Orthodoxy And The Religion Of The Future

Hayley

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Mainly for those interested in Christianity and it’s battle with the Occult/New Age religion that we are being indoctrinated into (opinion of mine as a disclaimer).
Not looking to have a religious/spiritual debate on what’s true/false but I recently read this book by an Orthodox Father named Seraphim Rose (he was a convert in the later part of his life). This dude went through a lot of eastern religions and occult practices in his life early life until finding his way to orthodox Christianity. He was even a student of Alan Watt in the early 60s. This book really resonated with me as it ties in with my own experiences and thoughts in my younger days when I also was interested in the occult and eastern mysticism.

For those that have read Constance Cumbey’s The Hidden Dangers of The Rainbow, this book was regarded as an inspiration for her.

I know there will be some on this forum that will be triggered simply by the words religion or Christianity so for you, please ignore this post. For anybody else interested , check it out. Really worth a read.

Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future by Seraphim Rose
Have you read/ listened to Nihilism by Seraphim Rose?
 

Blossom

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Highly recommend this recently released book. I’m about half way though it now. I got the kindle edition for $8 but I believe Uncut Mountain Press has it available as well.
 

Blossom

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Yes, sadly Christianity has been divided for far too long. I wasn’t accepted into the Roman Catholic Church when I tried about 25 years ago so I went elsewhere. I hope and pray one day this mess can be sorted out but it’s way beyond little ol’ me. I’m just going to keep trying to be good and not worry about the politics of it all. Hopefully God will just judge my heart and not my church affiliation.
 

Birdie

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I just read a wonderful interview with Archbishop Vigano regarding the Great Reset. Here is the conclusion:

The world can and must return to God: this is a necessity dictated by the divine order that the Creator has imprinted on creation. It must return to God, because only where Christ reigns can there by true justice and true peace. And the world can do this, but not in a collectivist or communitarian vision in which individuals disappear into the mass, but rather in a personal and individual vision, in which each one of us freely recognizes that nothing can be better than what Our Heavenly Father has prepared for us, since He loves us and wants to make us sharers in His glory.

If we all return to God, our Nations will also recognize His Lordship and will conform their laws to His Law. Let us pray therefore that what the Psalmist sings may be realized: Laudate Dominum omnes gentes; laudate eum omnes populi (Ps 116:1) – Praise the Lord, all you nations, praise him all you peoples. Quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus; et veritas Domini manet in æternum (Ps 116:2) – For his Mercy is confirmed upon us, and the Truth of the Lord remains forever.

 

Healthseeker

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I thought maybe in the religion of the future they might go back to somebody like Moses instead of Jesus. That's my thought anyways I read the Bible
 

Birdie

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Yes, sadly Christianity has been divided for far too long. I wasn’t accepted into the Roman Catholic Church when I tried about 25 years ago so I went elsewhere. I hope and pray one day this mess can be sorted out but it’s way beyond little ol’ me. I’m just going to keep trying to be good and not worry about the politics of it all. Hopefully God will just judge my heart and not my church affiliation.
My husband is a retired priest and he sends me stuff. Vigano says inspiring things. He is in hiding but is still alive and working. I think he speaks of the Bergolian period.....

Here: "The Catholic Church also, beginning with the revolution of Vatican II and above all during the last nine years of the Bergoglian “pontificate,” has experienced the same cognitive dissonance: the faithful and the Clergy have resigned themselves to obeying mere cynical officials – who are no less corrupt and perverted than their counterparts in the deep state –.. "
 

Blossom

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My husband is a retired priest and he sends me stuff. Vigano says inspiring things. He is in hiding but is still alive and working. I think he speaks of the Bergolian period.....

Here: "The Catholic Church also, beginning with the revolution of Vatican II and above all during the last nine years of the Bergoglian “pontificate,” has experienced the same cognitive dissonance: the faithful and the Clergy have resigned themselves to obeying mere cynical officials – who are no less corrupt and perverted than their counterparts in the deep state –.. "
Thank you.
 

Perry Staltic

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Peter was not given authority over the other apostles. Paul rebuked Peter to his face and put him to open shame for being a hypocrite by acting one way around non-Judean believers and another way around Judean believers. Believers exercising authority over other believers is heretical and blasphemous and what Jesus said is what unbelievers practice.
 

Perry Staltic

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Peter was not given authority over the other apostles. Paul rebuked Peter to his face and put him to open shame for being a hypocrite by acting one way around non-Judean believers and another way around Judean believers. Believers exercising authority over other believers is heretical and blasphemous and what Jesus said is what unbelievers practice.

Peter wasn't even head of the church, he was the chief apostle to the circumcision and God used him to open the door to spread the gospel to the nations. James, Jesus' brother, was the head of the church as shown in his decision during the Jerusalem Counsel (Acts 15) at which Peter was present. James rendered a church policy judgment and it was so.

And much disputation having occurred, rising up Peter said to them: Men, brothers, you recognize that from ancient days, GOD chose among us that through my mouth the nations should hear the Word of the gospel, and to believe. .... And all the multitude kept silent and were hearing Barnabas and Paul recounting what things GOD did through them among the nations, even the miraculous signs and wonders. And after they were silent, James responded, saying, Men, brothers, hear me: ... For this reason I judge not to trouble those from the nations turning to GOD, Acts 15:7, 12-19
 
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Birdie

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My understanding is that a priest is a servant and chose to be that. I've met a lot who don't see it that way but I think they're wrong. And all the stuff in the RC church where now the priest is standing facing the people instead of facing the altar and worshiping with the people is part of the error imo.

But I feel a great brotherhood with all Christians whether Orthodox or RC or Evangelical, etc. I've been a few flavors myself and considered Orthodox which I admire.
 

Can

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This thread is really interesting to me! I am in the same boat as some others here.

I grew up irreligious. Never read the bible or any other religious texts as a child. Although my parents were both believers (mother Muslim, father Christian), they never pushed me into any belief.

In school I had the choice between philosophy and religion classes. I always chose philosophy.

In my teenage years, I started listening to the famous 'atheists' like Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris and some other youtubers. I thought they made sense. I didn't really know Christianity, but from what I gathered (listening to atheists), Christianity was pretty stupid. Like primitive cavemen trying to explain the world but not knowing ***t and so just making explanations up to feel secure. That's how I thought at the time.

At the same time, I somehow craved spirituality. The atheist paradigm itself was no position in itself - it was just a negation of Christianity. But you can't build your life around a worldview which just negates. You need something affirming.

So I looked into Eastern mysticism. Found Alan Watts and was really enamored with his lectures. Based my spirituality on his teaching for a few years in my years approaching adulthood.

With time, I somehow moved away from it. There was something missing in Alan Watts philosophy - what exactly I can't articulate consciously. I just realized that, even though I lived according to his teachings and it sounded really fascinating when listening to it, I was still struggling with my life. I was unhappy, unfulfilled, felt like I was stagnating, not growing spiritually. That suggested to me, that somehow these ideas didn't square. That there was something lacking.

I also found Jordan Peterson and listened to him a lot in that same time too. I felt like he was on to a lot of important things, but also missed some of the more important things.

Through Jordan, I was then introduced to Jonathan Pageau, an Orthodox Christian. At first, most of what he said did not make much sense to me. But while I didn't understand him, somehow I felt like he was on to something. I kept listening.

At some point, I completely stopped listening to Alan Watts and Jordan Peterson because I knew that their teachings didn't help me anymore. But I kept listening to Jonathan Pageau. For a few years. Slowly everything came together. I started to have a more and more coherent framework of the world, that I could live in, that imbued my life with meaning, and that seemed like a perfectly valid approach to conceptualize the world.

I realized that the deep interpretations of Christian teachings are in some ways similar, and in no way lacking, compared to the deep mysteriousness of Eastern mysticism that I was so drawn to before.

I realized that most of the atheist's criticisms of Christianity were beating a strawman, or rather addressing a form of modern, protestant version of Christianity that exists, but is so far removed from what Christianity used to be, that it might as well be called something different. That the biblical stories are anything but stupid, superficial ways of primitives to explain the world. That Christianity, in its deepest form, actually makes a lot of sense, and is a lot more grounded, in a much more sound philosophy, than the modern materialist, reductionist framework, which takes things like empiricism for granted without grounding it in anything but assumptions.

Lately I stopped listening to Jonathan Pageau as well. It feels like when I listen to him now, I don't get as many new, important insights as I used to. But he put me on the path of Orthodox Christianity, which I am forever grateful for.

I still have a long road to go in understanding Christianity, but this is something good. Whenever I learn something new about the biblical stories or Christianity, it feels like my worldview expands and reshapes itself, to fit the new thing in there. It's like a lifetime of study that I have just began to embark on. Luckily I am just 21 years on and so hopefully, if God allows, I will have a long time to explore and maybe help others explore the beauty of creation and the proper way to approach it, as well.

I am still spiritually confused with some things here and there, I will admit directly. I am no saint. I don't know where to fit everything in intellectually too. But I am much less confused then I was a few years ago and it feels like, on this journey of being lost and trying to find a spiritual home again, I am moving in the right direction and slowly evolving and furthering my understanding. You could say, I am not christlike and will never be like Christ, but I know where I am facing and where I am going. Christianity hasn't alleviated all my confusions (although reduced them drastically), but it has put me in a proper place in time, with a proper orientation and facing in the right direction. And all I can do is choose to follow Christ's teaching, which moves me upwards towards him. That's how I feel about my faith :).
 
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Birdie

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@Can Thank you for the writeup. It adds to this thread and this thread is great.
 

Lollipop2

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This thread is really interesting to me! I am in the same boat as some others here.

I grew up irreligious. Never read the bible or any other religious texts as a child. Although my parents were both believers (mother Muslim, father Christian), they never pushed me into any belief.

In school I had the choice between philosophy and religion classes. I always chose philosophy.

In my teenage years, I started listening to the famous 'atheists' like Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris and some other youtubers. I thought they made sense. I didn't really know Christianity, but from what I gathered (listening to atheists), Christianity was pretty stupid. Like primitive cavemen trying to explain the world but not knowing ***t and so just making explanations up to feel secure. That's how I thought at the time.

At the same time, I somehow craved spirituality. The atheist paradigm itself was no position in itself - it was just a negation of Christianity. But you can't build your life around a worldview which just negates. You need something affirming.

So I looked into Eastern mysticism. Found Alan Watts and was really enamored with his lectures. Based my spirituality on his teaching for a few years in my years approaching adulthood.

With time, I somehow moved away from it. There was something missing in Alan Watts philosophy - what exactly I can't articulate consciously. I just realized that, even though I lived according to his teachings and it sounded really fascinating when listening to it, I was still struggling with my life. I was unhappy, unfulfilled, felt like I was stagnating, not growing spiritually. That suggested to me, that somehow these ideas didn't square. That there was something lacking.

I also found Jordan Peterson and listened to him a lot in that same time too. I felt like he was on to a lot of important things, but also missed some of the more important things.

Through Jordan, I was then introduced to Jonathan Pageau, an Orthodox Christian. At first, most of what he said did not make much sense to me. But while I didn't understand him, somehow I felt like he was on to something. I kept listening.

At some point, I completely stopped listening to Alan Watts and Jordan Peterson because I knew that their teachings didn't help me anymore. But I kept listening to Jonathan Pageau. For a few years. Slowly everything came together. I started to have a more and more coherent framework of the world, that I could live in, that imbued my life with meaning, and that seemed like a perfectly valid approach to conceptualize the world.

I realized that the deep interpretations of Christian teachings are in some ways similar, and in no way lacking, compared to the deep mysteriousness of Eastern mysticism that I was so drawn to before.

I realized that most of the atheist's criticisms of Christianity were beating a strawman, or rather addressing a form of modern, protestant version of Christianity that exists, but is so far removed from what Christianity used to be, that it might as well be called something different. That the biblical stories are anything but stupid, superficial ways of primitives to explain the world. That Christianity, in its deepest form, actually makes a lot of sense, and is a lot more grounded, in a much more sound philosophy, than the modern materialist, reductionist framework, which takes things like empiricism for granted without grounding it in anything but assumptions.

Lately I stopped listening to Jonathan Pageau as well. It feels like when I listen to him now, I don't get as many new, important insights as I used to. But he put me on the path of Orthodox Christianity, which I am forever grateful for.

I still have a long road to go in understanding Christianity, but this is something good. Whenever I learn something new about the biblical stories or Christianity, it feels like my worldview expands and reshapes itself, to fit the new thing in there. It's like a lifetime of study that I have just began to embark on. Luckily I am just 21 years on and so hopefully, if God allows, I will have a long time to explore and maybe help others explore the beauty of creation and the proper way to approach it, as well.

I am still spiritually confused with some things here and there, I will admit directly. I am no saint. I don't know where to fit everything in intellectually too. But I am much less confused then I was a few years ago and it feels like, on this journey of being lost and trying to find a spiritual home again, I am moving in the right direction and slowly evolving and furthering my understanding. You could say, I am not christlike and will never be like Christ, but I know where I am facing and where I am going. Christianity hasn't alleviated all my confusions (although reduced them drastically), but it has put me in a proper place in time, with a proper orientation and facing in the right direction. And all I can do is choose to follow Christ's teaching, which moves me upwards towards him. That's how I feel about my faith :).
This was beautiful. I found so much inspiration from the Desert Fathers and Sisters when I was doing heavy spiritual practice. I felt like they really understood that personal relationship with Divine.
 

Blossom

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This thread is really interesting to me! I am in the same boat as some others here.

I grew up irreligious. Never read the bible or any other religious texts as a child. Although my parents were both believers (mother Muslim, father Christian), they never pushed me into any belief.

In school I had the choice between philosophy and religion classes. I always chose philosophy.

In my teenage years, I started listening to the famous 'atheists' like Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris and some other youtubers. I thought they made sense. I didn't really know Christianity, but from what I gathered (listening to atheists), Christianity was pretty stupid. Like primitive cavemen trying to explain the world but not knowing ***t and so just making explanations up to feel secure. That's how I thought at the time.

At the same time, I somehow craved spirituality. The atheist paradigm itself was no position in itself - it was just a negation of Christianity. But you can't build your life around a worldview which just negates. You need something affirming.

So I looked into Eastern mysticism. Found Alan Watts and was really enamored with his lectures. Based my spirituality on his teaching for a few years in my years approaching adulthood.

With time, I somehow moved away from it. There was something missing in Alan Watts philosophy - what exactly I can't articulate consciously. I just realized that, even though I lived according to his teachings and it sounded really fascinating when listening to it, I was still struggling with my life. I was unhappy, unfulfilled, felt like I was stagnating, not growing spiritually. That suggested to me, that somehow these ideas didn't square. That there was something lacking.

I also found Jordan Peterson and listened to him a lot in that same time too. I felt like he was on to a lot of important things, but also missed some of the more important things.

Through Jordan, I was then introduced to Jonathan Pageau, an Orthodox Christian. At first, most of what he said did not make much sense to me. But while I didn't understand him, somehow I felt like he was on to something. I kept listening.

At some point, I completely stopped listening to Alan Watts and Jordan Peterson because I knew that their teachings didn't help me anymore. But I kept listening to Jonathan Pageau. For a few years. Slowly everything came together. I started to have a more and more coherent framework of the world, that I could live in, that imbued my life with meaning, and that seemed like a perfectly valid approach to conceptualize the world.

I realized that the deep interpretations of Christian teachings are in some ways similar, and in no way lacking, compared to the deep mysteriousness of Eastern mysticism that I was so drawn to before.

I realized that most of the atheist's criticisms of Christianity were beating a strawman, or rather addressing a form of modern, protestant version of Christianity that exists, but is so far removed from what Christianity used to be, that it might as well be called something different. That the biblical stories are anything but stupid, superficial ways of primitives to explain the world. That Christianity, in its deepest form, actually makes a lot of sense, and is a lot more grounded, in a much more sound philosophy, than the modern materialist, reductionist framework, which takes things like empiricism for granted without grounding it in anything but assumptions.

Lately I stopped listening to Jonathan Pageau as well. It feels like when I listen to him now, I don't get as many new, important insights as I used to. But he put me on the path of Orthodox Christianity, which I am forever grateful for.

I still have a long road to go in understanding Christianity, but this is something good. Whenever I learn something new about the biblical stories or Christianity, it feels like my worldview expands and reshapes itself, to fit the new thing in there. It's like a lifetime of study that I have just began to embark on. Luckily I am just 21 years on and so hopefully, if God allows, I will have a long time to explore and maybe help others explore the beauty of creation and the proper way to approach it, as well.

I am still spiritually confused with some things here and there, I will admit directly. I am no saint. I don't know where to fit everything in intellectually too. But I am much less confused then I was a few years ago and it feels like, on this journey of being lost and trying to find a spiritual home again, I am moving in the right direction and slowly evolving and furthering my understanding. You could say, I am not christlike and will never be like Christ, but I know where I am facing and where I am going. Christianity hasn't alleviated all my confusions (although reduced them drastically), but it has put me in a proper place in time, with a proper orientation and facing in the right direction. And all I can do is choose to follow Christ's teaching, which moves me upwards towards him. That's how I feel about my faith :).
Beautiful story, thank you for telling it. You are still young but it sounds like you are mature beyond your years in thoughtfulness and sincerity.
 

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