heretical accusations against christians

7/27/2019 Heretical Accusations Against Christians.

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You, therefore, have no excuse,

you who pass judgment on someone else,

for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself,

you are storing up wrath against yourself...

(Romans 2:1-5).

Pietism and church

INTRODUCTION

There is an insidious trap which runs counter to spiritual progress of a person who

struggles to live a Christian life.It's so insidious, as few traps of Satan,because it

appeals to people who ask to have a clear conscience.

A large number of Western religions,fails today to protect their followers from this

trap.And while these people boast of their purity,they are located in the unpleasant

position to imitate the bad example of the Pharisee of the parable of the

Lord,who,even he although be careful tocomply the Law,he had not learned

humility,and he degrade the sinner,but remorseful and vindicated tax collector.

People like this are often refuse the Orthodox Church of our Lord,and cling to

totalitarian religious groups,as they misunderstand of the respect of the Church for the

free will of the people,and of the forbearance handling of the sinned Christians.

Precisely this study will do next,for the reason ,that,a subject like this,is a common

pitfall and for many Orthodox Christians,that they scandalized.

As we will make remarks on the teaching and the examples of Christ and the

Apostles,we all,the modern Pharisees,are called to rethink the way that we think for our

fellowmen,and especially for the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of our Lord.

Nicholas A. Mavromagoulos

Part 1: The accusations against the Orthodox

CHAPTER 1st.

Phenomena and grouping


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When someone asks Protestants of various hues: ''what makes them so hostile towards

the Orthodox Church?'' He usually gets the following responses:

-''Because the Orthodox have no relationship with God, and they live immorally'' ...and:

- ... ''THE PRIESTS exploits the world with religion,they do not teach the flock,and they

give a bad example with a pile of scandals, with impunity''.

Fewer are the Protestants that reports the doctrines,as the reason for their war against

the Church.And to be fair, not only Protestants who answers like this.

It is frequent,to hear the same words from the lips of ''Orthodox'' who they don'thesitate to say these in people of other religions,thus enhancing the fallacy of both!

=====================

From the above, two key observations are exported, as to how these people thinks:

A. They give a greater importance to ethics, rather than dogma, and

B. They tend to grouping people indiscriminately, with only criterion what they see,or,

they think they see, or they listen to others, and with the frequency that they hear it.Most of these critics when you analyze the issue to them,they ratiocinate.

But it is so deeply ingrained the prejudice and habit of criticism, that themselves are

wondering, why do they continue!

These people make a serious mistake,by criticizing THE Orthodox and THE priests.

Does all of the Orthodox living immorally, and all priests are bad examples?

Did they know the personal lives of all those to be absolute judges?

And who appoint them judges to decide that others are not worth as Christians?

Is it right to call Orthodox everybody who just happened to be born of Orthodoxparents, and not interested in Orthodox life?

When you put these questions to these people (if they think logically),they can not but

agree as follows:

Certainly, there are very ethical Orthodox believers and even very loyal to God.

There are certainly wonderful Orthodox elders, literally devote themselves at the

pastoral care of the flock of Christ.


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So if there are some people among them, who are irreverent and ''They are ungodly

people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality'',that ''shepherds

who feed only themselves'' that ''penetrates to the Church''.(Jude 4,12,13),what's wrong

in this faithful priest, or the Christian believer?Does the righteous God,will sweep away the righteous with the wicked? (Genesis

18:23-25).

If some are not involved in faith and have not a Christian life,(although their parents

have baptized them as Christians), these people can be considered as Orthodox?

Because of them, God will condemn the believer and the righteous, the real Orthodox?

So it is not proper to believe that a God of justice grouping the people.

His relationship with any person, is personal.He will not sweep away the righteous with the wicked!

Did this teach us the example of Abraham, when he ''haggle'' with the Most High for

the life of Lot and his family?

In Genesis 18:20-33, and 19:16, when God will destroy Sodom,said to Abraham that

even if there are 10 righteous, would not destroy the two wicked cities for the sake of

them.

The righteous, however, was only three: Lot and his two daughters.

Again, God saved three of the righteous from destruction.

It would not be possible to act otherwise the God of love!Otherwise, it would not differ from each dictator, who,with violence and reign of terror

promises peace.

God does not change! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever! (Hebrews 1:11-12

,2 Peter 13: 8)

If God's justice required not to lose the three righteous among the thousands of

wicked fellow citizens, will certainly require the same today.

Are there really three fair, among the millions of nominal Orthodox?

CHAPTER 2.

The "church" of rates

In the above, maybe someone will answer:

Yes, of course it can not all be disrespectful, but when the majority are disrespectful or


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which could justify the current rejection of Orthodoxy by God!

The above argument, if it was correct,it would be in the measures of the most of

Protestant groups, because they, to justify their sudden appearance in history,and their

claim that they are the "Church of Christ",they say the 4th century Church was

apostatized and that God rejected her.They say that as God rejected Israel in the time of Christ and reigns with the national,

in the same way,at the 4th century He rejected the Orthodox Church and the 16th

century-(or whomever century suits to each Protestant religion) He reigns with them.

But God has never reject neither the Orthodox Church nor Israel!

But let us hear the apostle Paul confirms to us in the Bible, in Romans Letter 11:1-4:

I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means!

I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.

God did not reject his people...

God his people...

And the apostle continues, citing the example of Elijah, which we mentioned above,to

show that God did never reject his people to replace it with other people.

Simply,He allows to occur some disasters to the people, in order to educate them,and

thus He rewards the righteous and punished the wicked.

He cleans them according to Zechariah 13: 9, and always keeps between them even a

little remainder, and He bless it.

The apostle Paul then explains in Romans 11: 6, that,as in the time of Elijah, so in thetime of Christ, God left a small remainder,who did not deny the will of God and

accepted the Messiah Jesus Christ.

Then in verse 17,he says that not all of the Israelites were disfellowshipped from the

people of God , but "some" of them.

So,those who snubs against the Church that left by Jesus Christ, let's see what the Bible


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says, and let's think:

If we live in a time and place that,in the Church of God there is a "little remainder" of

genuine Orthodox, this does not mean that God withdrew his Spirit from the righteous!

====================

CHAPTER 3.

Is there a "church" of the pure?

As we referred to Israel it is good to see what the Bible predicted for the Church of

Christ (Jews and Gentiles), based on the example of Israel.

The apostle Peter says that what exactly happened in Israel, it will happen with theChristians.

These are written in 2 Peter 2, in the entire chapter.

The apostle begins the chapter by saying that as in the people of Israel were false

prophets, so there would be among Christians who,

because of their conduct they would be the cause to blaspheme the Way of Truth, (the

Orthodox Church of the Lord).

These would create heresies,they would be greedy, and would exploited of theirbrethren, according to subsections 1.2.

In verse 9,it says that all of them will get their salary on the Judgment Day,while the

righteous and faithful Christians will be awarded.

This means however, that this would be bad as the doomsday!

There would be no Church with only ''pure'', as some hypocritical groups claim.

In verses 10 to 14 and 16, the apostle Peter says that these false-Christians will only

be interested for their immoral pleasures, and they would blasphemed, and they'll took

advantage of the faith for material gain.And finally, compares them with pigs, who,while they was purified in the baptism, they

fell again to the filth of sin,and like dogs that returning to eat their vomit.

Because (he says in paragraph 21), it was better for them not to become

Christians,than to become,and to be continue to sin INSIDE TO THE CHURCH.


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Here the apostle speaks of people who were only in name Christians, among

Christians. (II Peter 2:21).

Did the apostle says here that God would reject the righteous because of the wicked?

Of course not!

This slander against God, is founded only in the morbid imagination of those who want

to justify their existence as ''Christians'' outside of the Orthodox Church.

What does Jesus Christ teaches to us? In Matthew Gospel, 13:24-28 and 36-43, it

mentioned a parable, the parable of the wheat and the weeds.

There, it seems clearly that while Jesus Christ sowed wheat, ie the genuine Christians,

Satan sowed weeds in the field of the kingdom of God, ie the Church. These weeds

should multiplied with the wheat until the End of the Age.(Verse 39).

It is interesting, that the servants of the Lord, asking him for permission to uproot the

weeds from the Church, to leave only the pure wheat. (Verses 28-30).

And indeed, during the Christian history, many were those who wanted to build a

''church of pure'', soothing their false-christians (weeds) by their church.

But the Lord was assertive, by saying: No, maybe with uprooting weeds,you may uprootwheat with them. Let them coalesce until the harvest. (Vv. 29.30).

And then in the harvest, at the End of the Age, (verse 39),the angels will separate

them. They will collect from the Kingdom of God all the scandals, and will burn them in

the fire. (Vv. 41, 42).

But these groups we are talking about, did not want to hear the words of the LORD.

They wanted by their own to distinguish the weeds from the wheat, and to build a

''pure church''.

So,they did not only failed, but they came to consider as weeds even the Genuine

Orthodox Christians, by accusing the Orthodox Church of God in total.

They became thus, to separate themselves even from the ''field'' of the Church by

setting up their own justice.

They did not trusted in the words of the Lord Jesus. They wanted to do work that


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belonged only to angels.

Neither they waiting for the Lord at End of the Age,but as others heart knowers, they

decided that the church of the Lord is not deserved, and had to separate from Her

themselves.

They built their own ''field'', but they soon realized,that it,also, had weeds!

But,now,they dont leave their own ''field'', but they say: ''What do we do? We are sinful

people''!

The Lord Jesus Christ, to rule out any case of misunderstanding, he repeated the same

with another parable in Matthew 13:48: ''Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a

net that was let down into the lake and CAUGHT ALL KINDS of fish. When it was full,

the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good

fish in baskets, but THREW THE BAD AWAY. This is how it will be at the END OF THEAGE. The ANGELS will come and separate the wicked from the righteous''.

It is unnecessary to say anything else. If someone disagrees with the words of Jesus,

we must first show us a ''church'', which consists ONLY of good fish, but neither one

wrong.

He should also prove to us that the people of their religion chosen by angels, and,the

most important, should convince us that the End was happened!

And if the angels made their choice,it is not justified any of their members shift from''wheat'' to ''weeds'' as,the results of the selection is definite and eternal. (Matthew

13:42,43,50).

CHAPTER 4th.

The fruits of the tree

Perhaps someone might ask: "So,why Christ said that ''By their fruit you will recognize

them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles''? and:''Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.A good tree

cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not

bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will

recognize them''.

doesn't this show, how true religion will revealed from its fruits? "(Matthew 7:16-20).


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If we look of the content of this passage,and His own words, we see clearly that the

tree for which the Lord speaks, it is not each religion, but every prophet or a false

prophet. It says in verse 15: "Beware of false prophets ..."

Besides, if he talk about religion, the passage would be absurd. There is no "Christian"religion, which,their followers make ONLY good fruit, or ONLY bad! Everywhere, there

are good and bad people,too.

We should ask:

"Why it is done this perversion of the verses in the Bible?"

The answer is obvious: "To blame the Church of the Lord."

CHAPTER fifth.

The cleanup efforts

The false-reverence these groups, who believes that they should do such a task

segregation, have invented various methods to appearing as the ''pure church''.

A popular way is the psychological oppression of their fans.

When one of them sins and is been perceived, the issue spreads, and then,the criticism

begin from all of the supporters.

Most of them ignore him, and so,they forced him,to comply, or to withdraw from the

group,or to pretend piety.

Another way is the repudiation, or the aphorism of the sinful person.

When someone is naughty, the others,when they learn about it,they take care to inform

the pastor of their team. But when they do not know the sinner,they deny any

connection with their religion.-He is not ours! You make a mistake! They say.

But when their interlocutor has evidence that the mischievous is a member of their

group,they say:

''He is not a Christian! You can not considered him as one of our members, because we

accept as members of our church, only those who living as Christians. He, now


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removed from us, and therefore is no longer ours.HE LEFT IN THE WORLD''.

Here, it appears clearly their hypocrisy. Why do they measure with double standards?

That they say about their group, why they do not say,also for the Orthodox Church of

the Lord,why they do not say that ''those who live mischievous like this,they left alone,and they are not considered as Orthodox''?

They just saying that ''the Orthodox tolerate the bad guys'', and that ''the identities of

criminals, writes: ''.

Why they do not remember the IDs for a member of their religion? But for them,when it

it is about a bad ''Orthodox'',it is important what it is written in the identity, rather than

the behavior. But,when it comes to bad coreligionists, it is the conduct, not the

identity, to accept if he is belonging to their group.

If they were right with themselves, they would say also for the Orthodox, ''A real

Orthodox is he who lives in a Christian living, not whoever writes the identity''.

So, they never would leave the Church of the Lord because of the scandals, and neither

would find in scandals pretext to justify their withdrawal.

So let us return to the issue of excommunication from these false-piety group,ofhim,who disfigures the showcase of the team and,dirties her name.

In principle,it differs from the excommunication of the Church, to the fact that,when

the Church saying that excommunicate someone, simply confirms that he first

excommunicated himself.

The Church does not turn away anyone,as Her Shepherd exemplify. (John 6:37: ''I wont

send away anyone who comes to me)''. These groups, however,are remove them.

For many of them, the aphorism (or severance, or as otherwise they call it), it ishappened painless,with a simple denial of their former member,or of the officers of the

congregation, to keep considered as fellow believers.

Then,they pray for him,to come back in repentance, or continuous advices is given by

his fellow believers.

If he does not declare repentance,he is not accepted as their member, even though he

continues to believe their doctrines.


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For them he is a ''secular'', and if someone coreligionists who do not know him,see

him sinning,he will say: ''Look what the Orthodox are doing''? Even if his identity writes

something else.

But there are groups in which the aphorism is real torture for the sinner. For some

well-known group, if the man of the religion sinned, then activated a Inquisitor systemthat has little to envy from the Papist Middle Ages.

When someone ''betrays'' him to the rectory of the local assembly,a tribunal is

convened BEHIND CLOSED DOORS,so as not be there witnesses or possible

arbitrariness or error. There, the defendant,must declare repentance and a change of

his lifestyle.

If this does not happen, or if the accused person has created a stir around his name

out to the team, then,he excised (excommunicated) from the group. Reasons for cutoffin this sect, considered,not only the misconduct and disagreement with the doctrines

of the organization, but even the simple doubt about these doctrines.

If a man declares repent,they accept him again without excommunication, with only

some temporary deprivation of his rights within the religious community.

In that way,it is given to the person adeadline for a maximum one slip. In the

second,the terms of the ''game'',are ordering expulsion of the ''player''.

So, these people get to their hands the crisis that belongs to God and considerthemselves worthy and able to recognize clean from weeds.

And indeed,as they having for all people, the same rigid rules, regardless of the

character, the temperament of each person, and the circumstances. It's like telling to

the faithful: ''You have the right for one and only very serious sin. In the second you

will be excommunicated. So beware, after the first time,to become sinless''. And they

set the seriousness of the sin,according to their false-piety standards.

But woe to the member that will be ''disfellowshipped''.

Automatically, all of the others, relatives, friends and acquaintances, who are members

of the group, stops greet,or speak to him. They must not even pray for him. He

considered him dead! Perhaps his family to dissolve.

If his employer is a fellow believer, perhaps he is going to lose his job,as the


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leadership will exert pressure on the employer to fire him.

By the same way,he will be excised, anyone who openly violated the commandments of

the leadership, and talk to him. Therefore, those who speak to him,they do it secretly,

in order not to have implications!

By this way, the members of this organization, trapped in,because of their

removal,fearing of full reversal of their lives. Many of them remain there only by

fear,rather than faith.

They are careful to always have a good ''showcase'' for the outside world,as not to

suffer what we mentioned. For them, fear of people, has replaced the fear of God!

They do not sin (openly), not for the fear of God, but not to be cutted off.With the disfellowship of the ''naughty'', the former co-religionists, have to say to their

detractors: ''He is not ours! We have banish him! We are a clean organization''!

The showcase is thus kept to attract naive,who are not knowing that the Lord's

Church,also has ''weeds''.

If once the excommunicated want to return to the team after a period of testing,he is

accepted as a repentant, and the team members says: ''He repent, for this we received

him back. Now he is clean again''.Some are confused by some verses of the Holy Bible, which interpret wrong, and read

them from translations, rather than the original text.

These verses speak of some whom they should be ''expelled from the Church''. (I

Corinthians 5:2).

What does this mean? If we remember that the Church is the Body of Christ, in which

Christians by eating the bread and drinking the wine of Holy Communion, and if we

remember that the Church then becomes evident,as Her members receiving of the

body and the blood of the Lord,we will understand that the ''ejection'' of the sinned member,is the Holy Communion!

This is for his own protection, because whoever receive communion unworthily, is in

danger. (I Corinthians 11:29.30).

The same meaning have the words that says,that Christians should not ''blended'' with


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others (and not to ''associate'' as wrongly written by many translations). (I Corinthians

5:9-11). Not to blend someone with the Church means: ''not to be a mixture of them''.

And a mixture, becomes the Church at the time of communion from the body and

blood of the Lord. Then,all are joined as members of His body. (I Corinthians

10:16,17).

CHAPTER 6th.

The offer of the Church to the believer

Right here is the gist of the matter: ''Who really is the purpose of the church? To

separate the good from the bad? Or to accept the bad guys,helping them to clean?

Let's see what the Bible says in this matter:

Jesus Christ tells us that Christians must follow His footsteps, to imitate his example.

He said:

''Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do

also'' (John 14:12).

And the apostle Paul said:

''Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ''. (1 Corinthians 11:1).

If we observe how Jesus Christ did behave to the sinners, we have a pattern to follow.

So we will see,what is the will of God, and follow his own example.

''Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children''. (Ephesians 5:1).

What did Jesus Christ told us for the behavior of God to sinners?

Did He said that we should turn them away and not talking to them,only for saying that

we have a ''pure'' church? Or we should be closer to them to help them to be cured?

We have an important example in the parable of the Prodigal Son.

Jesus Christ report in the Gospel of Luke, in 15:11-32.

It is referred about a father with two sons. The youngest, went one day and asked his

father to give him his share of his father's wealth, to leave the house. His good

father,gave it to him,so,he went on a journey into a distant country, and there he


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squandered his estate with loose living, he had spent everything, a severe famine

occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.So he went and hired

himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to

feed swine.And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine

were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.

One day, he decided to return to his father, not as a son but as a servant, to have at

least something to eat. He does not came back to his father by love, but by necessity.

When his father saw him from far,he does not expecting his son to come to him, but

he ran and hugged him first, and he kissed him.

He does not told him to go and get dressed first, but he accepted him as he

was,dressed in rags, and washed him, and dressed him in clean clothes at the familyhome. He gave him the ring, and slaughtered the best beef for the feast.

Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he

heard music and dancing. And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring

what these things could be. And he said to him, Your brother has come, and your

father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.

But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began

pleading with him. But he answered and said to his father, Look! For so many years I

have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet youhave never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when

this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the

fattened calf for him.And he said to him, Son, you have always been with me, and all

that is mine is yours.But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was

dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.

It is so obvious for someone to understand that example's father is God, and that the

youngest son, is any sinner who removed from the house of his Father,ie the Church.

What do we observe? At first, the father did not turned away his infatuated son.

His son left on his own volition.

God,does not turns away anyone from His Church!

''the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out''. Lord said in John 6:37.


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In contrast, the groups that we mentioned, expels in their opinion, even people who

have sinned, but loves God.These churches can not be from God!

What else can we see? When his father sees him, he runs to receive him with great

compassion,and welcome him.He does not say: ''Go, and come in a few months, when I'm sure that you have change''.

The father of the parable, accepts him as he is,in rags,in dirt and sin!

He does not sent him to clean at first, not to spoil the ''showcase'' of the home.He

washes, cleans him and dress him into the family home.

In contrast,many false-piety groups, expelled him, ''until he purifies himself''.

Unsurprisingly,so,someone wonders, if these groups is possible to have a goodrelationship with our Father, God, and what is their role , if they are not worthy to help

a sinner to be cleaned, but he should go outside of them to be cleaned!!!

So,the father of the parable,dressed his son with the clean garment of vindication, and

gives him the engagement ring of the Holy Spirit into the family home! (Ephesians 1).

So here is the role of the Church!

To help every sinner to be cleaned indide Her.

The Church,does not casts sinners, but invites them to Her,helping them to repent.The father does not agrees with the supposed ''moral'' indignation of the great son.

In contrast,he corrects him and explains to him the importance of the salvation of a

sinner.

Father does not thinks that his ''unclean'' son is ashamed of him, that stains the good

name of the family. Most of the ''storefront'' of his family is interested of the salvation

of his son.

What a contrast with those false-piety groups! They abort the lost man for the

''showcase'' of the team.

They must keep their good name at any cost, even if it is done on corpses of their lost

brothers.

But how much looks like God His Orthodox Church! Following His example,She does

not turn away anyone!


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WE ARE NOT INTERESTED to saying that we are the ''pure church''. We know, moreover,

that the Church of the Lord, has weeds.

Instead of the name, we prefer to pick up our sinner brother,to show him the way oftreatment, and if he wants to clean up,to whiten his uniform again, and begin to act in

him the betrothal of the Holy Spirit.

So,that's why these Protestant groups blames us: Because we do not turn away our

brother, because we do not have a ''showcase'', because we follow the example of our

heavenly Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

But it is not strange.

''The servant is not greater than his lord'', Jesus Christ said. if they have kept mysaying, they will keep yours also.(John 15:20).

For what we blamed by these groups for the same have accused Jesus Christ.They

accuse us that we are sinners in Orthodoxy and fornicators, for the same accusing

Jesus Christ, as stated in Luke 15:1.2:

''Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.And the

Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with

them''.

Jesus in reply, said the three parables of the 15th chapter of Luke, the one of which

(the prodigal son) we just mentioned.

Following therefore once again the example of our Lord, we will mention and the other

two,to modern Pharisees and critics of the Church.

The first is found in verses 3-7 of the same chapter, the 15th of Luke:

''What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the

ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?Andwhen he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.And when he cometh

home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with

me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be

in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons,

which need no repentance''.


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Listen to us friends, readers, all of you who accuse us for acceptance of the sinners!

If you do not listen to us, listen to the Lord! Very differs the sinner from the sheep! We

cannot abandon him, even when there is only a chance to heal.

The showcase does not worth!

Jesus didn't care for the accusations, but He continued to receive sinners and saved a

lot of them! As the wife of the following example, which the Lord spoke in Luke

15:8-10:

''Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a

candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?And when she hath

found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me;

for I have found the piece which I had lost.Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the

presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth''.

Whoever has ears to hear let him hear the words of the Lord. And those who leave their

lost brother for fear of criticism, let them ashamed because him misplace him for

whom Christ died! (Romans 5:6-8).

''Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and

make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of

joint, but rather be healed''. (Hebrews 12:12,13).

Support to the sinners and do not abandon them! Become mimics of the Lord Jesus,

and not of the Pharisees critics. Besides, ''Pharisee'' means ''severed''.

These people describe themselves as: ''The only chosen'', singled from socialites.

CHAPTER 7th.

Self-righteousness and reprobation

As Jesus Christ, knowing the pharisaic cast of mind,He repeatedly tried to correct

them, by cauterizing them.

We will mention such a parable that He said,with hope the modern Pharisees (in


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mentality)to notice .

It is mentioned in Luke 18:9-14:

..And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they

were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: Two men went up into the templeto pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was

praying this to himself: God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers,

unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all

that I get. But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to

lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, God, be [f]merciful to

me, the sinner! I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other;

for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be

exalted''.

The Pharisee was not bad .He was observing the law,he was living a moral life, and he

thanked God for it. What was his mistake? There were two mistakes: The

self-righteousness, and the reprobation. And it was worse than all the ''heavy''

(so-called) sins, because he who thinks that he is fair, how can he ask forgiveness to

be forgiven? Thus,the Pharisee of the parable, (like they do today some accusers of

Orthodoxy,who considering all of the other people as sinners and themselves as

righteous),he maintained his sins.

And he did not see at all, that even the criticism against the publican, or otherpeople,was a sin.

It's like still I can hear the words of Protestant pastors in the countless gatherings that I

attended, to thank God, Who ''pulled them out from the sinful world, and singled them

out''. Just how little they understood the words of the Lord!

In contrast, in Church, we hear again and again the words of the publican: ''Lord, have

mercy,and save us,as good and philanthropist,and merciful God''.

When one ''moralist'' sees someone who sins, says: Look what he does,he do not

ashamed!

But when a Christian, sees him,he says: ''woe to me a sinner!

If this brother,who is so good erred and sinned, what awaits me''!

And as Elder Porphyrios of Oropos said: ''If you see your child fallen down,and the


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Devil heel it on the neck you will not hurt your child''!

So,also with our brother who fell into sin, we must not turn against him.

According to the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee, God vindicates the humble,the one who ponders of his sinfulness and asks Him mercy.

Besides, if you consider yourself a righteous, you do not need the sacrifice of Christ,

who died for sinners.

Once again, today, we see the sincerity to the words of the Lord:''Truly I say to you that

the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you''.

(Matthew 21:31).

Let all of those modern Pharisees,hear the words of the Apostle Paul, who justify

themselves or their religions, and accuses the Church of the Lord, that She acceptssinners. These words are written in Romans 2:1-6:

''Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that

which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same

things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice

such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who

practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of

God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience,

not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of yourstubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of

wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person

according to his deeds:

The apostle Paul writes these,as he knows that whoever criticizes, is'nt pure and even

the Son of God, does not judging anyone.

I would ask the reader to make a self-criticism before judge another person. I think it

vindicated the words of the apostle. Sure, it would be unfortunate,that,if he who doesthe criticism cannot see of his sins. Then maybe he should repeat the words of the

Pharisee,and ''thanking God that did not make him like other people''.

Chapter 8.


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Blindness

Because the people of this kind, usually belongs to Protestant groups,we should be

emphasized to them, something that maybe they never thought of.

By accusing the Church of the Lord that has several sinners, they forget that their own

religion (which in our country are a minority),to other countries have in the same way

too many sinners!

Let them see the situation in Germany and the U.S., and they will see that the majority

of the people who live there in dissolution are Protestants!

So why do they still remain Protestants,when their Protestant brothers there, have to

demonstrate to us such a release of the morals?There, the situation is worse than Greece!

Let them think, that all of these waves of immorality and wickedness are coming to

Greece from the West, especially from the U.S., which is a Protestant country.

And as some gullible and unsupported Greeks are drifting to various and outlandish

Protestant groups, exactly,in the same way, some unsupported are drifting by

outlandish immorality waves that comes to us from the West.

What shall we say then? Protestants accuse us, because some of them have brought tous the release of morals,and and some of us received it? They blame us because we

took what they brought to us? The sayer ''do not steal'' steals?

Perhaps a Protestant might tell you: ''those who brought this bad situation from the

West, belongs to other Protestant religions, and not by his own''.

And this is natural,because Protestants are dispersed into thousands of different

confessions, even in the same country!

But if the Church of the Lord is limited only to their own local Protestant group, whatwas the Church of the Lord before the appearance of this group? (We ask this, because

Protestantism was born in the 16th century by: Luther, Calvin and Zwingli).

So if the Church was only within their group, the Lord had not Church as the time that

their team appeared.


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But then the Lord told lies when he says in the last paragraph of Matthew: ''I will be

with you all days,until the completion of the age''.

If there was no Church until the 16th century where was the Lord?

If according to other Protestants, the Lord has His Church scattered to all of the

Protestant groups, then no one Protestant can saying:

''Was not of our team he who are responsible for the evolution of morals''. Because if

he accept that other groups have members of the Church, necessarily he can not

distinguish them from his team, and maybe he is in communion with them,with bread

and wine.

But as hejustifying these groups, why he does not do the same for the Orthodox

Church?

Why he blame every single Orthodox, and not the Protestants also? This showsprejudice and blindness.

Before the appearance of Protestantism in the 16th century, only to Papism or to

Orthodoxy, or to Arianism may someone seek the Church. Until the 16th century,

Protestants were simply non-existent!

CHAPTER 9th.

Part 2: The accusations for the Elders

Scandals

From the fury of the critics against Orthodoxy,it could not escape the presbytery.

Here, we can observe that generally apply the same, with what we mentioned in the

first part. Critics of the Church, accuse THE priests, not SOME of the priests. They

generalize the accusation,as to include all the elders of the Church.

With the known vulgarity,they blame worthy and unworthy, acquaintances and

strangers, for a thousand abominations.

And most important is,that in most cases, what they say, they have heard from

elsewhere, or they have read it.

They can not prove it themselves!


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They become,in that way,bodies of false malignancies, and false accusations of others.

In the writer, have been accused by Protestants completely innocent elders,who in the

end, proved to be innocent,for shame of his accusers.

Even those who actually witnessed some decline priest,they did not follow the rightway of his help, but they started to blame and others priests.

Here, I am referring mainly to some baptized ''Orthodox'', which in this sector

overcomes of some Protestants.

Usually, the accusations are ridiculous: ''This priest, spoke objectionably'', ''the other

priest, he refused to do such and such thing, ''another priest was seen by someone to

do that'', or ''got so much money on the mystery'', etc.

As though the elders are not people, as if they are perfect and sinless!But if indeed there is a sin, this does not justify someone to abandon the Church!

Because one of the 12 apostles was a traitor and a thief, should we renounce the

Christian Church?

Why the different religion critics they do not do the same when someone (so-called)

''elder'' of their team's sins, why they do not leave that group?

And we have personal knowledge of falls of ''elders'', from many Protestant groups

known to us, whose flock tends to accuse the Orthodox priests.

Of course,with the above do not refuse that there are elders who sins.But this is not happening to the extent that critics wants to present it to us!

After all, the Bible which say they believe, writes clearly, that there will be scandals in

the Church:

Matthew 13:41: ''The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out

of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity''.

Matthew 18:7: ''Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that

offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh''!

Jesus Christ, in the above, not only says that in to His Church would be scandals, but

that they would be necessary.

So,it would manifested in His Church, those with the satanic spirit of criticism. But the


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Lord did not say ''woe to all members of the Church'', but ''woe to the world'', and ''woe

to the man through which comes the scandal''. But some Protestants say: ''woe to all

priests, and woe to Orthodoxy''.

CHAPTER 10th.

Can the Church have impure elders?

Someone might say:

''Ok, people may be indifferent, and thus have a large percentage of impure.

It may, occasionally, an elder to be disrespectful, but not to the extent that it is done

here in Greece!When there is such a large percentage of scandals, and especially in the upper

''leadership'' of the Orthodox Church, God can not accept the worship of a religion that

allows to persist scandals''.

Of course, the share of scandals, is not as large as the heretics would like.

Many times, the same subject is heard again and again, some people get confused and

says it for another elder, and the same subject gets another dimension.

But even if all of these that bandied were true, even though had left only one goodpriest,it would apply what is reported in previous chapters.

God does not judge people with percentages, even if it is for elders.

The elder will be judged as a person, and he will receive what he deserves in the

righteous judgment of God.

God will not condemn the innocent with the guilty!

Besides, there are church rules, which provide for the education of the irreverent clergy

when their guilt is proved. As people, they need education too!

The question that remains is:

''Does God accepts the worship of an inappropriate elder ? May his service have a

value''?

Let's see once again what the Bible says, which the false-pietists argues that follows.

The first example that we will mention (of which there are many) is from the book


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1 Samuel, 2:22-25. There it speaks for the two sons of Eli, the high priest of Israel, the

future priests of the people.

With their father's tolerance,they fornicate with women who came to the temple of

God, and in accordance with the 2:12-17,they ate the fat of the sacrifices,which Godforbade in His law, and even,they took it by force from the faithful.

In this way,they scandalized the people , and people avoided to sacrifice to God.

But they remained,with their father, the archpriest, in the church as priests of God.

Does God accept the sacrifices of those unworthy priests?

Of course He accept!

And it shows in chapter 1,in verses 3-5, where God accepted the sacrifice of theparents of the prophet Samuel, and according to verse 19, he answered to them giving

them a Prophet as a son! Indeed, Anna the mother of Samuel, took, and received the

blessing of unworthy archpriest Eli! (1:17,18).

Of course, God eventually withdrew His protection from the unworthy priests, and they

lose their lives, according to the continuity of the narrative. (2:31-36).

But He was the One who implemented judgment, and not people.

God neither Israel had rejected because of the unworthy archpriests, nor the righteousLevites.

He not even ceased to accept the sacrifices of the faithful Israelites from the hands of

unworthy priests.

The same happens today.

Even when some disrespect is tolerated by the leaders and scandalizes the faithful,

God has the last word.

He do not rejects the Orthodox Church, nor the righteous and worthy elders. He still

continues to receive the Divine Liturgy by the hands of unworthy, until He yield justice.Thus, accusers scandalmonger false-pietists, remains unjustified, since, as we said in

the beginning, what happened to Israel, then, would happen to the Christian Church,

according to the Apostle Peter, in 2 Peter 2:1-3 etc.

Let's look at another example that shows that God accepts as priest even an unclean.

It is known that the crucifixion of the Lord was happened from the imposition of the


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archpriests of the people of God-of those days, Israel.

Evangelist John in his gospel in 11 chapter and verses 47-53, reveals the following

fact:

Caiaphas, the archpriest of that year, in a meeting with some other priests and with the

Pharisees, conspired to murder Jesus Christ, as He did many miracles and convince the

people. So they said:

''If we let this man all will believe them, and then the Romans will come to destroy our

people and our nation''.

The archpriest Caiaphas told : ''it is to your interest that one man should die for the

people rather than the whole nation perish."

At this point, St. John tells us that this is not said by Caiaphas his own, but he

prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, because he was archpriest that

year.

Think! God gave Prophecy to a man, when he was planning the murder of Jesus Christ,

just because he was archpriest of that year! What does this shows?

That,God can disapproves a disrespectful operator, but he disapproves him as a

man.But as a priest,He accepts him, and bless his God-given liturgy.

But how did the apostles were behave against to such unworthy priests?

Did they followed the tactics of the modern false-piety accusers? Let's see:

In Acts 23:1-5, Evangelist Luke, reports a story with the apostle Paul. They had

brought the apostle to the conference as a defendant, and the time that he spoke to

them, the high priest Ananias ordered bystanders to beat him in the mouth.

Then said Paul unto him, ''God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to

judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?

And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou

shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people''.

What do they have to say about it critics of the priests of God? Do they have the same

respect for the elders of the Church as the apostle Paul, or they blame and disparage

them with obscenity?


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Did they consider that God has changed Church because of those elders? Once again, it

seems their anti-Christian course.

Not only they do not recognize the bishops and elders of the Lord,they do not respectthem, too.

Extreme contrast with the behavior of the apostles, against to the persecutors of the

priests of Church of the Most High.

Let us see, and some examples of the situation INSIDE the Christian Church,in the time

of the Apostles, as described in the New Testament.

In 2 Corinthians 10-12,we learn that the apostle Paul was sad because some so-called

''apostles'' had enslave the Church of Corinth, and accused the apostle Paul.Thus, the apostle is forced to argue in these three chapters, to remind his effort for

them for them to understand that his accusers,are bad pastors of the Church of

Corinth.

We please the readers to carefully read these three chapters to gain personal view of

unworthiness pastors of the Church of Corinth.

But this was not the only case! The apostle John wrote his letter (3 John) to Christian

Gaius, he writes in verses 9,10:''I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth tohave the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. Wherefore, if I come, I will

remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not

content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them

that would, and casteth them out of the church''.

Think! The elder of the church, does not accept the apostle John and other Christians

in the Church!

And nevertheless, it was the Church of Christ,even he was unworthy elder and

persecutor of the disciples.

And indeed, neither Gaius or someone else or John asked his dethronement, and nor

denied as an elder!

Let's look a last example that the churches on the era of the apostles,had unworthy

pastors, and let's look concurrently, if the bishops was accepted by Jesus Christ


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himself, and how do He behaved to them.

The apostle John, in Revelation 3:1-4, recorded the words of Jesus Christ, in his letter

to the church of Sardis.

The letter addressed to the ''angel'' of this Church, ie the ''messenger'' of the Wills ofGod to them, their bishop.

That is not a spirit but a man, we can understand it,from the phrase 3:7,10, where

Jesus Christ is also addressed to the ''angel of the Church of Philadelphia'', and in verse

10, includes him to the ''dwell upon the earth''.

If he dwell in the earth,he is not an angel in the meaning of the spirit,but the

''messenger'', and so the ''angels'' of the seven churches to whom addressed these 7

letters of the Lord is the responsible pastors of each Church.

As,so the angel of the church in Philadelphia is Her bishop, in the same way the angel

of Church in Sardis,is the Bishop,Her liable pastor.

In Revelation 3:1-4 Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ, instruct to the bishop of this

Church, to ''wake up, because just in the name he is alive,but is (spiritually) dead''.

He says that ''He knows his works'', and that he must be ''watchful and strengthen the

things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found thy works perfectbefore God''.

He warns him, that He ''will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what

hour I will come upon thee''.

He also says, that ''Thou hast a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their

garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy''.

What do we learn here?

That in the the Christian Churches of the apostles, there were bishops (which, as wesaw in the previous examples), was spiritually dead!

They had bad acts,they scandalized Christians, and they became the cause for the

spiritual death for many.

In the Church of Sardis in fact,they were only a few clean Christians, which means

that the majority of the church was unclean.


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There was there an impure Church,with a bishop spiritually dead!

So,during these false-piety groups, such a corrupt Church, is not of Christ.

But according to these words of the Lord He continued to accept Her, so dirty, as

though as they were few worthy!

He even, did not deny the capacity of the Bishop as His ''angel'', and even invited him

to stand up to the task, and He do not dismiss him,neither He,nor John because he

have sinned.

Still, we see that this Church is included among the 7 Churches that have as oil the

Holy Spirit as light of God that they were. (Rev. 1:20).

This shows that the Church remains treasurer of the Grace, even if the pastor and the

majority of the congregation are ''spiritually dead''.Besides, the value of the personality of the Bishop is different from the value of the

pastoral function,as shown by the words of the Lord Jesus, in Matthew 7:22.23:

''Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of

Heaven, but he that doeth the will of My Father who is in Heaven.

Many will say to Me in that Day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and

in Thy name have cast out demons, and in Thy name done many wonderful works?

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work

iniquity''.

The Lord with these words, does not deny that these people actually prophesied (as the

high priest who colluded for the death of the Lord), or cast out demons and performed

miracles (like the thief and traitor Judas) in His name.

But although, if, for the sake of the Church He respecting their office as persons, He

never recognized them as worthy.

Once again, therefore, we call those people who,for sake of scandals withdrew

themselves from the Church, to be consistent to their teaching.

If they accuse the Orthodox Church and Her pastors of our time, then let them blame

Her and reject Her,also in the time of the apostles. - Or at least let's change their

views.


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CHAPTER 11th.

The lack of teaching

Often,the detractors are showing the following criticisms against the Church of the

Lord:

''The Orthodox Church can not be the Church of the Lord, because the congregation

does not teach the gospel, such as required.

This is shown by the ignorance of the people for the Christian teaching''. Let's see if

this view is true:

First of all,have these gentlemen ever wondered,Who were these who spread theGospel to all around the world-before Protestantism (at the 16th century) come into

existence?

Of course they were not Protestants! And yet, if you look at history, you will learn that,

Protestantism began preaching from the 19th century into a wide expanse!

We have ie. some religions who preach only for 200 years, and they accuse the

Orthodox Church, which is preaching continuously for 2,000 years!

Have they ever wonder, where do they found their Bible,which consider as guide ofthem?

They have not learned, that the Orthodox Church has preserved this sacred text for 20

centuries?

They do not know that he who set which and how many are the books of the New

Testament and informed us about their Divine classification into the hagiographical

rule,was the Orthodox bishop of the fourth century, St. Athanasios?

How do they accept the opinion of the orthodox bishop,but they do not accept the of

his divine inspiration?

But perhaps someone might say:

''It differs what the Orthodox Church did 20 centuries ago,from what She doing today.

Today there is no preaching as it was in the past''!

Of course,we do not deny that throughout the course of the Christian history, there


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were periods in which the promulgation of the Gospel decreased.

But it never stopped. Indeed, in Greece, it is true that after the liberation from the

Turks, until a few decades ago, there was a serious downturn of the evangelistic effort

in our country, as in the last 70 years in communist countries, which nearly''swallowed'' the total of the Orthodox regions.

It was natural, then, with such problems to decelerate the effort, and not to keep to

our century the previous dynamic.

Indeed, in previous centuries, Orthodoxy was the breakwater that stopped the wave of

Islamism, and suffered the cruelty of the people of other religions!

The worst damage, however,it is made to our country by the penetration of the Papismthrough Franks.

They,with deceitfulness ''passed'' to our Church circles of our newly established

country's papal teachings, which for decades have poisoned the Orthodox faith,

preventing the majority to know correctly the Christian Gospel.

In recent decades, however, the voice of the few preachers of the truth, sounds loudly

again

to our country.

Nowadays, we throw the last vestiges of the papal influence, and rediscover theOrthodox faith, just as delivered to us by the apostles.

These people, however, are unjustified and for another reason to blame the Greek

Orthodox Church for lack of teaching of the Gospel.We inform them,that the Orthodox

books and journals which are published to our country every year,are much more than

the books of all other religions together!

Church radio stations and television channels, endlessly preaching to millions of

residents of Attica and not only.

Daily seminars, Catecheses,and other Christian lectures,comes to added to the effort,

many of them are recorded on cassettes.

The most parishes have their own catechetical programs, without including the

initiatives of countless Orthodox organizations, and individuals,and without including

the teaching of the elders, to their spiritual children.


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Even this form that the reader keeps on his hands, is part of the pastoral efforts of the

Church.

So,if someone see without prejudging the outcome of this effort he will not blame theGreek Orthodox Church, for lack of evangelism, but he will make a compliment!

Think! It is so simple for someone to hear the Gospel,only to turn the button on the

radio, or open the TV, or buy a church magazine from the newsstand,or visit the

catechetical in his neighborhood!

And what can we say about the external Missionary Work? The unprejudiced reader can

see the results of this struggle,to the missionary magazines of the Church. The effort

is really wonderful.

But,the point that I agree with these people is that is missing the advertising of all this

massive effort.

Although the educational efforts of the Church is huge, is not done the appropriate

visibility! This is something that should be changed.

But if there is all this effort, why is there so many people who ignore the Gospel?

Let the Bible answer to us, in the words of the Apostle Paul's letter to the Romans in9:16 : ''So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God who

showeth mercy''.

who will eventually have mercy by his own intention. Everywhere is preaching the

Gospel daily.

But only those who love God, accept it, and only those are looking to find it.

Therefore,only those have mercy from God.The majority,unfortunately, has no interest

in the word of God.

When they hear about an invitation to a Christian event,only a few responds. But when

it comes to a band, a political speech or a football match, then the stage fills and

overflowing.

When they listen to their favorite radio song,they straining their ears. But when they


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hear Christian broadcasting,they switching the station.

As they do when the TV displays ecclesiastical emissions. But when it claims sensual

and other shows, they just do not enter through the screen!

These people, even if they once hear, as long as they do not have love for God, theywould stay again in the same darkness.

Such were the ones for whom the prophet Daniel wrote in 12:10:

''Many shall be purified and made white and tried, but the wicked shall do wickedly;

and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand''.

Indeed, those who want,they will find a way to learn about the Gospel,and nothing will

stop them, because God is merciful,and not their own effort or the effort of the

preachers.

After all, the Gospel is not for everyone,but only for those who want to accept it. Jesus

Christ said in Matthew 13:13-15:

''Therefore speak I to them in parables, because seeing, they see not, and hearing, they

hear not, neither do they understand.

And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear,

and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive.

For this peoples heart has waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their

eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear withtheir ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I

should heal them''.

So,Jesus Christ,do not preached indiscriminately.

He ''Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before

swine''. (Matthew 7:6).

He knew that despite of His evangelistic efforts, the majority of people would deny the

Gospel. And despite the fact that he sent 12 and 70 disciples to preach, said inJerusalem:

''O Jerusalem, Jerusalem...how often would I have gathered thy children together, even

as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not''! (Matthew 23:37).

In Matthew 11:21-23 He said for Capernaum for Chorazin and Bethsaida, that if the


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people of Tyre and Sidon and Sodom saw the miracles whichHhe did to Israel, they

would have believed. Not only they did not believed him but,they crucified him!

So it is not correct to be accused the Church for the unbelief and indifference of many,

because if it were right,they would be blamed also the Lord,who doesn't convinced inhis first appearance in Israel, where He preached!

If those who disbelieves,want it,they will learn the Gospel!

But they do not want!

A living proof of the teaching of the Church, are the writers,who was born in a

false-piety heresy, and now embedded in the struggle for the true Church.

If the Church do not preaching, we would still lose to some false-piety group ...

Let's see something else. These non-Orthodox groups who accuse the Church that

supposedly does not preach, Does they preach?

if they do this, to whom they preach and what do they preach?

Jesus Christ said: ''And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world

for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come''. (Matthew 24:14).

So,the Gospel would remain the same with THIS until the end,with the same Gospelthat Jesus Christ had preached.

And the apostle Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, to 1:8-9, warns that ''If we, or an

angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have

preached to you, let him be accursed.

And Christians should keep all the commandments of the Lord until the end of all days

of the world. (Matthew 28:20).

So,do they preach they who accuse us the same gospel which had preached Jesus andthe apostles? Do they preach the same gospel preaching by Orthodoxy for 2,000 years?

What we have presented above are indicative sample of how far removed these people

from the spirit of the Gospel. But unfortunately these are not the only ones.

Of course it is not possible, and is not intended to analyze all these diversions within

the narrow limits of this study.


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But we will suffice only to say that ALL these false-piety groups have distorted or

remove parts of the Gospel of the Lord.

We please the reader if he's in doubt,to study the doctrine of the Orthodox Church,and to compare this with the Christian texts of all ages, before the 16th, and todays

''belief'' of any of these groups.We let the conclusion to the reader.

But even if we accept that indeed some of these groups preaching the right Gospel,

then we should all of the others be anathema, because there are neither two of them

that believe (and teach) exactly the same.

Then again,we would have a sermon limited to small possibilities of one team. The

comparison with the Orthodox effort, it would be unfair then, if we do not getProtestantism as a total, with his millions of conflicting doctrines! Orthodoxy would

excelled once again in preaching of the Gospel.

But we must clarify this: We accept that there are elders (even many) who neglect to

teach in their parish. But this is a personal failure as elders, and not a failure of the

Church. Orthodoxy as a total, stands at the height of evangelistic and pastoral

requirements.

Besides, ignorance thet did too many people to cling in these false-piety groups, there

is not always only of their own indifference to the Church, but also sometimes in bad

catechism of the congregation from the Presbytery of the region.

Before we finish this chapter, we shall refer to another issue that arises:

''How important is knowledge for the Christian''?

The Bible says of course: ''The righteous will be delivered through knowledge'', and''my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge''.

But the exaggeration, here is incorrect.

We say this, because as bad is to left the people in ignorance, equally wrong is to judge

others based on how ''much they know''.


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At the vast majority these false-piety groups follow the Pharisees thinking:

''But this people, who knoweth not the law, are cursed'',the Pharisees were saying (John

7:49).

For the Pharisees, did not really matter how good was someone in his life,but, how

many he knew.

So today's false-piety Pharisees, judge Christians by how many they know. And while

the New Testament called ''spiritual'' the man who moved by the Holy Spirit (Romans

chapter 8), these people call (mostly) ''spiritual'' ,the one who knows a lot, or knows topresents nice to his audience.

This knowledge-mania of them,have destroyed the concept of church congregation. So

while the Church of the Lord mainly deduced for taking the Body and Blood of the Lord

and to praise God, these groups are deduced mainly for indoctrination!

So, unable to understand the correct position of indoctrination,they blame the Church

because of has not transformed into a Sunday school!

And yet, almost every parish has its own indoctrination programs at different hours ofthe Divine Liturgy, for anyone who really cares to know, and do not wait to ''grab''

crumbs only in the time of the Divine Liturgy.

The fact that these Protestant groups spend their church attendance time only for

indoctrination rather than glorification of God and Divine Eucharist,leads them to a

proud view for themselves, that supposedly they are ''important'', because they know

the ''word of God'',in contrast to the ''common people'',the ''worldly'',who not who ''do not know a lot''.

So,they following again the example of the Pharisees and verify the words of the

Apostle Paul:

''Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth''. (Corinthians 8:1,2).


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Their arrogance,is (mostly) that leads them to condemnation and criticism of others.

And the matter is that they,themselves knows only a small part of the Gospel, after

they have kept only a small part of the Divinely inspired writings, only the Bible, from

which they have kept only 66 of the 76 books.

In contrast, the Orthodox Church,gives emphasis on prayer, rather than indoctrination.

The catechism, gives just a infertile knowledge, superficial and incomplete, when it

becomes an end in itself.

The sheer knowledge, makes Christians ''not of the letter, but of the spirit''.

(Corinthians 3:6).

So,we observe these false-piety people to depend their belief by what is ''written only

in the Bible'',underestimating the Christian faith in a package of doctrines, equivalentto each philosophical system.

In contrast, the Church of the Lord is Church of prayer,which makes Saints,ie.

Christians ''of the Spirit'',who are driven by Holy Spirit,and have an ''open line of

communication'', ie real personal relationship with God. (Of course, only those who are

really interested,are reaching these heights of holiness).

For the true Christian the purpose is not just to learn the truth, but to live the

truth,that, with the help of the Holy Spirit will cleanse him,it will illuminate him, andwill make him ''God by grace'', likeness of his Creator.

Everything are kept in the Orthodox tradition, for anyone who is interested in learning

the way of treatment of the fallen man.

It is therefore up to everyone, whether Orthodox, Protestant,either unfaithful to

explore the treasures of the Church, (which holds the only full Gospel), and to live!

CHAPTER 12th.

Church and politics

Something that scandalizes many people, is the mixing of clergy in politics. Is this


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correct? Here, we should do again the distinguish of the Church, and of each individual

priest, and of distinction of his operating as a priest, and of his operating as a free

citizen of a country.

The elder, during the operation of this ecclesiastical capacity,he ought not to exceed,and not to involved in political or other matters. But as a citizen of a country,he should

contribute to the development of the country, with the way that he considers more

correct.

If someone uses his Ecclesiastic function as a way to benefit any political party, this is a

personal failure, not of the Church,which never supported any political faction AS

CHURCH,neither has created political nor religious party,in contrast to the pattern of

Christian-democratic of some other countries.

In contrast, voiced her opposition to whomever has tried something like this.

But,why does the Church shuffled on issues which related laws and affairs of the

government?

To answer this question, we must consider what ''politics'' is.

Every nation, positioned between other nations, every man among other men, and the

Church among the structures that exist around her, they all act with a specific way to

the outside, and towards to their surroundings.

This precisely,way of act is the ''state'', the ''policy'' that followed by everyone.

Politics thus exert all people, all religions and all nations. But today we call politics,

especially the state of a country.

Like all men,the Christians also living in public entities.

The local Church therefore has members, the same members of the national team,

which members,are subject to laws of the state, but also to their Cleric obligations.

So it is inevitability to exist cooperation or competition between the Church and ofeach government on some issues,which both are required to deal with.

Therefore,sometimes there is cooperation so,the citizens of the state,and of the reign

of Christ to ''polity'' seamlessly for both of these properties.

But competition can exist, when the legislature of the State do not account the


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Christian faith of their people and ask them, things incompatible with the role of the

Christian.

Similarly, competition is caused when some officers of the Lord, make poor use of their

properties, and intervene in policy matters which do not concern the Church.

Usually, however, the politicians are the ones who interfere to the Church, and rarely

the clergy to the polity..

These false-piety groups it is natural to blame the Church for ''partnership with the

state'', because they can not understand the necessity of this coexistence of state laws

and ecclesiastical life.

Because of they are minority groups,they can not have sufficient benefit from state

laws on their faith, since their members are negligible quantity for the legislators.

In contrast, where the Church is majority,she can ''be heard'' from the politicians, and

to affect them, in the interest of the Christians.

Actually, (and rightly),also these groups are trying to influence the laws through the

courts,or their letter to politicians on matters that concern them.

But,they do not understand it, and accuse by an unconscious grudge the Church with

such ''unheard'' accuses for things that they are trying to do by a more indirect way.

Such a group, for example, blaming the Papists, who had made an agreement with

Hitler in the second world war.

But they do not tell the truth about their attitude at the time,when they had sent an

epistle to the Nazi regime,in order to cooperate with it!

But when Germany persecuted them, then,they remembered that the Nazis were

satanic authority!

This group, like other similar,considers that any cooperation with civil governments, is

cooperation with the devil. They believe that all governments are satanic,even theydemonize those who voting, as voters of Satan!

It is certainly not in our study to develop this subject, but we will indicatively some

verses of the Holy Bible, which these people forget:

Romans 13:1-6: ''Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no


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power but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God.

Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they

that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment.

For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. And wouldest thou have no

fear of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same:for he is a minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid;

for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath

to him that doeth evil.

Wherefore ye must needs be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for

conscience' sake.

For this cause ye pay tribute also; for they are ministers of God's service''...

What does the Bible say so for politicians? That they are ''servants of God''.

What those false-piety groups contend? That they are ''partners of the devil''.

Here's another complete perversion of the truth, by some who wants only to accuse the

Church.

The Church therefore, except citizens of heaven,there are citizen of this old earth.

They are fighting for as much as possible harmonious cooperation of them and from

God ordained leaders of each country.They vote as individuals (not as a church),but,what each person believes that is the

best for his country,as long as we live in this mortal world.

However, their desire is ''the heavenly and eternal home''. (Hebrews 11).

CHAPTER 13th.

Church and wars

Some false-piety circles, blame the Church for one more thing.They say that the

Church supposedly ''blesses the weapons of war''. But this is another blatant lie.

The Church blesses the troops who loves Jesus Christ,and, not the weapons.

And blessing of army of soldiers means ''blessing of those soldiers who love Christ''.


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There are some extreme groups who believe that the Church should not allow to its

members to fight in ethnic wars.

As an argument they using the words of the Lord on the Mount speech: ''Love your

enemies, those benefactors who persecute you, pray for those who hate you'' ...They themselves, however, not refuse to personally self-defense. As if war is not for

self defense!!

But they do separation the of the personal defense and the State defense, not only

because they believe that the state authority is from the devil, but because they believe

that global power belongs to them (!!!) and that,the nations unjustly violate,and they

did not deliver it to them...

They believe that national borders are evil construct that divides people, unlike the willof God.

These people forget, that God himself separated the nations in the Tower of Babel!

They forget that even godly figures such as Abraham, fought for defense, and were

blessed.

They forget the countless wars of Israel, not only to defend, but also aggressive wars,

as,God himself commanded them, using them as executive organs, against the

surrounding nations who had sinned heavy ..They forget that the 10 commandments said: ''thou shalt not kill'', but all of the Jews

were fighting.

In this way,they confusing the words of the Lord, and instead to apply them to the

relations between human beings, apply them in relations between nations.

And why they do not apply them also in self-defense, but when it comes to their

personal safety they forget, and permit carrying of weapons?

So,it is not the words of Christ, but another but another thing that makes them act inthat way. They believe that national borders and the political governments are ''of the

devil''.

As we saw in the previous chapter, the political governments are from God. So here, we

will prove that the borders are from God,and not from the devil.


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The Apostle Paul in Acts 17:26, states clearly, that not the devil, but God ''appointed

the demarcation of the residents of nations'',ie. the borders.

And yet: Deuteronomy 32:8,by the (oldest) translation by 70 (Septuagint),which says

that ''God divided the nations by the number of angels, giving to each nation aprotector angel''.

It does not say that He gave to the nations demons, but angels!

The nations then, are from God, and the angels of God protect them, even they

fighting for them, according to the scriptures: Daniel 10:12,13,20,21. -12:1.

Once again, therefore, the accusers of Church exposed as false accusers, opposed to

the spirit of the Bible, and even,they reach to the blasphemy to attach the actions ofGod to demons!

It seems that their behavior is not determined by what they think, but instead they

form their ''belief'' according to their false-piety attitude, so that they appear as

supposedly the only peacemakers who following the Lord, singled from the others,the

cosmic and sinners. Their attitude, therefore, hides not piety but pride, hypocrisy and

self-righteousness.

As for Church, as this world lives in nations with borders and wars, will pray for thepious soldier who defends for the sake of his compatriots, for the peace of the world,

even for enemies.

The Church has always been opposed to aggressive wars, but leaving the defense on

the conscience of every Christian, and will struggle for peace and coexistence of

peoples, until the Lord Jesus, to put an end to all wars.

CHAPTER 14th.

Scandals in monasticism

Often, released scandals of several monks in some monasteries, even in the Holy

Mountain-(Agion oros), which has offered a lot of saints in the Church. Then the

false-piety prosecutors rushing (as original muckraking) to proclaim the faults of their


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fellows, happy for the ''plight'' of their brothers.

Certainly they are not doing the same for the fallen coreligionists. There, they covering

up, in order not to ridiculed their own group.

Only in an Orthodox count the sin! But these people forget or ignore the purpose ofmonasticism.

Not a saint, but the sinner goes to be a monk. He goes to exert the fallen flesh, and

through this exercise to reach to holiness.

But Is there a war without lost battles? Is there a man that he have not sin?

Instead of blame the vanquished fighters they should have compassion and pray to

God to give them repentance and purification, for the sake of which they chose thedifficult path of monasticism.

We still call these enemies of monasticism, to study history, to see how many Saints

monasticism has revealed, and ponder of the millions of silent fighters who sacrificed

their own will, for Christ's sake, and who devoted their whole life, praying in a cell for

their own sins, but also for sins of others.

Let them see, that behind the greatest rekindling in the history of Christianity, there

were some silent monks, who with the power of their prayers were struggling, and who

often left the wilderness to struggle within the world, with advices, urgings, and with

every gift of the Holy Spirit.

CHAPTER 15th.

Economic exploitation

Of course,the critics of the Church, they could not ''grab'' by various events which,they

twist to find accusations, usually non-existent.

We indicatively mention, some points which are based, in order to blame the Church

for economic exploitation. Unfortunately, their morbid inventiveness is inexhaustible,

so we will mention only in a few points.


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A common theme is their mention in ''categories of marriages''.

There are (they say) for ''the priests to take money''.

If even personally I have never met such a thing, nor anyone I known have encounteredimmediately, though we accept that sometimes happens, since always someone is

telling us that happened to ''someone known'', or ''known...of his acquaintances''.

First of all,the marriage is valid either become in a humble church, either in metropolis.

Beyond that, if the groom wants to kindled all chandeliers,to invite many chanters,

and to make a ''wedding super show'', he should take care of the related costs.

Nobody is forced to make expensive wedding, since he can get married for free.

But if he want gorgeousness, he must not complain, because the Church is neitherobliged nor able to pay their own luxuries.

If someone does not want ''marriage classes'', let's make a normal wedding, and then

let's cast IF HE WANTS and WHAT HE WANTS freely, to the carton of contributions of

the church, for these few expenses.

It should be emphasized, however, that about the ''categories for weddings'', are

usually creations of malignant rumors.

One elder told me once about a marriage that he celebrated, and told me that in the

end, the man who would bear the costs, he asked ''what he owed''.The elder answered him: ''If you want, and whatever you want, throw it in the box of

the Church''. He, threw something, and after a few minutes, the priest heard him say to

others: ''The exploiter,he flayed me! He took me so much money''!

Usually, in these way rumors come.

Something else for which our accusers blame Christians is that believers buying

candles.Weanswer, that the candle exists for exactly this purpose: The offer to God!

It is prayer of the body, and at the same time way of economic aid to the Church.

The faithful gives money for the candle,they knowingly gives as a contribution to the

expenses of the church.

You see, the temples have not chickens that generate money! The same thing happens

with anything the temples and monasteries sells, to cover the huge costs of

maintenance, operation, and charitable works.


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But,are the temples and halls of our accusers ,do not have boxes of contributions?

Or may they do not have a circumambulation disc in some of them?

Did any such known group of accusers who I know,require money when placing a

central hall for weddings, or only they do have expenses?But,they did not see these things. They think that their own money goes to the needs

heretical accusations against christians

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