I'm confused

[Petros]

Hi

Please forgive me for my poor english as I'm born and raised in Sweden.

Not long ago I spoke with my godfather and he wasnt happy about my idea of moving to a place where I would share house with several others who were not orthodox. He did tell me I would excommunicated. My idea was to go there and share the space and try help the homeless, but as most of them are not orthodox I be cast out of the Church?

Should I stop taking a persons hand cause he is not orthodox thinking that he would be unclean? I was told that homeless people are not good people so I shouldnt interact with them. So instead I should look the other way and pretend they are not there?

I was thinking about 1 John 3:17, 18 after we closed the conversation. I'm a lil confused what I ought to do so here I go typing my first post.

Once again please forgive me for my english

petros

[TomS]

He did tell me I would excommunicated.

Your godfather is wrong.

It is more likely that he told you this to try to persuade you from going - he is trying to protect you.

In that he is correct -- You should be very careful in such places.

[romiosini]

In the Orthodox Church, excommunication doesn't literally exist. Deposing and Defrocking exist though. Deposing is when a laymen is not allowed to commune. And Defrocking is when a priest/bishop/deacon is not allow to serve. And is your Godfather a priest? Unless, if he is one and knows your spiritual condition to survive with Non-Orthodox then he could say that. Peter, there were countless of Saints that lived along with heretics, and yet portrayed the true example of the Christian Living. There is nothing wrong with moving into a house with heretics, if they don't deprive you from your spiritual life, then you are fine. Unclean? What are we Jews? To say that, we have pride in ourselves. God didn't make clean and unclean people. So don't worry, God is there at all times and He will be there when you need Him. I know your uncle is worrying but there is its limits. As your spiritual Father, and ask him what you should do. Of course, a Spiritual Father knows bet for his spiritual Sons/Daughters!

Anyways, good strugle brother!

Romiosyne

[Anastasios]

Romiosini,

No, I'm sorry to say you are wrong. Please read the Rudder or any other canonical collection. Laymen are excomunicated, whereas priests are deposed (and if they then persist they can be excommunicated as laymen). Deposition is not refusing permission to serve; it is taking away the priesthood from the person. Refusing permission to serve is a suspension. All of these are different canonical actions that depend on different circumstances.

Anastasios

[Kolya]

Petros,
Welcome to the forum!!
You won't be excommunicated for living with heretics or heterodox. I work in a office full of heretics. They can't change what's inside me unless I stop believing what is right.
About living in that house though, it could be dangerous. Are there people abusing drugs, or any sexual immorality among those living there? That is when one has to be careful.
Yes, Jesus commanded us to look after the outcasts of society, but we should be as "harmless as doves and as wise as serpents". If possible, try to just visit there and work with them, and stay in a safe place on your own. This will also help you keep up your spiritual and prayer life if you can be alone when you are praying. :idea:

Speak to your Sprirtual Father or Priest about this first.

IC XC

Kolya

[romiosini]

Romiosini,

No, I'm sorry to say you are wrong. Please read the Rudder or any other canonical collection. Laymen are excomunicated, whereas priests are deposed (and if they then persist they can be excommunicated as laymen). Deposition is not refusing permission to serve; it is taking away the priesthood from the person. Refusing permission to serve is a suspension. All of these are different canonical actions that depend on different circumstances.

Anastasios

My bad! I haven't had any time lately to read the Rudder, it takes a lot of time, especially with the explination and the actual canon. :mrgreen: I thought it was a Catholic naming of Deposing someone... Allright, hopefully Peter will find his peace with his problem..

[George Australia]

I'm born and raised in Sweden.

Dear in Christ, Petros,
Welcome! Your english is much better than my swedish, but let me try:
Jag trivs bast i oppna landskap,
nara havet vill jag bo,
nagra manader om aret
sa att sjalen kan fa ro

I was thinking about 1 John 3:17, 18 after we closed the conversation. I'm a lil confused what I ought to do so here I go typing my first post.

The best advice you have been given is to talk to your spiritual father. We should not do as protestant sectarians do and focus on one passage of scripture in isolation. Even scripture warns us about this:

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. (2 Peter 1:20)

God calls us to serve the poor and suffering, as Orthodox Christians- not as social workers. We are to be in the world, but not of the world. We are the light of the world and the salt of the earth, but we belong neither to the world not the earth, but to Christ. Thus, the Apostle St. James says:

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)

Note God's two requirements for true religion:
(1)That we help those who have no protection in their distress (the orphans and widows).
and
(2) That we keep ourselves unspotted from the world.

To serve our brothers and sisters in distress is good, but if we become worldy in the process of 'serving' them, not only will we not benefit them, we will aslo be lost.

A good social worker is a good social worker-it ends there. A good Orthodox Christian is an adopted child of God through whom God does His Work on earth and makes Himself Present to those in need. As St. Seraphim of Sarov said: "Aquire the Spirit of Peace and a thousand souls around you will be saved."

George