Topic: Is this true?

[sprtslvr1973]

Does the Tawedo church persecute evangelicals? BTW, why are so many Orthodox converting to Protestant sects in that country?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%27ent%27ay#Persecution

[sprtslvr1973]

Something else I noticed: most of the Protestant growth seems to come from targeting Orthodox communities, if you review the demographic changes since 1994. This seems to echo a criticism I had heard before; that when Western Evangelicals were threatened by Muslims with violence for evangelizing against their demonic religion, the Protestants turned their attention to Orthodox Christians, who have no such rules.

[Salpy]

^ That's what the Protestant missionaries who went to the Ottoman Empire during the 1800's did. 

[NicholasMyra]

Strange how the paragraph accusing the EOTC of persecution is the only paragraph in that section with no citations.

[sprtslvr1973]

^ That's what the Protestant missionaries who went to the Ottoman Empire during the 1800's did. 

Do you believe that they no longer do so?

[Salpy]

Protestant missionaries still target Orthodox Christians.  I ranted about it in a thread about a poster here who proselytizes among the Albanians:

http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php/topic,18483.msg275037.html#msg275037

http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php/topic,18483.45.html

[Salpy]

Another rant, in another thread, but at least this one is shorter:

http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php/topic,23518.msg367854.html#msg367854

As you can tell, this issue is something that bugs me.   


Of course the Orthodox do missions work among other Christians:

http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php/topic,33913.0.html

I don't think, however, that our missionaries engage in the same proselytizing techniques and sheep stealing that you see among the Protestants.

[Melodist]

^ That's what the Protestant missionaries who went to the Ottoman Empire during the 1800's did. 

Do you believe that they no longer do so?

I believe so.

http://www.roboam.com/BB_E_Orthodox_Manual.pdf

[sprtslvr1973]

^ That's what the Protestant missionaries who went to the Ottoman Empire during the 1800's did. 

Do you believe that they no longer do so?

I believe so.

http://www.roboam.com/BB_E_Orthodox_Manual.pdf

Can we please take that tired old pamphlet and shoot it?

[Melodist]

^ That's what the Protestant missionaries who went to the Ottoman Empire during the 1800's did. 

Do you believe that they no longer do so?

I believe so.

http://www.roboam.com/BB_E_Orthodox_Manual.pdf

Can we please take that tired old pamphlet and shoot it?

If it didn't require me to print 75 pages out, I would not be opposed to the idea.

[JamesRottnek]

I disgree Melodist.  I don't know why anyone thinks Protestants still go and convert Orthodox in the Ottoman Empire...

j/k

[CBGardner]

^ That's what the Protestant missionaries who went to the Ottoman Empire during the 1800's did. 

Do you believe that they no longer do so?

I believe so.

http://www.roboam.com/BB_E_Orthodox_Manual.pdf

Woooww. I'd never seen this and having just read it, wow. I have no words.

[JamesRottnek]

Yeah, I was just reading that too, until I got to the part about sin and the death of Christ, where they seem to teach that Orthodox believe Christ died for the sole purpose of helping us get back on the path to theosis...someone did NOT do their homework.  I mean, they had lots of errors leading up to this, but this was where it seemed they just made crap up and I quit reading.

[CBGardner]

This was my killer. "Russian Orthodoxy can by summarized by three “M”s. It is mysterious, mystical, and
magical. The sacraments are referred to as mysteries and much of the popular
understanding of a person’s relationship to God through rituals is akin to mysticism and
magic. Just as a child might believe his rabbit’s foot brings good luck, so is the popular
understanding of faith in Orthodoxy."

I'm sure there are those in the "old world" that do have this mindset but it certainly isn't fair to the majority of the faith.

[Red A.]

Yeah, I was just reading that too, until I got to the part about sin and the death of Christ, where they seem to teach that Orthodox believe Christ died for the sole purpose of helping us get back on the path to theosis...someone did NOT do their homework.  I mean, they had lots of errors leading up to this, but this was where it seemed they just made crap up and I quit reading.

Not surprised at all. It is OK to lie to people if it gets them "saved". It's pretty common in the southern baptist church.

I got "saved" when I was 9. I was taught in sunday school that Christ was to come back when the temple in Jerusalem was rebuilt and that all the nations of the earth currently had the pieces of this temple ready to go together any day now and if I wasn't "saved" I'd go to hell. I was saved and baptized on that lie. 

[JamesRottnek]

Wow

[sprtslvr1973]

Friends let's not get sidetracked. My original question was if the EOTC actively persecutes Ethiopian Protestants with vandalism, torture and murder. Of course NicholasMyra stated that the Wikipedia article omitted sources...

[Ansgar]

Friends let's not get sidetracked. My original question was if the EOTC actively persecutes Ethiopian Protestants with vandalism, torture and murder. Of course NicholasMyra stated that the Wikipedia article omitted sources...

I have read about such insidents. It is sad indeed but I do not think that we can ignore the fact that like any other religions and christian denominations the orthodox church too have examples of violence againts people of other beliefs. It is right that many protestants have misused the weakened state of the church after the fall of communism but I do not think that it is a excuse for hurting other people.
It must be possible to strengthen the orthodox faith without threatening people.

[JamesRottnek]

Can you please provide a citation to prove that the EOTC has done anything against missionaries?

[Ansgar]

I do not know if you consider this a valid source but the christian organization open doors have published articles about protestant christians who have been attacked by ethiopian orthodox even though in some cases disputes over land have also been a backround or the attack. I cannot however provide a specific quote or article but try searching on their website.

[sprtslvr1973]

Does anyone have a response to the last poster's reference to Open Doors International?
 I have to admit, being half Dutch myself, that I was always taken by Brother Andrew's testimony