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The following web pages are more detailed expositions of the mysteries through comparison. The Analysis of Doctrines (Parts 1 and 2) are extremely important and are thoroughly recommended, esp. for those who are short of time. If you have some more time please read the following ones in detail, even if you read nothing else from these web pages. Analysis of Doctrines 1 analyses Baptism (including the "controversy" on Infant and Postponement Baptism), Eucharist, Priesthood and Confession (where we also show how some of the Evangelical arguments used from early Christian Tradition to reject Confession are in fact wrong interpretations of the words of the Fathers). Note: requires Comparative Doctrine 1 Analysis of Doctrines 2 continues the above discussion and examines Chrismation in detail and the reason why it is not only called (internal) Confirmation. Matrimony comes next, where we see why this is indeed a Sacrament. This will prove invaluable when we discuss in future the thorny issue of Mixed Weddings. However, the reader who has a pure heart can already see quite easily that they should not be allowed. (The argument that uses the Divine Economy does not stand because Economy can only apply on specific local situations and cause a temporary disorder to aid the salvation of the individuals concerned and can never have a permanent position. But all this later). Note: requires Analysis of Doctrines 1 Holy Unction continues the above analysis of the Sacraments and shows that Unction is also a Sacrament. It becomes evident after our analysis that Unction cannot be an extreme Sacrament therefore rejecting the Roman Catholic practice of extreme Unction. The Perpetual Virginity of the Mother of God shows why Protestant arguments used to disprove Mary's Ever-virginity have no basis. Ecclesiastical history completes the analysis. A few Papal cacodoxies as regards Virgin Mary are described afterwards, though this subject is by no means complete yet. The question of observance of the Sabbath Day and its relation to the Christian Sunday (Kuriaki) is a sub-section of the Chapter on Seventh Day Adventists and shows why the Sabbath Day is not observed in the same way it used to in OT times and how Sunday was established as the National Day of rest. Was it because Sunday substituted the Jewish Sabbath? As we shall see that is not the case ... "The Old and New Calendars: why the "dogmatic" Old Calendarists have deviated" has been recently updated and discusses the thorny issue of Palaioimerologitai in our times. "Dogmatic" Old Calendarists are few in numbers these days, but they still have an effect on Orthodox Christians who follow the Old Style who do not know much about them, and this analysis aims on one hand to help them understand that the New Style Calendar is not Schismatic, and on the other to help heterodox Christians - esp. Roman Catholics - realise that the Orthodox Church is united and that the few "dogmatic" Old Calendarists are deceived brothers, and that such groups are only outside the Church in a very loose sense of the word (schisms arising from trivial reasons, having no real dogmatic basis). Having said this, it is worthy of note that all of the "loose" parts of Orthodoxy deal with dates or politics (e.g. the "Genuine" Orthodox, certain ex-ROCA groups etc.) but in all other respects the dogmatic issues remain untouched. Problems arose due to Communism in former USSR, due to unfortunate reactions to the change in the Calendar and due to politics in various regions. The problems that existed with the main ROCA (or ROCOR) Church have now been healed and we are greatly delighted that ROCA have been canonical since May 2007. There is an exception to the above: the (temporarily named) FYROM (or as it used to be known) Vardarska and self-proclaimed "Macedonian Church" forms a Schismatic group of the Serbian Church that promotes extreme ethnophyletism and nationalism (ethnophyletism has been condemned as a heresy by the Orthodox Church). The issue of Fasting is analysed and we disprove the myth that Fasting is only optional and never partial (i.e. only strict) that Protestants support, using ample Biblical evidence apart from the obvious mention to the Tradition in general. Saints ... should we ask for their intercessions? The Bible is categorical and says "yes"! Ecclesiastical sources show that Saints were always venerated since first Christian times. For the actual Veneration of Saints we will devote a new Chapter in the near future. This Chapter discusses Intercession only. Prof. Arakaki from Hawaii has kindly offered to host a few articles for our website. His three important papers on Holy Tradition examine the Biblical evidence together with the Historical outset, also examined through the prism of Sola Fide (one of the five Protestant Solas.) Our Basic Analysis on Icons is a recommended prerequisite for his other paper on Biblical evidence for Icons. His last paper is hosted in the Basic Analysis section, where he examines the presence of Ritual in Orthodox worship and how liturgical life is not only not against the Bible but in fact totally enharmonised with the spirit of the Bible.
More is to come soon, dear reader. Please be patient while this material is updated and a lot more vital issues are covered. Thank you for reading this. In Christ the sinner web administrator | ||
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On Zealotism II
