High Demand Religions?

[Josh]

"If a man pray with his shoulder's unsuspendered it is anathema" - 1 Barabbas 3:32.

Jokes aside, this is a tremendous point. There is barely any unity, but weak cells of randomness. Too busy infighting, and forgetting Matthew 28.

So far, no two Mennonite countries have declared war on each other. We don't have Mennonite bishops & ministers blessing their soldiers to go out in the battlefield and shoot each other.

[mrbilliam]

I forget, you have to spell it out as people do not know of other religions much. Yes fasting from certain foods Wednesday & Friday.
And yes, most EO do practice all of these things.

EO doesn't work like Menno churches in "church standards" sort of ways. All EO Christians really do follow Great Lent and the Nativity Fasts. Cheesefare Sunday (Malenitsa) marks the beginning of Great Lent - churchwide.

mrbilliam, I have worked with EOs and at one point was business partners with one in a bar/nightclub. I can assure you there was no fasting going on Wed. & Fri. except right around Easter. That was it. There was also an icon placed by the cash register, for good luck.

Mennonite churches do have one standard: we have a standard against requiring priests country-wide to pray for "victory for Holy Russia" in the war against Ukraine. Half of your purported membership of EOs is the Russian Orthodox Church/ROCOR. Are you really defending that?

Josh...

Just don't go there. Trust me. Don't go there. I've known my fair share of EO's. Yes they do practice that, and Anabaptists plenty visit bars and nightclubs. Russia doesn't speak for the entire church, they are only 1 patriarchate and right now tensions are very high.

Why is it when the argument is lost, slander begins?

We have failed at reaching cities. Other churches have done a much better job. Period.

[Josh]

Josh...

Just don't go there. Trust me. Don't go there. I've known my fair share of EO's. Yes they do practice that, and Anabaptists plenty visit bars and nightclubs. Russia doesn't speak for the entire church, they are only 1 patriarchate and right now tensions are very high.

Why is it when the argument is lost, slander begins?

We have failed at reaching cities. Other churches have done a much better job. Period.

Russia is half of the Eastern Orthodox population that you were proudly proclaiming means they've done such a great job of evangelisation... I guess you could say they did, back during the Baptism of the Kievan Rus in 988. Since then, it has been an ethnic faith and a state church.

And that state church is doing exactly what I said above: HALF of Eastern Orthodox church practice includes as part of their weekly liturgy to pray for the military victory of Holy Russia against Ukraine. That is reality.

This is not slander. If I have spoken lies or mistruths, point them out. If you continue to claim this is false, I will be happy to start citing sources.

And no, most ethnic/cultural EOs don't keep any of those strict fasts. Like JM said, I know because I used to go to lunch with them. The only time being EO seemed to be a big deal was when it was time for a wedding or Easter / Christmas. This isn't meant as a criticism - this is just the reality of what standard RCC and EO practice is.

[MaxPC]

Why is it when the argument is lost, slander begins?

We have failed at reaching cities. Other churches have done a much better job. Period.

Amen and spot on.

[Valerie]

"If a man pray with his shoulder's unsuspendered it is anathema" - 1 Barabbas 3:32.

Jokes aside, this is a tremendous point. There is barely any unity, but weak cells of randomness. Too busy infighting, and forgetting Matthew 28.

So far, no two Mennonite countries have declared war on each other. We don't have Mennonite bishops & ministers blessing their soldiers to go out in the battlefield and shoot each other.

Perhaps not, there's no such thing as Mennonite countries. I never even heard of Mennonites till I was into my 30s.

The Israelites were blessed by God in wars I don't think your familiar with Olt Testament. Different interpretation will guide different practices

[Josh]

Perhaps not, there's no such thing as Mennonite countries. I never even heard of Mennonites till I was into my 30s.

The Israelites were blessed by God in wars I don't think your familiar with Olt Testament. Different interpretation will guide different practices

Valerie,

Do you really think it reflects God's will for the church to have Ukrainian priests blessing soldiers to go out in battle, and then Russian priests praying for "Holy Russia" to be victorious and then blessing their soldiers, who then go out and kill each other, firing bombs, drones, guns, artillery, blowing each other up to bits?

[Valerie]

Perhaps not, there's no such thing as Mennonite countries. I never even heard of Mennonites till I was into my 30s.

The Israelites were blessed by God in wars I don't think your familiar with Olt Testament. Different interpretation will guide different practices

Valerie,

Do you really think it reflects God's will for the church to have Ukrainian priests blessing soldiers to go out in battle, and then Russian priests praying for "Holy Russia" to be victorious and then blessing their soldiers, who then go out and kill each other, firing bombs, drones, guns, artillery, blowing each other up to bits?

Based on wars throughout old testament I am not surprised. They see it differently than Anabaptists. Will leave that in God's Providential hands, God is a God of war.

[Josh]

Based on wars throughout old testament I am not surprised. They see it differently than Anabaptists. Will leave that in God's Providential hands, God is a God of war.

... Valerie, these are two Eastern Orthodox countries. That is the predominant religion in both places.

The Old Testament doesn't have God's people invading another country of, well, God's people, with God's blessing on both sides of the war. Does it?

[Valerie]

Based on wars throughout old testament I am not surprised. They see it differently than Anabaptists. Will leave that in God's Providential hands, God is a God of war.

... Valerie, these are two Eastern Orthodox countries. That is the predominant religion in both places.

The Old Testament doesn't have God's people invading another country of, well, God's people, with God's blessing on both sides of the war. Does it?

No- but I think that Russia sees Ukrainian leader as globalist (which he is) and leading country astray. It's pretty complicated.
Will let God judge.

[Soloist]

Jokes aside, this is a tremendous point. There is barely any unity, but weak cells of randomness. Too busy infighting, and forgetting Matthew 28.

I’d rather argue over women’s shoes then kill my brother.
There really is no comparing.

As for slandering when losing the arguments… what exactly do you think you’ve been doing this entire time?