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scamandrius
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« on: July 08, 2010, 09:05:38 PM » |
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I am a very fortunate man that I am with a great woman whom I cherish very much. We have a great connection with each other and have much in common, except our religious faith. I am an Orthodox Christian; she is Methodist. Nothing against Methodists, mind you, but there really isn't much of Church discipline among a lot of Methodists today. I believe that there is great spiritual danger in succumbing to the passions and I do what I can to resist. However, though she believes the same, I am under a great deal of pressure to give in, which causes great damage in my warfare to attain the virtues. She sees intimacy as something natural in a relationship such as ours. I have given in at times because I absolutely hate making her feel upset (and I like it myself, coincidentally), though I know that in my pleasing her, I am not pleasing the Lord. This is not something that's going to resolve itself with logical reasoning or anything of that sort. Only the spirit can make us strong enough to resist temptation and to do it joyfully without any sense of "we're doing this just because it's an old rule" mentality. Please pray for the spirit to make us both strong in confronting and defeating the passions. Thanks. Sorry, if I went into too much detail!  |
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I seek the truth by which no man was ever harmed--Marcus Aurelius Those who do not read history are doomed to get their facts from Hollywood--Anonymous What earthly joy remains untouched by grief?--St. John Damascene http://myorthodoxjourney.blogspot.com/ |
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Fabio Leite
High Elder
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Faith: Orthodox
Posts: 1,800
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« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2010, 09:13:13 PM » |
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We all need that kind of prayer friend. I fell for that myself a couple of times after my chrismation. The point is that for the non-Orthodox, and even to many Orthodox, intimate contact is seen as just one more form of tenderness reserved for "that special person". To confront that is to break the relationship. To succumb to it - and as you said, not without enjoying it - is not pleasing to God.
But I am to find the girl who can even conceive of a pre-marital relationship that will not include that and fight the good fight with me in that regard - because I know that the temptation is in me first.
God have mercy of us all! See the culture we are, the weakness of our hearts, and guide us, teach us, and strengthen us!
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Many Energies, Three Persons, Two Natures, One God.
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PeterTheAleut
The Right Blowhard Peter the Furtive of Yetts O'Muckhart
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Exarchos
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EXTERMINATE!
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« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2010, 09:45:24 PM » |
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Lord, have mercy!
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Michał Kalina
proud Podlachian Belarusian parajournalistic engineer in spe
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Hypatos
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OC.net's trickster
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« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2010, 04:54:04 AM » |
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Lord, have mercy!
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formerly known as mikeDespite being a Polish citizen I am not a Pole.  Long live Belarus! "It's my constitutional right!" |
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Papist
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« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2010, 10:10:22 AM » |
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Lord, have mercy.
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"The only-begotten Son of God, wanting us to be partakers of his divinity, assumed our human nature so that, having become man, he might make men gods." - St. Thomas Aquinas
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SolEX01
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« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2010, 10:22:03 AM » |
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Lord have Mercy.
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LizaSymonenko
Христос Воскрес!!! Christ is Risen!!!
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« Reply #6 on: July 09, 2010, 10:34:42 AM » |
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Lord, have mercy!
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Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness, and make zealous men wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion. With the afflicted be afflicted in mind. Love all men, but keep distant from all men.
—St. Isaac of Syria
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Heorhij
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« Reply #7 on: July 09, 2010, 02:07:35 PM » |
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Lord, have mercy!
If you are so close with her and you two cherish each other so much, maybe you guys should marry?
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Love never fails.
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Rosehip
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« Reply #8 on: July 09, 2010, 02:30:53 PM » |
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If you are so close with her and you two cherish each other so much, maybe you guys should marry? Great advice! |
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+ Our dear sister Martha (Rosehip) passed away on Dec 20, 2010. May her memory be eternal! +
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