INTERESTING COMMENTS
YOUTUBE"
Tough questions for the Orthodox:
1) If all the (Catholic) bishops of Rome became non bishops, after the 1054 Schism, then as the Orthodox are supposed to love everyone in all nations, who were the "true Orthodox bishops" appointed in the 1,000 years after the split? Give is the list of the "true apostolic bishops" in all those vast countries over which the bishop of Rome held jurisdiction before the split, up until this present day.
quote:
"I guess you do not accept the 6th Ecumenical Council?? Because it anathematized anyone denying the essence/energy distinction."
"Papism was the first Protestantism, and the marriage arguments are proof." Deacon Joseph Suaiden
Met. Kallistos Ware - agrees on h0mosexual "marriage"
yeoberry1
The Orthodox broke away from the early church. Here’s what the early church really taught:
1. The second commandment (Ex. 20:4ff) is the only commandment that explicitly describes what is prohibited: making an image and bowing to it. Doing that very thing but claiming the images are not really idols but "icons" and the bowing isn't really worship but "veneration" is not convincing.
2. Canon 36 of the Council of Elvira states, “Pictures are not to be placed in churches, so that they do not become objects of worship and adoration.”
3. Origin (184-254) responded to Celsus by admitting that Christians used no images; he mocked the notion that images were helpful in worship, and, citing the Second Commandment wrote, “It is in consideration of these and many other such commands, that they [Christians] not only avoid temples, altars, and images, but are ready to suffer death when it is necessary, rather than debase by any such impiety the conception which they have of the Most High God.” (Origin, Contra Celsus, Book VII, Chapter 64.)
4. Eusebius (c. AD 263 – 339) wrote that even the incarnate Christ cannot appear in an image, for "the flesh which He put on for our sake … was mingled with the glory of His divinity so that the mortal part was swallowed up by Life. . . . This was the splendor that Christ revealed in the transfiguration and which cannot be captured in human art. To depict purely the human form of Christ before its transformation, on the other hand, is to break the commandment of God and to fall into pagan error."
5. Epiphanius (inter 310–320 – 403): "I went in to pray, and found there a curtain hanging on the doors of the said church, dyed and embroidered. It bore an image either of Christ or of one of the saints; I do not rightly remember who's the image was. Seeing this, and being loath that an image of a man should be hung up in Christ's church contrary to the teaching of the Scriptures, I tore it asunder and advised the custodians of the place to use it as a winding sheet for some poor person." He goes on to tell John that such images are “contrary to our religion” and to instruct the presbyter of the church that such images are “an occasion of offense.” (Epiphanius, Letter 51, chapter 9).
6. Hence we see that the "Orthodox" church radically broke away from the tradition of the early church
visit jesusandbible.com where Jesus is Lord!
QUOTE
One Orthodox said:
"One of Elder Nektary’s spiritual children then inquired: “But what about the millions of Chinese, Indians, Turks and other non-Christians?” The elder replied:
"God desires not only that the nations be saved, but each individual soul. A simple Indian, believing in his own way in the Creator and fulfilling His will as best he can, will be saved; but he who, knowing about Christianity, follows the Indian mystical path, will not."
Elder Nektary of Optina
[Ivan Kontzevitch, Elder Nektary of Optina, p. 181]