Space Ryasa for MP priest

[Maria]

I think that the use of churches like this is good.

Perhaps people will come into the Church, see the persecution of the True Orthodox, and witness good people getting beaten up in the MP church, and then leave. I witnessed a fight at an ROCOR-MP church where a priest wanted to venerate a myrrh weeping icon. He was beaten up by a couple of ROCOR-MP deacons with the approval of the hierarchs and clergy who were very distracted and looking for True Orthodox among the crowd of people. The MP clergy were obviously not praying. I never went back after that incident.

I came into True Orthodoxy through World Orthodoxy, and there are others like me.

When I see the debates and hatred displayed on other websites that purport to be "Orthodox Christian," this does not strike me as giving a good witness. The Christians during the time of the Apostles showed their love. Where is the love today?

[Alexander Kuzmin]

I think that the use of churches like this is good.

Do you mean the military church? It is a nice idea but a wrong realization. It is used only for military people (from the army), but they do not want to go to church and they are sometimes forced to do it, because Russian government tries to use Orhtodoxy as a "new ideology" instead of Communist party, but they do it in such an hypocritical manner that the effect is often the opposite.

And this is a baptism:

[Barbara]

Wow, those pictures are a window to an entirely different world.

Maria, that experience was AMAZING. Have you written it up earlier ? I am appalled.

Joasia, I get a sense that you are right about the doctored photo.
Something struck me as strange too : why wearing pants rather than a robe ?
But I got nowhere near as far as you in deciphering WHY the image was jarring this way.
Good eyes !

[Maria]

> I think that the use of churches like this is good.

Do you mean the military church? It is a nice idea but a wrong realization. It is used only for military people (from the army), but they do not want to go to church and they are sometimes forced to do it, because Russian government tries to use Orhtodoxy as a "new ideology" instead of Communist party, but they do it in such an hypocritical manner that the effect is often the opposite.

And this is a baptism:

And you can see why the priests are not baptizing these soldiers outside in running water!
Look outside those windows. There must be at least 24 or more inches of snow outside.
It looks cold, and I doubt that there is any water running anywhere. All icicles, ice, and snow.

From what American (U.S.A.) Orthodox Christian military personnel are saying, it is fortunate for them to attend a Divine Liturgy once every two or three months. Sometimes, in the area to which they have been assigned, they only see an Orthodox priest once or twice in a year. Russia would be a spiritual paradise to them.

[Alexander Kuzmin]

In Moscow Patriarchate most of the people are baptised like that. But those priests who want to do it properly usually have a special font that can be transported.

From what American (U.S.A.) Orthodox Christian military personnel are saying, it is fortunate for them to attend a Divine Liturgy once every two or three months. Sometimes, in the area to which they have been assigned, they only see an Orthodox priest once or twice in a year. Russia would be a spiritual paradise to them.

Yes, it will be a spiritual paradise for them. But what will become for the rest 99% who were forced to present at the service and who did not want it?

[Alexander Kuzmin]

(I do not know how to delete it. I put this post by mistake)

[Mark Templet]

To me, there are no excuses for improper baptism, outside of an emergency. I use an inflatable birth pool. I can have it blown up, and full of water in 30 minutes!