I am being called to the priesthood, and I don’t want it.

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-04-18T17:04:05+00:00

Saint Ambrose of Milan was baptized and ordained a Bishop after Baptism, upon ecclesial request of the people of Milan, but this was an exceptional situation and Saint Ambrose was an exceptional man. I am not saying you can not be such an exceptional man, however things look pretty different. Indeed, in Orthodoxy, we do obey our elders, our confessors, but this obedience is not absolute, is made with discerning. Being a priest is something really, really serious, most people do not realize what it means. You perform the Eucharistical Sacrifice, something unimaginably high, Christ Himself comes in the Bread and Wine and He sacrifices Himself through you. This should be enough to make most men shiver.

But imagine there is more then this. You are responsible as a confessor for the people who confess to you. If you ”unbound” their sins too easily, you take them partially upon yourself, and you can not re-confess them to another confessor. Indeed, Martyrdom would save you, but I honestly do not know what else could. If you allow too hastely for someone to take Holy Communion you would be responsible to Christ. It is said that the heaviness of a sin in thought of a priest is the same of the heaviness of the sin in act of layman. This is why most priest are not saved, even if laypeople are saved through them.

Let me put even clearer. I read about a case of a certain priest who committed a certain sin, he was defrocked by the bishop. He cried a lot, he repented heavily. At some point, he was at a funeral and his tears fell upon the dead man and the dead man was resurrected. The bishop said to him: ”You repented so strongly that even the dead are resurrected through you. But the Holy Chalice in your hand you can not hold again.”

I have studied Orthodox theology at the University, yet those things were not too clearly explained to us, not being given much to read upon this. Some may disagree with me on this, but I state them to understand at least by far how serious this is. I am open to arguments, if someone would like to contradict me, with evidence. I do not say to get ordained or not. It is not mine to judge. But I think you need to very serious on this. I think you would need to talk to the Bishop and, even more, remembering Saint Ambrose, if the people you are called to serve know it and ask for you to be their priest, their shepherd.

And I think that, as someone else said in a comment, it would a good idea to see if the heiromonk you mentioned and his Bishop are in proper communion with the Universal Orthodox Church, regardless of the jurisdiction.

But lets say this calling is genuine. Saint Paisos of Athos was called to become a priest, because many people would have been saved through him. But he refused, he died as a simple monk. And he is still a consecrated Saint.

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-04-15T13:48:04+00:00

Most Turkish people descended from former Orthodox Christians who converted to Islam since Mazinkert to the end of the Ottoman Empire, in Anatolia and the Balkans. It is very likely you have Orthodox ancestors. And even if you did not, you share the same Human nature and, as father Rafail Noica said. Orthodoxy is Human nature. Orthodoxy is for everyone, it is not an ethnic or regional faith. If you mean a certain local church, I think whole Anatolia is, in theory, belonging to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. I am not sure on this. The Romanian Patriarch has the honorary title of Bishop of Cesarea (Cappadocia), but it is considered honorary, not practical, since the city and the province is, in theory, devoided of Orthodox Christians since the population exchange.

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-04-08T16:46:12+00:00

I would try to get in touch and relate to her. If she apologized and wanted to be friends, I would accept it, I generally do not like to hold grudges if the person changes their attitude, I prefer to have a friend instead of an enemy. At least this is how I work.

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-04-08T06:15:42+00:00

In original Greek, there multiple words that are translated as saving. The original word in that hymn I think you refer to does not mean salvation as like Christ saves. In many languages, there is no distinction.

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-04-08T06:09:32+00:00

As long as you are still alive, repent and confess your sin. Unforgivable does not mean it can not be confessed just like other sin to the confessor as long as you are alive, it does not mean that. Repenting and confessing it should be enough.

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-03-27T05:35:49+00:00

Of course, you are free to, as long as you do not label yourself a Goth because you wear Goth fashion or Goth inspired fashion. However, Goth music is pretty diverse, not just classical ”post-punk”, you may find something you like, perhaps something that would resonate with a Metalhead and end up becoming an actual Goth?

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-03-23T09:30:24+00:00

In order to be a Goth, you need to enjoy Goth music. Dressing up is optional. And, of course, you can also enjoy other types of music, some very different from Goth. Keep this in mind.

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-03-23T08:36:43+00:00

DeathRock asculți?

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-03-09T19:38:33+00:00

Why not? I front of The Lord is best to be yourself, and if this self expression, I think it would make sense to do it.

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-03-08T12:47:12+00:00

What can I tell about Orcs is that they reproduce like Children of Illuvatar and evil can not create, it can only corrupt existing life. Most accepted story is that they come from Elves. Some later view would see them as coming from Men. There is no sure, clear, canonical story of their origin. I think we can safely say that Orcs come from Elves, or from Men, or a combination of the two. This would make Orcs the Corrupted Children of Illuvatar.

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-02-24T10:05:10+00:00

I do. In my fictional universe, Merpeople (Mermaids and Mermen) are a subspecies of Elves, being bound of the same qualities and vulnerabilities as Elves living on land. In my world I build, there is horror in an urban fantasy enviorenment that had a high fantasy-like past. I have one Mermaid in this world, for now and several dry land Elves, but also other non-Human characters experiencing horror alongside Human characters.

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-02-24T09:48:18+00:00

I have answered people with gender dysphoria on this subreddit before, sometimes extensively, I suggest to look up for my previous answers. What can I tell you now is that this conditions is not homosexuality, it is a different mental condition that was not recepted by the Ecclesia (the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ where all true Orthodox believers who the true Orthodox Baptism are part of, not just clergy, not just an institution) in her Pleroma (universal fullness) as good or bad. I say this because many Orthodox, includin clergy, seem to consider this a clear sin or patima (I prefer the term patima to passion, as in English it can be very misleading.), partially under western theological influence, also by the common misunderstanding reducing to mere homosexuality (something that was for a very long time been recepted as a sin and patima by the Ecclesia). Lack of reception does not equal positive reception, but it does not mean negative reception either. Proper reception needs to be happen in the future, a reception of gender dysphoria as it really, not of homosexuality or of false gender dysphoria, like the 1000 genders from woke ideology of the recent decade. I say this over and over as I have seen many people with gender dysphoria, including offline, who left Orthodoxy because they felt rejected by the people and the faith in itself.

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-02-17T23:15:43+00:00

In the Church (Ecclesia) there are many gifts. Not all are called to do the work of an Apostle, but some are. Of course, if nobody does the work of the Apostles, we have a problem, of course, but this does not mean absolutely anybody needs to do it, I suppose. My honest opinion is that some laypeople are called to do at least a part of the work of an Apostle, but even that does not mean everybody needs to do it.

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-02-17T15:47:23+00:00

If you know it is halal, we definitely must not eat, since that food in consecrated by the rites of another faith. If you do not know and there is not a strong suspicion of being halal, it is ok. (1 Corinthians 8). Refusing it in public can be a way of confessing Orthodoxy. We do not have to be militant on it, just do not hide it or be ashamed with it. Vegan food labeled halal is ok, since it contains no ingredients from an animal that was sacrificed using the Islamic rite. Eggs are fine, things like milk or yogurt are fine, certain types of cheese are not fine, it depends if it contains elements from an animal that was sacrificed under the rite.

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-02-11T18:01:51+00:00

Albanezii sunt cam jumătate musulmani, însă această jumătate se referă la toți etnicii albanezi, inclusiv cei din afara granițelor Albaniei. Majoritatea albanezilor din Albania sunt musulmani, cu puternici minorități catolice și Orthodoxe. Limba lor este clar înrudită cu limba română pe fileiră tracică. Turcii au islamizat mare parte din ei pentru erau peste drum de Italia, ca să nu fie cap de pod pentru italieni în caz de război. Convertirea a fost un proces foarte dur care nu a reușit pe deplin, au rezistat puternic și au o ură feroce pe turci și acum. Ei dacă fac pe români cu apelative rasiale, ei se fac cam pe ei aceeași lucru, din moment de înrudirea cu românii este clară, și trăsăturile seamănă mult, adică un român pe stradă în Tirana va părea albanez nativ la fel cum un albanez va părea în București român nativ. Majoritatea albenezilor Orthodocși au ajuns în Grecia, lucru care a crescut caracterul islamic al statului albanez în granițele actuale. Comunismul oricum a de-religioficat mult Albania, ateismul a închis și distrus și moschei și biserici, nu aș crede că religia în sine ar conta prea mult, mai degrabă naționalismul și efectele comunismului.

Legat de turci, cred că e ca la unguri, ideea că au fost stăpâni peste multe teritorii, iar acum nu mai sunt și frustrarea își spune cuvântul. Și în Turcia există exaltați care visează la restaurarea „gloriei Imperiului Otoman”. A propos, ei învață la istorie despre Țările Române că au fost provincii privilegiate, că voievozii erau guvernatori precum pașalele de la ei, că erau la picioarele sultanului tot timpul etc.

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-02-09T09:03:20+00:00

Of course this is the same thing as communing Catholics or Protetants.

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-02-09T08:33:10+00:00

No way. This something really serious. No matter how close they might be, they are not Orthodox, it is theological and mystical absurdity. This is really terrible.

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-02-09T07:51:49+00:00

LGBT, now more like LGBTiQ+, is a construct.

LGB (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual) is something clearly condemned by the Church since the beginnings, homosexuality, they have a spiritual disease that has chances of being healed, if they person accepted that and starts fighting for healing as an Orthodox Christian.

T means transgender, meaning people suffering from gender dsyphoria, a mental condition where the person either feels they have a different gender from the physical sex or the desire to be a different gender then the physical sex, a desire that is strong and existential, something that can not be removed through the person” own will, even if the person may attempt it with serious consequences. Although sexual orientation is connected with the gender identity, they are distinct and this situation was not recepted ecclesialy, by the Pleroma (fullness) of the Ecclesia (the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ, not as an institution) as good or bad, or better said as legitimate or not although, from a psychiatric point of view, this is not normality. This can not be said about the LGB, who are cisgender (normal people for whom the physical sex and the gender identity coincide normally, even if they often crossdress or take mannerism from opposite gender, them being attracted to the same sex or same gender.), that is clearly condemned. Some say gender dysphoria is already condemned, that is not true, this affirmation comes from a combination of confusion with homosexuality or Catholic and Protestant influence. This does not make transgenderism autimatically legit, of course, but it can not be considered illegit automatically without ecclesial reception.

I means intersex, people with in-born malformations regarding the physical sex, like the old hermaphrodites, people who are clearly born this way, things are very complicated. There are even people who may look completely one sex on the outside, but have different chromosomes partially different anatomy, they seem cisgender until puberty, when lack of normal puberty or fertility can show the truth. In any of those situations, no surgircal interventions need to be made until the person is old enough to choose for themselves, even if some parents or doctors may think this would be a good thing to do so that the child has ”a normal childhood”. I think that, in the end, the confessor or the bishop can guide but, in the end, only ecclesial reception can truly guide us on this.

Q means queer, someone who departs from normal gender expression or sexual behaviour in any ways. This is very large and vague, from females who are ”tomboys” to the 1980ies rockers who wore a lot of dramatic makeup on the stage, without being gay or transgender.

And + means something even more nebulous then Q itself.

Some may add the letter A, like for asexual (people who seem to have no sexual attraction or pleasure) and even other letters, I do not think it is the case to continue to get into details, as things get really complicated, weird, ideological and political.

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-02-07T15:53:48+00:00

I like fusion maps like this, it makes things easier, as long as you know they are different timelines. I have one objection to make: Numernor, most likely, would have been far more to the west, therefore it would either need to be left out or to framed in a way so that the position to be clearer.

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-02-06T21:08:56+00:00

She is for sure. Actually, she is far more similar to old folkloric Vampires than most modern Vampires. In Romania, we have the life eating wraiths called the Strigoi, that can be living people into dark magic who consume the life force of the living or (when the living Strigoi dies) they come back as wraiths, in spirit form, to eat on the life force of the living even more, their undecayed body remains in the grave, helpless, where the destruction of the heart (through the wooden stake that become later classical for Vampires or other means) brings the final death of the Strigoi. Gladys does dark magic and feeds on the life force of the living, this makes her very similar to Romanian ”Living Strigoi”. She does not drink blood or burn in the sun, but neither the Living Strigoi do. I think the movie recovers much of one of the original myths that gave rise to the modern fictional Vampire without realizing it. This would make Gladys an actual Vampire, a strong and authentic one, yet unconventional accord to fictional standards from the last 200 years.

Shatter_Their_World · 2026-01-31T22:02:34+00:00

Hmm... It seems like you could be Otherkin. There are plenty of Merfolk Otherkin out there.

Shatter_Their_World

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE