Once A Convict Always A Convict?

Just a word on some people's propensity to attribute the reason for another's views to the fact that they were once a Protestant. I liken this to someone once having spent time in jail. He was convicted, has paid his dues, and has been many years living as a law abiding citizen, but he is still referred to as a convict. Once a convict always a convict?

If  a person presents views or doctrines that are not in keeping with the mindset or doctrines of the Church, then speak to the issue at hand. To refer to their former Protestantism is to call them a convict. Once a Protestant, always a Protestant? This is almost always received as a slam or a denigration of the person and does nothing to promote right thinking. Such an approach is subjective. How long must one have been out of prison before he is deemed no longer tainted?

I have been out of Protestantism for over ten years. I am quick to embrace the doctrines and traditions of the church. If there are things I don't yet know, it is because I have not yet learned them, not because I once was a Protestant. There are some Orthodox clergy who have come from Catholicism and have been away from that world for less time than I have been away from Protestantism. Is it fair for me to hold them currently suspect because of their past? Once a Catholic always a Catholic?

Last time I looked, God is a God of redemption and restoration. "He casts our sins as far as the East is from the West and remembers them no more." It is totally appropriate and sometimes necessary to point out that a proposed belief is particularly a Protestant one or a Catholic one, but God forbid the kind accusatory language in our interpersonal communication which makes a person's past the issue.

UPDATE Addendum: Please see Tserkovnye Vekhi's thorough and blessed perspective on this matter in the COMMENT section.

A Little Story

Coming To America- Scripture- A Criminal Offense

Flotilla Choir Presents: "We Con The World"-UPDATE

For Deb, and all of the other anti-Semite supporters of Islamic-terrorists, who have been duped by Islamic propaganda...

Remember the Islamic mantra- "First comes Saturday then comes Sunday." For those who need interpretation: "First we kill the Jews then we kill the Christians"  Fools! Their goal is world domination and lies and violence are their tools.

UPDATE: JTO Editor's Note: I have left the below link to the You Tube Video embedded so that you can see that, after over 3 million hits, You Tube removed it due to "copyright  infringement." So you will have to use your imagination- We Con The World, sung to the tune of We Are The World, is a parody of the famous recording session. Several Israelis are in a studio singing lyrics showing how the Flotilla participants and their supporters, use the anti-Semite media to hide the truth of their violent intentions. Since you can't see the video on You Tube, I have posted a second video of the actual Flotilla participants on the ship. They have had prior warning through diplomatic channels that they would be stopped. See how they plan to resist.
UPDATE: 7/21/2014 JTO Editor's Note: It seems the video below is reactivated. Click to watch.

(The Censored (then uncensored) Video of We Con The World)


Watch and listen to the so-called  peaceful "humanitarian" Flotilla members as they plan, in the name of Allah, to resist the Israeli soldiers with force. Notice how they also say that Israel is not a state. Sounds rather like a militant Islamic rally doesn't it? It is evident that they try to "con the world". The truth is, that by allowing Israel to inspect their cargo for arms and prove their intent to delver humanitarian goods to Gaza, the aid would be allowed to be delivered. It is evident by their words that delivery of aid to Gaza was NOT their main objective. Their stated intent was to create an incident by becoming martyrs. Nine achieved their goal.

The Flotilla Islamic Rally

The Joy Of The Lord Is My Strength!

I was in Tupelo Mississippi last week on business. To get there from Nashville, I took the Natchez Trace, a 444 mile historic road stretching from Nashville, Tennessee to Natchez. Mississippi. My trip from Brentwood, Tennessee to Tupelo, Mississippi, was 182 miles of the most peaceful, scenic, perfectly paved and manicured roads I have ever experienced. My drive home was particularly meaningful. I think in all of the hustle and bustle, the interpersonal conflicts and questions, the arguments and endeavors involved in making my way to the Orthodox faith, I forgot, momentarily, that the world is a beautiful place full of God's grace and joy. I had a 3 1/2 hour euphorically peaceful time. I remembered that the peace of the Lord is as near as is our breath. I returned from my business trip refreshed, full of joy and strength unlike I  have experienced in a long, long, time. It is true that The joy of the Lord is my strength.

The Truth About Facebook Friends

I recently reevaluated my participation on the social networking internet forum called Facebook. For those who may not know, Facebook allows a participant to set up a home page, including photos, personal information and then allow "friends" to view your page and all of your information. Facebook is most often used to post opinions, family happenings and other trivial items of interest. Your "friends' can comment on your page and you can comment on theirs. Friends of friends may view all of your entries depending on the security selections you choose. Many also use Facebook to promote issues, organizations or to comment on current events. Some pride themselves in how many "friends" they have on Facebook. The current number of Facebook friends is displayed on each person's homepage. I just culled out my friends list so that only relatives and close friends are included. Some that I "de-friended" took it personally. I explained to those who inquired, that my friendship with them is not based on Facebook encounters, but real life.

I have always taught my daughters to know the difference between friends and acquaintances. This lesson was promoted by their propensity to refer to acquaintances as friends and afford them the same confidences. Often they knew very little about the acquaintances. Especially lacking was knowledge of a person's character and motives ."I am going to visit my friend," they would say. "Well what do you know about them?", I would ask. The reply was telling, "Uhhh..." When I allowed my daughter to have a Facebook page, my supervision in such matters became even more important. With whom were they allowing access to their photos, personal information and day-to-day activities?

Just yesterday I saw a post where a young, blond female publicly posted her private cell phone number and a place where she was going at a certain time. I had never heard of her, but she was a "friend" of one of my "friends". That information went out to 100's of people.Would she, under any other circumstances, share her private cell number, and where she was going to be at a certain time, with 100's of strangers? But on Facebook everyone is a friend, right? That conduct is a tragedy waiting to happen. I am amazed at how often I am asked a personal question on my open FB wall. I never answer and always delete the question immediately.

Parents, do you know what your children are sharing with the world? I once had to inform an Orthodox priest of the FB activities of his daughter, including the provocative photos and videos that were being posted of her and her boyfriend, many taken in her bedroom. Under what other circumstances could I have seen her lying on a bed with a  teenage boy or embraced in a passionate kiss in front of 100's of people in public? But on FB it is somehow acceptable? Those photos and videos now exist forever in cyberspace and out of the person's control.  Even those "innocent poses" such as two girls in an embrace, posing with pursed lips, doing the glamor thing, is viewed by 100's of people as erotic and provocative. They are easily captured and saved for anyone's personal or public use. Many of these posers list themselves as "Christians" or "Orthodox". One thing is for certain, they are acting foolishly and have not counted the cost of their actions.

Be as wise as serpents but as harmless as doves. Do not post or say anything on Facebook that you would not want your closest friends or family to see, or at least make your privacy settings more secure, because FB friends are not all...friends.

The Religious Views Of FaceBook

I did a quick survey of my family and close friends on FaceBook. I found their profiles particularity interesting, especially where each listed their religious views. My Orthodox relatives aside, here is a snapshot of those who listed their "Religious Views":

"Christian"

"Baptist"

"I'm not religious and neither is God."

"Jesus Saves"

"Jesus is legit"

"nontraditional Baptist"

"Christian-Protestant"

"Left handed path"

"I love Jesus"

"Christian- Church of Christ"

"Christ follower"

"I follow Jesus Christ"

"Follower of Jesus"

"Jesus loves me this I love"

"Evangelical Christian"

"Christ=life"

"Lover of Jesus" 

"I love Jesus"

"born again Christian"

"of course"

"Christian-Pentecostal"

"yes!"

"Christianity is not a religion it's a relationship"

"Knowing Jesus & going to heaven"

"Go Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"It's about grace"

"Christian-Southern Baptist"

"Christian-Catholic"

"Believing in God"

"Jesus is the way"
"I follow Christ while remaining accepting of all. Unlike a lot of other people I know."

and my favorite...

"This does not seem like enough space to give a religious view"

The Evolutionary Degradation Of Protestant Devises

This video, intended as a humorous parody, is actually a tragic truth of the evolution of  the Protestant Church as it follows its own devises. Missing here are the centuries of Tradition as given us by the great martyrs and fathers of the faith. Fortunately the faith of our fathers has been preserved for 2000 years and blessed are those who find it. The Orthodox Christian Church-Since 33 A.D.

UPDATE 1/10/2010 After this video was  posted for public consumption, the creator has made it unavailable. It is not uncommon, once exposed with truth, for a video to be taken down...

So You Will Understand-The Epic Natural Disaster That The World Ignored

Pray for Tennessee- Historic Floods- CURRENT UPDATES- "The 1000 Year Flood"

BREAKING NEWS...

Please pray for the state of Tennessee, especially the Nashville area, where we live. Historic flooding. Two months of rain in two days. Freeways and streets closed. Flash floods in neighborhoods. Many water rescues. Five lives lost so far. Watching a water rescue right now- man trapped by rushing water. Saw 30 cars overcome by rushing waters on a stopped freeway. One drowned. Texting friends in areas of Franklin, TN- Rising water within 4 feet of their house- they are trapped.

more later...

UPDATE... 12:00 Noon

We just finished our  Readers Service. I had to go out on the deck during the service, to stop water that was headed toward our door. We are warm and safe. The Tornado Warning is over for the time being. 1000's still stranded on the freeways in and about Nashville. Rain still pouring down. Eight have died so far. Train tracks caved in and washed out throughout the region. Red cross has set up at a large local Protestant church near us. Others throughout the region. Bridges buckling in Franklin. Downtown is waterlocked- only two roads in.

more later...

UPDATE...3 p.m.

It is still raining...for hours ...it won' let up. There is concern about downtown Nashville. The Cumberland River has not crested and is over 46 ft. The last highest  record in 1984 at 44 feet. At 50 feet portions of downtown will flood.

more later...

Update 3:20 p.m.

Just heard from our church members. All are fine though some are stranded by high waters. Another is braving the weather to pick up a friend whose house is without utilities...Pray for their safety.

more later...

UPDATE 8:30 p.m

City of Franklin is under curfew. Thousands of water rescues throughout the area. Working throughout the night. 11 deaths so far. Thousands homeless. Most have no flood insurance due to flooding in non-floodplain areas. Historic downtown Nashville may be flooded overnight if water rises another 1 foot. Freeways at a standstill. Thousands of motorists stranded. Water continuing to rise. Not expected to recede anytime soon. Power outages. Deviation and a very real current threat. One house burned down. God bless the rescue efforts...

Please continue to pray...

more later...

Monday 4 p.m. UPDATE

Titans Stadium flooded. Grand Ole Opry, Opryland Hotel, Opryland Mall-  under water. Cumberland River expected to crest at 52 feet later tonight. Parts of downtown Nashville flooded. New Performance hall flooded. Water still rising. 11 feet over flood stage. Estimates 20 inches of rain in 48 hours-unprecedented.

more later...

Tuesday Morning- Final UPDATE 

Water is starting to slowly recede in some areas. Electricity out in downtown Nashville.

It is being called, in some respects, the 1000 year flood.  10-15 feet above flood level. 20 inches of rain in 48 hours.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR TENNESSEE. RECOVERY WILL TAKE YEARS.

I-24 These motorists were caught off guard. All escaped but one.