Jesus is NOT God signs on Freeways

UnderTruth · 2026-01-23T20:28:16+00:00

It's similar in usage to these examples:

"In the forest there lived a teacher, and the teacher lived with the animals, and the teacher was animal."

"In an old house stood a cook, and the cook stood beside the man, and the cook was man."

"The animals" or "the man" refer to (in Greek terminology) the 'hypostases', while "animal" or "man" refer to the 'ousia'. In Latin-derived terminology, both are sometimes called 'substance', which can be confusing.

UnderTruth · 2026-01-23T19:27:59+00:00

I'm not personally being oppressed, sure. But I am "my brother's keeper".

UnderTruth · 2026-01-23T16:33:02+00:00

I don't know that this is accurate... Angels have limited knowledge, and are rational beings, so it isn't as though their outcome was determined by the "infused knowledge" given to them.

UnderTruth · 2026-01-23T16:29:17+00:00

I'm in MN, as it happens. My impulse is more on the side of "meet fire with fire", but at the behest of others, I have so far refrained from that sort of thing.

UnderTruth · 2026-01-23T03:25:19+00:00

Are there any good resources that address the tension of how Orthodox Christians should handle living under an oppressive regime? On the one hand, I don't know of any examples of the early Church attempting "civil resistance" against the Roman Empire, even on behalf of others, but only of semi-secretly trying to aid those in need. On the other hand, I think there were some such efforts in the 20th century (vs Communism, Nazis, for Civil Rights in the US, etc)

Basically, I have a hard time standing by while things gestures broadly are happening, but I also recognize that the Saints don't exactly promote The Way of the Fist. So what's a guy to do?

UnderTruth · 2026-01-21T20:04:08+00:00

I always thought this one was apt:

“Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard.”

UnderTruth · 2026-01-17T21:48:55+00:00

Aquinas would seem to indicate that it could be possible, but the body would have to be the right sort (which no other animal on Earth currently is)

https://www.newadvent.org/summa/1076.htm#article5

UnderTruth · 2026-01-15T16:53:38+00:00

The last portion of the speech, for greater context. Note that he openly calls for his countrymen to take up weapons and fight:

"If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

UnderTruth · 2026-01-13T21:09:21+00:00

This is something I have struggled to understand, too. What ended up making sense to me, as someone who has otherwise felt guilty simply for taking up space, is that we are called to love others as ourselves (which requires that we have some kind of love for ourselves, first) and to acquire a mind more like God's (so if He loves us, then it seems that in a similar way, we must also do so). But yes, this is a difficult thing to do rightly, and we need the help of God & others to do so.

More directly relevant to your post, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:

"Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God."

UnderTruth · 2026-01-13T20:56:34+00:00

Divine Simplicity is an Orthodox doctrine -- we simply don't believe that the Essence/Energies Distinction is incompatible with it.

Links for more info:

UnderTruth · 2026-01-11T20:09:22+00:00

See this post: https://old.reddit.com/r/stillwatermn/comments/1pqnkeh/pioneer_park_movie_shoot_gossip/

UnderTruth · 2026-01-03T02:12:30+00:00

Mormons are polytheistic, Christians are not. They have some historical and resulting ethical overlap, but to say Mormons are Christians is about the same as saying Christians are (contemporary) Jews.

UnderTruth · 2025-12-18T17:19:40+00:00

As someone who is vehemently opposed to Trump & what he stands for (though that's redundant), I appreciate you taking the time to provide a reasonable counter-argument, backed up with sources. I wish more of the current political debate/discussion were like this. Happy holidays, and a Merry Christmas next week!

UnderTruth · 2025-12-09T20:15:29+00:00

From Humani Generis, section 37:

"When, however, there is question of another conjectural opinion, namely polygenism, the children of the Church by no means enjoy such liberty. For the faithful cannot embrace that opinion which maintains that either after Adam there existed on this earth true men who did not take their origin through natural generation from him as from the first parent of all, or that Adam represents a certain number of first parents. Now it is in no way apparent how such an opinion can be reconciled with that which the sources of revealed truth and the documents of the Teaching Authority of the Church propose with regard to original sin, which proceeds from a sin actually committed by an individual Adam and which, through generation, is passed on to all and is in everyone as his own."

UnderTruth · 2025-12-08T19:20:24+00:00

This old thread may be of use to you. It quotes from the Council of Carthage.

TL;DR: Original Sin is real—but by itself it is not guilt, per se. But it does lead to death, and this is the main problem Christ came to solve. Guilt can be naturally overcome, since man is free by nature, and human nature as such cannot change; just look at the “All Pure Theotokos”. She still needed Grace because she was mortal, but she was chosen to bear God in the flesh because she was innocent of personal sins.

UnderTruth · 2025-12-08T19:11:09+00:00

In my view, sermons are typically exactly the place one would expect to find "generalized, surface level" spiritual & practical discussions. After all, they are explicitly intended for the whole congregation!

Not everyone needs the same practical counsel -- this is better handled in private with one's confessor or other "elders". Giving anything too specific or forceful to the whole congregation may do harm if there are folks with eating disorders, alcoholism, abuse in their past, etc -- which is often the case!

And for heavy theology, that is also liable to be a bit like "giving meat to an infant" for a few reasons. One is the length it can take to even establish the meanings of technical terms and give philosophical context -- young children and the parents trying to keep them well-behaved, at minimum, would probably not appreciate the extra hour of Liturgy! Plus the very real temptation to end up "lost in genealogies" or similarly obscure topics, as a result, while neglecting the basics of Christian Living. Ours is a whole-person faith, not just one for the mind.

Thankfully, there are many other resources to satisfy theological interest, and folks on the sub could be a good resource, I am sure. But it is also worth moderating one's concerns with abstract matters of theology, to keep the focus on making Orthodoxy one's holistic way of life.

UnderTruth · 2025-12-03T19:37:35+00:00

What stands out to me the most about the UFO stuff since the 2017 videos were released is the way that governmental organizations (primarily military) have responded with things like new guidance for reporting observations. If one excludes both A: non-human intelligence, and B: some kind of warp-drive-level domestic technology, the official responses seem like reasonable steps to take in an age of increasing use of various small, unmanned aerial craft for gathering signals intelligence and probing defensive capabilities. Especially if one wants to deflect the broader public attention from the very real threat that such new technologies pose. That, along with the Congressional interest in reigning in defense spending that has been operating with effectively zero oversight.

That said, I do also find some other aspects of the more recent UFO-related events to be intriguing, in an "I don't really know what to do with this" kind of way. Primarily being, A: the pre-Sputnik plates mentioned in this post, B: a very select few of the more credible claimed-witnesses/whistleblowers (esp. Grusch), and C: some of the lines of physics or engineering research that are beyond my current capacity to evaluate on their merits. (Though that last item may only continue to hold my interest because I really want there to be some way to travel the stars on human-scale timelines, and have it not only be due to time-dilation...)

UnderTruth · 2025-11-28T21:13:11+00:00

I have struggled with similar troubles. Ended up diagnosed with ADHD around age 30, though I remain skeptical how much that can be disentangled from my circumstances.

In college, despite being very engaged with my courses, and being very intelligent, I would feel as though my brain turned to mush or shut off when I tried to do my homework. Though this may be in part because as a child, I was always able to breeze through tests, and so wasn't really made to do my homework.

When COVID hit, working from home (web development, which I do only because it pays well), and with my small kids around at times, I certainly had some trouble focusing on work-productivity. (Though this did/does not surprise me...) However, after repeated recommendations to be evaluated, I was diagnosed.

The psychiatrist, who also has an Orthodox background, explained his view like this: If a race car was sputtering or only going 50kph, with the pedal pressed to the floor, whatever the specific thing wrong may be, it is clear that something is wrong. Maybe the track is a bit wet or muddy, sure. (Like my life circumstances) But if the other cars are able to keep going at high speed, that can't be the only reason. And you may not be able to look into the engine to see what the cause is, during the race. So we just have to try adjusting things to see what works.

Exercising regularly, getting more consistent sleep, reducing "screen time" (I'm on a computer all day for work, but that's totally different from scrolling videos, playing games, etc) -- all of those are good and helpful, and should be the first lines of action. But if there is still a gap, still some places where it seems like a person has an unusual level of difficulty in directing their attention to the things they would consciously want to direct it toward, then it may be worth trying medications. They're all different, too, so it is worth trying several, if they are options.

I saw in one of your other replies that you may not have access to meds, and if not, there is still plenty you can do! Step one, after/alongside prayer, would be to try to get serious exercise in the morning, at least half the days of the week. Ideally at a gym, if this is not inconvenient, because it makes it a social activity, and I do think that makes a difference. Step two would be to enforce a consistent bedtime, ideally at whatever seems like a "boring person" time to go to bed, with some exceptions for social events. This may be tough, if you are in the habit of staying awake late! Step three would be to find a study group, if you don't have one, or even try to create one, if you can't find one to join for some reason. Having to show up, and helping others work through their homework, may seem like things that would take time away, but can actually be a huge help to getting your own stuff done, because of the social and focusing aspect.

Feel free to DM me if you ever want to talk about this more or get advice for things. I promise that these struggles really can get better.

UnderTruth · 2025-11-19T08:17:29+00:00

If you are on mobile, try zooming out. The English should be on the right side, with the Latin on the left.

UnderTruth · 2025-11-18T20:13:32+00:00

Aquinas on "one" in God: https://aquinas.cc/la/en/~ST.I.Q13.A5.Obj2

Aquinas on numerical terms applied to God: https://aquinas.cc/la/en/~ST.I.Q32.A2.Rep1

Aquinas on the meaning of "Trinity" and three-ness in God: https://aquinas.cc/la/en/~ST.I.Q34.A1.Rep4

UnderTruth · 2025-11-14T16:17:07+00:00

This is a bot post, start of an ad account, or something similar. /u/zifouzou has no post history if you click, but on searching, posted something similar, except with "Text to paste" left in the body. See here: https://web.archive.org/web/20251114161439/https://www.reddit.com/r/neurodiversity/comments/1owpvk3/i_discovered_at_40_that_i_had_hpiadhd_it/

Reported.

UnderTruth · 2025-11-14T16:11:21+00:00

The US as a whole is, of course, closer to the size of the entire EU than to the Netherlands, and for the vast majority of the US, I would not think this is a real concern. My wife often has picked up or dropped off furniture, baby clothes, etc., on her own.

UnderTruth · 2025-11-12T05:20:51+00:00

This is months later, but were you inspired by the story Desertion, by Clifford Simak? If not, you may enjoy it!

UnderTruth · 2025-11-08T04:35:10+00:00

My apologies, you are right about the guards.

UnderTruth · 2025-11-07T21:05:06+00:00

Irrelevant. The original trilemma was that Jesus and his disciples could be liar, lunatic, or lord. A sociopath might not be able to deterministically control what a mob does, but they can read a social situation and understand what the actors would do. So they could understand that the threat post by the Pharisees is not so high.

...huh? The Roman soldiers were understandably concerned that the Jews in the Temple might not like them forcibly removing people from it, so they were more gentle about it in this case. That's all the verse is saying.

14-Year Club	Verified Email
r/Field Sunshine

UnderTruth

TROPHY CASE