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  1. James the Persian

    School administrators

    At mine there were times when you had to wear hats (in our case these were either caps or berets) and other times when you absolutely couldn't wear hats. But then, I went to military school, which was abnormal in a number of ways. I swear that, other than my schoolmates, I am the only person I...
  2. James the Persian

    Friday the 13th

    Don't know how true it is, but the story I heard was that it stems from the suppression of the Knights Templar which (don't quote me because this could be nonsense) apparently took place on a Friday 13th. James
  3. James the Persian

    Jesus Is NOT GOD (my rant)

    You're right that this is almost certainly a later interpolation (though there is some internal grammatical evidence that argues against that view) or at least a reading found only in a tiny minority of manuscripts (certainly several early Fathers are silent on the Johannine comma when it would...
  4. James the Persian

    Question on Religious Background

    You'd have been alright discussing it with us or the OOs (well, with regards to 'praying to' saints at any rate). Of course, you don't tend to come across anywhere near as many Orthodox (of either stripe) in the west as you do Protestants. Of course, with us you'd hear different complaints (some...
  5. James the Persian

    the POPE said WHAT???!!!!

    The Pope didn't say that there was no salvation outside the Roman Catholic Church, but I agree with your sentiment. Unsurprisingly the same people who are most likely to tell you non-Christians that you are damned without Christ are also those who are most upset at finding that Rome doesn't...
  6. James the Persian

    Ratzinger: Orthodox defective, but still better than Protestants

    I don't doubt this at all, and it is the plain meaning of the document you seem unable to understand, so why would you doubt that that is what the Pope believes? I doubt that very much. We would say very similar things (as would the LDS) and I don't sea such a motivation in either position...
  7. James the Persian

    Ratzinger: Orthodox defective, but still better than Protestants

    Because he was once Orthodox. No, I mean to suggest that there's no reason that anyone should expect a Roman Catholic to be familiar witha Russian Orthodox saint from 19th century - they have enough saints of their own, after all. If Victor's interested and finds value in St. Thephan's words...
  8. James the Persian

    Question on Religious Background

    It's highly improper but aas you haven't actually corrected me I'll let it slide;) . I said that most Christian's faith was based on the teaching of the Church, not that the Orthodox Faith is. I probably wasn't clear enough in the way I phrased things, but I was talking of individuals, not...
  9. James the Persian

    Question on Religious Background

    Roman Catholics don't pray to saints any more than we do (and we don't, it's a misconception of Protestants who don't understand the practice. They, like we, do not believe that the saints are dead but alive in God and do, obviously, believe that they are righteous and that their prayes avail...
  10. James the Persian

    Ratzinger: Orthodox defective, but still better than Protestants

    Why should you be familiar with a Russian post-Schism saint? He was very wise, though, and is much loved by many of us. I've quoted him on the forums before (and in fact this exact quote at least once) but I wouldn't expect you to know any more about him than I do about post-Schism Roman saints...
  11. James the Persian

    the POPE said WHAT???!!!!

    Yes, the Celts had Apostolic succession. Apostolic succession comes through succession from the Apostles, not from Rome (which is why we can quite easily claim Apostolic succession whilst none of our heirarchs are successors of Roman ones). You're right that nobody is sure where Celtic...
  12. James the Persian

    Ratzinger: Orthodox defective, but still better than Protestants

    No, he really isn't. Roman Catholic (or Orthodox, or even,from what I understand, your own church's) ecclesiology simply doesn't work that way. To say that all other churches are not really in the Church is not to condemn anyone to damnation whatsoever. I would certainly never shy from stating...
  13. James the Persian

    Question on Religious Background

    No, the Bible is part of the written teaching of the Church. The Church existed just fine with no Bible for several centuries. It's quite possible to have the Church without the Bible but not the reverse. The Church isn't founded on the Bible but on the Incarnate Christ. On the contrary the...
  14. James the Persian

    Question on Religious Background

    No. Most Christians don't base their faith of the Bible. Only sola scripturalists do that. Most of us base our faith on the teaching of the Church, which includes but is not limited to, the Bible. Many other aspects of Holy Tradition are important, not just that subset of it that the Church...
  15. James the Persian

    Ratzinger: Orthodox defective, but still better than Protestants

    I'm sure you're right. Many of us have always been sure what you say is true and what has worried us (as I'm sure you know) is that some of our heirarchs appear to have believed that it wasn't. I can't help recalling that it was under Turkish pressure that some heirarchs agreed to the false...
  16. James the Persian

    Ratzinger: Orthodox defective, but still better than Protestants

    I'm not ignoring it at all. I simply was trying to give you my view as to what I think this Pope is trying to achieve. I made no attempt to classify this intent as good or bad and, to be honest, I'd be guessing at best if I were to give my opinion as to its likely consequences withing the RCC...
  17. James the Persian

    Ratzinger: Orthodox defective, but still better than Protestants

    Well it's quite possible to say that you are the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and that other churches are not in the Church as such without holding that their members are damned or that they aren't Christians. That's the position we hold and, i believe, is the position held by RCs as...
  18. James the Persian

    Ratzinger: Orthodox defective, but still better than Protestants

    I would far rather we all stopped trying to reunite and started trying to work together (so I'd be jumping for joy wif we all left the WCC, for instance). Nothing short of a miracle of God is going to reunite us with Rome, or with pretty much anyone else for that matter. The only exception to...
  19. James the Persian

    Ratzinger: Orthodox defective, but still better than Protestants

    I'm sure the first part of your point is true - I'd say he's trying to bring the traditionalists on board - but the second part less so. What he says is of concern to my Church at least. Not because it directly affects us but because now we have a clear position from Rome and perhaps our...
  20. James the Persian

    Re-union under the Pope?

    That wouldn't be acceptable to Rome though - just look at the treatment of the poor Uniates who think they are 'Orthodox in communion with Rome' (as if such is even canonically possible). That's what you'd end up with, a western version of the Unia. James
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