Totally off-topic

sue57 · Post by **sue57** » Tue 6 July 2004 10:17 am

I know these aren't wooden, but here it is:

http://motherrussia.bizland.com/store/page20.html

http://www.russianmade.com/russian6.html

I seem to have lost the link that had wooden crosses, but I'll keep looking.

OrthodoxyOrDeath · Post by **OrthodoxyOrDeath** » Wed 7 July 2004 7:14 pm

"We're near the absolute summit... I thank God who blessed us to realize that universal victory and pray for the conquest of the cup," Greek church leader Christodoulos said in a written statement.

:ohvey:

Savva24 · Post by **Savva24** » Thu 8 July 2004 5:14 am

OrthodoxyOrDeath wrote:
"We're near the absolute summit... I thank God who blessed us to realize that universal victory and pray for the conquest of the cup," Greek church leader Christodoulos said in a written statement.

:ohvey:

I was waiting for this subject to come up. I feel relieved that I am not the only one who finds these kinds of statments ridiculous, and from a heirarch no less. I can't believe that so many in the Greek Churches are getting so nuts about soccer. I mean I like soccer and Greece too and there is nothing more exciting than being in the soccer atmosphere but come on! My wife said she was watching the news the other day here in Japan and there was a section about the monks of Mt. Athos praying fervently during the last soccer game that Greece would win. And when Greece scored a goal, they all broke from their prayers and cheered like normal socker freeks. This is a great lesson on Orthodox monastasism for the Japanese public huh? What a great impression. It is just so ridiculous I have no words. :ohvey:

Natasha · Post by **Natasha** » Thu 8 July 2004 8:10 am

That is absolutely insane!

OrthodoxyOrDeath · Post by **OrthodoxyOrDeath** » Thu 8 July 2004 10:14 am

The Orthodox Church in ancient times banned the olympics for centuries as a man-worshipping pagan spectacle. Today, the pretenders of Orthodoxy not only do not frown on it, but appear to almost start foaming at the mouth when they are winning.

Justin Kissel · Post by **Justin Kissel** » Thu 8 July 2004 2:33 pm

But let's not be too sweeping here, OOD? Surely even Christians and Saints allowed (and even sometimes watched) "games" and various forms of entertainment in the early Church. The Emperors, for example (including Saints like Theodosius and Justinian), often attended the spectacles.

Personally, I don't wear a cross (though that's because I don't wear any jewelery, not even my wedding ring... which has nothing really to do with piety and is just a personal choice). I have an icon in my bathroom too. I wonder if something's wrong with me? (am I not sensitive enough to God's will?)

OrthodoxyOrDeath · Post by **OrthodoxyOrDeath** » Thu 8 July 2004 3:31 pm

Justin,

As Emperors, I think it was somewhat of a duty to be there, which could help to explain why St. Theodosius banned them altogether, perhaps he could not stand it?

While we strive to be like the saints and free ourselves from every passion and form of "entertainment", clearly very few of us are there. Even the clergy miss the mark of course, but I suppose the dissapointment is that an "archbishop", an "Apostle", who is of course not perfect, but supposed to be a pillar of "Orthodoxy" nonetheless, would at least recognize that his secular fascination should not lead him to pray to Christ for something so useless and petty. But also that maybe he should not actually submit in writting a statement that I would sooner expect to hear at a sports bar by a drunk.

So now that the archbishop prayed for the "the conquest of the cup" and it was fullfilled (by whom is anyones guess), will he now say publicly that he prays for the "pinacle of human endeavor", the conquest of a slurpy?

But maybe my "foaming at the mouth" was to strong.