Religious cults in Orthodoxy

[Pravoslavnik]

Come to think of it, we did have photos of our living ROCOR hierarchs hanging in the foyer of my old ROCOR parish. (They are probably still there, but I have not set foot in that building since May 17, 2007...)

[ANGELA]

catherine5,

You state some remark about your friend getting wrong advice from elder Paisios. I doubt that very much. Firstly, your friend might of mis interpreted what was meant. Elder Paisios was a very much respected elder and has helped a lot of people.

Thankyou
Angela

[Catherine5]

Yes I know that, Angela : the St Anthony's Monastery was and maybe still is extremely popular if not trendy for American converts to make a pilgrimage or stay awhile.

Because it was billed as a traditonal monastery with roots in Mt Athos, I recommended two acquaintances who were heavily attacked by demons to visit . Both enjoyed the time but did not feel relief from their problems.

The woman, B., was given the most wildly opposite advice to what was necessary for her to get away from devils.
There was no question of any clairvoyance; rather a worldly point of view of what would make big money for her - theoretically. But the elder did not pay any attention to the spiritual reality of what was best for B.'s soul - very plainly.
I could expand on it but I don't think it's that relevant. Many such pieces of advice are very arguable one way or the other as beneficial. I am aware of the paradoxical-sounding advice given by Elders or Saints turning out to be the Truth for that person, like in the stories of Elders Amvrosy and Joseph Optinsky.

But this was laughably off base. Worse, it would have actually been severely damaging had B. followed his supposedly clairvoyant counsel.

Though the Elder seemed to like the other friend, spending what the monks told him was a very unusually long time in a congenial conversation with him, nonetheless, that guy was given a bunch of what I consider paranoid talk about being a spy for the Vatican. He stubbornly told them he was what the Monastery termed "an Old Catholic" and declined to convert to Orthodox right then. He had gone there for spiritual relief, to alleviate the oppression of demons. After all St Anthony is the great repeller of demons.
But he didn't need to hear that unhelpful talk. A spy for the Vatican? Come on! It's the Third World mentality. No offense to the Greek monks, but I've seen it in many countries of other religions, too. The people have a rather distorted view that a Westerner coming to see them out of sincere interest in their culture or religion must be a spy from this that or the other wildly improbable place.

The paranoid view is endemic in Third World countries.

As for myself, a nun and others who have visited St Anthony's often tried hard to get me interested in taking a trip there. I said No! Why would I go way out of my way to see a monastery here in America when I've already visited most major holy sites available to women in the countries? That's what interests me: the real article, not something transplanted to American soil.
Besides the lack of novelty, I don't feel any desire to fall into the subtle snares of error caused by consulting what I feel to be pseudo-elders! I'm very happy that many Orthodox find consolation at St Anthony's and wish the Monastery's noble effort absolutely the best.
But I highly doubt that these "elders" are authentic! I'm sure they are excellent in other realms but the giveaway is that the discernment is shockingly poor.

If you don't agree, that's fine.

Maybe no readers here would benefit, but to avert any tragic problems, I was seeking to warn any Orthodox seekers after the highest Truths: neither figure is, in my opinion, the new Elder George [Karslides]. T
hat's the model for a wonderful Greek Elder!

[ANGELA]

Dear Catherine,

Sorry, I think their is a mis understanding here. I am talking of The Father Paisios who has passed away a few years now on Mount Athos.

But I think you are talking about someone else in America. That is why, it is important to seek and find a good spiritual elder, I think that a priority for your friend.

Angela