Discord Spillover Was "The Place of Blessed Augustine in the Orthodox Church"

[Theodore813]

The "Esphigmenou is headless" thing also doesn't compute for the fact that we know, historically, there have been times were faithful didn't have a bishop so they could not commemorate any bishop by name.

If bishops weren't commemorated by name, then there were times where the faithful would commemorate "all faithful bishops". If I remember correctly this was happening during times of heresy, especially during the iconoclastic period. Either way, bishops are commemorated.

[ByzantophileTheodore]

Now please delete this thread. You were able to do so with the Discord, so you can do it.

HAHAHA

Welcome to the St Euphrosynos Cafe! Things don't get deleted here because some guy on a Commie app says so lol

Father Joseph,
Klaus was advising to delete this thread because it’s an embarrassment what Unseen has written. Klaus doesn’t like to see True Orthodox people fighting like this. No one is trying apply our Discord’s rules to your site. However, discussions can easily devolve into a circus when there are no rules for conduct. That’s all that Klaus is saying. Unseen has gone on an unhinged, hyper-defensive rant full of misrepresentation, vitriolic personal attacks, and unmasked hatred. A Genuine Orthodox priest in Greece described to me this pitfall generally as “‘Orthodoxy’ (in the superficial sense) without Christianity”.

Regarding Discord:

With all due respect Father, you deleted your NFTU Discord server overnight without giving an explanation or warning to anyone. This left everyone confused and downcast. If you don’t like Discord, you still could have handed off the server to someone else. This is in hindsight and no one holds a grudge about it, but no one really understood this decision. You have the right to use whatever platforms you wish, but your decision disappointed many people. The NFTU server was still growing with the recent spike in True Orthodox inquirers. It was many people’s only line to talk to True Orthodox people. Everyone on there had a big shock when it vanished. All the work put into the server by many people volunteering their free time vanished with it.

Father, are we supposed to unilaterally condemn a platform because some immoral persons own or created it? If that is the case, we shouldn’t use Telegram, Facebook, YouTube, Google, Gmail, or X (Twitter) etc. For example, everyone can look up who Elon Musk is and how he’s involved with the occult. It doesn’t mean that using Twitter is a sin or we should look down on people using it. The same thing applies to Discord or Facebook. Discord is popular because it has many functions like voice calls that chat sites like this don’t have. The interface is also much easier to use on a phone. Likewise there’s a reason why people use YouTube. It’s because when channels go fully alt media they lose at least 75% of their audience. I support alt media but it’s an uphill battle for them to gain the reach of bigger platforms. There are some very logical reasons why people use big platforms, and it isn’t because of blue haired communists. There are just as many blue haired communists on Facebook, which you use Fr.. On Facebook, there’s also a lot of scammers and bots harassing people. I use both, but Discord has some advantages certainly. I’m not trying to convince anyone to use Discord - but what are the reasons for your very negative assessment of Discord all of a sudden? With all due respect Father, your comments come across as an attack on your old NFTU server audience - even if that’s not what you intended.

I am open to any correction or criticism regarding this, and I don’t intend this comment in any hostile way whatsoever.

In Christ,
Theodore

[Unseen.Warfare]

Now please delete this thread. You were able to do so with the Discord, so you can do it.

HAHAHA

Welcome to the St Euphrosynos Cafe! Things don't get deleted here because some guy on a Commie app says so lol

Father Joseph,
Klaus was advising to delete this thread because it’s an embarrassment what Unseen has written. Klaus doesn’t like to see True Orthodox people fighting like this. No one is trying apply our Discord’s rules to your site. However, discussions can easily devolve into a circus when there are no rules for conduct. That’s all that Klaus is saying. Unseen has gone on an unhinged, hyper-defensive rant full of misrepresentation, vitriolic personal attacks, and unmasked hatred. A Genuine Orthodox priest in Greece described to me this pitfall generally as “‘Orthodoxy’ (in the superficial sense) without Christianity”.

Regarding Discord:

With all due respect Father, you deleted your NFTU Discord server overnight without giving an explanation or warning to anyone. This left everyone confused and downcast. If you don’t like Discord, you still could have handed off the server to someone else. This is in hindsight and no one holds a grudge about it, but no one really understood this decision. You have the right to use whatever platforms you wish, but your decision disappointed many people. The NFTU server was still growing with the recent spike in True Orthodox inquirers. It was many people’s only line to talk to True Orthodox people. Everyone on there had a big shock when it vanished. All the work put into the server by many people volunteering their free time vanished with it.

Father, are we supposed to unilaterally condemn a platform because some immoral persons own or created it? If that is the case, we shouldn’t use Telegram, Facebook, YouTube, Google, Gmail, or X (Twitter) etc. For example, everyone can look up who Elon Musk is and how he’s involved with the occult. It doesn’t mean that using Twitter is a sin or we should look down on people using it. The same thing applies to Discord or Facebook. Discord is popular because it has many functions like voice calls that chat sites like this don’t have. The interface is also much easier to use on a phone. Likewise there’s a reason why people use YouTube. It’s because when channels go fully alt media they lose at least 75% of their audience. I support alt media but it’s an uphill battle for them to gain the reach of bigger platforms. There are some very logical reasons why people use big platforms, and it isn’t because of blue haired communists. There are just as many blue haired communists on Facebook, which you use Fr.. On Facebook, there’s also a lot of scammers and bots harassing people. I use both, but Discord has some advantages certainly. I’m not trying to convince anyone to use Discord - but what are the reasons for your very negative assessment of Discord all of a sudden? With all due respect Father, your comments come across as an attack on your old NFTU server audience - even if that’s not what you intended.

I am open to any correction or criticism regarding this, and I don’t intend this comment in any hostile way whatsoever.

In Christ,
Theodore

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1 Timothy 1:15-17

Paul's Example: Salvation by Grace

15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.†
16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.


(Very snake like behavior )

“Unhinged and defensive.” It’s not like I don’t have people trying to publicly and privately tear me down. We all reap what we sow.

James 4:11, “Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaks evil of his brother and judges his brother speaks evil of the law and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you that judges another?”

[Niles_The_New]

Is this resolvable? What needs to be given, apologized for, or understood, for all sides to feel heard? @icthys @unseen.warfare @theodore @rocaremnant?

If nothing can make this whole, (other than internet WEE) then is there a point?

(I will kindly butt my newbie self out and apologize if I’m asked)

[Theodore813]

Is this resolvable? What needs to be given, apologized for, or understood, for all sides to feel heard? @icthys @unseen.warfare @theodore @rocaremnant?

If nothing can make this whole, (other than internet WEE) then is there a point?

(I will kindly butt my newbie self out and apologize if I’m asked)

No one has wronged me. I just want forgiveness and reconciliation. The easiest thing to do on the internet is to misinterpret statements and assume motives. This sparks conflict all the time. I don't know how many times I have had arguments over text message with people due to misinterpretation. I have tried to make it a habit to never argue or get into a heated discussion over text communication. Rather, I try to resolve and discuss either over voice or in person.

Another thing to remember for all of us is that St Ignatius B. taught that one of the greatest delusions is believing were not in delusion. This itself is delusion. We're all in a degree of prelest until we are purified. Lets be watchful and vigilant.

[Suaidan]

Father Joseph,
Klaus was advising to delete this thread because it’s an embarrassment what Unseen has written. Klaus doesn’t like to see True Orthodox people fighting like this. No one is trying apply our Discord’s rules to your site. However, discussions can easily devolve into a circus when there are no rules for conduct. That’s all that Klaus is saying. Unseen has gone on an unhinged, hyper-defensive rant full of misrepresentation, vitriolic personal attacks, and unmasked hatred. A Genuine Orthodox priest in Greece described to me this pitfall generally as “‘Orthodoxy’ (in the superficial sense) without Christianity”.

Unseen has already answered this part. I will answer the Discord issue in a different thread (here: viewtopic.php?p=76637#p76637)

I agree with recent sentiments to just let previous statements go on all sides and start fresh. Orthodox Christianity is at heart about forgiveness. Grudges are the opposite of forgiveness.

[Unseen.Warfare]

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“Don’t criticize or judge other people—regard everyone else as an angel, justify their mistakes and weaknesses, and condemn only yourself as the worst sinner. This is step one in any kind of spiritual life.”

– St. Seraphim Rose

“I wanted to tell you in my little “sermon” when you visited us. One feels sorry for the Orthodox flock and wants to be as condescending as possible to their weaknesses—but first one must lead them, tell them what is right and what is expected of them, always pulling them up higher, giving them the idea that they are Orthodox not because they were born that way or belong to an Orthodox “organization”—but only IF THEY ARE STRUGGLING TO BE FAITHFUL TO THE CHURCH’S TEACHING. Orthodox shepherds today more than ever must beware of placing their hope in the “organization,” but rather must be constantly looking upwards to the Chief Shepherd Christ, to the heavenly world of God’s Truth and His Saints from which alone comes the inspiration to keep guiding the flock rightly. The shepherd cannot be just a filler of “treby” for people who are “automatically” Orthodox because the belong to the organization; but he must be warning them that THEY CAN LOSE THE SAVOR OF ORTHODOXY if they are not looking upward and struggling. Bishop Theophan the Recluse already foresaw this losing of the savor of Orthodoxy and was terribly upset that no one around him seemed to see this—that it was already happening in the 19th century, and how much more today!”— Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) of Platina: (Letter 171. Feb. 6/19, 1975)

“The “royal path” of true Orthodoxy today is a mean that lies between the extremes of ecumenism and reformism on the one side, and a “zeal not according to knowledge” (Rom. 10:2) on the other. True Orthodoxy does not go “in step with the times” on the one hand, nor does it make “strictness” or “correctness” or “canonicity” (good in themselves) an excuse for pharisaic self-satisfaction, exclusivism, and distrust, on the other. This true Orthodox moderation is not to be confused with mere luke-warmness or indifference, or with any kind of compromise between political extremes. The spirit of “reform” is so much in the air today that anyone whose views are molded by the “spirit of the times” will regard true Orthodox moderation as close to “fanaticism,” but anyone who looks at the question more deeply and applies the patristic standard will find the royal path to be far from any kind of extremism. Perhaps no Orthodox teacher in our own days provides such an example of sound and fervent Orthodox moderation as the late Archbishop Averky of Jordanville; his numerous articles and sermons breathe the refreshing spirit of true Orthodox zealotry, without any deviation either to the “right” or to the “left,” and with emphasis constantly on the spiritual side of true Orthodoxy.”— Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) of Platina