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To: kosta50
And our terminology -- calling it simply a "mystery" we cannot explain but somehow "know" that it is so -- is much stronger?

Yes. Truth is truth and it is always more pure than man-made explanations and best-guesses. Have you never experienced truth directly from God? It is the most pure explanation of what our Holy Mysteries are, and yet there are no man-made words to express this.

Kosta, the west seeks answers here in this world, but we seek them from and in the next. This is why I asked you awhile back if you had been hanging out with protestants much lately, as much as I love many,many freeper protestants. It is not our way to require all of these rock-solid answers and it is especially not our way to require them from fellow human beings.

110 posted on 03/09/2004 6:15:37 PM PST by MarMema (Next year in Constantinople!)
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To: MarMema
Our Orthodox surrender ("it's a mystery") to our limited intellect when it comes to God and His ways is not stronger, or more true, but simply more realistic.

Both teachings say the same thing -- bread is Flesh and wine is Blood. We "know" it in ways we know of God -- we simply don't know.

The difference between the East and the West is that we save paper and energy trying to "figure out" God through philosophy and logic (!), and spend that energy in adoration od his Glory, because the Truth revealed to the Apostles that has been passed on to their successors is unchangeable and our lack of understanding doesn't make it less true. But our rendering of that Truth is not perfect and is subject to scrutiny.

By the way, I had the incredible opportuniy to attend the Holy Liturgy in Tokyo of all places. It was a three-hour pontifical liturgy, with the Metropolitan leading the bishops. No words could explain the beauty that it was. There must have been a thousand beeswax candles lit in the Cathedral and the singing, which was absolutely intoxicating, was in Japanese with an occasional Slavonic introjection -- especially the Trisagion. Except for the very, very old, everyone stood throughout the service. There were many prostrations. It was simply divine for the lack of a better word.

112 posted on 03/09/2004 6:54:11 PM PST by kosta50
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To: MarMema
This is why I asked you awhile back if you had been hanging out with protestants much lately.

How can one avoid Protestants or Catholics? But, the point is that one's faith does not grow by being smug about it. One has to die in order to be resurrected. :-)

113 posted on 03/09/2004 6:58:05 PM PST by kosta50
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