Dear Tim,
I apologise if I in any way offended you or gave the impression I was dismissing things.
I thought we had already settled to agree to disagree on that matter.
As for the unsubstantiation thing, it would certainly not be the first time I have been accused of concocting something without substantiation here.
Perhaps you shouldn't impute motive - at worst, that might indicate you are of Ukrainian, rather than Ruthenian, background!
I listed some authors above where I have read about the issue raised. You may choose to believe that they are phantom authors or that I'm lying to prove a point of some sort or else am promoting an agenda of kinds.
Again, I've been accused of that here on everything from Pope Innocent III teaching the three-fingered Sign of the Cross to a number of other, shall we say, "out of the ordinary," matters, privately and publicly.
I simply affirm that there is substantiation, it is not in English (as far as I know) and that there are other theories in this regard as well.
What triggered my interest is the notion concerning how a term that is interpreted to mean "borderland" got to be so popular among a people when that term was most often used to denigrate that same people by various empires.
There are historians, such as Maksymovyc and also linguists that he and others quote who have studied not only the difference in spelling between similar terms, but also the ancient meanings of the term. And it is this that I've read.
Again, it is not my opinion (I do tend to agree with this perspective, but my ethnic identity does not hinge on whether "Ukraine" means "borderland" or not - in fact, all my life I was taught it meant "borderland.").
My point is that it's not worth arguing over.
Yesterday, God did allow me to cross paths with a homeless individual. All I said was that THAT experience was more important than any debate on the Byzantine Forum over:
* borderlands
* rosary/Rule of the Mother of God
* Filioque
* ritual issues of various kinds
* etc.
My intent was not to dismiss you or the issue. My intent was to, in a sense, dismiss the immediacy of that and other issues that often preoccupy ME on the forum and elsewhere.
I'm wrong to allow myself to be preoccupied with them and to be oblivious to what is more important.
That has to do with me, not you, not the Administrator, not anyone else.
You want Ukraine to be "borderland?" Fine, so be it!
People here want to call the capital of Ukraine "Kiev" - how am I going to "enforce" any other spelling? By throwing a hissy fit and say I'm not going to be on the forum, only to return a few months or weeks later?
I'm done doing that, thank you very much - another waste of emotional energy.
You don't believe there is substantiation for any other view of "Ukraine?"
Look, friend, I know people who deny that praying 150 Hail Mary's is an Orthodox practice even after I've shown them the way St Seraphim of Sarov prayed his Rule.
So what am I going to do to change their minds when they won't be changed? I'm not going to worry about it - whether I've been charitable is what I should be worried about and this, in no way, is meant to "blow off" those good-intentioned Orthodox Christians who believe as they do about the rosary.
But if you believe that that is what I'm doing by raising the issue of charity in that context, that is fine as well.
I have many faults and sins.
God only knows . . .
I apologise for having given offense to you and I'll do what I should have done when the Administrator first suggested it to me - I'm going to leave this matter alone for good.
Anyone is free to respond to this post here, but I won't be saying anything further by way of later rebuttal.
No one is angry with me when I'm quiet, after all!
I wanted to thank my mentor, Anhelyna, as she has always given me excellent advice and counsel and I'm sorry that my predicament here made her feel compelled to step in when I know she was not comfortable doing so.
Forgive me, Anhelyna! (And, yes, I do know that "Angela" and "Anhelyna" mean EXACTLY the same thing - "Angel" - no argument on that score!)
Alex
