UC what is it about some American Protestants that they simply cannot accept that other societies and Eastern Christianity in particular do not ascribe to their bizarre modern notions of theology or their Western Mohammedan or Manichean influenced notion of "just war". Why is it that Protestants simply cannot accept the reality of evil, especially in their own lives and in this society? War, UC, is always, always, always sinful. It may be unavoidable, but it is always sinful. Perhaps its that notion which Protestantism cannot accept or understand, sinfulness. Sin is not what you Protestants proclaim it to be, something the "unsaved" do which brings down upon them the wrath and hatred of God. That isn't even remotely what the scriptural word for sin, "αμαρτια" means. It means to miss the mark, the mark being Christ. Going to war is always missing the mark; it is never, ever, being like Christ.
War happens and we, or at least many of us, have gone off to war and fought in one capacity or another and in so doing we have sinned. It is simply a self serving lie to say that war is ever good or OK or to proclaim "Gott Mit Uns". Can you conceive of a situation when going to war is an emulation of Christ? Remember the taunts the Lord endured at the Cross? Did He call down those legions of angels to destroy His tormentors? Our created purpose may be to become like God, but very, very, very few of us get there in this life and thus have to depend on God's infinite mercy. But that doesn't justify sin.
You know, UC, Protestant notions of sin have, especially of late, given us some rather depraved theological constructs. Germans of the WWII generation were able to look the other way when it came to the Jews because, after all, they were the enemies of the state and the state was justified, hardly sinful, in removing those Jews. This was preached from virtually every, but not all, Protestant pulpits throughout Germany during and before the War. And today, well today the "mainline" Protestant churches are telling us that the Holy Spirit is doing a new thing and that what was formerly sin by every Christians' definition is no longer sin but rather a sacred example of God's love for His people worthy of blessing within the ecclesial community. Is this the corollary of the just war theory, the blessed sodomite union? This doesn't come from Orthodoxy, UC, it comes from Protestantism's essentially selfish, self centered religious individualism. Its the same mindset, infecting Washington elites and so many of the denizens of FR, which justifies the destruction of Eastern Christian communities in partnership with Mohammedanism.
Finally, "But that was Greek and Serbian not resistance from within the EO Church itself." UC, you know, I thought your historical ignorance was simply contemptible. But its beyond that. It is aggressive but it is consonant with the dominant, aggressive ignorance of our politicians since Reagan. UC, thousands upon thousands of Orthodox priests were executed during WWII and in the aftermath of the War behind the Iron Curtain. Do you know who +Chrysostomos of Zakynthos was? Do you know who +Damaskinos of Athens was? Good Jews do! But you, an American Protestant, have absolutely no idea who they were or even the faintest notion of what the Orthodox did in WWII and afterwards, let alone what Orthodoxy has been doing for the 550 years since the fall of The City. It is beyond unacceptable arrogance for the likes of an American Protestant in 2008 to question the sacrifices of Orthodox people. If your attitudes reflect general American attitudes, no wonder so much, indeed most, of the world scorns us.
This Evnagelical Administration will not leave office without first recognizing Kosovo's independence as a final act of a string of acts aimed at promoting Mohammedans in Europe the way we helped build Taliban against the Soviets and then having to fight it.
The Catholic Church did not come to the rescue of Constantinople (save for a small contingent), nor did Catholic kings send armies to help Orthodox Christain Serbs at the battle on the Kosovo Field in 1389.
But at least the Catholic Church never, ever, sided with Muslims against other Christians! It took Protestant America to make that historical landmark.
So all those who laid down their lives for the liberation of Europe and the Balkans from the NAZIs in WWII were committing a grave sin by doing so????
Remember the taunts the Lord endured at the Cross? Did He call down those legions of angels to destroy His tormentors?
That was the saviour side of Him who came to offer grace and mercy. Read the rest of the scriptures and you will see the warrior side of Him as He dispenses justice to those who refused His offer.
You know, UC, Protestant notions of sin have, especially of late, given us some rather depraved theological constructs.
You still don't get it -- do you??? For atleast 100 years American Protestants who believe in the Scriptures have been at war with so-called American Protestants who don't believe in the Scriptures. Should the former surrender to the latter???? Is that what you would like to see????
Germans of the WWII generation were able to look the other way when it came to the Jews because, after all, they were the enemies of the state and the state was justified, hardly sinful, in removing those Jews. This was preached from virtually every, but not all, Protestant pulpits throughout Germany during and before the War.
So then was it sin to go to war against these Germans in WWII, or should we have looked the other way like you would have us do.
And today, well today the "mainline" Protestant churches
"liberal" Protestant churches
are telling us that the Holy Spirit is doing a new thing and that what was formerly sin by every Christians' definition is no longer sin but rather a sacred example of God's love for His people worthy of blessing within the ecclesial community.
Yes the liberals have abandoned the scriptures and in doing so have embraced sin.
Is this the corollary of the just war theory, the blessed sodomite union?
And fundamentalist evangelicals and others have chosen to go to war against the sodomite invasion. So are they committing sin???? People in our churches have risen up and gone to war against the curse of abortion. Are they also sinning??? You seem to think that Jesus commanded you to go to surrender, but Jude says "contend" for the faith.
This doesn't come from Orthodoxy, UC, it comes from Protestantism's essentially selfish, self centered religious individualism.
And those EO's and other religionists who hide in their churches and behind their sacred icons aren't selfish and self centered, concerned only for their own safety and security????
Washington elites and so many of the denizens of FR, which justifies the destruction of Eastern Christian communities in partnership with Mohammedanism.
Well maybe if you learned to fight for a just cause instead of just yourselves and alongside those who know a just cause from an unjust one, including those Jews fighting for their own homeland in Israel, things might go better for your EO churches and communities.
In the meantime you have the audacity to demean the lives of all those in western Protestantism, including the lives of Jews, Catholics, et al who laid down their lives to free others from tyranny. Protestant blood was spilled to free the Balkans in WWII and yet in your Greek Orthodox religion they committed a grave sin in doing so ---- unbelievable.
Was the Civil War wrong? Was it sinful for union soldiers to go to war and die to free men and women they didn't even know?
Was it sinful to fight the Nazi's?
Was it sinful to fight a cold war, that got pretty hot in various parts of the world, in order to crush communism?
Come on, get some perspective. There are times that we must stand and fight. When Jesus said to turn the other cheek He did not say turn and run away. You stand your ground in the face of evil. The Nazi's were evil. The communists were evil. The muslims are evil.