1
EmperorConstantine 1 point ago +1 / -0

Nah feed it St. Gregory Palamas ☦️

7
EmperorConstantine 7 points ago +7 / -0

The concept of AI becoming self aware is silly. AI can only do what it's programmed to do. ChatGPT for example just draws already existing information off the internet. It can't become self aware.

2
EmperorConstantine 2 points ago +2 / -0

Fr. Spyridon is a priest not a monk, just thought you should know that.

I've also heard that Seraphim Aldea at Mull Monastery promotes CRT and leftist stuff. I'd recommend better sources like Fr. Spyridon Bailey, Fr. Josiah Trenham, and Fr. Peter Heers.

6
EmperorConstantine 6 points ago +6 / -0

You won't regret it, I'll be praying for you.

2
EmperorConstantine 2 points ago +2 / -0

Yes, this is the doctrine of the descent into Hades, which has largely been forgotten outside the Orthodox Church. In Orthodox Iconography when we depict the resurrection, we don't depict Christ leaving the tomb; we depict Him descending into Hades. Glad to see this doctrine is still given creedence to even outside the Orthodox Church.

❤️☦️

1
EmperorConstantine 1 point ago +1 / -0

Who knows, theres a chance he may have repented. In Orthodoxy we have the doctrine of the descent into Hades, where Jesus destroyed the gates of Hades and Satan's power, and preached to all the dead before Him in Hades. In fact, I think there is a Church Father who says the bad thief did repent in Hades.

2
EmperorConstantine 2 points ago +2 / -0

Anosha and I are Orthodox, we don't view Hell that way.

Everyone experiences the same eschaton, Heaven and Hell are perceptions of God's presence based on how we've lived our lives. Paul says that God is an "all-consuming fire", the wicked experience God as fire because they hate Him, while the righteous experience God as warmth and joy because they love Him.

God doesn't send us to Hell or torment us, rather the torment the wicked experience is their perception of God's presence. It's not some place God arbitrarily sends people to because they didn't believe the right thing, and God judges people in different ways depending on their circumstances.

3
EmperorConstantine 3 points ago +4 / -1

It's both and, not either or.

The New Testament epistles repeat over and over the idea of "one." One body of Christ united by one baptism. One Church that is the pillar of truth. One faith and one set of belief. If we deny the Church entirely, we deny the possibility of knowing Christ fully and truthfully.

Part of Christ's ministry on earth was to establish His Church, multiple times He speaks of building His Church. Without the Church, we have no certitude or authority of which we're able to know what beliefs are true and what are wrong. Without viewing Scripture in the context of the Church, we fall into dangerous beliefs like nestorianism, arianism, anti-Trinitarianism, so on and so forth.

I understand the notion of rejecting "organized religion", but it's antithetical to the entirety of the Bible. God killed people for worshipping Him incorrectly, God established a liturgy, rituals, priesthoods, temples, and organized structure to the OT Faith. There are extensives passages in Exodus that talk about the liturgy and the organized structure of worship.

The Apostles did the same, they established a liturgy, priesthoods, clerics, jurisdictions, churches, held councils, etc. To deny the organized religion aspect is to deny the Bible.

6
EmperorConstantine 6 points ago +6 / -0

What a silly thing to say. God was VERY much involved in the daily lives of those in Scripture, why would that all suddenly end after Christ's ascension into Heaven? If He truly was not concerned with our daily affairs, why would He become Incarnate that we might be saved? Why would we bother ever praying to Him if He didn't concern Himself with the affairs of man? Does Scripture not tell us of the many great things God does for us out of His love?

2
EmperorConstantine 2 points ago +2 / -0

What does it mean to take up your cross? It means the willing acceptance, at the hand of Providence, of every means of healing, bitter though it may be, that is offered. Do great catastrophies fall on you? Be obedient to God’s will, as Noah was. Is sacrifice demanded of you? Give yourself into God’s hands with the same faith as Abram had when he went to sacrifice his son. Is your property ruined? Do your children die suddenly? Suffer it all with patience, cleaving to God in your heart, as Job did. Do your friends forsake you, and you find yourself surrounded by enemies? Bear it all without grumbling, and with faith that God’s help is at hand, as the apostles did

— St. Nikolai Velimirovich

0
EmperorConstantine 0 points ago +1 / -1

Well, I'm not a Roman Catholic, I'm Orthodox.

First off about calling no man father, Jesus isn't saying we can't call people "teacher" or "father", that's silly. If Jesus were speaking strictly literal, we couldn't call our own biological fathers, "father", or people who are teachers, "teacher."

Paul would also be guilty of this if Jesus were speaking strictly literal, as he called Timothy and others his son, and called himself a teacher. Jesus is addressing the pride and boastfulness of the Pharisees who seek to be called great titles.

Secondly, we don't deny that Jesus is the mediator. We pray to the Angels differently than we pray to God, they pray for us or offer our prayers to God. So we're not denying Christ as the one mediator by asking for the prayers and help of Angels.

1
EmperorConstantine 1 point ago +1 / -0

Revelation 6:9-11, John describes a vision where he sees the martyrs crying out to God, praying for those on earth.

Revelation 5:8 and 8:4, the incense represents the prayers of us on earth, being brought up to God by an angel.

The visions which John sees in this part of Revelation shows how the Saints and Angels offering our prayers and their own prayers to God is part of the Heavenly liturgical worship.

1
EmperorConstantine 1 point ago +1 / -0

There is nothing that you can't bring to God in prayer

When we pray to the Saints and Angels, it's not like pagan praying to our ancestors where we think they can grant things to us.

Think of it like this, let's say you ask a friend or relative to pray for you, nothing wrong with that right? We do the same with Saints and Angels. We speak to them as if they're right infront of us, because they are. (Hebrews 12:1) We ask them to pray to God for us, just as we ask our friends or relatives to pray for us. We do this because their prayers are powerful. (James 5:16)

1
EmperorConstantine 1 point ago +1 / -0

They aren't dead, they're alive to God.

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Hebrews 12:22-23

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Hebrews 12:1

For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”

Luke 20:38

1
EmperorConstantine 1 point ago +1 / -0

Well, that's exactly the issue in contention. Nobody thinks Angels can answer our prayers or that they can substitute prayers to God.

It seems you're misunderstanding some things.

1
EmperorConstantine 1 point ago +5 / -4

Praying “to” is still praying for their assistance, right

We ask for their prayers, we don't pray to them as if they can answer our prayers. Only God can.

I don’t want to get into the whole Catholic thing with you, as with the Virgin Mary

I'm Orthodox Christian, not Roman Catholic.We do not worship the Theotokos.

Therefore when you pray for help or healing or anything to do with miracles….Jesus, God the Father is who you pray to.

Correct, if I asked an Unmercenary Saint to heal my sickness, I'm not asking the Saint themself to heal me, I'm asking them to offer prayers to God on my behalf. We ask for the prayers of Saints and Angels because they're powerful, James 5:16.

They’ve literally placed a man (pope) in between the person and Jesus.

I agree fully, Orthodoxy is the way! ☦️

4
EmperorConstantine 4 points ago +7 / -3

Right, but my point is we pray "to" Angels differently than how we pray to God. We speak to the Angels as if they're right infront of us, because Paul's words in Hebrews tells us they are. He says that we're surrounded by a "great cloud of witnesses", and that the Angels and Saints are part of the same Body of Christ. We ask them for their intercessions, for help through their prayers, for their protection and presence.

3
EmperorConstantine 3 points ago +3 / -0

In Revelation, John has a vision into Heaven and sees the Angels and Saints praying for the people on Earth, and offering our prayers to God.

And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.

Revelation 8:3-4

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Revelation 5:8

St. Paul in Hebrews writes that we're surrounded by a "great cloud of witnesses."

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Hebrews 12:1

St. Paul also tells us to make prayers for one another. If we are to pray for each other here on earth, how much more the Saints and Angels in heaven?

7
EmperorConstantine 7 points ago +11 / -4

Praying to Angels is not worship, we don't pray to Angels and Saints the same way we pray to God.

9
EmperorConstantine 9 points ago +9 / -0

Nowhere does Scripture condemn asking for the intercessions of Saints and Angels. We ask them to pray for us, if Paul says to pray for one another on Earth, how much more the Angels and Saints in Heaven?

There is clear evidence in archeology of early Christians asking for the prayers of Angels and Saints, and clear Scriptural support for the practice.

6
EmperorConstantine 6 points ago +6 / -0

One mediator between God and man, not one mediator between the Saints and Angrls and man. This verse has nothing to do with intercessory prayer. Paul says the Saints and Angels surround us in a "great cloud of witnesses".

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Hebrews 12:1

view more: Next ›