tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542074794358565710.post52295681633132850..comments2023-06-25T06:56:45.430-07:00Comments on Ranting about the American value system: Contemplative ChristianitySwordsandlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04725059557821427421noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542074794358565710.post-2540365783235705922008-06-03T08:49:00.000-07:002008-06-03T08:49:00.000-07:00Unfortunately, Oprah Winfrey is being drawn furthe...Unfortunately, Oprah Winfrey is being drawn further and further away from the true teachings of Christianity and I am losing a lot of respect for her because of that. I've received several spam emails into this particular topic asking me to post book reviews by Oprah. As of today I am disallowing all comments in that regard. You'll need to go someplace else to push her book list.Swordsandlacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04725059557821427421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542074794358565710.post-72677120143696923982007-12-09T13:40:00.000-08:002007-12-09T13:40:00.000-08:00To illustrate this, the maker of the video (in thi...To illustrate this, the maker of the video (in this case the pastor condoning these esoteric teachings) will not allow ratings or automatic comments to his videos. This I find very fishy, so I conducted an experiment. If I post comments that agree with his point of view, these get approved immediately and posted within a few hours. The ones I post asking for further clarification on Orthodoxy and Christ's paying for our sins on the cross are completely ignored. This tells me that he is only interested in those that agree with him and not willing to be challenged on anything other than his own teachings, and yes, I do have a serious problem with people who do that and this leads me to believe that he is not very sincere in promoting Christ as Savior but rather as just a mere man who was a "good teacher." He leaves out key elements in the very basic tenet of Christianity.Swordsandlacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04725059557821427421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542074794358565710.post-60694346069927337272007-12-09T10:12:00.000-08:002007-12-09T10:12:00.000-08:00I continue to post on this individual's videos and...I continue to post on this individual's videos and asking him to refer to the Orthodox Divine Liturgy, the Bible, Christ dying for our sins, the teachings of the Orthodox Church Fathers (Chrysostom, Basil, etc.) and I keep getting censored. I can't help but draw from logic that there is something else going on here. My instincts are telling me that this person is a false teacher and not a true follower and teacher of Christ.Swordsandlacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04725059557821427421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542074794358565710.post-85637601126753892652007-12-09T07:18:00.000-08:002007-12-09T07:18:00.000-08:00Carl, thanks for your post. There is a deep well i...Carl, thanks for your post. <BR/><BR/>There is a deep well in Orthodoxy that many people have not tapped yet, which is why I made this posting. Because it is so new to America, Christians that are interested in Orthodoxy must know to go to the right sources for their information and not to someone who claims to understand Orthodoxy but is not Orthodox themselves. If someone is interested in the true path of Orthodoxy they should first read the writings of the Bible, St John Chrysostom, the Didache, etc. and see a priest. Becoming Orthodox is not something one can just "do" overnight, as I'm sure you know. Whenever I've asked any priest for guidance, these texts are where I'm led, and not to someone else who claims to understand Orthodox but isn't, speaks about Eastern Mysticism, and then tries to integrate Orthodoxy into metaphysical and fourth way teachings. There's nothing wrong with meditating on the Lord, as long as you don't let yourself become a blank space to be written on and therefore be drawn away from God. This is clearly against Orthodox teachings. The icons of saints and all of the external things are there to keep us grounded in Christ at all times, and to take away from that is against the Church's teachings. We are in sad times in this country, and people do want something bright in their lives. I believe Orthodoxy can provide a lot of those answers for them. But we have to understand that the central message is that Christ suffered for us, and that it's not about just reaching some different level of self awareness or consciousness.Swordsandlacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04725059557821427421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542074794358565710.post-32657928059932991162007-12-09T04:06:00.000-08:002007-12-09T04:06:00.000-08:00Interesting post. I do think it's important for or...Interesting post. I do think it's important for orthodox (with both big and small "O") Christians to keep in mind that there is a valid, scriptural, Christ-centered tradition of contemplative spirituality in the church, as exemplified by such towering teachers as Dionysius the Areopagite, Gregory Palamas, Maximus Confessor, John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila and the anonymous author of <I>The Cloud of Unknowing</I>. Not all contemporary teachers of contemplative prayer are new age wolves in disguise. In fact, one excellent book that goes a long way toward patiently differentiating the distinctions between orthodox and heterodox forms of Christian contemplation is <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1590561074/earthmystic" REL="nofollow">Centering Prayer and the Healing of the Unconscious</A> by Murchadh O'Madagain. <BR/>I work at a (Catholic) monastery bookstore and I've come to see that people (of all denominations) are desperate for times of peace and quiet and silence in their lives. I think the church has to address this very human hunger in ways that are Christ-centered, meaningful and wholesome — and grounded in scripture and tradition — or else we will continue to lose souls to the gnostic confusion of the new age (and not all of those souls we lose to gnosticism will stop attending church).<BR/><BR/>Many blessings,<BR/><BR/>Carl<BR/><A HREF="http://www.anamchara.com" REL="nofollow">The Website of Unknowing</A>Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01644441603142059000noreply@blogger.com