The Remnant Mentality - Now Orthodox are embracing?

[SouthernOrthodox]

Interesting to note that if you polled the World Religions excluding the Orthodox world and maybe the LDS folks (way another topic) and parts of the RC, you would get a sense of they have no idea what a faithful remnant would even look like. The bible today in the Protestant world is the do all tell all and if it's not in the Bible I don't believe it (again, not to knock on the Protestants). Apostolic succession is the key element in looking into who the remnant actually is, although the RC Community would argue. I would agree to an extend that the Russian Orthodox community has taken a Protestant angle in that if I don't agree I go off and start my own. A very Protestant concept in today's world.

[Cat.Timothy.]

The theology of a Holy Remanent is Biblical, thats where the protestants got if from, from the Bible that comes from the Orthodox Church. I wish all these people who have a tendency to see Papist or Protestant mentalities in the last confessing Orthodox would look and see how much there own world view and basic assumptions dont come from Orthodoxy at all but rather from the "modern", "post-modern", "hippie liberbal" and thoroughly apostate west. They want a an Orthodoxy that fits in with their worldly friends, and most of all doesnt implictly condemn the "nice" herbal tea drinkers of the twenty first century. This world remains under God's condemnation, let us not be condemned with it!

[ioannis]

Oh, so in your opinion, the Orthodox are not the Faithful Remnant any more? Who is it now? The Hare Krishnas? The B'ahai's?

No no, what I mean that during the time of the Arians for instance, almost everyone was in fact Arian, and that the Orthodox were a remnant - this has happened enough times like I noted.

[George Australia]

the last confessing Orthodox

And who, exactley are they? And more importantly, how can you be sure that they are?

[ioannis]

And who, exactley are they? And more importantly, how can you be sure that they are?

Well now, my answer to this question will undoubtedly lead into another topic entirly, one that has been discussed many times.

Isn't it enough as it concerns this thread, that the Holy Fathers have written many times that they "were the last remnant of the faithful"? Do you even agree that they did?

[George Australia]

Well now, my answer to this question will undoubtedly lead into another topic entirly,

No doubt! So let's not go there!
And let's also refrain from condemning

the "nice" herbal tea drinkers

- implicitly or otherwise....
That's no way to dialogue.

[Chrysostomos]

George Australia said:

What I believe Rdr. Chysostomos is saying is that we have the situation today where some Othodox Christians believe they are the Faithful Remnant and that others merely claim to be Orthodox Christians.

Yes, but it goes further than that. I question whether this "remnant mentality" is part of a passion that all mankind is given over to which is the result of pride.

Rather than being and believing in the Eastern Orthodox Faith, we can fall into which "Church"/"Jurisdiction" is best, most faithful. We then start seeking a Church, rather than applying the "prescription" that the Church advocates given by the Church Fathers themselves. Purification, Illumination, Theosis.

That we must work towards doing away with those passions that seperate us from God via purification, rather than embracing the passion and seperating ourselves from God.

Ioannis said:

think this "thought", that because the protestants do it we should feel guilty that we do the same, is just plain bad thinking.

I fall back on the "passion" aspect. That we were all created in the image of God and all are subject to the same passions.

Your fellow struggler in Christ,

Rd. Chrysostomos