Posted on 11/17/2003 10:32:09 PM PST by Drago
Well, that is taking a stand for GOD and what is right!! Amen, Russian Orthodox Church, AMEN.
Believe it or not, the Russian Orthodox church is handling this in a very biblical fashion. Note the following from the seldom read book of Jude:
Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about; long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
Jude 3-7 NIV
And here's the kicker...
But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
Jude 17-23 NIV
There are other references throughout the New Testament that also support the stance taken by the Orthodox Church. Those who call themselves "Christians," but engage in very un-Christian practices, are not to be tolerated. It is one of the few times where scipture clearly commands intolerance! This does not mean we get to take up arms against the heretics, but it does mean that we are to treat them, socially speaking, as untouchables. We are also to clearly state to them (as if they didn't already know) why, exactly we can't enjoy sweet fellowship with them any longer.
It may sound harsh, but then our harshest will be nothing in comparison with what they will have to deal with come Judgment Day...
You are so wrong on so many levels. When YOUR Church suffers over 1 million dead members and priests at the hands of the commies in the USSR.... like the Russian Orthodox Christian Church did.... THEN YOU CAN MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH.
Until then, you remain a religious bigot.
Marmema I pinged you to this because you have been in Russia and know so much about this Church and Her people.
After what they have been through at the hands of the commies.... it is a MIRACLE of GOD ALMIGHTY to see them at work in the vineyards of the LORD!!
I pray for the Russians and their return to Christianity.
Which is good.
You mean the church that saw the Communists kill 30,000 of its clergy members? Doesn't sound like they sold out on anything! Sounds like the ones who were willing to vocally resist were all killed! Fortunately for us, those who were willing to quietly resist won!
Can you name any Western Church that resisted Communism at such a cost? Maybe we should start referring to them as the Churches that cowered quietly from the Communists while being safe and far away!
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