eish wrote: ↑Mon 4 August 2025 12:41 amWell, the statements really would address your concerns except you were never taught what to compare.
“Always, everywhere, and by all.” (Paraphrase of St. Vincent of Lerins.)
There are two competing parties. The way St. Vincent is telling you to tell them apart, is by comparing them to the undisputed past. Both sides agree--so they claim--on St. Vincent, St. Macarius, St. Anthony, St. John of San Francisco, etc.
You should compare the teachings of the two sides to the teachings of the ancient Fathers.
- Elder Paisios taught to stay with the heretical hierarchy no matter what. St. Ambrose taught the opposite. And every saint you look at from the undisputed past, taught as St. Ambrose.
- Fr. Peter Heers would have you believe that you should read and follow only the “saints of our times” because they are supposedly more comprehensible to us. But St. Vincent taught the opposite. He taught us to check what is being taught today against the ancient Fathers. When you read the Fathers in their writings against heretics and schismatics, indeed you see that they are quoting the ancients.
And so on. That is how you know first of all, which side is with the true Faith. Without correct doctrine miracles are irrelevant and may be assumed to be either delusion or just God condescending to show mercy on those who are already falling away, but by no means a sign of truth.
Other than that, @haralampopoulosjc and @SavaBeljovic have already pointed you in the right direction.
I listened to Fr Peter Heers a bit before I had started attending church, but my priest told me to stay away from him and Jay Dyer. Regarding Paisios heretical approval of the Pat Bartholomew, there again I recall it raising alarms but (cognitive dissonance in action) I chose to believe that perhaps there was more than one Pat Bartholomew and that I was misunderstanding. I suppose I am arguing out of sheer frustration that my ignorance and that of everyone else who doesn't know, causes us to be in heresy. It just makes me so sad.
I accept what you are saying, it just makes me angry that we have been duped by the church that we are supposed to love and see as our guide.