Replies

"I'm not sure I understand the reason it is not corrected, but I don't believe the hearts of those that fall into it are bad just misguided. I think your right about EO not getting caught up in it."

Oh I think that attempts are made to correct it, but cultish behavior can be hard to stamp out, especially when the people caught up in it are there because of what they believe they have been "infallibly" taught. Contributing to this, I believe, is the great difference between the religious mindset of the West and that of the East. In the West, there is perceived a great gulf between "heaven and earth", though I don't think the Western Church teaches that. That perception comes from the adoption (and perhaps misinterpretation) of +Augustine's notions of Original Sin and the state of man after The Fall. You know, we are all familiar with the reported appearances of the Theotokos on building, bridge abutments, cheese sandwiches etc which cause a great stir among the Western faithful. What are these people seeing? I don't know, but I do know they view these visitations, whatever they are, as miraculous. But if the Theotokos is our mother as The Church teaches, why would her presence be so very astonishing? Well, likely because Western Christians have a notion that we are so sinfully depraved that it is indeed an extraordinary thing for Mary or the saints to deign to show up and talk with us. This simply isn't true in Orthodoxy. There is no great gulf perceived between us here and the saints and Panagia in heaven. In Orthodox countries, even Orthodox families here, it is not overly extraordinary that a holy person might have regular connections with the Theotokos or a saint. It simply isn't that uncommon and seems to us perfectly logical that the saints who love us would communicate with us and guide us day to day. Its pretty hard to make a cult out of something which seems perfectly natural.

What are these people seeing? I don't know, but I do know they view these visitations, whatever they are, as miraculous.

Here is where we begin to diverge. I can only think of one instance in Scripture where Humans are sent back to Earth. In all other cases the LORD either returns or uses angels. I think these images that people are praying to are not from GOD, but are being used to mislead people and come from the great deceiver, Satan.