Toxic Faith and Dysfunctional Families

At the end of my long Journey, culminating in newly acquired resolute strength to break free of my family's Toxic Faith system, I had an epiphany that every one in similar situations must reach-

It is okay to be angry with the ones you love.

Throughout my youth I felt a longing that there was spiritual life waiting beyond the religious faith in which I was raised. Believing my struggle to be youthful rebellion or an easily swayed mind, my Father wrote many letters to attempt to keep me on the right path- the Baptist path. Unfortunately, mixed in his words and intent of love were words of manipulation and guilt. What a fortuitous thing it was for me to have kept every letter ever written me since childhood, including his, for prior to that moment of epiphany I was able to compile my father's letters and reread them. There I found an easily identifiable theme:

"I know what is best, only I know what is best, you certainly cannot know what is best, so listen to me or bad will happen, not because I say it will but because I speak the mind and will of God for you."

Now, these particular words were never spoken to me, but the theme through the years had been ingrained in my soul. So now, at this point of decision, the conflict of deciding the truth or error of the theme was strong. The challenge was not in the realization that such a theme existed for in the reading of the letters its existence was clear. The challenge was in uprooting this form of Toxic Faith and dysfunctional family dynamic from my Psyche, from my soul.

After having read my father's letters and having seen my own family dynamic illustrated in the book Toxic Faith, I shared with a friend the process I was in. As I was telling him how my father had manipulated me and used guilt tactics and authority abuse, I said,

"But I am not mad at him."

His answer to me was one of the most spiritually transforming things ever spoken to me, He said,

"Why the hell not?"

He was right. It was at that moment that I gave myself permission to be angry with my father and my psyche and soul were liberated. I could love my father for what he had done for me, and yet not accept what he had done to me and for the first time in my life I could see the difference. I was free to hear God and decide matters of faith based, not on family expectations and fear of rejection, but on clear thinking and focused hearing.

Parents love us, but the transition to adulthood is gradual enough that many fail to grasp the moment when you have ceased to be a child. This is particularly dysfunctional in a religious family. For those who have guided us spiritually, and rightfully so, have the tendency to fail to recognize when God has taken over their role. A parent must pass from the parenting of a child to that of on-call voluntary counselor to an adult. The key word here is "on-call." A parent of an adult should give advise only when asked and a wise adult child will ask.

Soon after my epiphany, I was having lunch with a friend who was a professional counselor. When I told him of the event, he said.

"Congratulations. You have just become a man."

I was in my thirties, had been married for years, and had several children at the time. Toxic Faith has no time frame. It will not go away over night or when you turn 18, 21, 25, 30, 40... So, the choices are three: deal with it now, deal with it later or don't deal with it at all.

Our goal is not to change the erroneous and dysfunctional thinking of our loved ones, but to change ourselves by being liberated from the unhealthy emotional and spiritual control. The irony is in the fact that only in getting angry can we find the path to spiritual freedom and find the peace that has alluded us for so long. And,

We are free to love our family as we ought.

Take time to watch the author of Toxic Faith answer specific questions:

Manipulation 101

Leaving the religion of your parents for the Orthodox faith quite often happens in two stages, at least it did for me. The first stage consists of stealth or secrecy. There is nothing conspiratorial or sinister about stage one. The desire not to share our initial journey usually happens out of self-preservation and the desire not to hurt the ones you love. Self-preservation occurs as one feels inadequate to answer the myriad of questions that are sure to come. One also preserves the sanctity of what is a heart felt prompting to quietly listen to the God who is leading you to a new path of understanding. In some cases, as was mine, my self-preservation was prompted by my lack of desire for relational conflict which I knew would come from my family.

Stage Two is the coming out party, which is anything but celebratory. The cat is let out of the bag and the relatives jump into action. Once having made the spiritual and emotional decision to leave the Baptist world, I knew beyond any doubt that there was no going back. I found myself in a precarious position. I loved my family, and respected highly their contribution to my faith in God and yet knew that there was more beyond where they had chosen to camp. This dilemma is wrought with pain and confusion. Separation anxiety is acute for you know your relationships will never be the same, still it is almost impossible to see the outcome. Be that as it may, you know you must move forward. Sample trials to appease your relations by going to church with them leaves you feeling barren and cold. You find you can no longer relate. Even the terminology that you once shared with your relatives seems foreign and senseless. There are brief moments where you entertain the possibility that, maybe, you are being deceived or rebellious. Am I leaving God? Are my relatives right? Why do I know more than they about what is right and wrong? Surely they have been at this spiritual thing longer than I. Who am I to say that my Journey is the right one? Then you come to your senses and God is there to meet you. You don't understand fully where He is leading but you know He is. You can't reason or rationalize, but you "know that you know" the path you are on is His leading. You aren't being led astray. You are being led by Holy Spirit on the path that is narrow and few there be that find it.

In the midst of knowing that you know, the ultimate trial comes: Manipulation 101. Your relations make it personal. Their language, demeanor and tactics change from that of concern and discussion to that of personal manipulation. They begin to cut ties using "or else scenarios" that cause you to choose between your new path or them, not that it isn't already difficult enough. One of my relations compared me with my other siblings and told me the story of another such wanderer who came back to the "right path" and got his life right. I was told quite often, "we are praying for you", when in fact I knew that they were praying against my decision. A newly ordained Orthodox priest that I know had to weather being disowned by his parents. Another friend was told by parents that to be around him anymore would condone his actions. Withdraw of love and communication is manipulation. It is wrong. It hurts, but the pain heals.

There are as many happy endings as sad ones. God is faithful in our obedience to Him that if we will leave father and mother and brother and sister for His sake and the gospel's, He will replace those relationships. Often, He restores the old ones as well. That is what we can pray as we continue our Journey To Orthodoxy. Many times God honors our faithfulness by sovereignly bringing those relations on the same path. It might be soon. It may take years. Little did you know in the midst of the pain that you were the forerunner for the salvation of their souls and their entrance into the Orthodox Church. My former minister, who tried to talk me out of becoming Orthodox, called me only a year into my Journey to inform me that he too was headed that way, He and his entire church. "Faithful is He who will bring it to pass." So when your relatives say they are "praying for you" just say, "Thanks! I'm praying for you, too" and mean it.

What You Should Know Before Visiting An Orthodox Church!

My wife and I discovered that the Orthodox Church was the original church prior to visiting. We had researched, seen pictures and the like, but we knew that the actual experience would be foreign to our senses and to our Western Religious Culture, because it was the un-Americanized original Church of Christ established in 33AD. We knew that some of the outward shapes and forms such as vestments and Liturgies had evolved in the life and tradition of the Church, but we knew that even those evolutions were hundreds of years old if not over a thousand years old. Becoming convinced that this was indeed the real church established by Christ and handed down from the Apostles, we decided the best thing to do would be to attend for two months before we "decided whether or not we 'liked' anything." I wish we had read the article "12 Things I Wish I Knew" before stepping into the church. Not that we didn't adapt. In fact, things started to make sense and we started to feel at home even before our self-imposed time-frame was up. If you are thinking about visiting an Orthodox Church for the first time, take time to read this short article. It will make your first experience more meaningful and understandable. CLICK HERE

Thanks Be To God-For Misunderstandings

Thanks be to God for misunderstandings, for the character of a person is proven in their evident desire to have clear relationships. Two, whose hearts have been proven amidst misunderstanding, are the sister and brother-in-law of the Church of Christ "friend" of which I have been referring. They posted a comment on the article Leaving The Faith To Get To The Faith. Although their comment was posted as a retort of what they perceived to be a false accusation from me towards them, their words and conciliatory tone proves the compassionate heart of their faith. This does not surprise me, however, for if the caliber of faith resident in my friend is any indication there is a great heritage of godliness stored within this family. [In case you missed it, the heart of Orthodoxy is to accept the Christian experience of those outside the Orthodox Church as authentic. My own Trinitarian baptism at the hands of my Southern Baptist Father was received in the Orthodox Church, though blessed and "completed." Orthodox never reserve the right to determine the salvific state of one who professes Christ as Lord.]
By way of explanation: The process of writing blog articles necessitates an awareness that many people from all over the world will be reading each article. Thus, wisdom would dictate that an individual article not be tailored as a personal discourse to one or even a few. I make an effort to speak in broad terms. Although an article may be inspired or motivated by a unique event, a sincere attempt is made to use the actual circumstances only as illustrations to the theme of the article. This is why I refer to "friend" rather than use the actual name. For instance, the bullet points in the article Leaving The Faith To Get To The Faith which lists the manipulative tactics used by some to keep a member from leaving a particular religious sect is also applicable to Baptists not just Church of Christ. In fact the website that inspired the points is psychological in theme and highlights human nature not just religious tendencies.

There have been over 700 visitors to Journey To Orthodoxy in two weeks, many a result of this friend's Journey To Orthodoxy. The fact remains that he has been accosted by at least one person. The fact also remains that that one person was not a family member and, by the grace of God, his family has been kind, communicative, thoughtful and godly in their response to him. One of the rules of blogging is to check the comment section under each article. Quite often the discourse found there will clear up misunderstandings. Here is the exchange between "friend" and myself under the aforementioned article:

Blogger [Friend] said...

I know these things have happened, and more so than they should have, but I feel the need to express my own personal experiences:

Though I have left the Church of Christ and am worshiping at an Orthodox church; and in doing so have put myself in a sense at odds with my family and friends, they mostly have been very supporting and encouraging along the way. The condemning attitude of Church of Christ Christians seems to weakening.

There was one attack upon me, but even this particular individual and I are now having a peaceful email correspondence between one another in love.

I do believe that the Church of Christ was made aware of the condemning spirit that so lived within it for so long and is coming to a repentance over it. Many of them are going in too far another more liberal direction and like Luther said: "Falling off one side of the ass, only to get back on and fall off the other." But many of them have been humbled and are seeking to make right those bad things which were done in the past. I am living proof.

1:43 AM

Blogger Nathan Lee Lewis said...

There is always good mixed with bad and bad mixed with good. If the scales are tipping and the COC is corporately beginning to practice mercy, it is a good thing. I am happy your experience has been better than the scenarios I presented. I am certain others have had a more favorable experience as well. Religious cultures, however, do not change overnight. What we can do is minister to individuals who are in need of mercy and healing.
By way of apology to friend's family who have felt a sense of indictment where none was due, I find no reference in my articles to friend's family, however, a Guest Article by Gavin Smith erroneously referred to friend's "acquaintances and family members" being problematic. I take full responsibility for this misstatement and don't hold it to Gavin's account. I proof read the article before posting it and the erroneous reference to family was overlooked. Gavin has edited that portion to simply read "acquaintances" removing the reference to family. Please forgive my offense. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

For those who may have ascertained who "friend" is, please know that I have met his parents. I have dined in their home and and slept in their guest bedroom. We have socialized also outside the home. A more, loving, godly and Christ focused family would be hard to find. They have treated this Eastern Orthodox Christian as one of their own. I am blessed to know them and they are my brother and sister in our Lord. Indeed, the measure of these parents is seen in the son they have produced. Friend is a man after God's own heart. No may can own him for he is bought with a price.

One of the greatest compliments I have heard lately came from another Church of Christ friend who is on a similar journey. "Nathan I have to be honest with you. You have had only a little to do with me becoming Orthodox, " he said. Truly it is God who draws men for as Paul said to Timothy, "You need no man to teach you." These friends are such. They are Timothys.

Why I Left the Church of Christ for Orthodoxy

Why I left the Church of Christ for Orthodoxy

By Gavin Smith

Recently I was asked by my godfather and good friend, Nathan Lewis, to explain why I left the Church of Christ for the “Eastern” Orthodox Church, hence the title of this article. The suggestion came after he and I discussed another friend of his who was also raised in the Church of Christ who has become interested in Orthodoxy. The young man is apparently receiving pressure from prior acquaintances to see the “error of his ways.” Upfront, I wish to tell you, if you are happy as a member of the Church of Christ (non-instrumental), or the Church’s first cousin the Independent Christian Church and Church of Christ, instrumental, who for reasons of convenience I will group with the Church of Christ, this article is not for you. I am well aware that leaving the Church of Christ can handicap family, friend and even professional relations in many cases, and I do not want to cause you grief. I am not here to convert you if you are in that category. I do not question your salvation. However, if you are here to wonder why I left the Church of Christ, or are considering leaving for Orthodoxy or you simply question my intellectual honesty, this article may be for you.

First, I would like to state that the Churches of Christ teach a lot of truth. Among evangelical churches they may be the only, at least that I am aware, that teaches that baptism is for the remission of sins consistently with Acts 2:38, as well what I would later learn is the Apostle’s Creed. Our Baptist friends believe that baptism is merely sealing the deal, or “because of” not for the remission of sins. Exactly what Baptists believe concerning baptism is something I do not understand given the plain words of Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, as well as other verses from scripture. I’ll freely admit that the Churches of Christ, as much as any Protestant denomination, although they detest the label denomination, attempt to model their church according to their understanding of the first century church. Additionally, they have been extremely intellectually honest in their application of the principle of “Sola Scriptura” (scripture only).

While other Protestant denominations state the Bible is their only source of authority, their actions do not always reflect that principle. It is easy to see the influence of Orthodoxy and Catholicism in many Protestant denominations, i.e. Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Reformed Churches, etc. A common question heard in the Church of Christ is “can you show me book, chapter and verse for that doctrine?” To understand the distinctive practices of the Church of Christ one must understand the premise from which it generally arrives at conclusions. They commonly refer to a principle called the “common sense” hermeneutic which means: authority must be derived from any one of only three sources, all of which must be scriptural; a direct commandment; an approved example or a necessary inference from scripture. However, the basis for many of the Church of Christ’s distinctive beliefs is based upon what I would come to understand were false premises upon further study and reflection after I began to study Orthodoxy perhaps on accident while teaching a Bible Class.

I co-taught a class on the Lee Strobel book “The Case for Christ” along with my church’s Minister, who I still consider a friend. The question was raised in class by an attendee concerning how the books of the New Testament canon were chosen. I answered the question that: “First, the writer had to have apostolic authority. Secondly, the book had to be in general acceptance throughout the early Church. Third, the book had to be consistent with the practices of the Church.” Not long after answering the question, I seriously pondered the implications of what I had said. Aside from the fact that I knew that a Church Council had determined the canon, I knew that I was stuck with an undeniable fact obvious to anyone. The Traditions of the early church determined the New Testament canon.

There was no original copy of the Bible per se in existence with a “proof verse,” as to what constituted the canon. For a member of a denomination that wholeheartedly rejected all “manmade” tradition I was then left to wonder then if what I knew to be scripture was to be trusted at all. I could not stop believing the gospel given the historical evidence that Jesus was resurrected. I was then left with the choice to either believe that mere man determined what books of the Bible were canonical or that that authority was somehow vested somewhere else. It fully dawned on me that it was the Church that gave us the Bible, rather than the assertion I had always heard that the New Testament provides the framework for how the church functions.

Upon studying more of the Orthodox Church, I learned that there were essentially three sources for authority, Tradition, Scripture and reason. Starting with the premise that the New Testament was a written example of the early traditions of the Christian believers, I came to much different conclusions concerning the Church than I had when I believed that the only authority was the Bible. I fully understood then what Jesus meant when he said that “upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). The Church was not something that was lost until the “restoration” of the “Church of Christ” in the nineteenth century, or even a few centuries earlier in the Protestant Reformation that had been started by Martin Luther. It had been with humanity for two thousand years in what was the oldest and historically first body of Christians, the Orthodox Church. God had given the Church authority that was beyond my evangelical understanding.

My newfound outlook also made me take a serious look at the “common sense” hermeneutic I had been taught on many different levels. First, if common sense was common, then why was the “common sense” hermeneutic believed only by the Churches of Christ, who number anywhere from one to ten million, less than one per cent of the more than one billion people purporting to be Christians. The mere fact that the Church of Christ numbers so few rules out that the “common sense” hermeneutic is common. Secondly, for a Church that demanded “book, chapter, and verse,” where in the Bible was their “common sense” hermeneutic? Simply put, it was not there. Finally, the “common sense” hermeneutic was hardly objective. Numerous positions could be formulated, and have been, from the “approved example” or the “necessary inference” portions of the “common sense” hermeneutic. It may be news to non-members of the Church of Christ but some individual churches do not fellowship with each other over insignificant issues such as whether it is acceptable to support orphan homes or to even have separate Sunday school rooms. Members of the Church of Christ debate each other using the “common sense” hermeneutic regardless of what side they take with complete sincerity. I had always been taught that if “denominations” were to reject their traditions and simply objectively study scripture, they would come to the conclusions of the Church of Christ. However, pure objectivity does not exist even in the hard sciences much less in the study of scripture, for all people have certain biases and prejudices.

I did not immediately leave the church of my parents despite the conclusions I had reached. First, as I mentioned earlier, societal pressures influence all people, particularly those of us raised in the Church of Christ. Many members still sincerely believe that only members of the Church of Christ are going to Heaven, as do my parents. Additionally, I had commitments in my church such as teaching a class for high school students. Moreover, there was the emotional difficulty of leaving friends and a fellowship that I truly loved. Now that I am a member of the Orthodox Church and in the continual process of becoming Orthodox, I can only say that my journey has been less painful than the journey of many other Evangelicals. I hope that I am not taking liberties with my friend, and former Baptist, Nathan, but his was much more painful. However, please note that I am writing this anonymously, under a nom de plume because I do not wish to cause emotional harm to my parents or others who in their “Church of Christ” mindset would sincerely believe that I am hell bound because of mine and my wonderful wife’s chosen faith.

Generation IΧΘΥΣ

As I stood in the Great Liturgy today I realized by observation the presence of a number of 20 somethings that I refer to as Generation ΙΧΘΥΣ. The young adults of today are heading toward Orthodoxy in numbers that can only be divine. God is drawing these young Westerners out of the quagmire of numerous protestant denominations, christian movements and even Roman Catholicism, to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church- The Eastern Orthodox Church. I shouldn't be amazed at the seemingly simple ease with which these focused Disciples step into the original Church of Christ, but given my 50 year journey, I am always amazed. It is not by entising words of man's wisdom nor by proselitizing, that they are coming, but by the simple drawing of Holy Spirit. Today's Western Youth have felt the void in their lives and Christian experience and yet cannot define it. It is only when they find the Church that they understand what the void was as they first experience the peace of the presence of Christ in the Liturgy and the power of Christ in the Eucharist. They feel whole and at home from the very beginning of their journey. They have hope and their first act within that hope is to tell their friends and family what they have found. Some are met with receptiveness from others whose void has become overwhelming, some are met with with distain from those who will not consider that their void is a product of the environment in which they are bound. ΙΧΘΥΣ, greek for "fish" the acrostic: Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter, or Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior, is the filler of the void and He can only be fully experienced within the doors of His Church which is His body on earth. We are either a connected part of his body or we are dismembered. Generation ΙΧΘΥΣ-ers are becoming members not of an organization but of the organism of the Living Lord Jesus. There is bright hope for the Orthodox Church in America. The brightest hope is Generation ΙΧΘΥΣ.

Mercy Not Sacrifice

Last night I went out to what my wife and I call my second office- Stogies Ales and Fine Cigars in Brentwood, Tennessee. The proprietor there is a good Irish Catholic man named Patrick Morgan. Patrick is a very benevolent, community minded citizen and often sponsors fund- raisers for charities. If you'll remember from earlier posts, he also allows a Protestant men's Bible group to meet there. Stogies has been a breath of fresh air (mingled with fine burning leaf) to me since arriving in the Nashville area. There, I can mingle with the folks in the community and establish some great relationships. For any who would criticize my lounging with the publicans and the sinners, just remember Jesus did the same and was criticized by the Pharisees- the religious leaders. My answer is the same as His:

"Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Jesus was quoting from Hosea 6:6 when he suggested His critics need to go study the scripture a bit. The critics had it backwards. They practiced sacrifice and not mercy.

Sacrifice: Zabah (Hebrew): Means to slaughter or to kill and is used as a reference to sacrificing animals to God. However, this word is not used in reference to the priest's sacrifice but to individuals who bought sacrifices at their own expense. So, these are devout religious people whose idea of serving God is to continually be at the temple doing sacrificial deeds to the exclusion of the community around them. It is the modern equivalent of staying within the four doors of the church bulding, never associating with sinners in fear of becoming tainted.

Mercy: Hesed (Hebrew):Means an act of kindness, love or mercy. The quality of kindness shown is usually reserved for close friends or family members. The Hesed, Jesus said is more important than Zabah, presupposes an existing relationship between the parties involved, one person having chosen to treat the other as if such a relationship did exist. In other words we love the sinners and fellowship with them just as we love our brothers in Christ. The modern equivalent is to find a Stogies where the atheists and religious of all types hang out, and eat and drink with them. So, "Go and learn what this means."

Last night I met with a former Church Of Christ friend at Stogies. A very learned man having earned a law degree, he was a natural as a teacher in a local COC congregation. His wife, a studious, strong, yet humble person, attended as well although she was a Catholic. Wife endured as long as she could until the judgment she received from the COC members was more than she could bare. Their continual efforts to convert her and the methods used prompted husband to begin studying the Catholic faith so as to defend her. In doing so he stumbled upon the historic faith, saw the weakness of the COC's claim to be the only church, and eventually made his way to Orthodoxy. This year I stood as sponsor as both husband and wife were chrismated into the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church-the Eastern Orthodox Church.

As my friend and I sat there in the leather chairs having a fine cigar and a cold brew, he told me some of activity that occurs around someone leaving the COC. The phrase "A dog returning to his vomit" is often used in reference to someone like my friend who leaves the COC. Such a person doesn't leave his faith in Christ, just the COC. My friend also spoke of receiving a card from a former COC member which said, "We are mourning your death."Anger, accusations, disowning and dechurching ceremonies are not only common but typical. My friend hasn't even been able to tell his elderly parents of he and his wife's new found faith for fear of rejection.

So, I was thinking about mercy, hesed, the kind Jesus told us to go and learn about and I thought about how the Orthodox react when someone leaves the faith. Though our hearts may be broken our prayers are ignited. In fact we pray at our Morning Prayers and our Evening Prayers this portion:

"Those who depart from the Orthodox Faith, dazzled by destroying heresies, enlighten by the light of Your holy wisdom, and unite them to your Holy, Apostolic, Catholic Church."

We may even go to them to minister and love them showing kindness, but always with hesed. No need of any talk of vomit or threats or demeaning or manipulating or condemning or even Zabah. Christ wouldn't even do such to the sinners, why would we do such to our own hurting brothers? We are to call sinners to repentance not condemnation.

The propensity in the COC to show such lack of hesed speaks volumes. Is it any wonder there are so many support groups for ex-COC members? It is a wonder, however, that those in the COC who are of a different heart and who cringe at such actions by their church, don't question their church's claim to be the only Church Of Christ. Though the Orthodox Church holds the historic claim to be the original, unbroken, undivided Church Of Christ, it does not judge the salvation of individuals, for "We know where the church is but we don't know where it isn't" and mercy is a way of life.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on Me A Sinner.

Leaving "The Faith" To Get To The Faith

I have been talking to a Church of Christ friend lately who is inquiring into the Eastern Orthodox Faith and is in the process of becoming a catechumen. This process seems to be igniting hope, and peace in him. However, to arrive at one place you must leave another place. Leaving the Church of Christ is a process indeed and the process is a mix of understanding and accusation.

Last night I spent a few hours in real conversation with two of my siblings. It is the first time we have done that in about 7 years. It was a spiritual time of restoration as we prayed and forgave. The breech 7 years ago was many faceted, as are most relational complications, but one of the issues was the fact that I had journeyed (not so smoothly) away from the "faith of my fathers"-Southern Baptist. As I have walked with my Church of Christ friend on his new journey to Orthodoxy, I have been amazed at how I have identified with some of his process. I have noticed a pattern of elements related to the process of leaving one sect to go to another, particularly reactions from those being left. It seems to happen in this order.

1. They use scripture and doctrine to try to convince you that you are in error.

2. They get personal "What happened to you?" "Have you fallen away?" "Did someone hurt you?" "Is someone leading you astray?"

3. They use emotional manipulation. "Do you know how this will hurt your parents, grandparents?

4. They use threats. "You are leaving the faith."You'll be returning to the vomit like a dog." God will take away your gifts." "You will never be happy."

5. They use power plays. "I am coming to see you and bringing so and so with me!" "We ARE going to talk a bout this." "It's for the salvation of your soul."

6. If none of the above work, they finally cut you off.

The process is a dichotomy of pain and joy. Pain because you love those you are leaving, joy because you love God more.

My process of leaving the church of my father and grandfather was a long one. There were two scriptures that gave me hope and endurance. The first spoke of the heart that drove me to find the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church- the Orthodox Church:

"One thing have I desired and that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all of the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and inquire in his Holy Temple."

I just had to know him personally and to know where his people worshiped him in Spirit and in truth.

The second spoke of His promise to me if I were to follow Him:

Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sister or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for my sake and the gospel's. who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time-houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecution- and in the age to come, eternal life."

7 Years toward restoration. Thanks be to God. We must at all costs, leave "the faith" to get to THE FAITH. This is our Journey To Orthodoxy.

Do Orthodox Believe In The Bible?

Do Orthodox Believe In The Bible?
Short answer? No. We believe in God!
We definitely do believe the Bible to be God's inspired word, the most important thing we have received from the early Church. In fact, it was the Church that gave us the Bible as we know it today.
Isn't that backwards? Isn't the Church based on the Bible?
The Bible didn't just fall from heaven with a table of contents on page one. The Church was alive and well for decades before the New Testament was even written - and for centuries before the canon was "canonized" by Orthodox bishops in the fourth century. The books that make up the Bible as we have it today were shared, assembled, and approved over time by the Orthodox Christian community.
Orthodoxy doesn't artificially set up Church or Tradition against Scripture - rather we recognize that the body of faith and practice passed on from generation to generation is an organic whole. The word "tradition" just means "that which was transmitted." Because the Scriptures are the most important part of that tradition, the early Christian Fathers always argued from Scripture - but they did not interpret that Scripture in isolation from the whole body of faith they'd received from their predecessors. As St. Paul wrote,
Stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by WORD or our EPISTLE. (2 Thessalonians 2:15)
[From "Frequently Asked Questions" At Phil Thomson.net]

BEDFELLOWS?

Guess which one said:

Adolf Hitler .............................................................................................. Martin Luther

"The Jews deserve to be hanged on gallows, seven times higher than ordinary thieves"

"We ought to take revenge on the Jews and kill them."

"The blind Jews are truly stupid fools"

"Now just behold these miserable, blind, and senseless people."

"eject them forever from this country"

"they are nothing but thieves and robbers"

"What then shall we do with this damned, rejected race of Jews?"

"Such a desperate, thoroughly evil, poisonous, and devilish lot are these Jews"

"They are the real liars and bloodhounds"

"We are at fault for not slaying them."

"I shall give you my sincere advice: first to set fire to their synagogues or schools and to bury and cover with dirt whatever will not burn, so that no man will ever again see a stone or cinder of them."

"Second, I advise that their houses also be razed and destroyed."

"Fifth, I advise that safe-conduct on the highways be abolished completely for the Jews."

"Burn down their synagogues, forbid all that I enumerated earlier, force them to work, and deal harshly with them"

"If this does not help we must drive them out like mad dogs"

"If I had to baptize a Jew, I would take him to the river Elbe, hang a stone around his neck and push him over with the words `I baptize thee in the name of Abraham'."

Answer:
Martin Luther Said ALL of these things
Adolph Hitler put Luther's word into action.