Fr Chuck

Most likely missing out sending them the 5 or 10 dollars they want for a piece of cloth. The use of a cloth, taken to be used for healing was done and is still done by 1000's. It like many other things can be a blessing, if you are told by God to do it, But like all things, many use things like this for fund rasiing.

Welcome, I hope you enjoy the boards, I find them of great interest. Chuck

With many in his groups, wanting to take over the number one spot, he will be lucky if they wait for him to die to bury him.

IN many ways, we often have to re-look old treaties after new methods and more modern weapons have been developed. And honestly, who beleives we don't already have weapons in space ???

It is a sad situation, and obviously a mentally ill person, that while deserves prison, also needs mental help ( and to find a relationship with Jesus)

Yes, my son did 2 tours of duty in the Middle East and was in the first group to enter Iraq at the start of the War. He said there were few non believers in the middle of the fighting. The only sad thing, while some keep thier new found faith, often it is forgotten soon after the danger is past.

I have always been upset with the large profit made on so many of these items. A DVD that can be copied for under $1.00 and sells for 30 dollars has always been issues. Our church tries hard to offer everything etiher at actual cost, or free.

I would also say that one set of bones does not a entire race make. The idea that his could have merely been a mutated person never seems to cross anyones mind. In the most part, even today, in many areas there are serious birth defects that could cause all sorts of fossil remains latter.

There are many denominational people that only do communion once a year. Because it was a catholic practice to have communion at every service, many of the newer fundalmentalist refuse to do it as often because the prefer to not follow customs and traditions. The bible is clear they did it often. It could be, because of the fact the pastor is a lay minster and beleives communion has to be done by only a ordained minister. This is a very commom custom. I was at a Methodist church last month that did not have communion on the Sunday they normally had it, because only the local pastor was there, and the Ordained pastor was not there to bless. Even though I am ordained, I am not ordained in the Methodist Church so I was not allowed to bless the communion. You may wish to sit down with the church leaders and have them explain thier understanding and your new churches rules for given, who and when about communion

You can be healed from any physical and mental desease and condition know and unknown to mankind. Why are few healed, lack of faith normally. More are healed in third world countries because they are not smart enough to know they can't be healed, and they actually accept and beleive it. I have seen all sortsof healings from so many things. God is wonderful.

I will hope that this is not a serious question, since even drinking to a point that is in any excess is wrong. Drinking to a point of being drunk is not only wrong but harmful to your body.

Actually no, you are not a Christian, since you don't beleive and have faith in Jesus Christ as your personal savior. You have knowledge of Christ, and have decided not to accept him, but to follow the beleifs and desires of the world. You refuse to beleive that anyone not accept Christ will not be saved because you refuse to accept and do not wish to admit you are doomed without Christ.

Did not see it, but have lived though some real ones, it can be very shocking

smells for the sake of smells are fine, Bibically flavored oils and scents were used by the rich in the bible for various reason. But as in anything, things can be used wrongly. Smells can help with moods, moods can help in feelings, and feelings in both health and activites. Just don't let that smell be chittlings.

What you are wanting is fortune telling, which is not bibical. God does allow some the gift to know the future, but only for the well being of the church or its people, not normally for personal gain or use. God does speak to us, he allows us to know what is right and wrong, he gives us insight into proper behavior and the will of God. The best way he speaks to us, is though his word, The Bible, it gives us so many answers to our problems. You are asking the wrong questions to God for the wrong reasons.

Birthdays were just not celebrated. During the life time of Jesus, and for a long time after the NT period, birthdays were not celebrated. Not really that I know of any reason not to, but just no reason to. The events in your life and the religious days were celebrated. A side note, wedding rings for example were banned from any Christian wedding for 100's of years in the early church, it was not till the 8th centurty that Chrsitians were allowed to use them because of thier pagan connections. It was just that things that we see today as having importance had little value in those times.

Obviously you do not know the history of the early church, the forming of the various church leadership and that Rome was not during alot of the early church the leading center of the Church. But the early church is well know from the writtings of many of the early church fathers, and the cannons as written by these councils. The history of the Eastern Orthodox church well tells us of this history, and it is a fact, that sadly too many christians either fail to know, or prefer to deny since it will not match thier desired beleifs.

Any Christian who reads the Bible will know that homosexual behavior is a sin. And any sexual behavior outside of marriage is also a sin. Hate, stealing are all sins. There is alot of sin but with Christs help we stay strong and are not tempted when sin trys to enter our life. As for Christians who claim it is OK, or you have do what is right for you. They are not really Christians, since they refuse to accept the word of God.

I will again address the issue of infant baptism, since it appears so many are missing what the bible does say, and assuming things on what it does not say. The bible never directly says to, or not to. It does tell us that entire households were baptiised. So from that, it should, ( and why people will not accept it, beats me, except it was a Catholic beleif and so many people try to hard to be non catholic) But it was done in the Bible, it was done always by the early church. It was one of the very first cannons of the early church ( that is church law) And its practice has been continued by both the Church of the East ( Orthodox) and the Church of the West ( Catholic) who were the two parts of the orginal church. The teaching has not been changed in the Orthodox church since it was first done in the early church, baptism of infants and adults by immersion. The church of the East ( Catholic ) changed it from immersion to pouring long ago. Far too many people refuse to learn, read, or accept the teachings of the early church, but who better to know what and how things were done that those that were living though it, or had the knowlede of what was done.

Well of course, to most Hell will be more of a place that consists of existing without any knowledge and feeling of Christ. And the pit of fire is where Satan and the demons will be sent. But in any event, the answer is clear, if a person has not accepted Christ as thier savior, they will not go to heaven. Will there be levels of punishment for those that don't accept God but judged by thier works??? perhaps, but hell is hell basic no matter what. So a person, no matter how good and great they are, is not gong to be in heaven, by works, by faith in another god, or by thier own merit. It is only one way, and the bible is very clear on it.

One of the more interesting customs I find in many of the very Eastern Orthodox, is that there is no sitting for the entire serivice. Only a few seats allow a wall or two for the sick or elderly. And of course the various icons that can be used and available. Of course many of the Eastern Orthodox have adapted Western Customs, even in the native lands, and do now have seating. I noticed this in one of the Coptic Orthodox churches. But before you go, you may wish to check to see which service is in what lanague. It is wonderful in any, but better if in a language you understand. Many of the churches, rotate between native tounge and english, Also the America Orthodox is a growth for those that have lost alot of thier ethinic heritiage but still want an Orthodox faith. And of course for converts to the Orthodox Church that would not really fit in a ethnic church. And one warning, not everyone using the term Orthodox is really Orthodox, as in Eastern, or Western style. There is one Church in Atlanta, that was called ( I beleiver) African Orthodox, they were not Orthodox, as a matter of fact they were not really even Christian. They were a black power group formed to teach that all whites are devils and that the black jesus would come to save them from the whites. And any blacks that helped or dealth with the whites would also be doomed. I walked into that church on a visit, thinking it was a Orthodox church from Africa. I did not stay too long.

First when one is preaching, they have to be sure not to preach from a book that may offend or not be accepted by others, this gives them a poor example of ministry. But for general reading of a person who does not know anything about the word of God, any version is better than no version. And for those that have little education perhaps they can not properly understand a more complex text. But the issues are, that almost all of the version after the KJV has tranlations issues that can lead a person into incorrect Bibical beliefs. So while reading a bible of any type is better than none, since it can lead to salvation, if that faith is tainted because of falsue beliefs, it can lead to incorrect beleifs in that faith.

you only repent if you are sorry for what you did, you can not repent of something you are not sorry for. You can confess something, but that is not repentance.

A church pastor can also be different from also having a gift of "preaching" A pastor has to be an administrator, a business leader, and spiritual leader. But often he should know when he needs others to also be the speaker. Often churches need more than one pastor who can fill various needs of a church.

As an Orthodox Bishop, I would say that the world ( esp America) has forgotten we even exist. The protestant faiths because of thier hatred of Rome, rejected so many of the Bibical truths and teachings of the early church because they consider them 'Catholic" But they were not, since many were adapted by the Eastern Church while both East and West were one church. Too many Christians today are blind or have been trained to beleive that Tradition of the Church is a bad thing. The beauty of the Church, its tradition and its faith could mean so much to todays churches if they would merley be open to accept "old" ideas. +Chuck