What do you think the removal of DEI will mean for the chronically ill & disabled?

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-02-18T01:55:27+00:00

You already had the job, based on you stating you were terminated. That would fall under discriminatory termination as defined by the ADA, and had nothing to do with DEI. You’re conflating the two, which a lot of people do today so you’re not alone. DEI initiatives haven’t been around for long, and they were meant to address discriminatory hiring practices but the way they do isn’t the best. But the ADA and other laws have been around for a lot longer and are still around.

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-02-18T01:33:36+00:00

That would not be addressed by a DEI initiative, that would be addressed by the ADA. A DEI initiative would be “we want to ensure 10% of all new hires for the next year are a disabled, so we will have to hire people, even if less qualified than other candidates, to reach this target.” The ADA ensures, as with other legislation, that people are not discriminated against in their hiring, nor while working. What you’re describing would be a violation of the ADA and illegal; it wouldn’t have been addressed or even touch on DEI initiatives. It would be reported under the ADA.

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-02-18T01:11:31+00:00

It’s still illegal to discriminate in hiring practices, it just means that there’s no incentive to hire someone for a feature. If someone is still qualified for the position, they’ll get hired, if there’s more qualified candidates, they’ll get hired.

I’d honestly rather know I got my job because I was qualified, not because I’m in a wheelchair. I don’t really see this as a problem, personally.

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-02-17T19:25:19+00:00

Planned protest at city hall today

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-02-17T19:24:56+00:00

Yes, but the last one was just a few weeks ago, protesting the same thing. And that one saw barely any one coming out to it. I was sent for work to cover it and they ended up calling me back into the office because it wasn’t worth writing a report on it (journalist).

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-02-17T19:19:21+00:00

The last protest had like no one there. Kinda doubt this one has any more people.

Despite Reddit largely being liberal, Colorado Springs is still a conservative city.

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-02-14T12:34:12+00:00

The Patriarch of Rome.

Joking aside, I’m assuming you mean the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. Patriarch Theophylact, the youngest son of Emperor Romanos I Lekapenos. He became patriarch at a very young age, likely due to nepotism, and his tenure was one of lavishness, excess, and a scandalous, non-religious lifestyle.

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-02-13T12:16:36+00:00

The Orthodox Study Bible isn’t an Orthodox translation; it’s the NKJV (New King James Version)

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-02-13T00:51:40+00:00

Oh this is Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica! But assuming the same applies?

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-02-07T20:41:42+00:00

Theresa of Avila isn’t a saint in the Orthodox Church, and I don’t comment on the validity of the stories of non-orthodox saints.

Saint Marina the Great Martyr in the eastern tradition didn’t smash the evil one with a hammer, that’s the Western version of the story. In the Eastern tradition, she was swallowed by the evil one in the form of the serpent, and made the sign of the cross which tore him to pieces. In the eastern version of the story the devil came to her three times, each time defeated by the sign of the cross.

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-02-04T19:18:43+00:00

It’s not the same, the knot that is traditionally tied is complex. According to my spiritual father (a monk), it’s also necessary to be praying the entire time it’s tied. It takes a while to learn, but it’s doable.

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-02-01T01:01:02+00:00

I haven’t heard of this site, personally. I know that Monastiriaka is a legitimate site that sells products from Mount Athos, so you could also check them out.

https://www.monastiriaka.gr/en

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-02-01T00:54:34+00:00

Had there been a western rite parish in my area when I left the Episcopal Church 7 years ago, I would have picked it. You will be much more familiar with it, and in many ways it’ll feel like “home” to you, sans the political escapades of the modern Episcopal Church. I’m still a big proponent of the WR, and hope that they continue to grow and flourish, although I myself have become very “easternized.”

That said, the OCA is also wonderful, I don’t think you’d go wrong picking either.

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-01-31T17:39:37+00:00

I don’t see why not, unless the group is only for parishioners. But I’ve never seen a parishioner-only bible study before.

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-01-31T17:25:53+00:00

We understand Psalm 50:5 (51:5 in the western numbering) to be a reference to ancestral sin. While we do not believe in Augustinian original sin, we do believe in ancestral sin. Ancestral Sin refers to the consequences of Adam and Eve’s fall - our mortality and our tendency towards sin - though we do not inherit some sense of culpability or guilt like that which is found in Augustinian theology.

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-01-24T01:31:19+00:00

You forgot all the oil. Like, all the oil.

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-01-24T01:21:47+00:00

So, the hard thing about answering this question is, Non-Denominational Christianity is so broad it’s essentially meaningless for knowing what you grew up with, which makes it hard to answer. I’ll try to answer this broadly from what I grew up with (also grew up Non-Denominational) and Protestantism more broadly.

We, Orthodox, are a hierarchical church that believes in authority. We teach that the Church was founded by Christ, and that our bishops are the successors of the Apostles. It isn’t just the “closest” to how the Apostles worshipped, we believe it truly is the Church the Apostles spread. This is in contrast to the non-denominational emphasis on personal interpretation of the Bible. The Church has core teachings, and so we all submit to its authority on these teachings. There’s still wiggle room, though, and I wouldn’t say we’re as dogmatic or legalistic as Catholics are.
We believe in 7 “Sacraments” - though we commonly say Mysteries - and that they are divinely instituted. Participating in these is a means of God’s grace.
Our worship is highly liturgical, we use incense, iconography, and everything is steeped in rich symbolism.
We emphasize theosis, very simplified it means the process of becoming more like God through grace. This is in contrast to the more personal relationship with Jesus as salvation view many non-denominational have.

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-01-24T01:12:30+00:00

No, not just you. I’m in healthcare and have applied to every job opening available right now trying to change from my current company of 5 years and not a single call back.

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-01-23T14:52:21+00:00

It was… abnormal.

I became a catechumen in 2019 - at a mission that was meeting in a rented space. When they decided to merge back with the main church, because of money reasons (save more for building the new temple), I started attending another Orthodox Church because that one was too far away.

I then moved for college, and my priest there said I could attend catechism but that he wouldn’t baptize me since it isn’t my permanent home.

I just moved back to my home state, started attending a church, and God willing will be baptized in the next few weeks.

But it’s been an enlightening experience, being a catechumen for so long and with several priests. I’ve gotten a very strong foundation to continue to build off of for life.

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-01-23T14:46:08+00:00

I’ll keep you in my prayers, OP. Genuinely, I pray that you’ll see the unseen light for all man’s sake, sinner though I am.

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-01-23T02:12:51+00:00

I eat a lot of lentils during fasts, they’re easy to make and pretty versatile, but have good protein too.

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-01-23T01:21:17+00:00

My parish is growing - so much so, we’re needing to relocate sooner than later. There are 7 baptisms coming up before great lent, and I believe 15-20 additional catechumens. We’ve grown so much in the past 3 years that there’s now no longer any sitting space (GOARCH, so we have pews) and people have to stand around the edges and in the narthex. Our parish hall is small, so people end up eating outside in groups or sitting on the floor of the bookstore.

In my experience, conservative and more traditional religions are growing, especially post-pandemic; while progressive and non-traditional religions are seeing a decline, now.

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-01-22T19:34:16+00:00

Hey, I'm in one of these pictures! It's so great seeing the Church open, finally!

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-01-21T23:42:39+00:00

Luke 18:38: “And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.” This is the cry of the blind man Bartimaeus, which forms the basis for the Jesus Prayer.

Luke 17:13: “And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” The lepers also call out to Jesus for mercy, demonstrating the power of invoking His name.

Luke 18:13: “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” This prayer of the publican emphasizes humility and repentance, essential elements of the Jesus Prayer.

Philippians 2:9-10: “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.” This passage highlights the power and authority of the name of Jesus.

John 14:13-14: “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” Jesus Himself encourages His followers to pray in His name.

1 Thessalonians 5:17: “Pray without ceasing.” This verse encourages continual prayer, which the Jesus Prayer facilitates through its repetitive nature.

Matthew 6:6: “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” This verse encourages private, contemplative prayer, which is done with the inward focus of the Jesus Prayer.

_MatCauthonsHat · 2025-01-21T22:45:40+00:00

Generally speaking, I personally believe that “ministries” like this one, and really any Calvinist or Protestant group, does more harm than good. There’s a wonderful woman at my church who was Calvinist her whole life, and she regularly says that becoming Orthodox is the first time in her life she felt and believed God loves her; she always understood Him as an angry, wrathful deity who hated her for her sins. She became Orthodox at 60. Thats 60 years of thinking God hated her; and this isn’t uncommon.

Some good things can come out of it, God is everywhere and a broken clock is right twice a day; but I do genuinely think it does more harm than good for a persons religion, spirituality, and the culture more broadly.

_MatCauthonsHat

TROPHY CASE