The YMCA & Russian Emigration: Halloween Trick - or genuine treat ?

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Barbara
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Re: The YMCA & Russian Emigration: Halloween Trick - or genuine treat ?

Post by Barbara »

I noted a revealing fact about the YMCA and its work with the Russian emigres and other Orthodox while reading the life of Abp Seraphim [Sobolev] of Bulgaria [ often written of Bogucharsk, but what is the point of calling him by a former see in the Russian Empire that is little known ? I had never heard of it. When looking it up online, the only notable feature was a street or square named for the Evil Founder of Communism. << = That must change ! Had the hierarch been titled 'of Novgorod', that would be different ].

Abp Seraphim delivered an address to the Congress of Orthodox Churches at a celebration of the Quincentennial of Russian Church Autocephaly, July 13, 1948. In it, he made some illuminating points which help us to understand at this great distance of time the deeply disturbing effects of Protestants, often via Masonic organizations, to dislodge Orthodox from their roots and mold them into westernized pro-Protestant 'modern men'. Reading his words allow us to see the reaction of a sharp mind at that time. Abp Seraphim easily saw through the YMCA wool which was successfully pulled over the eyes of so many displaced and needy refugees.

"Protestants proceed on the assumption that because they have an ecumenical friendship with Orthodox, the latter are ready to embrace Protestant doctrines, and, as never before, they indulge, with no restraint whatsoever, in their Protestant propagandizing, which has as its goal the union of Orthodoxy with Protestantism and the consequent liquidation of the Orthodox Church.

Protestants use the enormous resources at their disposal to disseminate propaganda by means of the press, publishing books and newspapers. In their literature, they not only drag through the mud our veneration of Icons, our Divine Services, and all of Orthodoxy, but they also speak contrary to the Scriptures. They reject the Biblical narrative of God's creation of the world in six days and do not accept as authentic certain miracles recorded in Scripture.

The upshot of all of this propaganda is that a multitude of Protestant sects have sprouted in Orthodox countries, such as Adventists, Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Evangelicals, as well as others.

Before ecumenism, no such Protestant propagandizing existed in Orthodox countries, as no ties of familiarity existed between Orthodox and Protestants. These friendships, which are being firmly established at ecumenical conferences, impose on the Orthodox representatives a moral obligation not to impede Protestant propagandizing in Orthodox countries.

And herein lies the great evil of ecumenism...Freemasons are the ones who encourage the development of friendly relationships at ecumenical conferences, since they are the ones who organize selfsame conferences, just as they organize the conferences of the YMCA."

In 1928, a conference was held in Sofia between representatives of Orthodox churches and representatives of the International Committee of the YMCA, including representatives of national federations of the YMCA in Orthodox countries, under the leadership of the General Secretary of the International Committee of the YMCA, Dr John [Raleigh] Mott -- a well-known Freemason."

Image
Picture selected by barbara of the above mentioned JR Mott, 2nd from the left. I am writing the YMCA head's name the Soviet way, since this American Methodist took for himself the suspicious title "General Secretary". Where was that most familiarly used at the time ? By the heads of the Soviet Communist Party. Note how Mott faces the Greek [?] prelate with a bizarre intensity as if to hypnotize the Orthodox clergyman : symbolic of the YMCA's aim of holding Orthodox Churches in Protestant-Masonic captivity. While appearing attentive to the powerful American, the Orthodox clergyman looks like he is holding on to maintain his balance from the onslaught of psychological warfare.

A little more material on this Mott-YMCA-Masonic attack on Orthodoxy among the vulnerable emigres and war-weakened Orthodox Europeans in the early to mid- 20th century will follow.
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Barbara
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Re: The YMCA & Russian Emigration: Halloween Trick - or genuine treat ?

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Continuing the above, which is all quoted from the book, "St Seraphim of Sofia", compiled by the Old Calendarist Holy Protection Convent and published in English in 2008 by Etna.

"At his [Mott's] directive, the All-American Protestant Congress allocates enormous sums of money for world-wide Protestant-Masonic propaganda.
The second of these congresses took place in 1930 in Athens.
The Oxford Conference held in 1937 had as its organizer and spokesman none other than the same well-known Freemason, Dr John Mott...and this same Dr John Mott will be one of the spokesmen at the Amsterdam conference....

it is no surprise that eighty percent of the participants at the Stockholm Conference of 1925 and at the Lausanne Conference of 1927 were members of the YMCA, an organization with Masonic ties and headed by the same Dr John Mott."
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The above was the report of Abp Seraphim of Sofia delivered to a Moscow Patriarchate Congress, July 1948, in Moscow. [ How did this hierarch return alive to a foreign country, albeit a Soviet satellite, from the Soviet Union ? Indeed, Abp Seraphim [Sobolev] reposed less than 2 years later, on Feb 13/26, 1950. To be continued on the thread http://www.euphrosynoscafe.com/forum/vi ... 12&t=11692]

In the following post[s], we will attempt to separate out some truth from the American Protestant panegyrics of Mott. These continue right up to the present.

Encyclopedia.com describes his external characteristics :

John R. Mott (1865-1955), American ecumenical pioneer and official of the Young Men's Christian Association, was the foremost Protestant layman of his time.

What about : The Truth behind Mott's constant international movement, and his overt and covert activities ? While requiring extensive work by specialists, some hints are available nonetheless.
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Re: The YMCA & Russian Emigration: Halloween Trick - or genuine treat ?

Post by Theodore813 »

I want to open this thread back up since the celebration of Halloween is coming up in about a week. Does anyone have any good primary historical sources explaining the origin and roots of Halloween? Thanks.

“We’re holding onto our Orthodoxy by our fingernails.”

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Barbara
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Re: The YMCA & Russian Emigration: Halloween Trick - or genuine treat ?

Post by Barbara »

Thanks for resurrecting this thread, Theodore !
I had planned to continue with much more material, but I had to return that book bac to the library. There was a lot of interesting history in it. The stories about YMCA work in Siberia were riveting for people who are interested in that period of time.

Meanwhile a synopsis of the YMCA Press and other YMCA activities.

Apparently the YMCA started their programs with Russians farther bac, in the year 1900 !

While this sheds no light on Halloween as requested above, at least it gives SOME idea of Christmas donations to World War I Russian captives of the Germans. [I wonder WHERE they were kept ? We know where the DP camps were after World War II, but i have no information about the camps or places of confinement from the earlier war.]

I wish that cigarettes would have been left out of the packages, but likely in that era, the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine were scarcely understood by society.

"YMCA Press: Founded in 1921, the YMCA Press was a publishing house that produced literature for Russian emigrants and prisoners of war. The press was originally based in Prague, and later moved to Berlin and Paris. The YMCA Press worked with Russian exiles to preserve Russian Christian culture.

St. Sergius Theological Academy: The YMCA supported the St. Sergius Theological Academy in Paris.

War relief: The YMCA provided war relief work in Siberia, Harbin, and Paris.

Christmas parcels: In 1919, the YMCA distributed Christmas parcels to Russian prisoners in Germany, including games, money, and apples.

Candy, cigarettes, cocoa, and milk: The YMCA continued to distribute these items to Russian prisoners"

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