https://tasbeha.org/community/categories/faith-issues/p33/feed.rss Mon, 22 Jun 2026 10:13:11 +0000 Faith Issues - Tasbeha.org Community en-CA https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10342/the-trinity-a-contradiction Sat, 01 Jan 2011 20:35:15 +0000 jfarag92 10342@/community/discussions recently as i have been trying to substantiate my faith; i have been basically trying to doubt and question everything in order to substantiate  it, and one of the basic doubts or questions, and just general questions, i have is the legitimacy of the trinity.
basically how the three separate parts can be one, not three distinct parts. and then go around and say there is one distinct god and be an ardently monotheistic religion.
here are a few of the "problems" i have with it which would be nice if you could clarify them and elaborate on the topic in general
-we pray to the the Father and the Son as if they are separate, and talk about them as if they are different
-one of the more central ones i have is when Jesus was on earth, he prayed to the Father and the Father was sad etc etc, which makes it seem as if they are in fact distinct parts.  also how could they separate into the heaven and earth with out being separate. 

I would like it if you did not limit your responses to just these, they are just starting points.]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/9228/what-god-has-made-clean-do-not-call-common Wed, 12 May 2010 17:29:51 +0000 Zoxsasi 9228@/community/discussions
What does this mean?

What does it mean: What God has made clean.
Who has God made clean?
Who is clean?
Is there anyone unclean?

Thanks]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10854/assignment-questions Tue, 01 Mar 2011 01:49:16 +0000 Mary E 10854@/community/discussions Describe the significance in the Catholic Church history
Explain how this person contributed to the development of the catholic church in history. What impact did they make?]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10853/crisis-of-basic-faith Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:08:39 +0000 mteverett322 10853@/community/discussions
This topic might be a bit more basic than many of the others that are discussed on this site, but recently I've been having a crisis of faith.

How do we really know that God exists? I've never personally seen a miracle (if that is indeed what we should really be looking for; probably not). How do we REALLY know that Christianity is true?  Why should I believe the Bible?  Why did God create the world in such a way that some people must go to Hell?  Why do some people die without ever even hearing about Jesus or God or whatever? 

I know there are many questions here.  I don't expect (but I do hope for) clear answers that will save and increase my faith in God and I don't expect that every question will be answered to my satisfaction.  But I'm losing my faith and I'm upset, so this is just an outpouring of my frustration, sadness, and confusion. 

Help if you can, and pray for me.]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10858/comparative-hymnology Tue, 01 Mar 2011 19:50:31 +0000 Ioannes 10858@/community/discussions
Comparative Hymnology Pt. 1 by Fr. Peter

I am very concerned that not every Western hymn in English be tarred with the same brush. It seems to me that it is necessary that the origins of hymns, the theological contexts in which they were created and used, and the tunes associated with them all be considered.

If we take one or other of the ancient hymns for instance. This is a version of the ancient hymns from the Liturgy of St James which the British Orthodox Church sing on the occasion of every liturgy.


Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.


King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.


Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.


At His feet the six wingèd seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia, Lord Most High!

Now this is an ancient and entirely Orthodox text. The tune it is usually sung to is Picardy, which is certainly an old (at least 17th century) French folk tune, but it is not ancient. Nevertheless it seems to me to be a simple and non-emotional tune. I enjoy singing it and usually I am just stepping down out of the sanctuary as we sing 'As the Light of light descendeth'.

I would not want it to be thought that it is not possible to find Orthodox Western hymns which can be sung in English, even to Western tunes. I think that it would be very commendable for Orthodox Christians with high level skills in the use of poetic language in English to consider setting texts such as that give below, a hymn of St Severus, to an appropriate tune. These would be very much worthwhile singing because of their immense theological richness.

You who by enlightening baptism have been made new,
by deeds themselves keep such a reputation unto the end.
Do not wantonly take yourself back again to the old age of sins;
do not by any means follow after deeds of darkness.

You have rightly confessed one Lord and one Faith:
renounce the many doctrines of error that are falsified against the truth.
Behold! You have been armed with the mighty arms of the Spirit:
fight and struggle: and do not through sin make miserable treaties with your foes.

By calling the Holy Father in heaven, ‘Our Father’,
fix the hidden eyes of your mind constantly on heaven.
You have been hallowed by the divine laver;
you have been removed from all filth, pollution and stain.

Having once been buried and risen together with Christ who is God,
who once suffered and rose, think not at all of a second baptism.
Keep the treasure of immortality that has been bestowed on you with all carefulness,
offering praise to the good giver of this gift, according to the riches of His mercy.

Indeed this is almost poetic enough. I find it awe inspiring that these words of St Severus, written in Greek, translated into Syriac, and then translated into English are still so powerful and entirely Orthodox.

This is just so it is clear that the issue is NOT the use of English, or traditional English music. The issue is the content of the text and the nature of the music.

Father Peter

Comparative Hymnology Pt. 2 - John Apocalypse
-Orthodox hymns speak directly to the soul, and it is then the soul that sobers the mind, and the mind then controls the body to obey God.-


One
It is acceptable to integrate protestant hymns into the Orthodox Church? We shall seek this answer in our examination of protestant hymns and their purpose, from more of a philosophical approach. We will compare the purpose of each the Orthodox and protestant hymns in search of our answer. What exactly is the purpose of Orthodox hymns? St. Athanasius tells us that is is "medicine for healing the soul" and "repentance, or confession, or tribulation and trial befall us, or someone was persecuted or being plotted against, or he wants to sing praises and give thanks to the Lord." We see that the exaltation of ones self is never even hinted at, or any other sort of worldly emotion or feeling. Every bit of what St Athanasius says deals directly with the spiritual in some way. He also makes it clear that God is the focus, not the individual, that we willingly submit ourselves to Him and exalt and praise Him, not to feel good about ourselves and have fun. There is no question that Orthodox hymnology, and its rich history, is God centered, and scripturally accurate, often times being derived directly from scripture, with the purposes of preparing  for communion, to purify the soul, to learn the theology of the church, and above all glorify God.

Two
The fundamental difference between  Orthodox and protestant hymns are their purpose. The Orthodox hymns serve a spiritual purpose in preparing us for communion, purifying our souls, and to learn the theology of the church, as knowledge of the spiritual is spiritual. "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6) All Orthodox hymns used in the church serve a specific spiritual purpose. Some of them we sing often, and some very rarely, like Golgotha which is sang once a year on Good Friday. These hymns are not meant to give the feeling of complacency or overcome with worldly emotion but rather to give sober minded spiritual enlightenment and guidance.

The protestant hymns are like audio pornography meant for self gratification and momentary pleasure. This is evidence by the worldly origins of protestant music and worship, having not historical root in the true church whatsoever. The purpose of these hymns is aimed at making the flesh complacent, to feel good, by playing on the natural weakness of the flesh, emotions. By creating a ambient trance like setting, the music and the words work directly on the individuals emotions, and when emotional, without sober mind, often times the individual can feel mild euphoria and be overcome with joy and happiness, removing the fear of God completely. Rather than fear of God, they have a feeling of peace and complacency since they are already saved, based on their belief in justification by faith alone, which is one of the pillars of protestantism, existing in every denomination. In place of the true God sits their own god, one they want to believe in, one who accepts everyone and everything so long as they believe. With this trance like atmosphere that peaks ones emotions, similar to that of drugs (and some act as if they are drunk, calling it "drunk in the spirit") coupled with a very simplistic theological view and much less demanding God, what is to stop this from breaking anyone down, especially our youth? It is much easier to "just believe" and go have fun every sunday, all the while you are free to be as worldly as you want, that is, as long as you believe in Jesus.

Three
St Basil teaches us that: "The work of praising attracts the service of the angels because this is a function of their existence. Thus they come closer to those who imitate in their ways." If protestant hymns are worldly and void of spiritual purpose , then this quote from St. Basil would not apply, in fact it may be just the opposite. To prove protestantism lacks true worship we need to look no further than scripture: "And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angels hand." (Rev. 8:3-4) This verse is describing Liturgical worship, the altar, the incense, the intercessory prayer, and of course we can logically assume that there was hymnology. Isaiah 6:2,3 "Above it stood the seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!" We repeat this very verse during our Liturgical worship as the cherubim do in heaven. What St John wrote in his revelation shows us that Liturgical worship is heavenly worship, and therefore the hymns that are sang in conjunction with Liturgical worship are also heavenly. None of this can be found within protestantism, and why? Because it is worldly with the idea of attracting people and not of pleasing God.

Four
Protestant hymns are just songs and therefore are harmless. Do we feel that our hymns are "just songs"? All music effects the individual, but only Orthodox Hymns have the ability to speak to our soul, while protestant hymns speak to the flesh. They are nothing more than worldly songs marketed to an unknowing people as Christian hymns. Full of "I" and "me" as well as other words directed for self gratification. They are merely momentary comfort for the self deluded, to help them feel good about themselves in order to justify their invalid and superficial belief of their own personal, self created god who serves them and not them serving Him. They have adopted worldly modern music to help attract people to their brand of Christianity. This is just another gimmick similar to that of a used car salesman. You see, protestantism is superficial, so it must constantly reinvent itself and or come up with a new gimmick to sell their product. This explains the 40,000 denominations (That we know of), that vastly differ from one another, and the multitude of parlor tricks employed to dazzle the unsuspecting crowd of people, anxious to see the next big thing. Speaking in tongues, being drunk in the spirit (see Brandon Barthrop of Red Letter Ministries) holy Laughter, faith healings, pastors beating people up to "heal" them (see Todd Bentley), and the list goes on and on. It is just a feel good gimmick followed by a feel good sermon where everyone goes to heaven, as long as you believe, and the pastor gets his money.

Five
The danger in exposing our youth to this is much worse than them being exposed to worldly music. The purpose is clear, and it is not spiritual, atleast in the Orthodox sense of spiritual. These songs make our youth feel good, many of whom would gladly accept the easier more feel good message than having to fast 210 days out of the year, or constantly work on their spiritual life. Like a gateway drug, it might seem harmless at first, but it certainly has the potential to open you up to a whole new world, one which many do not come back from. Orthodox hymns are like proper medicine for the spiritually sick while protestant hymns are a dangerous alternative that seems good on the outside, because it works our emotions, but is spiritual suicide.

By introducing these hymns we are not attracting youth, we are confusing them. They know it is not right and that protestantism is not Christian, and they are told otherwise. What do you think a logical conclusion would be? The path of least resistance of course, especially for the youth! If we can achieve the exact same thing in protestantism then why are we Orthodox? This is what the clergy must answer, those at least that feel this absurd behavior is Orthodox. If we are supposed to believe that protestantism is the same, we must omit this portion from the creed: "And in one Holy Universal Apostolic Church".


Amazing Grace - Comparative Hymnology by John Apocalypse

Written in 1779, amazing grace is possibly the most well known of all protestant hymns and it commonly accepted as being Christian. But let us look at this song in greater depth to see if focus of the song is on Christ (This includes, Theology, Doctrine, Church history, all pertaining to Christ). The lyrics of the song are as follows:


Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.


T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.

How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.


Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;

'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.


The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.

He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.


Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,

I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.


When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.

We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

At first glance all seems well I have even seen people weeping while singing this song, giving the impression that it must be Christian to possess that kind of power. Notice almost every single line speaks of I, Me, My, or We. The subject of the sentence is not Christ, it is not Doctrine, nor any kind of Theology. It is not even about the grace to which the song is named for, the subject of this song is the self, more technically John Newton who wrote it.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.

Newton is speaking of the "Amazing Grace" and how sweet it is, then goes on to say how it "saved" him. Why mention himself at all in a "Christian" song? Orthodox doctrine does not believe in "salvation in a moment" this is exclusively protestant, and therefore should not be sang in our church (and most likely is not).

I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

This verse is another example of just how different protestantism is from Orthodoxy. This verse states Newton's certainty of his own salvation, which would mean that he knows the mind of God, the book of life, and or is a judge of souls himself. In Orthodoxy we work towards our salvation and are never arrogant enough to proclaim our own salvation.

How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

This again shows protestant doctrine and not Orthodox doctrine. Protestantism believes in salvation in a moment, that when one believes, then they are saved then and there. Singing this is a denial of the sacrament of baptism, which is nothing more than symbolism in protestantism.

Here is one of the oldest and revered protestant songs, and here we have just seen how un-Christian it actually is. Promoting protestant doctrines and denying the sacrament of baptism. This song certainly has no place in the Orthodox church, nor in the homes of any Christian. If this were to come from the lips of any Orthodox Christian, that person must be aware that they are proclaiming protestantism. THIS is how people can become perverted by allowing protestant songs in our Holy Church which is in no need of any new hymns.
]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10843/confusing-matter-ghosts-can-they-visit-you Sun, 27 Feb 2011 15:55:25 +0000 marmar357 10843@/community/discussions
Since this  http://tasbeha.org/content/community/index.php/topic,9933.0.html, didn't answer my question fully, i created a new one, cause I'm a bit confused.
Without doubt all of you heard about that issue about thee green horse, and ghosts, and stuff.
Well, I commented once on a video  of someone i know, and people started talking about the existence of ghosts. Following the answer in the following topic, I have understand that they do exists, but not if the term means 'spirits of people who have died.'
[quote author=CopticStrength link=topic=9933.msg121579#msg121579 date=1288476179]

Question: "What does the Bible say about ghosts / hauntings?"

Answer: Is there such a thing as ghosts? The answer to this question depends on what precisely is meant by the term “ghosts.” If the term means “spirit beings,” the answer is a qualified “yes.” If the term means “spirits of people who have died,” the answer is “no.” The Bible makes it abundantly clear that there are spirit beings, both good and evil. But the Bible negates the idea that the spirits of deceased human beings can remain on earth and “haunt” the living.

[/quote]

However, some people claim that they have seen ghosts, including ghosts of people who have died and even talked to them. I find this a bit weird, and I don't know if this is accepted in the orthodox church or not.
If u look at this video: http://www.zie.nl/video/opmerkelijk/Jongen-wordt-aangevallen-door-spook/m1fzrt1f5qqu
U can see a boy (in Africa i guess) who says that a friend of him who died, teases him often and u can see in the video how the guy when he sits on a chair, has been pulled from his chair, and also when he stood his leg has been pulled. Personally, it seems he is just kidding and trying to play a game with people, but it seems that his family is serious about it.

Now, this is only about someone in the news.
But what about the people to I spoke? I have no evidence, but they talked kinda serious about it.
A relative of a martyr in Nagahamadi, says that 2 martyrs of nagahamdi visited the person! How strange!?
Someone else claimed, that their grandma visited he and that on their work, there are 2 childish ghosts who let themselves hear by crying and by scratching with their nails on the door.

What do u think?

Gb
]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10830/assignment-questions Fri, 25 Feb 2011 13:00:30 +0000 DaughterOfEmanuel 10830@/community/discussions I am taking a religion elective in university and we have a 50-question assignment to submit. I have most of them answered; however, I am remain somewhat unsure about the following:

1) How many tribes returned to Israel/Judah after the Babylonian exile, and which? 
2) Identify one major difference between the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
3) How many gates are listed in Ezekiel’s vision of the city of Jerusalem (Ezk. 48), and what do they represent?
4) According to biblical tradition, how many tribes entered the Promised Land? 

I would really appreciate any help I can get. Thank you, pray for me. :)
]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10834/question-about-tithing-fr-peter-or-other-clergy-please-answer Fri, 25 Feb 2011 17:10:15 +0000 dzheremi 10834@/community/discussions
Am I released from tithing due to my circumstances? If so, can I somehow appeal this decision? :)]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10776/important-really-wanna-know Sat, 19 Feb 2011 21:42:55 +0000 Mary E 10776@/community/discussions https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10783/3-days-and-3-nights Mon, 21 Feb 2011 01:57:48 +0000 CopticSoldier 10783@/community/discussions
I am looking for an explanation of the meaning of 3 days and nights which Christ spends in the belly of the earth.

If we do the calculation according to our modern calendar it comes up to be 3 days and 2 nights only.

God bless,

LiD]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10193/memory-and-attention Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:21:43 +0000 peterfarrington 10193@/community/discussions
In my evangelical youth we always learned memory verses at Sunday School, and it was in my evangelical congregation that I can remember first learning the beginning of St John's Gospel.

I wonder, because I do not know, do Coptic youth learn passages of the Scripture by heart in Sunday School? Are there any Coptic Orthodox competitions organised around learning passages of Scripture?

I wonder how hard it would be to learn the Gospel of St Mark off by heart? There are 678 verses and 16 chapters. Would it be possible to learn 13 verses a week? Just about 2 verses a day? I wonder how our ancestors memorised Scripture, and I wonder what methods have been proved to work?

Father Peter]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10609/is-egypt-under-god-s-judgement-now Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:04:08 +0000 lightening 10609@/community/discussions may i express my heart felt sympathy for your people at this difficult time.
some folks believe that this difficult time in Egypt has something to do with God's judgement on the nation of Egypt.
what should i say to them?
]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10348/the-difficult-sayings-of-jesus-new-book-taught-by-god Sun, 02 Jan 2011 02:33:13 +0000 dfan8803 10348@/community/discussions
Just thought to let you know that Taught by God: Making Sense of the Difficult Sayings of Jesus has just been published, which essentially examines the most difficult sayings of Jesus through a unique synthesis of Orthodox theology, modern scholarship, rabbinic literature, and the early church Fathers. It essentially the most difficult of the questions asked of the Gospels.

I have copied some endorsements below (including Fr. John Breck) as well as some book info. I think you will find it to be a worthy read. Check it out on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Taught-God-Making-Difficult-Sayings/dp/1933275502/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293200347&sr=1-8. Or for more info see the publisher's website: http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/store/books/fanous_taught_by_god.html

Please also let me know your thoughts.

Thanks again, In Christ,

Daniel


Endorsements:

"Taught by God is well researched and speaks clearly and informatively to many of the most difficult aspects of the biblical witness ... students, clergy and lay people could all greatly benefit from a close reading of the book's arguments and the evidence provided to support them. Daniel Fanous draws a great many good and plausible conclusions regarding difficult passages, and has provided a highly useful tool for people who read Scripture in depth and find themselves troubled or perplexed by these passages."
--Very Rev. John Breck
Professor of Biblical Interpretation & Bioethics,
St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute, France.

"Fascinating and informative ... This book illuminates the background of Jesus' controversies with the Jewish religious leaders and makes Jesus' difficult sayings come alive for the modern reader. The author has done his homework and provides exciting insights into Jesus' ministry."
--Very Rev. Dr. Theodore Stylianopoulos
Professor of Orthodox Theology & New Testament,
Holy Cross Orthodox School of Theology, USA.

"It is heartening to see the treasures of Orthodoxy come together with modern biblical scholarship.... The encounter is fascinating and, for both Church and academy, full of promise."
--Dale C. Allison, Jr.
Errett M. Grable Professor of New Testament & Early Christianity,
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, USA

Book Information:
Few would dispute that the sayings of Jesus were and are important. But though important, these very same sayings are difficult at best and incomprehensible at worst. Sayings like, "The kingdom of heaven suffers violence," or, "I did not come to bring peace but a sword," have confused readers of the Gospels for thousands of years. Others such as, "My Father is greater than I," and, "My God why have You forsaken Me?" have sparked theological infernos that have plagued Christianity from its beginnings. From the greatest theologians to the smallest child, the same question is always asked: What did Jesus really mean? In considering only the most difficult of the sayings of Jesus, Taught by God brings together the academic rigour of modern biblical scholarship and the profound wisdom of the early Church Fathers in a unique, lively, and dramatic synthesis.

Author Information:
Dr. Daniel Fanous is an independent scholar and is the author of the acclaimed The Person of the Christ (2008) as well as numerous articles. He has extensively studied and taught New Testament theology, as well as holding degrees in medicine and engineering.]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10749/fasting-after-midnight Thu, 17 Feb 2011 02:53:56 +0000 bmw335i 10749@/community/discussions When i'm staying up late studying, and the time passes midnight, and a "fast" is technically over, is it okay to eat non-fasting food?

For example, I'm up at night on a Wednesday, and then the time changes to 12:01am on Thursday. Is it okay for me to go downstairs to grab a glass of milk? or should i wait until the next day starts (like i fall asleep and wake up again). That's an extreme case, but what about 1:30am or so?]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10598/what-have-protestants-thought-of-the-coptic-orthodox-church Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:31:14 +0000 peterfarrington 10598@/community/discussions
i. 1752, Moravian Brethren. "..in all their conversation to endeavour to direct attention to the essence of Christianity ... and teach them how, by means of Jesus' merits, they might obtain rest for their souls, true holiness of life, and evangelical liberty, which leave the conscience unfettered by human traditions".

ii. 1850, Church Mission Society. "The missionaries seem to follow almost too strictly the plan on which the mission was begun, to seek the friendship of the clergy, especially the higher clergy of the Eastern Churches, with a view of influencing them gently, in the hope that by slow degrees they would become convinced of their errors and themselves reform their respective Churches. But the system has failed... Individual conversions [of Copts] must be the aim, as the only means of prosecuting reformation".

iii. 1850, Church Mission Society. "Through the Church Mussuin Society missionaries throughout the Nile Valley, hundreds of persons had their knowledge of the way of salvation corrected, their faith directed away from their own works, to the death and suffering and obedience of the Son of God as the reason and ground of salvation from sin and its consequences".

iv. 1852. "Rev Mr. Leider has done good among the Copts, and the young men whom he has instructed refuse on conscientious grounds to enter the priesthood of this corrupt Church.... The American Missionary Association has resolved to establish a Mission among the Copts".

v. 1896. "[The Copts] must have had some glimpse of the light that illumines the soul and leads up to the throne of God. To help such a people [the Copts] to loosen themselves from the chains of superstition, and to come out of the dungeon of darkness into which their surroundings had imprisoned them, and lead them forth into the light and liberty of the Christian faith, is surely a duty and a Christian privilege".

THIS is what the Protestants thought of our Coptic Orthodox Church while they were busy undermining and corrupting it. They may well have meant well, but their actions made them the enemy of the truth and of the Orthodox Faith. Read all of these short passages carefully. The Protestantism which produces such a view of the Coptic Orthodox Church is not Orthodox, nor truthful. It is a deception and it works, however well meant, to deceive those it persuades.

Is the Coptic Orthodox Church bound by chains of superstition? Are we in a dungeon of darkness? Do we need to find the Christian Faith? Are these attitudes we should embrace? Are the practices of those who hold such views ones which we should easily and readily adopt? Do you see that they had a clear plan to befriend the higher clergy and to persuade them that the Orthodox Faith was error and must be reformed? And when that did not work they changed their plan and began to deceive individuals. All of these plans are published in black and white, the Protestants were proud of all their efforts to win the superstitious Copts to the Christian Faith.

Father Peter]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10570/betraying-god Fri, 28 Jan 2011 03:30:00 +0000 yousiegtennis 10570@/community/discussions How does one stop doing this?  :'(]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10703/talking-to-the-departed-loved-ones-is-it-orthodox Sat, 12 Feb 2011 16:42:39 +0000 lightening 10703@/community/discussions i just want to know if it is possible for somebody to have visitations from her sister and talk to her after she has departed from among us, here on earth.
this is not a joke. i know somebody who is experiencing this and i wonder what i can make of it..
thanx]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10532/why-the-prayer-meeting Mon, 24 Jan 2011 12:44:04 +0000 coptic boy777 10532@/community/discussions
I don't get why we pray outloud... after sundayschool etc.

It seems to me sometimes like its a way to show off your "prayer skills" lol.

So what is the purpose of praying outloud individually? whats wrong if we pray to God on our own?]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10591/excommunication Sun, 30 Jan 2011 21:33:16 +0000 BeshBoy93 10591@/community/discussions https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10628/stealing-a-soul Thu, 03 Feb 2011 07:22:52 +0000 Melchoir 10628@/community/discussions Greetings, everyone!

I don't know if you already have discussed on this subject. Could human souls be stolen? For a start, there is a page about http://www.pavelkastl.cz/reading/safe_dying.htm,  or more correctly said about how one should be dying safely to prevent his or her soul from being stolen. First of all, I would like to ask you if you believe or not, that in health service there work Devil's servants in order to have access to dying people to be allowed to steal their souls? Very scary!


]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10596/protestantism-condemned-by-orthodox-patriarchs Mon, 31 Jan 2011 07:58:11 +0000 peterfarrington 10596@/community/discussions
I believe that I was in a situation of being a catechumen. Not yet properly received into the Church, but in a state of being made prepared. Yet everything I was taught by dear people who loved Christ was entirely wrong. I might well have been some sort of a Christian, certainly a believer in Christ and a seeker, but the community I belonged to was heretical. It was erroneous in most of the things it taught and did.

I know many other believers and seekers. I deal with many enquirers as a priest. They do not lack faith. They know Christ. But they have not yet been united to His Church. They are not yet entirely and completely Christian. They are still on a journey into the Body of Christ, at which point a new phase of the journey will begin as members of Christ. It is not my place to judge any such a one. I receive all who come into contact with me as those who are seeking after a deeper and more complete experience of God. I have yet to find someone who has not found the experience of becoming Orthodox to be a transition to a different experience of being Christian. I am sure that the Lord will have mercy on a very great many who are born into situations where they grow up as Christians and do the best they can. But doing the best they can where they find themselves is for God to judge, not for us to emulate. We are called to a higher standard because we ARE members of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Completely undeservedly so.

In this post I wanted to briefly consider the first contacts of Protestants with Orthodoxy. It took place in the 16th century between the Lutheran theologians of Tubingen and the Greek Patriarch Jeremias II of Constantinople. This is an interesting encounter because it represents the classical and 'serious' Protestantism of the past, rather than the modern Pentecostal Protestantism which some Orthodox find attractive. Therefore it seems to me that what is being considered at the beginning is not confused by issues of culture and modernity, but is a matter of faith and doctrine.

I will not go into the whole history. But it is enough to say that the Lutherans wrote to the Greeks, hoping both to find in them an ally against Rome, and also to bring about a 'reformation' in the thinking of the Eastern Churches based on the Lutheran view of what was accurate doctrine. Several letters were exchanged in which it became clear that the Protestants were more interested in changing the Orthodox than learning from them. This seems to me to be a constant danger whenever engaging in anything with Protestants.

The Lutherans presented a copy of the Augsburg Confession to the Patriarch, and in due course he responded with a point by point consideration from the Orthodox point of view. It seems to me that this is a very important witness to the Orthodox opinion of Protestantism. The most important reply was sent in 1579.

I won't go through every issue in this post. But let me quote some of the comments of Patriarch Jeremias. We must remember that he had carefully considered the documents sent to him by the Lutheran Protestants, and after considering them and comparing them to the Orthodox Faith he says:

Therefore, brethren, let us stand on the rock of faith and on the tradition of the Church, and not remove the boundaries which our Holy Fathers have set. Thus, we will not give the opportunity to those who wish to innovate and destroy the edifice of the holy, catholic and apostolic Church of God. For if permission is granted to everyone who wants it, little by little the whole body of the Church will be destroyed.

and

Let us accept, then, the tradition of the Church with a sincere heart and not a multitude of rationalizations. For God created man to be [morally] upright; instead they [humans] sought after diverse ways of rationalizing. Let us not allow ourselves to learn a new kind of faith which is condemned by the tradition of the Holy Fathers. For the Divine Apostle says, "if anyone is preaching to you a Gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed" [Gal 1:9].

Patriarch Jeremias was very clear, and his three letters are available to be studied in detail. The very foundation of Protestantism was a deviation from the Orthodox Truth. He did not speak unkindly to those who wrote to him. He did not lack love towards them. But he was insistent. We must not allow a New Gospel to be preached, and we must not allow the Orthodox Tradition to be corrupted.

In the centuries since this correspondence the Protestant movement has divided and become even more distant from the Orthodox Faith. We may speak with the same loving charity as Patriarch Jeremias did of those who hold these false beliefs. But we must also stand with him in the defence of the Orthodox Faith which is contrary to that of Protestantism in all its forms.

We will not give the opportunity to those who wish to innovate and destroy the edifice of the holy, catholic and apostolic Church of God.

Father Peter]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10597/sober-celebration Mon, 31 Jan 2011 11:26:05 +0000 Ioannes 10597@/community/discussions
We praise God for His mercy, His peace, and His sacrifice, not because we "feel good". We worship God because we love Him, not because we dont want to go to hell. In John 4:23-24 Christ teaches us about worshipping in "spirit and truth." St John Chrysostom teaches that truth being sound Orthodox worship and spirit being of the same character and "must be offered by that in us which is incorporeal, to wit, the soul, and purity of mind." He continues "For because both Samaritans and Jews were careless about the soul, but took great pains about the body, cleansing it in divers ways, it is not, He saith, by purity of body, but by that which is incorporeal in us, namely the mind, that the incorporeal One is served." (St. John Chrysostom Homilies on the Gospel of St. John)

Sober actions means a sober mind. The church has done things a specific way for 2,000 years for a reason, for our salvation. Introducing new forms of worship, or celebration, into the church leads not to sober mindedness but to chaos and a departure from the true Orthodox form of worship. Sober celebration is a spiritual celebration in the like mind of Christ and through His example and that of the apostles we know what sober celebration is.]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/6578/the-end-of-the-world-i-think-its-coming Mon, 12 May 2008 09:53:16 +0000 6578@/community/discussions
You know in the Bible it says the following:

# "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows." (Matthew 24:7-8)

# "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;" (Luke 21:25).

Are these two verses talking about the signs for the end of the world?

Its just, i was thinking and saying to myself that its really odd that:

a) 26,000 died in 2003 in BAM (Iran) - Earthquake
b) In 1931 The yellow fever flood  in china claimed up to 1,000,000 to 4,000,000 lives
c) In 1970 The Bhola cyclone in Bangladesh claimed up to 500,000 lives
d) Egypt - countless died there too in an Earthquake since 2000 (i think twice)
e) Hurricane Katrina left more than 1,200 people dead in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S.,
f) The Earthquake in pakistan, Afghanistan and India is in the 20,000 to 30,000 range so far.
g) An estimated 275,000 people lost their lives from a tsunami sparked by an undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean.
h) Recently, there was 20,000 estimated lives lost in a disaster in Burma
i) Just today, thousands are dead in an Earthquake in CHina.

THen, it occurred to me: Food is getting expensive. People are now killing themselves in Egypt over bread. The price of food has really gone up.

Especially, the last verse of Saint Luke (above) "the seas and waves roaring"... i mean.. HELLO!!!

I guess we can argue that volcanoes and hurricanes have been going on since the 11th century, but, all of a sudden, with all our technology, with all our modernisation and advancement, they are still happening and still killing millions.

I think God gave us these signs to help us get ready - prepared for His Glorious and Awesome coming. I cannot wait personally.

Does this look like something real, or is it just my imagination???

As for pestilences, I was in Liberia when I saw this documentary on Anthrax on the jungle. Its pretty horrific. I mean, we are talking thousands of hippos dying instantly from this.

Guys, I'm not kidding, but I really think something's gonna happen soon...

Can someone send me links/bible quotes of other signs?? What else will happen??

It says nation will rise against nation.. but Bush is only in office until November. Do u think he can pull that off before he leaves? Its hard to say...?

Also, wasn't there some prophecy about peace in the Middle East, but false peace??? Something bad will happen in the Holy Land?? No?? I heard about that.. but I forgot...

]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10585/girls-in-the-altar Sun, 30 Jan 2011 09:24:02 +0000 rafikwa 10585@/community/discussions https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10568/snowwwww Thu, 27 Jan 2011 20:57:03 +0000 coptic boy777 10568@/community/discussions
Does this count as a "good deed?" I was really trying to help some old people and people with bad backs. That was my intention.]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10543/college-the-green-light-for-dating Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:10:47 +0000 coptic boy777 10543@/community/discussions https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10536/how-does-christ-death-save-us Tue, 25 Jan 2011 03:24:59 +0000 Zoxsasi 10536@/community/discussions
Many non Christians/muslims even, ask this question. Are there any books/references out there that focus specifically on this topic.

How does the Incarnation save us?]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10533/fr-peter-video-sermon Mon, 24 Jan 2011 14:26:16 +0000 peterfarrington 10533@/community/discussions
There is a 20 minute talk I gave at an ecumenical celebration of Evening Incense at one of our BOC Churches on Saturday. I spoke about the Orthodox teaching on baptism. You can't say much in 20 minutes!



and



At least you get to see what I look like! That may put many of you off.

Father Peter]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10540/brainwashing-and-christanity Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:20:19 +0000 Copticdeacon 10540@/community/discussions LOLing through the entirety of 'Jesus Saves' these people are fucking ridiculous. its almost hard for me to believe that so many people can be brainwashed into believing this ridiculous bull****..bahaha

How do I respond? ]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/10531/st-athnasius-quote Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:50:06 +0000 kalsam 10531@/community/discussions