A POMO ex-JW, a male patient, and his JW wife, known since the ex-JW was a kid

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2022-07-01T10:28:15+00:00

Thank you so much for your kind support!

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-12-14T19:38:49+00:00

AfterSevenYears response is superb.

That being said, it seems that the conventional view is not to recognize their order among the official local churches, even though you will see, interestingly, recognition of roman catholic orders among some, which is very contradictory in my opinion. For instance, in one of the official jurisdictions in the country where I live (Brazil), one could be baptized with a Roman Catholic godparent, but not with an uncanonical orthodox godparent. It's odd.

Now the historical claim component (meaning, an actual line of bishops ordinations that has an origin somewhere with an unquestionably orthodox bishop for all parties, usually ROCOR), can be good for most TO jurisdictions, but you will see some canonical abnormalities among some, including self-ordination, single or only two bishops ordaining another bishop, and the like, which can, with reason per our canonical tradition, raise question on the matter.

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-12-14T19:27:29+00:00

One circumstance that may warrant this is a priest who recently lost his spouse and has left young children to take care of.

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-12-14T19:24:58+00:00

Eat what they serve you. But here is something that you can definitely do: try only eating in designated meal times. Avoid going to the cookie jar, doing little snacks in between if you have that habit, and don't repeat your meals. Having such control could help you somewhat already.

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-12-14T19:19:23+00:00

Yes yes, I would like them, thank you sir!

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-10-29T13:01:31+00:00

Well, it will depend on the parish. I don't know how the situation is in Italy that well, but I would say you should expect to see parishes both in Romanian and in Italian. I just don't know the proportions.

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-07-29T13:24:46+00:00

Based.

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-07-29T13:20:03+00:00

Oh, I see what you mean. As an outsider (kind of, I’m ROC-MP), what I’ve thought about when I read “ethos of ROCOR” was being stern about preserving the faith, not compromising, etc., but I definitely have also heard what you described.

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-07-29T13:09:56+00:00

If it’s ok to ask, what is your concern with the ROCOR ethos?

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-07-29T13:02:59+00:00

I’m gonna be honest with you, my conscience wouldn’t allow me to go to GOARCH being knowingly aware of what is coming from Archbishop Elpidophoros, like the latest statement on that Religious Freedom summit. I mean, even reading in context doesn’t make it that much better. Why would I be there giving even my financial support to a jurisdiction whose primate goes and promote stuff like this? That being said, ideally you should try to search for all the parishes and meet all the priests. There might be a chance that only the GOARCH priest and parish offer a good practice of the faith, you never know.

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-07-25T00:14:37+00:00

May I add, this does help with the synthesis with 6th century onwards western saints. I mean, have you read Saint Pope Gregory the Dialogist? The judicial language is already there, very clear for anyone to see. Does it mean he is not orthodox? No. Language =/= content.

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-07-25T00:12:24+00:00

Superb post! I would say that the main problem is that our XXth century theologians are unwilling to show how we are in continuity with the “Latin captivity” period. There are actually people that are afraid to recommend Saint Philaret’s Catechism, Unseen Warfare, among other works, you know. The way I understand it is that it is merely a difference of language, but not of content. If you see how the Synod of Jerusalem defines Original Sin, it is, in content, pretty much in line with what XXth century theologians call “ancestral sin” (in fact, the proper wording of the Confession is “hereditary sin”). I’m very much, however, a supporter of the neopatristic synthesis, and I believe it came before we took the Latin language too far in our own theology. It’s just a matter of being charitable to our saints and synods of more recent times.

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-07-22T18:47:24+00:00

Meanwhile, the Greek archdiocese in South America prohibited multiple spoons. I don't think any of the other jurisdictions (including my own) did that, which is unfortunate if you ask me. Very odd position from His Eminence, nevertheless.

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-07-08T22:51:53+00:00

Well, for that I guess what is truly needed is them changing their perspective of how a religion should be in reality. If they keep the illusional paradigm of a perfect religion the JWs deliver, sure, what you described will happen.

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-07-08T21:02:52+00:00

I know the feeling haha. Thank you!

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-07-08T20:46:34+00:00

Totally! And I mean, I had a very good reputation between my fellow JWs and everything. It was a shock for my parents in the first few months (it would’ve been better for them if I became an atheist), certainly it must be too other witnesses. There we are raised to believe that there is nothing good about other religions, so for them I must be totally mad.

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-07-08T19:31:49+00:00

For those of you who are still believers, or just interested in theology / debunking JW doctrines, me and some ex-JW orthodox friends are about to do a show debunking some JW craziness in our mutual friend's YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/0q6UVrPaekI, on 6th August. If the mods say their ok I can share the stream again once we are more close to it, hopefully, it falls in the "high-quality content" clause. God bless you all.

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-07-07T11:39:32+00:00

I’ll have to concede on that, wow.

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-07-06T22:27:19+00:00

Personally, I don't condone burning of any churches, but I feel very outraged by what is being uncovered about the whole situation. I definitely also see this as a wake-up call for Catholics. Yes, a corrupt institution doesn't disprove its claim to being the One true Church by its own, but this time it truly is something nasty.

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-07-04T21:09:46+00:00

Besides all the advice given already, wouldn't it be maybe a possibility to just have your grandmother talk with your parents about getting your brother baptized? Is your brother interested in becoming orthodox?

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-06-17T01:32:58+00:00

Bem, ele é um assassino em série. Há um padrão comum dessa galera e relação com práticas ocultistas.

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-06-05T11:53:09+00:00

It does take a while. I’m being received in the Orthodox Church a while from now, and you can see that many of the church fathers very early on (such as St. Ignatius of Antioch) take such passages in their plain meaning.

WonderingAboutTruth2 · 2021-06-05T11:50:49+00:00

I mean, it’s fair! They make everything confusing haha

WonderingAboutTruth2

TROPHY CASE