There isn't any "So." I just thought I'd sketch out some lingo and run it up the flagpole and check for salutes.
* But in the immediately preceding point and in those dealing with awareness and willfulness of misbelief cases are difficult to determine.
7. The heretic’s problem, not that of The Church
AS we used to jokingly say at seminary,"Wow! WHAT a PAStor!". The is, if you find yourself with the "care of souls", at least here in the West, it's your problem, at least if they come to you for help or counsel.
The problem of the culpability of the possessed is not so interesting, though I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Where the interest lies (for me) is in the questions of membership. (I'll use numbers this time.)
“The heretic’s problem, not that of The Church
AS we used to jokingly say at seminary,”Wow! WHAT a PAStor!”. The is, if you find yourself with the “care of souls”, at least here in the West, it’s your problem, at least if they come to you for help or counsel.”
I disagree. The heretic’s heresy is not The Church’s problem any more than an illness is the “problem” of the physician. Both The Church, and by extension the priests and deacons and holy monastics, and hospitals (and their physicians) seek to cure the illness. The Church is of course a hospital for sick souls as the Fathers say. But the “sickness” is the patient’s problem. He’s the one who will live a limited life or even die if he isn’t cured, not the physician or the clergy. And like a physician, the clergy can only try to help. They can’t force anyone to take the medicine which will restore his or her life.
“The problem of the culpability of the possessed is not so interesting, though I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Depends on how possessed and really what you mean by possessed. In at least one way to look at it, “culpability” as such, has little or nothing to do with theosis. Its simply a matter of conformity to Christ. I am not saying I agree with that.
“Is the Church the “mystical body of Christ” or not?”
Yes, The Church is.
“Can we articulate some standard by which we say this baptized person is NOT a member of the Church and that one isa member in very bad standing?”
Sure. Unless one is baptized according to the sacrament of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church...or according to the sacrament of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, one is not thereby a member of The Church. A member in bad standing is just that, a member in bad standing. As an example, before communion, Orthodox priests will often announce that communion is reserved for Orthodox Christians who are properly prepared by fasting and confession and who live their lives in accord with the dictates of The Church. There are Orthodox Christians who have married outside The Church, or who are “living in sin” with another person or who are known to have committed a grave sin who, while members of The Church, are not in good standing and thus cannot receive the Eucharist.
“In terms of membership in (a) Christ’s Body, or (b) the Church, what are the graces of Baptism?”
I don’t understand your question. Try again.
“Is that just such a legalistic Western Question that it makes you want to puke?”
“Do you think this: (a)All heresies interfere with or prevent theosis; (b) but only some heresies sort of ispo facto put the heretic out of the Church member, while others don’t?”
All heresies at a minimum interfere with theosis because all heresies teach falsehood about God and if we believe false things about God, we will be unable to thoroughly conform ourselves to him or otherwise leave ourselves open to demonic, soul destroying practices by cutting ourselves off from The Church, something we sadly witness everyday in this country. All heretics are enemies of God to a greater or lesser extent and therefore cut themselves off from Him to greater or lesser extents, with greater or lesser deleterious effects on theosis.
“Is Atheism a heresy? (This is a question about the definition of “heresy”. I’d say Atheism is NOT a heresy, Atheists are just flat OUT, while a heretic sort of exists in the context of Xty. For example, in my usage a heretic thinks IHS is a rutabaga, or a human only, while an Atheist thinks there isn’t any God of whom IHS is the incarnation.”
Atheism is not a heresy but rather the result of particular Western Christian heresies.
Only if you are heading into that “created grace” stuff.