So short thing before hand, I am Coptic Orthodox we have priests (who are married) and we see them for lots of things Confession, advice, help, all sorts of problems we also attend something called Divine Liturgy which is about 3 hours long (Mantis and then the service itself). So I went to see him today and one of the things I asked him is if I had to wear a mask at Liturgy (we are in orange county florida and there is still a mask mandate for us) some how this conversation turned into a discussion about the vaccine. And even he isn't going to be taking it he said it has nothing to do with religious reasons just he hasn't seen good things from it. Meaning lots of side effects from people (bad ones).
I spoke to one of my friends who is also Coptic and he said at his own parish that a lot of people especially the elderly will wear a mask just to enter the church but eventually during the service they will take it off and put it to the side. I think this really goes to show that a lot of people are completely fed up with the masks, my friend said the only people who believe in the mask is the government.
As for at my parish unfortunately I still have to wear it because Abouna (this is what we call our priests) said he can't make special exceptions because then everyone will want to take it off. I tried to tell him how a big part of the Liturgy in the incense it kind of mentally draws you in and how difficult it is to smell it, to which he said he could smell it just fine I said that is because he is the one censing the Church!
That is some hard core cope if I ever saw it. Dad and Father are the same thing, both are universally used to signify ones male human that contributed to their birth. I suppose at this point you would just call them birth giver female and birth giver male? As well Abraham is referred to as father in the bible, God tells him he will be the father of many nations. Exodus 20:12 tells us to honor our father and mother, why would God tell us that if we are no to refer to our birth giver male as father? And if this is about titles, then why later in the NT do they call Abraham our father, or Isaac our father? Even more so lots of times it is used as a title of address not just biological.
I will leave you with all of this, as I know not to get to deep into a conversation that isn't going to be heard when one has already made their position known, but I do pray you reflect on some of the things I have said.
My point is not to make appeals to an authority between one who is not the Lord. The only authority.
Also the passive aggressive comment doesnt help. I do reflect on every conversation I have.
Yeah why do they say that? There are many passages in the bible that don't square up.
I live in a state where churches shut down. So at this point to me none of them are houses of God if they bowed to the state.
Didn't you earlier state that you aren't to interpret the bible for yourself? < I misread that part.