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Dec 29th, 2019
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Joined: Nov 2001
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Originally posted by RayK:
I have considered that this is difficult for me - here. Not everyone reads or thinks in the dry tones that are meat to me. My posts can be long and tiresom to read with unfamiliar definitions if one has no use for the terms of phiolosophy. While some enjoy my experience, it may be out of the waters of others and prone to misunderstandings. Knowing that - I have some responsibility about it. It may be time for me to look for a forum where I would be among my own kind. Oddball that I am.
Your own keen mind and kind remarks have always been appreciated.
I will set off in search of a pond with more appropriate waters for an oddball fish such as myself.
I have enjoyed my stay at this board and hope I have enlighten some as well as some have enlightened me.
Farewell Deacon, I hope that when you see me approach you will remember me and open the doors of heaven for me. If there not be a small crowd there to insist I be let in - I am not so confident I will get in on my own.
-ray Ray, you accord me too much influence. Without Christ none of us would be able to enter the gates to fill his courts with praise. (BTW, even the doors have to be opened for the deacon,  , no one enters on his own.)
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Originally posted by Irish Melkite:
We post here in a venue that, by its existence and our participation, marks us as oddballs. A decision by any one among us to absent ourselves has negative consequences for the circularity of the communal oddball and runs the risk that it will not, in future, travel as fluidly.
Neil wow... These words run�eth trippingly from thy tongue! You honestly gave me something to consider. Oh - I was not striking tent over a disagreement. Not at all. No... I love a good disagreement! most times. Let no one imagine that I was leaving because I thought in any way to be offended by the good Deacon... nope. His comment was packed with charity... and dripping with good intention. It was good advise for me and well taken. Chat and email and borad posting has no - tone - it is easy to mistake words. SDomeone should devise a forum where people can debate via MP3 audio! that would be cool and supply missing emotion. My wanderlust is my own feeling that I might better flex - in some forum where my type of posts are the norm. I spent last night searching the net for a philosophical-theological forum of good quality. Because of what you wrote, I think now that I will just post less for now as I go out looking for my type of 'meat'. -ray
-ray
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Dear Deacon John Montalvo: In no way should you think your comment was offensive to me at all. I immediately saw it as good advise. Nope... my wanderlust is my own. I want to find some good forums where the Hebrew is debated, the Greek debated, and such. That is all. > even the doors have to be opened for the > deacon, Well, then I shall let you - in.  -ray
-ray
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Ray,
Personally I like your posts, they push me to think further and pursue research.
Without "meat", its just empty words.
james
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Ray,
I am sad to hear you are leaving brother. We all look at things a little differently sometimes. I know I am not an intellectual and it is very hard for me to sit and read long papers because of my health. But that does not mean I don's scan them and get the idea of what is being said.
It is wonderful that you have been able to put such time and effort into study. Keep up the good work. You will be missed. Hope to see you back soon!
Pani Rose
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Dear Ray, I will miss you! You have made some profound philosophical statements regarding certain ecclesiastical situations which I will never forget. Thank you.  Stay well, my Connecticut friend! In Christ our Lord, Alice
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I personally think of sin, not only in unethical and immoral acts, nor in the intent of performing acts, but rather as something in our very being. The mere fact that we cannot step out of ourselves, and acquire the high spirituality of saints, constitutes a 'prideful' state of sin within us that must continuously be perfected through prayer.
To me the act of taking a few things that are unnessary, (such as packets of equal or paper clips; maybe hotel soaps, etc), are not really sins, unless they are done with a harmful or covetiousness intent. I think that the arrogance of self righteousness, and pride, would be more a reflection of one's heart.
Ethics seems to be a more Western trait...and as a Westerner myself, (and therefore a part of my make up), one I find quite good.
Yet, we have seen in the past, that the most ethical and self righteous nations...(for one Germany), became the most destructive nation and inflicted the greatest damage during the last century. Their intolerance towards those lack of defined ethics in others, made them commit crimes more horrific than any of their conquered people.
Of course Soviet Russia was not far behind...But in the East, ethics have never been emphasized, as in the West. (Note the present Russian mafia).
What this proves basically, is that only through our Lord's Grace and enlightenment, is one able to correct the failings and perfect one's heart, and it is only through one's heart, that one can perfect one's soul.
Zenovia
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I personally think of sin, not only in unethical and immoral acts, nor in the intent of performing acts, but rather as something in our very being. The mere fact that we cannot step out of ourselves, and acquire the high spirituality of saints, constitutes a 'prideful' state of sin within us that must continuously be perfected through prayer.
To me the act of taking a few things that are unnessary, (such as packets of equal or paper clips; maybe hotel soaps, etc), are not really sins, unless they are done with a harmful or covetiousness intent. I think that the arrogance of self righteousness, and pride, would be more a reflection of one's heart.
Ethics seems to be a more Western trait...and as a Westerner myself, (and therefore a part of my make up), one I find quite good.
Yet, we have seen in the past, that the most ethical and self righteous nations...(for one Germany), became the most destructive nation and inflicted the greatest damage during the last century. Their intolerance towards those lack of defined ethics in others, made them commit crimes more horrific than any of their conquered people.
Of course Soviet Russia was not far behind...But in the East, ethics have never been emphasized, as in the West. (Note the present Russian mafia).
What this proves basically, is that only through our Lord's Grace and enlightenment, is one able to correct the failings and perfect one's heart, and it is only through one's heart, that one can perfect one's soul.
Zenovia
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I have never killed anyone or committed such a sin as that. However, sometimes during the Divine Liturgy I feel as if I have. When I look into Christ's eyes in the huge icon of Christ the Teacher, or the very life-like eyes in the icon of The Holy Napkin, all of the sins that I have not confessed come to my mind and I feel most unworthy. Little things like being happy when something bad happens to some one I don't like, or engaging in gossip, can feel like earth shattering sins. I don't set out each day to commit these sins. In fact, often they happen without me even thinking about it until I am in church. In any case, these are the acts that keep me even further separated from God, so they weigh very heavily on me.
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