Topic: Protestantism

[choirfiend]

There's plenty of good discussion on various religions and Christian denominations here. Many questions about Orthodox or other beliefs are answered as well as possible, and I find a lot of friendly relationships here between posters who are Orthodox, RC, Lutheran, and many others, more than I have seen at any other forum. Sometimes a unwarrannted bashing does take place, but as you well pointed out, that's inappropriate. However, at this site, there is some freedom of speech, so even those posts which I find offensive have their place. Your freedom to state your displeasure is welcomed as well, but please do not be offended by a few lighthearted jokes; enough are made here at the expense of Orthodox as well.

I, for one, find LDS beliefs pretty wacky. A lot more wacky, than, say, Native American religions, or a lot more wacky than say, the foolishness of the Cross...Commenting on and joking about the things that appear to be wacky in other religions is not the same as declaring someone is going to hell. THat's one sentence that you will find conspicuously absent from this forum--no one here, Orthodox or no, would ever attempt to make that decision for God.

But the LDS or anyone else that comes here and wants to actively debate LDS and Orthodox belief are treated with respect. An active debate on Lutheranism, should you care to address anything specific, would run pretty smoothly. Loving people is not the same thing as loving their religion. Having respect for a person and respect for how they hold a belief is not the same as having respect for that belief. We're called to love each other, even those that hate us, but we're not called to love what is not Truth. Just stick around a little more. You'll be in the joking spirit over some ridiculous Orthodox issue(but, I believe, not doctrine) in no time

[choirfiend]

ps. If jokes are bad, how bad is actively insulting in all seriousness? We're not blissfully ignorant nor do we have uninformed little minds. There are plenty of intelligent Lutherans who post here, adn there are plenty of people here who have converted from Lutheranism who are not dumb either.

[lpap]

This entire discussion is a joke. You don't have to accept LDS or the SDA churches if you don't want to, but don't sit here and mock their entire beliefs. This is actually acting contrary to Christianity, but also common sense.
Also, as a devout Lutheran, I would appreciate you not making any comments about Martin Luther or anything else that will come from your uninformed and blissfully ignorant little minds. It seems to me as if you people have to insult every other religion and especially every Protestant denomination claiming we are all heretics and morons, and never give any examples of how we are not the one true church ourselves.
It is inherently clear that Orthodox Christians, at least all that I have heard or read, are hell-bent on mocking other religions. DO I accept Mormonism? Obviously not!!! Do I sit here and mock their beliefs, being uninformed and ignorant? Not a chance. THat is non-Christian. That's like saying "Hey you're Muslim? You will rot in hell!! Want to come to church with me?" It seems like the goal of Orthodox in general is to mock other beliefs to make their own ignorant and insecure members feel special.
Why would anyone possibly convert to Orthodoxy when all they do is hear and read discussions mocking orther people? Even Mormons would think this is ridiculous.

Brother LT

While you are absolutely right to be indignant with the behavior of some of the brothers, please keep in mind that in all that is, this forum is just "a forum of people". It is not a formal apologia of Orthodoxy.

Of course the attitude of many may make you sick and also may show to you that Orthodox faithful are no better than the faithful of other confessions. Or they may be even worse than those.

I as an Orthodox myself can not justify people's behavior.

But I can tell you that you may be more Orthodox than Lutheran, that you believe you are. This is "the beauty" of this forum: that shows people to others as they really are, regardless of the opinion that they hold about themselves.

Welcome to the life of not yours. Actually in this forum you participate in the life of others, that makes you so rightly to resent them.

(Orthodox Church is so tolerant that accepts everyone, even anarchists)

[Thomas]

As a former Mormon, let me advise you on how to approach a Mormon.  Approach them inprayer and with the Holy Spirit as your guide. Mormon Theology is almost directly opposed to Orthodox Christianity.  I converted after having my eyes opend through the reading of St Athansius' Paschal Letters.  What a wonderful rebuking of LDS/Mormon Theology ---Mormon theologians, I latter learned, hate St Athanasius because he ably dissects their belief system before they were even organized. Do NOT denigate them as they are sincere in their beliefes, but exposed gradually in prayer and through the Holy Spirit, their blinders fall off and they can enter the church. If an LDS believer becomes Orthodox surround them with activity because they are use to costant daily contact with the church. It is their family, their social life, their spiritual life, and their goal.  To successfully evangelize an LDS person be prepared to become a more full-time orthodox person with attendance at Orthros and Vespers when ever they are held, Divine Liturgy and Sunday School.

In Christ,
Thomas

[Αριστοκλής]

Lt,
The joke appears to be your going back 1-1/2 years and choosing to be offended by a post from a former Lutheran as Linus7 is himself; along with many others here including one of the site owners.
Apparently quite a few are getting by our "ignorant little minds" and converting anyway.
Yesterday afternoon, while I was viewing these boards, a close friend of mine of the past six years telephoned me and asked to visit my church with his entire family. Yeah, he is an openminded Lutheran. Hope that's not too much of an insult for you.

[Tikhon29605]

I hope it doesn't upset some of the Lutheran posters here that in my little Orthodox Church, we have an LCMS pastor who regularly visits when his schedule permits it.  He's very humble, quiet, and unpretentious. He comes in and stands in the back, and just drinks it all in, bowing and crossing himself frequently. We always give him a very warm welcome, and no one, so far as I know, has ever put him on the spot or mocked the Lutheran church to his face, or even pressured him to convert. Nothing of the kind. We are just glad that he attends on occasion. Perhaps one day he might become Orthodox. But even if he doesn't, I think he will have warm memories of the way we have treated him.

[jmbejdl]

Lt,

I'm an ex-Lutheran convert to Orthodoxy and I don't recognise your complaints at all. I have rarely come across anyone in the Orthodox Church mocking Lutherans, but frequently the reverse. Not for nothing did I have a long period of strife with my mother after my conversion. I have never mocked a Lutheran in my life. I know some very sincere ones who are good Christians even if I feel they're misguided. I've also known a lot who say things like 'I may not be a good Christian, but I'm a damned good Protestant'. How Christian is that? I must also point out that I have never heard an Orthodox equivalent to this phrase but have heard similar from a number of Protestants, many of whom seem to suffer from an absolute fear of anything 'Romish' and like to lump us Orthodox in with the RCs because that way we're easier to attack.

And what is the deal with making a joke about Luther? He was just a man with flaws like any other. If you'd been complaining about someone joking about Christ, I'd understand, but Luther was just a reformer who accidentally created his own church. He is not God and nor, would I argue (even as a Lutheran I would have said this), was he a saint. It is not mocking to make a gentle joke about someone, particularly when it is blatantly apparent from its somewhat surreal nature that it has no basis in reality. You, however, seem to want to treat it as blasphemy. Get your priorities straight, for goodness sake!

James

[Aindriú]

James won't like this thread.

[Ashman618]

What's up with that girl in your photo who is she, her expression bugs me to the point I'm kinda attracted to her.

[Aindriú]

What's up with that girl in your photo who is she, her expression bugs me to the point I'm kinda attracted to her.

Mckayla Maroney

[LBK]

What's up with that girl in your photo who is she, her expression bugs me to the point I'm kinda attracted to her.

Mckayla Maroney

Poor kid, destined to have to spell out her name every time it's asked for, for a lifetime. All because her parents wanted to indulge in the selfish stupidity of giving her a name that was "unique" and "different". 

[Aindriú]

What's up with that girl in your photo who is she, her expression bugs me to the point I'm kinda attracted to her.

Mckayla Maroney

Poor kid, destined to have to spell out her name every time it's asked for, for a lifetime. All because her parents wanted to indulge in the selfish stupidity of giving her a name that was "unique" and "different". 

Might be a family last name.

[LBK]

What's up with that girl in your photo who is she, her expression bugs me to the point I'm kinda attracted to her.

Mckayla Maroney

Poor kid, destined to have to spell out her name every time it's asked for, for a lifetime. All because her parents wanted to indulge in the selfish stupidity of giving her a name that was "unique" and "different".  

Might be a family last name.

No, it isn't. Trust me, I'm old enough and ugly enough to know. It's a "cute" spelling of the perfectly normal name Michaela. There oughta be a law ....  

[PeterTheAleut]

James won't like this thread.

So why the **** resurrect it? James wouldn't know about this thread if you hadn't resurrected it.

[Aindriú]

James won't like this thread.

So why the **** resurrect it? James wouldn't know about this thread if you hadn't resurrected it.

Muwahhahahahahahahhaaaahahhahhahahhhahaahhahahha *gasp* hahahahahahahahhfhahaaaaaaaaaaa