Personally, I love being Orthodox and I understand why men are so attracted to it. One aspect I love is the music. I was an evangelical Protestant for a long time and went to plenty of modern worship services. I ended up not liking the songs and found the lyrics to be a lot of "Jesus is my boyfriend" which I felt probably connected well with women but not so much with me as a man. The hymns in the Orthodox Church connected with me on a deeper level that just made a lot of sense.
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This is a guy's only forum. No girls allowed. Male bonding time.
In here we can leave the seat up, drink from the carton and talk about manly things without fear of the ladies butting in. You know how they can be.
But remember, always play by the rules: here
In here we can leave the seat up, drink from the carton and talk about manly things without fear of the ladies butting in. You know how they can be.
But remember, always play by the rules: here
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How the eastern orthodox attracts its men
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"Concentrate on what you have to do. Fix your eyes on it. Remind yourself that your task is to be a good human being; remind yourself what nature demands of people. Then do it, without hesitation, and speak the truth as you see it. But with kindness. With humility. Without hypocrisy."
-Marcus Aurelius
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Originally posted by Wilkowsky View PostThis has been a revelation to me. Just a few days ago I thought that Orthodox church is just Catholic Church for Russian people. Now I'm fascinated by it.
Thank you for this bit of information.
We just recently celebrated the life of a Polish Orthodox saint, the martyred priest Vasily Martysz.Enter the Church and wash away your sins. For here there is a hospital and not a court of law. Do not be ashamed to enter the Church; be ashamed when you sin, but not when you repent. – St. John Chrysostom
Veritas vos Liberabit<>< Learn Greek <>< Look here for an Orthodox Church in America<><Ancient Faith Radio
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I recommend you do not try too hard and ...research as little as possible. Such weighty things give me a headache. - Shunyadragon, Baha'i apologist
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I think there this particular issue especially that the relationship with Jesus takes erotic overtones due to the innovation of some catholic writer in the 12th century:
http://podles.org/files/Church-Impot...t_Chapter6.pdf
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Originally posted by Paprika View PostI think the article tends to set up a false antithesis between the 'feminine' and the 'masculine' while conflating the emotional with the feminine- all of course viewed from a highly Americancentric perspective.
Some of us take the intellectual route.Originally posted by Cow Poke View PostDiscipleship is all about "action verbs", like....
James 1:[22]*But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
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Originally posted by Paprika View PostI think the article tends to set up a false antithesis between the 'feminine' and the 'masculine' while conflating the emotional with the feminine- all of course viewed from a highly Americancentric perspective.
Some of us take the intellectual route.
I personally reject most of the assumptions regarding male preference and behavior in the OP, especially regarding any and all military reference.
As a descendant of Bible-Belt Evangelicals, I've already seen far too much reference to military behavior and warlike attitude in non-Eastern Orthodox churches to support any kind of militancy in an Eastern Orthodox setting.
Where is a God of agape in all this marching and standing at attention and us-against-them mentality?
Where is a Christ who comes to redeem us, to as John Wesley put it, "bring us into better relationship with God, each other, and God's created universe"?
Where is a Spirit to lead us into all truth and a familial unity of spirit?
I don't see it in this depiction of Eastern Orthodoxy.
Which, of course, is just a small study group's depiction of it, so it's not to say that Eastern Orthodoxy can't answer my above questions.
But in my experience as an American Christian who was raised in a series of evangelical churches, the spirit of militancy in no way helps us reach out and connect with people.
The military is there to stand the wall, defend the home, what have you.
Its purpose is not to bring in, but keep out.
How can there be any reconciliation between US, much less between us and the Father, if our mindset is entirely militaristic?“In many ways the evidence of our faith is found in our ability to control our tongue (or our keyboard)."
-Adam Hamilton, Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White
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Originally posted by Buzzword View PostAgreed.
I personally reject most of the assumptions regarding male preference and behavior in the OP, especially regarding any and all military reference.
As a descendant of Bible-Belt Evangelicals, I've already seen far too much reference to military behavior and warlike attitude in non-Eastern Orthodox churches to support any kind of militancy in an Eastern Orthodox setting.
Where is a God of agape in all this marching and standing at attention and us-against-them mentality?
Where is a Christ who comes to redeem us, to as John Wesley put it, "bring us into better relationship with God, each other, and God's created universe"?
Where is a Spirit to lead us into all truth and a familial unity of spirit?
I don't see it in this depiction of Eastern Orthodoxy.
Which, of course, is just a small study group's depiction of it, so it's not to say that Eastern Orthodoxy can't answer my above questions.
But in my experience as an American Christian who was raised in a series of evangelical churches, the spirit of militancy in no way helps us reach out and connect with people.
The military is there to stand the wall, defend the home, what have you.
Its purpose is not to bring in, but keep out.
How can there be any reconciliation between US, much less between us and the Father, if our mindset is entirely militaristic?Enter the Church and wash away your sins. For here there is a hospital and not a court of law. Do not be ashamed to enter the Church; be ashamed when you sin, but not when you repent. – St. John Chrysostom
Veritas vos Liberabit<>< Learn Greek <>< Look here for an Orthodox Church in America<><Ancient Faith Radio
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I recommend you do not try too hard and ...research as little as possible. Such weighty things give me a headache. - Shunyadragon, Baha'i apologist
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Originally posted by One Bad Pig View PostYou seem to be focusing on a particular bit of the article you don't like, and misreading that. The "military" language in the article is more in line with Paul's - we fight not against flesh and blood. It's not an "us against them" mentality at all.
Especially the implication throughout the article that all men automatically prefer militaristic settings and practices (again, the focus on physical extremity mentioned several times in the OP).
This in addition to the false dichotomy, or really false opposition, between masculine and feminine which Paprika pointed out, in addition to the implication that male = masculine and female = feminine, at all times, all places and all circumstances.
I would contend that many men are not leaving Western churches because the procedure has been "feminized," as much as they are leaving because a greater sense of individuality has gradually pervaded Western congregations (at worst leading to a constant "come to Jesus" orientation in church services with no room for growth, at best leading individual Christians to work out their own salvation and not worry so much about the splinter in their brother's eye), and many heterosexual males prefer a pack-oriented setting in which they can find their place in the pecking order and work from there.
Which may explain the increase in male attendants of Eastern Orthodox churches, if those churches are successfully bringing those men into the communal worship experience and giving them a sense of their place within it.
And more power to them.
Of course, this avoids the overall issue of PEOPLE of all genders abandoning traditional church attendance in record numbers, especially the 18-35 set.
Obviously needs are not being met across the board and/or believers and seekers are being alienated.“In many ways the evidence of our faith is found in our ability to control our tongue (or our keyboard)."
-Adam Hamilton, Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White
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Originally posted by pancreasman View PostYour country is SO liberal with republicans gaining a majority in both houses in the mid term elections."As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths." Isaiah 3:12
There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.
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Originally posted by Darth Executor View PostRepublicans are the less liberal party. They're in not conservative in any meaningful sense of the word.The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.
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Originally posted by pancreasman View PostSo Republicans aren't real conservatives. Ok. Does the US have a real conservative party? Maybe the Tea Party?
If I mean conservatives, I try NOT to use the label "republican", and if I mean liberal, I try NOT to use the label "democrat".
My Dad is about as conservative as they get (he's 95 now) but was a democrat for the first half of his life, because that was the "God and country" party.The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.
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