MARRIAGE:
1) Marriage is seen as a sacrament
2) the rite of crowning
3) They made this a sacrament, then turned it into a sacrament for adultery by falsely allowing divorce and remarriage for adultery
4) They seem to be very patchy in the answer to questions about Orthodox Christians marrying Evangelical, Catholic, or others. It seems very arbitrary in the decission making process to the extent you would think they have no real teaching on it. If Orthodoxy really had the one and only true gospel, it would make all other denominatoions or churches not saved and unbelievers. Maybe they are strict on it and people telling me bishops often allow it are incorrect. Sorry - no stats or proof yet.
DIVORCE:
"I am an Old Calendarist Greek bishop, we are known to know our theology, history and mystagogy, and we are sticklers for rules."
AND
Quote,,,,,"Yes. I am saying an Orthodox Christian and a heretic cannot be married by a priest, or by the Patriarch of Constantinople himself, nobody possesses such power. Just as nobody possesses a power to ordain a chimp a diakon or baptize a racoon. I care little what heretical pseudo-bishops do, in the USA or anywhere else. This is the teaching of the Church. Has been for over a millenium. When it wasn't, it wasn't because there were no Evangelicals and Lutherans and Episcopalians and Anglicans and others like that. The fact that many bishops have fallen and no longer teach what the Church holds is another problem."
So........
This man claimed there is a kind of inner sanctum of bishops, priests and believers in Eastern Orthodoxy who believe a true marriage must be between two orthodox believers, or its not a true "mystery" or sacrament, also that they stand firm against divorce and remarriage, and all sorts of other issues. The description was of two churches masquerading as one, yet those standing aloof within it, claiming to be more holy than the rest, were not breaking fellowship and making a stand over it. It seemed hypocritical, as if they pretended two churches were really one to play the numbers game, and in order not to break their image of "one united church going back to the Apostles".
Quote
if you are not fake Orthodox, read any one thing by St. John Chrisostomos or St. Isaac the Syrian.
also
There is no possibility to use leniency, as you call it, and you probably mean oekonomia, in matters of Mysteries. You do not understand what oekonomia is and how it works (not a Mystery) and what Mysteries are and how they work. Just like hundreds of millions of Copts and Syriacs and Anglicans and Evangelicals are unbaptized heretics, so can't an unbaptized heretic receive a Mystery of Marriage. I suggest reading basic patristic works on Mysteries and Church.
also
did you go through metanoia? Did you accept him, his Church, her Mysteries, her Seven Ecumenical Councils, her bishops?