New Attack from Ancient Faith Radio vs. the True Orthodox

[Matthew]

How sad that some of the priests and bishops of the World Orthodox are driving their people away from attending or participating in Church services. It truly is the last times.

[Lydia]

I have a problem taking seriously anyone who accepts the sacraments of heretics as Orthodox Mysteries yet scorns those of Orthodox who have severed Communion with this person's Bishops. Because these Bishops have divided the local churches with innovations, pray with heretics and compromise Orthodox ecclesiology. Fidelity to them is common cause with Rome, the Uniates or the WCC. So they introduce such bastardized practices as altar girls, organs, and pews to the kliros in churches which present parishoners and visitors with a parody of Orthodoxy. These people can't and don't think, because they don't know what to think about. They have no perspective, no point of reference as to what authentic Orthodox worship and piety is. Nor do they seek it. If it isn't an iteration of Protestant brand b or papist brand x, they don't want it - that's "fundamentalist" in their eyes. Such miserable ignorance should be pitied, not given any serious credence. These people are simply too taken up with themselves and their egos to accept an undenatured Orthodoxy. They simply want the title "Orthodox" affixed to a cafeteria where they pick and choose what they will call "Orthodox". Oftentimes, this cafeteria is nothing more than an annex to their former Protestant denomination, and that is the lack sobriety the AFR podcasts tend to offer. Instead of learning, they teach out of ignorance. All are lost as a result, for the blind make poor guides, and ignorance edifies no intellect. It only darkens all truth.

While I agree with most of what you wrote, are pews really a bastardized practice in these so-called Orthodox churches?

[Revnitel]

When there is no room for a kliros and pews are right up to the iconostasis, don't you think? Pews around the walls and some chairs towards the middle, within reason, is not optimal, but that is our life here and can make sense sometimes.

[Lydia]

Yes, of course, chairs for he elderly or ill are proper; but I have seen rows of chairs in some True Orthodox Churches that cover the entire area up to the Iconostasis. I believe St. Markella's Cathedral is like that.

[Jean-Serge]

Yes, of course, chairs for he elderly or ill are proper; but I have seen rows of chairs in some True Orthodox Churches that cover the entire area up to the Iconostasis. I believe St. Markella's Cathedral is like that.

Yes indeed, unfortunately there are pews too in Saint Markella and in many other true orthodox churches, mostly Greek ones; I still don't understand what they are waiting to remove them... Moreover, in some True Orthodox churches, ladies are unveiled... such details really withdraw much credibility to a true orthodox stance. It seems that some forget orthopraxy too...

[Matthew]

Yes, it is sad that if a man were to walk into the church with a baseball cap on, there would be no hesitation by anyone to ask him to remove it, in observance of St. Paul's words that a man shall not pray with his head covered which would be an affront to God. However, when the ladies walk in and do not cover, nobody says anything. This entirely reverses the Apostolic order, that a man being the image of Christ should not cover his head, but the woman being second in the order of Creation (Adam was first formed, then Eve as a helpmate and companion) is obligated to cover. But what happens in our TOC parishes? If she wishes to cover, fine. If she wishes to be uncovered, fine. She can do as she pleases in the House of God. The man however, shame on him if he be so audacious to not remove his hat upon entering the Temple of God! Hence there is a law binding upon the man, but the woman is raised above the man, she can do as she fancies. She is superior and supreme.

Travesty.

[StephenS]

In Greece during Great Lent the women folks' clothing or rather lack made me fearful that some might fully prostrate and put my blood pressure sky high. Head coverings were definitely a minority option. Any attempt to either challenge or question this lead nowhere, such was the sense it is 'our right' to go bareheaded or I haven't paid good money for my hair only to cover it. Any further attempt to interject where piety might have a place simply drew outraged looks. The problem was the men's problem