A Gift For Indoctrinated Individuals

Vaughn Gerda Randall

To the indoctrinated individuals incapable of independent thought, you have been blinded by bias and there’s no proof for reality that you can see. For those of you who are intellectually honest and willing to question your beliefs I give you these ten points to consider.

1. The natural physics of a large body of water are to be level and need a container. This alone debunks the lie that the earth is a globe. Engineers and cartographers proved that large bodies of waters do not and can not display convexity on their surfaces with seven experiments with extremely precise measurements in the documentary Convex Earth.

2. An airplane flies straight and level for thousands of miles at hundreds of miles per hour and never adjusts its nose downward to maintain a certain altitude to account for earths alleged curvature or alleged rotation. Commercial and military pilots have proven the earth is flat and stationary by their real world applications in the documentary Flatten The Curve by Vikka Draziv.

3. There are literally thousands of examples of seeing things above the horizon at far distances that would be impossible to see if the earth were a sphere with a 3,959 mile radius. The Taboo Conspiracy Channel has dozens of experiments with measurements proving this. The creator of that channel has a juris doctorate and two master degrees. Accusations that flat earthers are stupid is ignorant and arrogant.

4. There is not one real photo of the entire earth and all images showing the earth as a globe are cgi composites. NASA never went to the moon and there is no space station. The Iss is at best a high altitude aircraft 10-15 miles away. NASA is referred to by some in the CIA as Not A Space Agency. They lie about almost everything.

5. Satellites don’t exist except on balloons. You think China would need a spy satellite on a balloon if satellites in space existed? If satellites were real we would see them transit between us and the moon almost every night. We never do.

6. Eclipses run on a 19 year cycle and were predicted accurately thousands of years ago by ancient cultures who knew the earth is flat and stationary. The sun and moon are about the same size and altitude. The earth is far larger than both of them. The earth is not a planet, it is not in space. It is not casting a shadow on the moon. A selenelion eclipse is when both sun and moon can still be seen above the horizon proving it is not earths shadow on the moon.

7. A civilization before us built amazing structures everywhere across the surface of earth and many of them align perfectly with the sun and moon during the solstices and equinoxes. And they still align perfectly today. These huge structures were built with perfect symmetry, sacred geometry and cymatic patterns by people who knew the earth is flat and stationary. They didn’t believe the earth is flat, they knew it was, as do flat earthers today.

8. The entire heliocentric hypothesis is based on the unproven theories of dark matter and dark energy. These two unproven theories make up 96% of the model which is why Neil degrasse Tyson says he and mainstream scientists are 96% stupid about the universe. The globe is not a working model it has the 3 body problem which is unsolvable.

9. The Coriolis force is a farce. It is a lie. If it were true a helicopter could hover for 12 hours and land on the other side of the magic space ball earth. A sniper doesn’t account for earths alleged rotation for a bullet which is in the air for a few seconds and a professional golfer doesn’t account for earths alleged rotation for a golf ball which is in the air for much longer than a bullet. The Foucault pendulum has to be pushed to start and often stops and has to be restarted. If Coriolis were true then all pendulums would move but all across the earth they hang motionless in perfect stillness.

10. The earth is an enclosed electric topographical stationary plane. All true science confirms it. The globe is a delusion based on assumptions with massive contradictions inconsistencies and impossibilities. All alleged science for the globe is actually pseudoscience which is nothing more than claims without evidence. The earth being flat and stationary is not a claim, it is an observation which has been measured and can be repeated by almost anyone. The globe is a claim without evidence. If the earth is a globe you would be able to prove it with observable measurable repeatable results. It has never been done because it can’t be done. Welcome to flat earth.

Sincerely,

Keith Cameron Smith

PS For more information, search for these channels directly on YouTube.... nothing but misinformation will come up with generic searches anymore... then you have to click on videos after you’re on their channel to see all they have. YouTube only shows a few on their main page.

Taboo Conspiracy.

Flat Earth Sun Moon Zodiac

Vikka Draziv

Globebusters

ODDtv

Hibeller Productions.

Eric Dubay

Flat Out Truth

Flat Earth Banjo USA Japan

Founded Earth Brothers

DITRH

Refuting The Nefarious NASA

 

Find The Prophet

 

UFO And Aliens Are A Joke, Right?

JTO Sees Substantial Increase In Readers

JTO has seen an increase of over 5000 10000 readers this month over last month. You, our readers, are from over 20 countries. 

We have also seen an increase in the comment participation. At the present, commenters are able to submit a comment anonymously if they desire. If you want to include your name, check your browser profile features to add your name before commenting. If you don't know how to do that, you may just put your name in the body of your comment. The best discussion is when there is a personal identifier of some kind.

Keep in mind that when a comment is submitted, it may not be visible right away. Each comment is approved by the JTO editor prior to posting--usually within a day. The approval filter is not intended to prevent opposing views or even the passionate ways they may be expressed. Some comments are restricted, however, due to vitriolic or ad hominem verbiage. You would also be amazed at how often a blog comment section is used to promote the purchase of a product someone is hocking. The commenter starts out with high praise of the blog then includes a link where you can buy their jewelry, etc. JTO filers these intrusions so you won't have to.

We live in an amazing time where information can be readily assimilated, and we may speak with and hear from others quickly, often in real time. The JTO blog is here, to create an atmosphere of discussion in the spirit of the Bereans. "The Bereans lived in the Greek city of Berea, also called Beroea, in the time of the Apostle Paul, about AD 50. These people, mentioned in Acts 17, are best known for searching and studying the Bible for themselves and not merely accepting what they were taught."  

But make no mistake, JTO is unapologetically, the personal journey of the blog editor, me, and what I am currently seeing, hearing and expressing. Many of the JTO posts are simple and short ways of provoking discussion. Other, more lengthy theological treatments can be found on other blogs and websites, some of whose links we have provided.

The NAME: Some of you may be aware that for many years the JTO blog promoted the Eastern Orthodox view of theology and the church. The JTO editor no longer espouses many of the views posted in articles dating back to 2006. The posts remain on the blog to reflect, in part, my theological journey. Please see my bio for more on that. I have kept the name Journey to Orthodoxy but have included an explanation of the theological shift to the Unitarian/Monotarian understanding of the scripture. The word "orthodoxy" means: "conforming to established doctrine especially in religion". Since the Unitarian/Monotarian doctrine was the established Old and New Testament understanding of God - “Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one!", then the continued use of the word orthodox is accurate and appropriate. The Eastern Orthodox Church may keep their capitol O as their identifier. JTO will use the small o - orthodox - as the literal meaning of the word.

Whatever your reason for participating or stopping by, thank you so much! If nothing else, hang around and attempt to bring me to my senses, keep me from going off the deep end, save my soul from deception, or feel free to exercise your pride, self-aggrandizement and spiritual superiority. That's always fun! (But usually doesn't end well.)

Nathan Lee Lewis

JTO Editor

Like Night and Day

 Unitarian Christian Alliance | Facebook

Editing Scriptures, The Trinitarian Way

Let me give that a try...

"Jesus said to her. "Do not touch me for I have not yet gone up to the Father myself. But go to my brothers human creatures and say to them, 'I am going up to my father myself and your father, and my God myself and your God.' " 

That's fun. Let's try another one...

"So pray this way: 'Our Father Me who is in heaven standing right here, may your my name be treated as holy. May your my kingdom come. May your my will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give I'm going to give us this day our daily bread, and forgive I'm going to forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring I won't bring us into temptation but deliver I will deliver us from the wicked one.' "

...because, you see, Jesus is God, right? "God the father. God the son. God the Holy Spirit?"

Well, he was human while on earth, you say? Then why has he not melded back into the Father Spirit since he is now back in heaven? Why is THE MAN Christ Jesus now at the "RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER"?

You have strange bedfellows if you adhere to the Trinity doctrine:

"Many who believe in the Trinity are surprised, perhaps shocked, to learn that the idea of divine beings existing as trinities or triads long predated Christianity. Yet, as we will see, the evidence is abundantly documented."

How Ancient Trinitarian Gods Influenced Adoption of the Trinity | United Church of God (ucg.org)

 

Why I Am A Monotarian

By J. Dan Gill

I might be a Trinitarian, if it was not for God. It is him with whom I am at odds if I embrace multiple persons as one Deity. Again and again, I can hear him saying, “I am the Lord, and there is no one else” (Isa. 45:6). If I will not believe him, then why do I call him God? Either he is God alone or he is not God at all. We must never compromise the biblical definition of God. But have we already done so in the form of multi-person monotheism? Without the understanding that only he is God, it is impossible to know him as he really is.

The beliefs of Christian Monotarians stand in contrast to multi-person theologies. Christian Monotarians are strict monotheists. They hold to the original — biblical — monotheism of God’s prophets and people of old. They believe that the Father of Israel — the Father of Jesus Christ — is the only one in the universe who is truly God (Isa. 64:4, 8; John 17:3); [20] that God’s spirit is not another person of Deity but rather the Father himself at work in his presence and power (Matt. 10:20). They believe in Jesus as the LORD’s Christ: his Messiah — the one whom God has made Lord of all (Acts 2:36; Ps. 2:2 cf. Acts 4:26); that he is God’s only begotten human son; that he came into existence by a miracle in a young virgin by the name of Mary (Luke 1:35); that Jesus is our redeemer, our savior — but not our God (Acts 5:31; 13:23); that to truly follow Christ, we must serve his God ( John 20:17).

As a Christian Monotarian I rejoice in the working of God by his spirit. I have found peace with God through his Messiah — his Christ (Rom. 5:1). He is the LORD’s anointed (Ps. 2:2); his chosen king (Luke 1:32, 33); his miraculously begotten human son (Luke 1:35). Jesus, by relying on God, did not sin — yet he has borne our sins (Heb. 9:14). He trusted in God to the point of death; God raised him from the dead and seated him at his own right hand in heaven (Eph. 1:20). Nevertheless, the Messiah is not my God. Without reservation, my God is the LORD alone! It is YHWH whose spirit it is! It is YHWH without whom there would be no Messiah! I trust in God — I trust in his Christ. Who shall condemn me?[21]

I embrace the LORD alone as God of the universe. I believe in an uncomplicated singularity of God. I will accept no other gods and no other persons within Deity. I do not serve other personalities or supposed manifestations of God. I unreservedly hold to the original monotheism that God himself gave to his people in the Bible. His first priority is my first priority: “He alone is God.” His prime directive is the basis upon which I live my life: “I will serve only him as God.” It is critically important to God that we know who he is. Because I love him, it is also critically important to me. So they may know that you alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth (Ps. 83:18).

______________________

[19] I adopt the phrase Christian Monotarian here as it seems helpful to expressing my faith in God as a single individual and in Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ of God — but not himself God. The term “Monotarian” can be drawn from the Scriptures and particularly Jesus’ declaration in John 17:3 that the Father is τον μονον αληθινον θεον. The first person I have known to use the term Christian Monotarian is my friend Pastor Mark A. Jones of Tennessee, http://hgcn.org/ our-pastors.html. Sean P. Finnegan of New York has used the term “Christian Monotheist” with the same intent, http://www.christianmonotheism.com.

[20] This of course is not to disallow the use of the word “God” as an honorary title or appellation for certain people — Ps. 82:6, etc. See chapter 9 of this book for an exposition of the word when used in its honorific sense.

[21] Christian Monotarians are biblically centered and embrace the Bible as the word of God. They believe in miracles, the virgin birth of Christ (Luke 1:34, 35), and that the man Christ Jesus was — by a miracle in Mary — literally God’s only begotten human son (Matt. 1:20). Christian Monotarians believe that it was by depending on his Father that Jesus lived a sinless life (Heb. 4:15); did great miracles (Acts 2:22; 10:38); spoke the word of God ( John 12:49, 50) and ultimately gave his life as a perfect sacrifice to God for the rest of us human beings (Heb 9:14; Rom. 5:6–10). They believe that Jesus was buried and then bodily resurrected by God (Rom. 10:9), was/ is glorified at the right hand of God (Acts 5:31); that he will come again (1 Thess. 1:10) and raise from the dead those who trust in him ( John 5:25–30; 1 Cor. 15:20–23).

In all of this, Christian Monotarians hold that Jesus, by the plan and work of God, was truly one of us: That he was the second Adam (Rom. 5:14). Just as God created Adam and made him a human being, likewise, God created his son Jesus in Mary as a true human being. Christian Monotarians believe that to bring salvation to the rest of humanity, Jesus himself had to be really one of us (Rom. 5:17–19): Not God, not a “God-man” — not an angel or “angel-man” — or any other kind of being. They believe that Jesus did not literally preexist his own conception in Mary and that language in the New Testament about his “preexisting” was intended to be understood as “types” (tupos) of the man Christ Jesus. Metaphorically, he was “bread” ( John 6:35) a “rock” (1 Cor. 10:4) etc. They believe that our hope in Christ and of our resurrection is that he, as God’s begotten human son, is genuinely one of us (Acts 17:31).

The term “biblical unitarian” typically refers to the same view of God as being only one individual. However, unitarians do not always embrace the same faith as Christian Monotarians regarding Jesus. As is the case at times among others who assert faith in Christ, some unitarians lean to rationalism at the expense of biblical faith and do not hold to his virgin birth, etc. Additionally, the term “unitarian” is often misunderstood by the public. Use of the term frequently leads to confusing “biblical unitarians” with “Unitarian Universalists” (“Universalism” or just “Unity”), which is an entirely different religion that is neither biblical nor Christian.

"I am the Lord. I am maker of everything.

I alone stretch out the heavens.

I spread out the earth by myself."

Hmmm... I heard tell that Jesus was preexistent, that Jesus is the "Word" that is referred to and Jesus did the creating. What gives?


Is it possible that Jesus was the created human Messiah - Son of God, Son of Man, Son of David and not co-equal with the Father as the innovative trinity doctrine espouses?


Is it possible that the "word" is the expressed wisdom, plan, and intent of the Father and not the preexistent Jesus, that "word" it is a verb and not a noun? You know... like "in the beginning was the word."


Is it possible that God is the One God, who alone is God, the same God that Jesus said was his God also? You know... like when Jesus said, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God" or when Jesus said, "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord".


You know...like that...

Heaven Is Not My Home- The Kingdom of God Is My Home

 

Heaven is the abode of the Father.

Heaven is not the abode of men.

The Kingdom of God will be the abode of men.

The Kingdom of God will be on Earth.

Prove me wrong... without using ad hominems.

The Dark Legacy of the Nicaean Creed

 

"The Nicene Creed is an example of what happens when unbelievers (like pagan philosophers and especially politicians, like Roman emperors) get mixed up in religion.

First comes confusion, since the Creed itself is replete with ambigous and contradictory language.

For example, the creed violates the later trinitarian formula of 3 distinct hypostasis in 1 ousia or 3 Persons in 1 Being or Substance. According to the noted church historian Richard Hanson, “for at least the first half of the period 318-381, and in some cases considerably later, ousia and hypostasis are used as virtual synonyms.” As a result, the creed condemned anyone who said “the Son of God is of a different hypostasis or ousia” from the Father. Yet, today trinitarians would charge you with blasphemy if you taught this section of the creed. Hanson adds that “Not many who have written upon the subject of the Creed of Nicaea have observed this serious difficulty presented by it.” “And in fact there were present at the Council people, such as Marcellus of Ancyra, who were quite ready to maintain that there is only one hypostasis in the Godhead, and who were later to be deposed for heresy because they believed this.”

So however trinitarians try to spin it “the Creed produced by the Council of Nicaea was a mine of potential confusion and consequently most unlikely to be a means of ending the Arian Controversy.” (thehumanjesus.org)

Click HERE for the full article.

"Who Is Himself A Man"

 "This is a worthy thing, and it pleases God our Savior, whose desire it is that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth - namely that there is one God and one mediator between God and man, Messiah Jesus, who is himself a man, who gave himself a ransom for them all, that testimony to be proclaimed at the proper seasons."1 Tim. 2:3-6

"A typical unitarian, non-Trinitarian statement about who the one God is. It reflects exactly the Jewish heritage of Paul and all NT writers. Mal 2:10 summarized this simple creed: "Do we not all have one Father? Has not one God created us?" God and Father are equivalent, as is true of 1300 occurrences in the NT. In Dan. 3:17, LXX the young men appealed to "our one Lord" and Jesus affirmed the unitarian creed of Israel in Mark 12:29 in complete agreement with a first-century Jewish scholar." Anthony Buzzard Commentary

Red Pill Gospel

In my newly found method of understanding the scriptures, that is to say-- setting aside all doctrines and creeds and searching the scriptures alone and asking questions aloud that may be anathema to the established bodies of modern Christianity, I have been introduced to several writers who are on a similar journey and who have reached similar conclusions about the untenable structure of cemented doctrines.

One such writer is Forrest Maready. It is apparent by his book, Red Pill Gospel, that he has little interest in appeasing religious entities who have set up unscriptural doctrinal structures as foundational Christian truth. It is also apparent that he has no fear of being called a heretic by the members of those entities.

I challenge anyone to read his book and refute with scripture its presentation that flies in the face of commonly accepted modern scriptural interpretation of the Trinity, Heaven, Hell, and the Kingdom of God. In doing so, you may be able to fairly call him any name you choose and save many from his maniacal devises to lead others astray from the established religious order- or you may find your religion ruined and its shaky tenants crumble at your feet. You may find as many have, as I have, a restoration of the Christian faith as it truly was once taught and believed before "...it was ruined by Christians."

A few excerpts from Red Pill Gospel-Christianity, Before it was ruined by Christians:

"Many believers-myself included-tend to romanticize the early church as what must have been an accurate reflection of the body of Christ. This is largely untrue. The early church was a complete mess with competing factions of Christianity that sprung up new branches at every turn. The denominational differences of Presbyterian and Baptist or Catholicism and Calvinism are nothing compared to the wild variants of Christianity that formed in the years after Jesus's resurrection. There was much confusion, and through misguided teaching--or simply an effort to survive--many of the factions forked and merged, absorbing and jettisoning competing ideologies along the way."

""...the gatekeeper mentality...is the notion that a certain person or group of people controls access to a very special revelation or understanding of God. Very few others are capable of this comprehension- only the gatekeepers..."

"The simple kingdom message which had originally captured the hearts and minds of thousands naturally and organically had been twisted into a shell of its former glory. Meanwhile, the failed attempts of...Calvinists and Catholics to square their man-made doctrine's diabolic authoritarian laws- drove them mad, leaving nothing but the memories of hundreds of thousands of dead men, women and children, most of them Christians."

"Over the past several hundred years the church has successfully lopped off half of the gospel message...The good news was not just the forgiveness of sins, but the coming kingdom of God..."

The Logos (Word) Error

"In the beginning there was God's grand design. and that declaration was with God, related to Him as His project, and it was fully expressive of God Himself." John 1:1

Footnotes: The NET Bible Commentary remarks on the meaning of "word" in Ps. 33:6-11: "The Lord's 'word' refers to the decrees whereby He governs His dominion." Only when logos in John 1:1 is made into a second Person, the Son, do all the problems arise. Jesus defined God in Mark 12:29. "The Lord our God is one Lord," not two or three! It would be a fatal contradiction to introduce a second "God, Person" in John 1. In John 17:3 Jesus was a strict monotheist declaring the Father to be "the only one {monos} who is true God {theos}." This is unitary not Trinitarian monotheism. Note Schonfield, Authentic New Testament: "In the beginning was the expressed concept." If we read "In the beginning was the SON" we make two who are GOD, and this breaks the fundamental and easy, express monotheism of Jesus (MK. 12:29; 1 Cor. 8:4-6) and the whole of the Bible. Sadly John 1:1 has been used to contradict Jesus in John 17:3 and the detailed birth narratives of Matthew and Luke, and the more than 1300 NT references to GOD the Father. There are thousands of references to God in Scripture as a single Person, defined by single personal pronouns. The moment someone else, the Son, is said to be God, two Gods are posited; the universe is "tinkered with" and idolatry is introduced (cp 1 John 5:20-21 for fair warning).

From: The One God, the Father, One Man Messiah Translation- New Testament with Commentary by Anthony Buzzard - Footnotes on John 1:1 Page 237

"Most churchgoers are unaware that what they receive in church as 'Bible' has been filtered to them through a lens of Greek philosophical thinking. This tradition adversely affects current Christian teaching, obscuring central aspects of the original belief of Jesus and the Apostles. Post-biblical councils did much to draw a veil over 'the faith once delivered.' Honest inquirers for the saving truth of Scripture will find this translation of the New Testament eye-opening. Most translations tend to 'read into' the biblical text ideas which were never intended by the New Testament writers."

Click To Purchase via Amazon

Jesus Was and Is A MAN

 

The Trinitarian Pledge of Allegiance

The Roman emperor Constatine screwed us, with a little help from his friends- the bishops.
 

The Trinity: It's No Mystery- It's A lie

 

Did Jesus Have a Split Personality?

The go-to answer of Trinitarians when Jesus shows that he is human: "That was the human part of him" or "That was the God part of him." 

The Word That Corrupted The Nicaean Council -Thanks To Constantine

 Homoousious

Biblical Math VS Trinitarian Math

Biblical Math: 1 + 0 = 1

"one": the lowest cardinal number; half of two.

Now, let's use ONE in a biblical sentence:

"Now there is ONE God and ONE Mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

"You believe that God is ONE. You do well; the demons also believe, and shutter."

"Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is ONE!"

+++

Trinitarian Math: 1 + 1 + 1 = 1

"three": equivalent to the sum of one and two; one more than two yet three equals one.

Interchangeable with

"trinity": a group of three people or things, but three equals one.

A few other helpful terms to understand Trinitarian Math:

"mystery": something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain.

"conundrum": a confusing and difficult problem or question.

"illogical": lacking sense or clear, sound reasoning.

"inconsistent": the formal name for a mathematical equation with no solution.

Now, let's use three/trinity in a biblical sentence:

The is no biblical sentence containing the word trinity. Trinitarians say that a trinity is inferred in the biblical texts- a biblical mathematical inference, so, let's use THREE in a biblically inferred sentence:

"Jim, Joe and Jesse were the three finalists in the math contest. He won."

Thus, the Trinitarian 1 + 1 + 1 = 1 is determined by a mysterious conundrum of illogical and inconsistent Biblical inference.

One final definition:

Webster defines trinity (noun) as: a group of three closely related persons or things, therefore a group is a thing or an it, not a person.

Conclusion: Trinitarian math would conclude that God is God, Jesus is God, and Holy Spirit is God. 

God + God + God = One God

...a group numerically consisting of three Gods which equate, mysteriously, to one God.

Recommended Reading: 

"Whether you are returning to school, studying for an adult numeracy test, helping your kids with homework, seeking the confidence that a firm maths foundation provides in everyday encounters, or trying to understand Trinitarian equations such as 1+1+1=1, Basic Maths For Dummies, UK Edition, provides the content you need to improve your basic maths skills and prevent years of psychotherapy."

Amazon.com: Basic Maths For Dummies: 8601200470758: Beveridge, Colin: Books

The Gospel According to Saint Trinitarian

Assuming the part where Jesus is fully God... 

YHWY, The Most High God, planned and prophesied for Himself to send Himself to Earth as his own son; agreeing with Himself, He volunteered Himself to His self to offer Himself in obedience to His self. Then, He impregnated a woman with Himself in order to become His Son - who was really just Himself - who prayed to Himself and begged Himself not to let Himself be crucified, before finally forsaking Himself and obeying Himself unto death to prove His loyalty to Himself. While dead, He resurrected Himself so that He could return to Himself to sit at His own right hand, and to serve as a mediator between mankind and Himself. With Satan's forces defeated in the end, He turns His kingdom back over to Himself, ruling alongside Himself forever. (Author unknown. Edits by Nathan Lee Lewis)

(And the other Himself, God the Holy Spirit, did stuff too and He, Himself, who is really just the other Selves, is somewhere at the end as well.)

To Be Deep In History Is To Cease To Be Orthodox

 The church of the first three centuries: or, notices of the lives and opinions of the early fathers, with special reference to the Doctrine of the Trinity; : Lamson, Alvan, 1792-1864 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Rape and the Holy Man - Part Two - Appeal of a Mother

Carol Stevens, the mother of the 15-year-old girl allegedly raped by Father Matthew Williams of Bristol, Virginia, sent this message to the ROCOR priest soon after becoming aware of the situation. She e-mailed the letter to JTO Editor, Nathan Lee Lewis, with the description:

"original reprimand to Matthew and Elizabeth. Forgive the grammar, I was still working night shift and home schooling."

[Editor's Note: The letter has undergone minor edits for grammar. punctuation and clarity. Paragraph breaks are Editor's discretion. Some names have been omitted for privacy and some content, unrelated to the event, has been omitted.]

"I have been trying to reach you over the past few days. [I] know that you now have a growing family and a growing church.[T]hat is why [I] thought you had been too busy to contact us or send things for the children on their name days. [Y]ou now have a sizable; family of your own. [A]nd [I] want to respect that. [B]ut the outrageous allegations of something really obscure keep popping up, never letting me rest. [T]his is something that keeps surfacing that has kept me in the dark for a long time. [A]nd what a way to find out -from my older children in front of my younger ones when [I] was supposed to be going to church [ ] last December,  and then, again, surrounding the event of [sibling's] graduation from homeschool highschool, when a lot of the family came together. [O]nly this time [I] was able to confirm the truth with [victim-daughter].

[I]t seems that you took advantage of [Daughter] when she was only 15 on one of her visits to help Elizabeth [Editor's Note: Elizabeth is Father Matthew's wife] with your children. Or maybe it happened more? [T]his was all common knowledge to the [my] older sons and daughters  --but hidden from me--because [Daughter] had confided in one of her older sisters, who was in turn outraged. [Y]ou don't realize what a great disturbance you have caused in my family. [W]hat a great breach of faith and trust. [T]here is nothing that could ever restitute what damage you have done to not only [Daughter], but to my children, the ones you were supposed to be godfather to. [I]t is an awesome task trying to raise children for Christ in this world of so many distractions and then with a spouse who is not always reasonable or supportive.[I]n the eyes of the older children who aren't faithful, the church has egg all over its face..and they doubt the credibility of all [I] have tried to accomplish at the [C]hurch of the [A]nnunciation all of these years. [Editor's Note: Carol and her family were members of Church of the Annunciation in Liberty, Tennessee, where the late Father Gregory Williams was a priest. Father Gregory Williams was Father Matthew Williams' father] 

[E]very vigil, every lit candle, every painstaking moment of schooling at home--all but thrown to the wind because of great indiscretion. [T]his is damage done more on an eternal scale. [I]ts repercussions so uncertain. [D]id you think that [Daughter] would live untroubled and never confide in anyone? [A]nd that [I] would never find out? [W]hat about your own sons and daughters? [W]ould [you] like for them to reap such devastation as you have caused us? [...] of so many distractions. [F]inding out about this right at the time when my youngest are coming of age is a great mocking of all that [I] have tried to teach them these years at the [C]hurch of the [A]nnunciation.  [I]t has disgraced the church in the eyes of my older children and has brought great reproach. [D]id you think that [Daughter] would never confide in anyone and that no one would get hurt?  [T]hat [I} would not eventually find out. [E]ven if [I] wanted to ignore this and forget the past[,] my older children are after me to check into this. [Daughter] doesn't want to drag this out so that she continues to be haunted by it. [S]he has had a lot of anxiety over this as a freshman and sophomore in college. [S]he allegedly tried to talk with another priest and a bishop and was told to keep quiet. [W]hat kind of a hierarchy is that?

[I] don't care if she were starry eyed and had a crush on you. [T]his kind of act [typo ommitted] constitutes statutory rape. [S]omething men go to prison for and are marked as sex offenders. [S]he was a minor.  [Sibling] and [Sibling] couldn[']t figure out at first why all of the sobbing and confusion.  [T]hey thought she had just slipped out of your house with a [17-year-old] boy [A]nd felt guilt. [T]hat is why [I] called you a few months back. You really did lie to me. [content omitted] [...] [Y]ou were the portrait of piety. [A]nd where was your wife to protect my little girl from all of this? [W]hy did [I] think [I]could trust you?  [I] don't necessarily want to bring such woe upon your children as you have [d]one to my own, but you need to know and own up to your actions. [Sibling] has blamed himself. [T]o what extent did this occur? [N]ow [I] see the reason for the silence and why [Daughter] didn't want to go to your parish for [P]ascha year before last and why you never called her. 

[N]ow [I] can say that two of my [grandchildren] were indirectly damaged because of this parish. [content omitted- allegations of sexual misconduct by a sibling of Father Matthew] [...] and you have to know that your actions hurt others lives and now as an officer of the orthodox faith how much more. [N]ow [Daughter]. [W]hen only 15 or even younger. [S]he was very troubled and unstable and had a nervous breakdown... and eventually stopped caring about church and the faith.  [W]hy should she if the people in the church are equal to those at large? [content omited] [...] [Daughter] may never set foot in the [O]rthodox church again. [S]he continued to sing in the cleros until 18 and then visited some after she moved to [city]. [I] was so proud to look at her when she was 18 one [P]ascha, when she was still living at home and attending [university] with [sibling]. [S]he was the picture of beauty and an honor student..what seemed to me a shining maid with her lovely veiling.  [L]ittle did [I] know of her troubled condition. 

[Y]ou need to face up to how your actions can hurt others [...]  [content omitted]  [...] [T]here are very few men of integrity to teach the young generation about God.  [I] thought you were different[.] [I] thought you were the makings of one with a beautiful wife at your side..an officer of the orthodox church. [W]hat about you.? You have confirmed in your own God children that God doesn[']t matter in the face of temptation. [Y]ou should never have been left alone with my [Daughter]. For this you deserve a great flogging.  And you can ignore all of my messages to call.  I would like an explanation from your wife and from you.  You can ignore me, but that [won't] make the reality disappear that you have done this to us. 

[J]ulianna"   [Editor's Note: Julianna is Carol's Steven's baptismal name]

On Muslims and Buddhists--Salvation Without Redemption?!

I recently heard in person a ROCOR Orthodox Bishop say in a homily, "Will a Muslim and a Buddhist be in heaven? Yes." He said that although their path is outside the church, God would judge them by their "conscience" and works. He did offer the caveat that the Orthodox church is the best way to become Holy...but others can attain that stature elsewhere. 

I engaged a priest in a subsequent discourse concerning the Bishop's words. The priest was also present at the Bishop's homily. I sought to glean clarification as to what the Bishop meant. Had he been misheard? Had I been the only one to hear what he said? Was this just an "English as a second language" issue. Even though the priest proposed that the Bishop was just teaching us not to judge others, he also said that the Bishop's words had "raised a few eyebrows." Looking at the literal meaning of the Bishop's words, it was difficult for anyone not to raise two eyebrows.

On the matter of the Bishop's words, I proposed this to the priest: CAN God receive a Muslim or Buddhist (who denies the Lordship of Christ and the ONLY path to Heaven through the shed blood and resurrection of Jesus) into heaven? Yes, He "CAN". But, does He? NO! This is not about the ability of God or of any man telling God what He can and cannot do. That is a Red Herring. To only use Old Testament - Old Covenant (of the law) references of the grace of God toward non-beleivers to suggest that God allows non-believers into heaven, belies the fact that the New Covenant of Grace is through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, and is now the ONLY path offered to all who BELIEVE. Yes, God extended his grace in different measures in the OLD Testament Covenant, but as far as I know, Cyrus the Great was the only one that God called "Blessed", and that was for his defense and protection of God's Hebrew people. Of course, it is possible that God will honor that man and bless him with eternal life, but where, in all of the Covenant of Grace, can we find one non-believer, especially those that are by their confession Christ deniers, who are given the grace to enter the Kingdom of God outside the confession of the only Christ, just because they do good things by their own "conscience"? Did not the Christ tell us of the Sheep and Goats and the destiny of each? 

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left..."

This is why I asked the priest as I did, "The Bishop said, "Will a Muslim and a Buddhist be in heaven? Yes." He said that although their path is outside the church, God would judge them by their "conscience" and works...that the Orthodox church is the best way to become Holy...but others can attain that stature elsewhere. Did I hear and understand him correctly? Does he believe that there is a way to heaven outside the acceptance of Jesus Christ and Him crucified?" 

As a doctrine, as the Orthodox faith, there is only One Lord. One Faith. One Baptism and this is the faith:

"Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge. Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own [Muslims- Buddhists], they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes.

For concerning the righteousness that is by the law, Moses writes: “The man who does these things will live by them. But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’(that is, to bring Christ down) or, ‘Who will descend into the Abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”
But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

It is just as the Scripture says: “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame. For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Anyone, be they Bishop or an Angel at the right hand of God who suggests that a Muslim or Buddhist's "conscience" or by inference, their righteous works, may gain him favor with God and entry into then Kingdom of God, void of the confessed Lordship of Jesus the Christ, is preaching the antithesis of the Christian Faith. If such were true then the blood of Jesus is made void and the words of Christ Jesus must be edited to read, 

"I am the a way, the a truth, and the a life and no man a lot of men comes to the Father but by me."

The priest initially said, "focus of your [my] question is a bit off as it pertains to the point of what he was saying." I asked him how that was so. He offered that the Bishop was just teaching us not to judge others. The priest also suggested that, in any case, there was a positive side to the event, that it would get us talking about salvation. I hoped with him that this incident may get us all talking about salvation, but I suggested that, if I, and as he seemed to suggest, others were concerned about what they heard, the conversation may focus on the heresy of a Bishop. I cannot nor should any parishioner or clergy commemorate or follow a Bishop who espouses a heresy of that order. It should be a deal-breaker and certainly is for me. 

If the Bishop was misunderstood and he issues a clarification, I hope it will include the whole of the topic of Salvation which includes the doctrine of Redemption. This seems to be the confusion of the matter regarding how salvation is applied to the Muslim or the Buddhist or to any other outside the Kingdom of God.

Father Michael Pomazonsky, in his book Orthodox Dogmatic Theology (Translated and edited by Hieromonk Seraphim Rose), answers this question quite sufficiently:

"In the preaching of the Apostles, especially worthy of attention is the fact that they precisely teach us to distinguish between the truth of the salvation of mankind as a whole, which has already been accomplished, and another truth-- the necessity for a personal reception and assimilation of the gift of salvation on the part of the faithful, and the fact that this latter salvation depends upon each one himself. Ye are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, writes the Apostle Paul (Eph. 2:8); but also teaches, Work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12).

Man's salvation consists in the acquirement of eternal life in God, in the Kingdom of Heaven. But nothing unclean can enter the Kingdom of God (cf. Eph. 5:5; Apoc. 21:27). God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him, and those who enter the Kingdom of God must themselves be sons of the Light. Therefore, entrance into it necessarily requires purity of soul, a garment of holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord (Heb. 12:14)."

Presumably, there are Muslims and Buddhists who have been redeemed but they became so by personally coming to Christ Jesus and therefore are former Muslins and former Buddhists and are now "sons of the Light." That is how they enter the Kingdom of Heaven, not through having a good conscience. 

Definition of conscience: the sense or consciousness of the moral goodness or blameworthiness of one's own conduct, intentions, or character together with a feeling of obligation to do right or be good.

"There is none good, no not one."

Sex and the Seminarian - A ROCOR Systemic Problem?

"...history shows he retreated out of sight and then show up ordained years later."

JTO  has investigated the ordination of a ROCOR deacon who was previously involved in a high-profile sex and drug scandal that made headlines. In this well-documented case, the married seminarian was expelled from an Orthodox seminary. His name and image appear on the POKROV.org website that tracks sexual misconduct among Orthodox clergy. His name and image also appear in at least one other place. He was a deacon for Father Samuel Seamans, the attacker mentioned in the article. Could this be why Father Seamans is somewhat sensitive to the posting of the article Rape and the Holy Man? The posting of the article has brought to light a second sexual offender in his own house, ordained by Metropolitan Hilarion. Not only is the newly ordained deacon serving in Father Seaman's church, but he is also serving at the annual youth camp.

"Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap. In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons."

Given that ROCOR later received this man into the deaconate, there seems to be a great confusion within ROCOR as to the right application of forgiveness and restitution of a clergy who has fallen. We are to restore a fallen clergy to the faith, in some cases after he has served his jail time for his criminal/civil offense. We are never to restore them as a member of the clergy. A Metropolitan's tender heart or personal preferences cannot override the scriptural and canonical requirements.

5. Pre‑ordination Moral Purity Apostolic 61 About those convicted of forbidden acts II 6; Carth. 50, 129 If any accusation be brought against a believer of fornication or adultery, or any forbidden action, and he be convicted, let him not be promoted to the clergy. 15 I Nicea 10 Concerning those who have denied the faith in persecution and have been promoted to the clergy Ap. 62; Anc. 1, 2, 12; Peter 10 If any have been promoted to ordination through the ignorance of their promoters or even with their connivance, this fact does not prejudice the church’s canon; for once discovered they are to be deposed. 16 Neocaesarea 9 About those who committed carnal sins before their presbyteral ordination I 9; VI 4, 21; Ap. 25; Carth. 16, 19; Neoc. 1, 8, 10; Bas. 3, 17, 32, 51 A presbyter who has been promoted after having committed carnal sin, and who shall confess that he had sinned before his ordination, shall not make the oblation, though he may remain in his other functions on account of his zeal in other respects; for the majority have affirmed that ordination blots out other kinds of sins. But if he do not confess and cannot be openly convicted, the decision shall depend upon himself. 17

Basil 3 About deacons who have committed fornication VI 4, 21; Ap. 25; Carth. 27; Bas. 32, 44, 51 If a deacon commit fornication after receiving the diaconate, he shall be removed from the diaconate, but after he has been reduced to the station of a layman he shall not be barred from communion. Wherefore there is an old canon that those who have fallen from their grade shall be subjected to this form of punishment only, the ancients following, as I think, the law, “Thou shalt not exact the penalty twice for the same offence (Nah 1.9)”; and also for another reason‑those in the ranks of the laity, after being expelled from the place. of the faithful, are again taken back into the place from which they fell, but the deacon once and for all incurs the lasting penalty of deposition. On the ground, therefore, that the diaconate is not restored to him, they have taken their stand on this punishment alone. These, then, are the conclusions from their decrees. But in general a truer remedy is withdrawal from sin. Thus he who for pleasure of the flesh has rejected grace, but by chastisement of the flesh and by complete subjection of it through continency has abandoned the pleasures whereby he was mastered, will furnish us a complete proof of his cure. We should, therefore, know both what is according to strict rule and what is according to custom, and in matters which do not admit of the strictest interpretation we should follow the decision handed down. 20

FROM ROCOR Policy: Decisions regarding any possible reassignment of a clergyman who has engaged in sexual abuse are made on a case-by-case basis. Reassignment to a parish ministry is rarely appropriate, although there may be ministries in which the clergyman can serve under supervision and subject to certain limitations. Because of the complex nature of each individual case, there can be no hard and fast rules about reassignment. However, when such decisions are contemplated, several factors are used in evaluating the possibilities of reassignment. Among these factors are the recommendations of the professionals involved in treating the clergyman, the feelings of the person who suffered the sexual abuse, and the availability of an assignment where the priest or deacon will be able to exercise ministry within appropriate limits. Care and concern will be given to altering the appropriate person or persons in a situation when and if a reassignment is made in order to ensure proper follow up.

And yet ROCOR did this:  

We have journeyed through our second Pascha and the blessings for us have been miraculous. On March 26, Fr. Dcn. James was ordained to the Holy Priesthood and Yianni Smyrni was tonsured and ordained to the Holy Diaconate as Fr. Dcn. Gregory. On April 16, Fr. Dcn. Seraphim was ordained to the Holy Priesthood. May they serve God in righteousness forever. Axios! On April 1, Avery McCoy (Grace), daughter of Chip and Julie Norris and Patricia Murphy (Zenaida) were Chrismated into the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. On May 20th, David Merritt and daughter Balla, Scott Thrasher, and Randall Davis are scheduled to be Chrismated. May God keep and protect His servants. We continue to focus on Orthodox education, with Mary Marston teaching the youth, and Fr. Dcn Gregory doing adult education every Sunday morning. Fr. Gregory also teaches a Wednesday evening class called “Orthodoxy Unplugged” where we explore the Patristic writers through a Sacramental lens. We are currently developing an 8 Week Catechetical Program for our catechumens which will launch in June.

It seems ROCOR's policy needs to be tightened up a bit.

• case by case basis? How about in any case one cannot be a ROCOR clergy?
• reassignment rarely appropriate? It should be never appropriate, period.
• no hard and fast rules? So, you appose your own Orthodox canons?
• recommendation of the professionals? Are you allowing outside "professionals" to decide?
• the feelings of the person who suffered the sexual abuse? How obtuse!
• availability of an assignment? If a place is open, we'll put him there? Roman Catholic much?

"Fr. Dcn Gregory" (Yianni Smyrni) was also allowed to serve at the summer youth camp for ROCOR and can be seen on video promotion of the camp. This, after his own children were temporarily removed from the home by child services and after a very public news article appeared in the local paper about his sexual misconduct and seminary expulsion.

Here is testimony of the 18-year-old girl's father. The father was a fellow seminarian of Yianni Smyrni. The father is now Father Christopher Moody and he made public comments on the nature of the event surrounding his daughter and family and ROCOR's mishandling of the matter. It seems this father's "feelings" mattered little to ROCOR.

Fr Christopher MoodySeptember 15, 2018 at 10:01 AM
I am the father of the girl who was abused by now dn Smyrni. The allegations are true. Secondly, he was a predator and waited till she was just 18. My daughter can testify of him doing this to others.He was sacreligious doing this during Paschal season. Two of my children were suicidal after this event. DN has never once admitted to wrong doing and hence is profaning the mysteries. Numerous witnesses will testify. Clerics are held to a higher standard. May God grant him repentance to at the least seek forgiveness from those he almost caused death. It is better for someone that a mill stone is hanged about his neck, our Lord said.



Fr Christopher MoodySeptember 15, 2018 at 10:05 AM
To you who say this is political please examine your spiritual compass. You sound like a catholic prelate covering up. Yes judge by fruits. Namely repentance which is first of all to reconcile with an offended brother and sister which he has not. Mt 18. Bibilcally absolution is withheld by a confessor till reconciliation is made.

Fr Christopher MoodySeptember 18, 2018 at 10:32 AM
Witness Nathaniel. I am an orthodox priest. I catch your sly intent there. My daughter was not a harlot. Both my children were suicidal after this occurred. This was not slanderous. I truly wish this did not happen. Let dn Smyrni take the stand. It will fold.There is no political motivation. Would you like to see the hand written letter of my fldaughter about this? Or perhaps you would like to talk to EVERY seminarian from that year group about the incident. I simply want him to at least seek forgiveness to reconcile per our Lords admonition. Unless of course you dont believe the biblical commandment.



Fr Christopher MoodySeptember 18, 2018 at 10:46 AM
Who are you anonymous? In contrast, My full name is fr Christopher Moody. I am an active duty chaplain. I will provide for you my daughters written testimony and letter given to fr. Webster and then to his eminence Hilarion regarding this. The dirt on dn smyrni was public record for 5 years. I had nothing to do with it on pokrov. Nothing. It was already there. I was aware of his ordination this way. It happened this way, I was translating st. Gregory Palamas, on a day off after we came in from the field training, when a friend saw dn smyrni at the camp alarmed he was back. This was not my doing. I then made inquiries to find out how this ensued. At the least dn smyrni, per mt.5, needs to reconcile with my daughter and children. Everything said is public record. There is no slander or defamation.

Your tone is disturbing. Lastly, this never came up because the time I approached him to reconcile he never responded, left town, and as history shows he retreated out of sight and then show up ordained years later. Thankfully my kids who were traumatized and suicidal after the event are still serving God.

ROCOR! Do you not know that “A little yeast leavens the whole lump of dough.”

https://www.facebook.com/ROCORWesternRite/videos/1102224813274739/?t=1
https://www.facebook.com/ROCORWesternRite/videos/1102219763275244/?t=0
https://www.facebook.com/ROCORWesternRite/videos/1101790739984813/?t=1
https://www.facebook.com/ROCORWesternRite/videos/1100136106816943/?t=0
https://www.pokrov.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/The-Wonderworker-Pentecost-2018.pdf
https://archives.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/un-orthodox-behavior/Content?oid=2145058
https://www.newsweek.com/priest-guilty-violent-sex-acts-children-orthodox-christian-youth-camps-783725

Boycott All Disney Products

If someone were to walk up to you on the street and ask for money to support the sexual indoctrination of your kindergarten through 3rd grade children in their schools, would you donate? No? Then, why would you donate in secret by funding Disney? Have nothing to do with the Disney Corp or its products.

"Flat Earth Is SOOO Stupid!"

The Biblical Earth: A Plane Not A Sphere

The Earth is: Not Spinning, Not Orbiting, Not Moving. #FlatEarth

Pardon and Prayer In The Oval Office

Open Our Eyes, Lord