To Metropolitan Paul of Astoria

nicholas candela · Post by **nicholas candela** » Mon 14 July 2008 12:03 pm

NICHOLAS: I don't have the time to go through his sorry article, neither, from what you've written, do I believe you really care), for which you've provided the url. [/quote]

INCOGNITIO: Ok.

NICHOLAS: But it is filled with historical inaccuracies, a threadbare knowledge of actual GOC history, and out-and-out slander, meant to encourage refugees from ROCOR to come under Fr Gregory.

INCOGNITO:Waint a minute. You just said "I don't have the time to go through his sorry article..." How then could you possibly know it is filled with "historical inaccuracies, etc" if you haven't read it?

NICHOLAS: I never said I haven't read it: when Fr Gregory posted his anti St Matthew baloney on Paradosis, I read it for weeks. What I said to you was I don't have the time to go through it point by point. If you want to know the TRUE story of the GOC, go on genuineorthodoxchurch.com. Why learn GOC history from a man who has never been a member of the GOC and has a pathological hatred of St Matthew?

INCOGNITO: What we see going on even in this thread falls under the five main problems plauging modern Orthodoxy I spoke of in my first post. In fact, you will see these five sins are universal.

If people exercised just one of the virtues opposite those five vices:

love

humility

obedience

patience

Commitment

The Church would be ONE today.[/quote]

NICHOLAS: The Church IS one today.

Nicholas Candela

nicholas candela · Post by **nicholas candela** » Mon 14 July 2008 12:18 pm

INCOGNITO: I've often thought about why the original old calendar church of Greece even believed the new calendarists were without grace.

NICHOLAS: Because three Pan Orthodox Councils declared that any who go on the Pope's calendar (either the Paschalion OR the Menologion) are cut off from the Church. Those who are cut off from the Chruch have no Grace in their mysteries.

INCOGNITO: I don't see how the calendar is really crucial to the faith. It is not mentioned in any of the creeds, and is not a dogma of the faith. I can see a church losing grace due to the rejection of dogma, but because of a calendar?

NICHOLAS: Do you see why Masons are not the Church? Do you know they worship Ja-bal-on, a satanic melding of Yahweh, the One True God, the Most Holy Trinity, with Baal, the demon-god of the Canaanites, and On-Osiris, the demon-god of the Egyptians? Do you know that it was Masons who engineered the calendar change, specifically the Patriarch of Constantinople Meletios Metaxakis and Abp Chrysostomps Papadopoulos of Athens? Do you know that Masons are not permitted to be members of the church, for what does Christ have to do with Belial? The Masons who commandeered the EP and the state church of Greece made clear their motives for changing the calendar: union with the Papists. The true Church protected Herself form this infernal innovation, in 1935, and in 1949 when the synod of St Matthew anathematized Masons.

INCOGNITO: However I would not divide over this if I were a bishop.

Then you would be in union with the Masonic ecumenists, having no part with Christ. Your words prove that you did not mean what you wrote to M Paul. You tell him the new calendarists are outside the Church, and you castigate him for communing them, but now you're saying the matter wasn't worth separating over. "A doubleminded man is unstable in all his ways" (St James).

INCOGNITO:Unity is more important and I would follow the general consensus.

NICHOLAS: You would then be following the majority to do evil, which Scripture forbids.

INCOGNITO: The situation is different today because of ecumenism. But originally it was just a calendar dispute.

NICHOLAS: For the last time, the calendar was changed because of ecumenism, in the service of ecumenism, for the propagation of ecumenism, and for union with ecumenists.

INCOGNITO: I don't understand how they came to the conclusion that the other churches were devoid of grace just because of the calendar. Christ did not come to give the world a calendar. He came to bring salvation to the world.

NICHOLAS: Then go receive "communion" at St Markella's, and stop wasting our time with your fake protests.

Nicholas Candela

Incognito1583 · Post by **Incognito1583** » Mon 14 July 2008 4:04 pm

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Incognito1583 · Post by **Incognito1583** » Mon 14 July 2008 7:45 pm

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Incognito1583 · Post by **Incognito1583** » Mon 14 July 2008 9:53 pm

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Anastasios · Post by **Anastasios** » Tue 15 July 2008 9:56 am

Dear Incognito,

Atheism won't solve any of your problems and I am sorry that we don't live up to your expectations. Keep in mind that no one is perfect, nor have they been--this includes everyone from Synods down to monks, at all times in history. But I can only speak for what I have experienced in Orthodoxy: peace, humility, love. I have experienced some of the problems you mentioned but it has never overshadowed the "positives." I have never been more content and "fulfilled" since I received holy baptism. I am very sorry that you have not experienced the same and that this is leading you to consider spiritual suicide (atheism). I sincerely hope you find what you are looking for.

God bless you,

Fr Anastasios

Incognito1583 · Post by **Incognito1583** » Tue 15 July 2008 7:11 pm

Fr Anastasios wrote:
Dear Incognito,

I have never been more content and "fulfilled" since I received holy baptism. I am very sorry that you have not experienced the same and that this is leading you to consider spiritual suicide (atheism). I sincerely hope you find what you are looking for.

God bless you,

Fr Anastasios

"On the other hand, a sorrowless earthly life is a sign that the Lord has turned His face from a man, and that he is displeasing to God, even though outwardly he may seem reverent and virtuous.' [St. Ignatius Brianchaninov].

"He gives us trouble in order to bless us in some way, and we shall always be losers when we chafe or reject our thorn." [New Martyr Tsaritsa Alexandra].

"...Following the Lord is a yoke...." [St. Theophan the Recluse].

"It is the infinite and incalculable love of God that makes Him allow us so much suffering." [Fr. Seraphom Rose].

"It is because God loves us that we are called or permitted to suffer." [New Martyr Tsaritsa Alexandra].

"Where there is no struggle, there is no virtue." [Saint John of Kronstadt].

"Some of the best Christians the world has ever known have been the greatest sufferers, but meanwhile nothing has been able to break their rest." [New Martyr Tsaritsa Alexandra].

"The man who is sent unceasing sorrow is known to be especially under God's care." [St. Isaac the Syrian].