Not-formaly declared heretic Non-Orthodox influenced Icons

[TomS]

a bunch of old men years ago decided that you could and you choose to live by the rules these men made up.

Then why don't we throw out the Gospels and Epistles as well? Holy Tradition pre-dates these, so if we are going to reject Tradition, we must reject what came after it.

Let me be clear that I am not saying that we throw out ALL Holy Tradition. A MAJORITY of it, I believe, is certainly inspired by the Spirit - but sadly, some is not.

And it is my belief that when we get hung up on technicalities like what is being discussed here, it is used by the evil one to distract us and divide us. Jesus was NOT a Pharisee - but it seems like WE want to be.

[尼古拉前执事]

Today we celebrate the 7th council. How fitting. The 7th council anathematized those that were iconoclasts.

We know that the canons do not allow the so-called old-man Trinity icon. Of course before an issue is clarified, people are allowed opinions either way and saints can be wrong. Yes, there are churches that for whatever reason were inspired by the Latins perhaps to paint these icons. But if we realize these are not canonical, then we should not make new ones. I would never tell anyone to spit on such an icon. How extreme that such a thing be suggested George!

[George Australia]

And it is my belief that when we get hung up on technicalities like what is being discussed here, it is used by the evil one to distract us and divide us. Jesus was NOT a Pharisee - but it seems like WE want to be.

Tom,
Exegesis of Scripture is not a "technicality".
Discerning whether or not we can dipyct the God Whom we worship in icons is not a technicality- the Iconoclasm raged for a century and an Ecumenical Council had to be convened to resolve it.
Orthodoxy has never been a "feel good" religion- we are called to be rational sheep by our Shepherd.

[TomS]

Orthodoxy has never been a "feel good" religion- we are called to be rational sheep by our Shepherd.

I would argue that we are called to be irrational Sheep to our Shephard. I mean, c'mon, crucified and raised from the dead?

What rational person would believe that?

[George Australia]

[I would argue that we are called to be irrational Sheep to our Shephard. I mean, c'mon, crucified and raised from the dead? What rational person would believe that?

All the Fathers teach that an Orthodox Christian is a rational sheep.The following is a quote from a letter by St. Philotheos Zervakos to the Ecumenical Patriarch which illustrates this.

"But take care, Your All-Holiness, because the good and rational sheep of Christ's flock will not follow You, in accordance with the word of the Gospel: And a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him... (St. John 10:5). Those that will follow you will be such as are outside of the fold of Christ, who are of Papal and Luthero-Calvinistic sheep pens, those whose minds are heterodox."

[George Australia]

We know that the canons do not allow the so-called old-man Trinity icon.

Do we "know" this?
The quote from St Nikodemos the Hagiorite I posted came directly from my copy of the Pedalion ("The Rudder").

[George Australia]

The quote from St Nikodemos the Hagiorite I posted came directly from my copy of the Pedalion ("The Rudder").

For those interested, the reference is:
"The Rudder", Zakynthos, Chicago, 1957, p. 420