yourself and how you react to posts made by others. I mean, truly examine and try to see how others would react. Would I dare go into OBOB and start posting about how Rome never cared for the Ecumenical Councils? No, but that is something which I hold to be true-ish. Would I dare go into the fundy areas and post about how in error they are for being like the pharisees of Christ's time? No, but again that is something begging for a beating or at least a very stern thread.
and I didn't go into any one elses area to do such a thing.
what I DO tend to react to, is holier-than-thou attitudes, injustice, and outright hypocracy. (It takes a hypocrite to know a hypocrite, I suppose.)
I don't post here as much as I used to because, frankly, I'm getting tired of seeing the hypocrisy in people saying that they love others, yet attack both individuals and institutions. Yes, I am more than guilty of this.
The main problem is that no one sees what they themselves are guilty of.
I'm guilty as charged.
It really doesn't matter anymore.
Oh, I do not like rhetorical questions. They are not practical. Either there is an answer that is correct or there is not. I think it is a waste of time, effort and energy to worry about rhetorical questions.
