joseph b wrote:"There are few words of men that are not vain and idle." - St. Justin Popovich
I note this is also Justin Kissell's signature, and I've always liked it. Thanks for giving it more exposure in these times- we can all do with being reminded of it.
"As long as it depends on Monothelitism, then Miaphysitism is nothing but a variant of Monophysitism."
Here's one last thought.
What if we are looking at the wrong emphasis of the issue? The battle of words is always about ROCOR's and the MP's actions.
Have we all forgotten that the hierarchy are still flesh and blood men, with flesh and blood sins?
It's one thing to sin on a personal level...what one man does to another out of greed, envy, anger, hatred, empathy and such, may not affect me directly...but if those same sins are intergrated into his position of an hierarch, then the ripple effect will certainly reach the simple laity, because these personal sins will be the driving force of his decision as the Patriarch, Metropolitan or priest. I don't want to be governed by an hierarch's spiritually weak disposition. I want him to view the situation with clarity and not let his personal feelings(sins) affect some very detrimental decisions.
The biggest, influencial sin is pride...and I believe that at one level or another, the hierarchs, in question(ROCOR and MP), are basing their decisions with pride and not humility. They want to show themselves as the stronger one.
Heck, if we've had these type of debates, which I'm sure stems from pride, then don't you think that they have been affected by this same sin? But, my pride will not cause an heretical schism.
What it's come down to, is that they act with a certain abadonment of trust in God. It's like they feel that they need to make things work of their own ability and effort, like it's some kind of company that they need to keep functioning, but under their own terms...so they battle out the terms. But, it's not a company, it's a church; it's God's and Christ is the Head.
I'm sorry if my commentary may seem unclear. It's hard to express my feelings in words. As feelings go..I feel them, but words can't express them.