New Attack from Ancient Faith Radio vs. the True Orthodox

[Maria]

New Attack on the True Orthodox:

http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/mornin ... e_calendar

How would you counter this attack?

[searn77]

Although this doesn't answer your question, I remember coming across a short podcast by this same podcaster which was more directly against the True Orthodox here:
http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/mornin ... the_church

This viewpoint was basically my viewpoint back when I was in the World Orthodox Church and honestly knew practically nothing about the True Orthodox. I just assumed that they had to be zealots and unloving people. My viewpoint obviously has completely changed after I actually met True Orthodox people personally.

From listening to these two podcasts, he's just ill-informed and I highly doubt he has met any True Orthodox. You can counter his arguments by showing examples of how Ecumenism is still alive and growing in World Orthodoxy, how the papal calendar (as he himself calls the new calendar) has been anathematized, how the fathers don't share his views on the calendar, how breaking communion with heresy isn't schism, etc. He pretty much just states what his viewpoints are and doesn't really go into detail regarding why he is correct so it's kind of hard to counter argue.

But to truly counter an attack coming from a person like this who is so ill-informed and vehemently opposed to True Orthodoxy, the only useful things that I can think of doing would be to pray and try to lead a truly Orthodox life. Although I wasn't so much against True Orthodoxy like this person, it wasn't until I actually saw Old Calendarists leading simple and pious lives that I truly felt comfortable about converting. And this should be our goal when arguing with people such as this, as our argument should be in the hopes of bringing people to Christ as opposed to fighting for the sake of winning an argument.

[Maria]

Yes, this podcaster probably has relatives and friends who have converted to True Orthodoxy and thus feels the need to speak out.

Did you read how at least 10 people were recently received into the GOC from the Carpatho-Russian jurisdiction under the EP? There was a news article about this because their church is historical. Go to http://www.hotca.org for the entire story. The GOC now has a new parish thanks to these ten brave parishioners. The new parish numbers about 40 souls, so the True Orthodox are increasing in numbers.

[StephenS]

I listened to the podcast, and was not impressed. Perhaps it may be best not to enter into debate with someone who is not ready to hear.

[Matthew]

I went to give it a listen to, and aftwards I though, "That's it?!" Wow, only three minutes and in it he said nothing applicable to the reasons TOC hierarchs and lay folk have severed communion with the Papal Calendarists of the World Orthodox Communion. He seems like he has no real idea about what the division is really all about. I have to chime in with the others on this one: Pray for him, that is all you can do, I suspect.

[frphoti]

In my travels I have run into a lot of new calendar clergy. Recently I ran into Meropolitan Neketas of the Dardanelles. In all the cases, they have been relatively generous and our conversations tends to be about parish life and the difficulty of getting people to live piously. However, the topic of our non-communion with them always comes up because invariably they ask which parish I am with and if I know this or that clergyman. "We don't worship the calendar" they will say. Or, "It's just dates" will be their comment. I then talk to them about the Truth, the Church and the existence of "other christs than that preached by the Apostles". They glaze over as I go into the topic of heresy and communion, the Body of Christ. Then, "Yeah, but it's only a calendar. We shouldn't be separated because of the calendar!"

Honestly, if the lay people are getting their information from these type of men, then I feel sorry for all of them. I pray for them regularly, and hope that they come around. We have a big, Greek church here in town (New Calendar) where the priest is apparently ( I hear) driving people away. He has done such a good job of indoctrinating his people that when they drive two or three hours each way to go to church, we aren't even considered. We are literally blocks from their old church. I hear that they look at the little building, look int the windows and see the "comfortable" insides and walk away.

It's so sad, because their healing is right around the corner. They have a feast right in front of them, but they don't like the chef or the restaurant, so they starve themselves.

God help us all.

[Revnitel]

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.