Really? Then, by all means, name ONE such parish that is in communion with the Eastern Orthodox Church. Please include the full name of the church and their location. It would be helpful if you can include the name and phone number of the priest as I will be calling him and asking about this. However, if you can't give me the phone number, I'll be able to find it as all of the canonical Orthodox churches have clergy directories on the web.
I would have thought that "irresistable grace" would prevent one from bearing false witness.
That or he doesn't have it.
patent
Looks like your *feelings* are getting in the way of *thought*. Are you sure you're a Former Lib? :D
Alright, let me ask you this: have abortion-mongers Michael Dukakis, Paul Tsongas, or George Stephanopolous yet been excommunicated from their parishes?
I hope the answer is yes, I really do. But I fear that the Eastern Orthodox Church is as silent on the abortion-mongering of its political "favorite sons" as is the Roman Catholic.
Waving your hands and dismissively claiming "automatic self-excommunication" doesn't count, either. Try imagining a Justice system which stated that, since Murderers are already going to Hell, we therefore don't have to prosecute them. DOESN'T WORK DOES IT?? Moral Apostasy in Church Discipline amounts to Moral Apostasy in theology in point of fact, if not in point of theory. If Michael Dukakis, Paul Tsongas, or George Stephanopolous have in fact been excommunicated from their parishes, I will withdraw my charge of Apsotasy against Orthodoxy until I feel I can better substantiate it.
But if not, I respectfully suggest that you are the one just making excuses. One of the Marks of a True Church is true discipline.
By the way, you have made me curious. Please name these congregations, and provide your support for their claiming each of the things you list: (1) claims the soteriology of Roman Catholic synergism (Human Moral Competence) (2) and claims the soteriology of Roman Catholic synergism (Conditional Predestination), (3) and is yet Apostate on the core moral issue of Homosexuality (4) and is yet Apostate on the core moral issue of Abortion. You’ve made the claim, back it up. I won’t hold my breath, you’ve made several claims on this thread that you haven’t backed up. patent
Oh, please. Everything I just said to FormerLib about the (comparatively minor) failings of Discipline amongst Eastern Orthodoxy goes double for Roman Catholicism, with its "Catholics for a Free Choice" and its hundreds (if not thousands) of parishes in which the memberships of very public Abortion-Mongers have never been excommunicated and disfellowshipped (and not ONE "five point Calvinist" in the bunch, I assure you).
And let me be fairminded here by specifically and honestly giving Bishop Trautman credit for his "courageous" disfellowshipping of Tom Ridge. But for Trautman to be a happy exception to the rule of Roman apostasy, is scandalous.