Hi postodave,
Let me clarify: by withdrawing, I mean ceasing to do lots of posting, and especially avoiding debate, because debate is only possible when a person is seeking truth. Otherwise it's just big headaches and going around in circles. Many of us probably spend more time than we ought on the computer, and I am no exception. I have a family, 3 kids.
But there are some great posters here, I especially get a kick out of Stanley (a very thoughtful and eloquent man, at least on paper), and Karen and Theo also write some really interesting stuff, and others as well. I can see dropping and and occasionally reading and posting, but feel that there's a limit to what I can do here.
Like I said, I've found a Church that has continued Apostolic tradition for 2,000 years. I would hesitate about making any categorical statements about it; certainly there have been scandals and breaks even in the Orthodox Church (the Old Believers, for example - speaking of which, I met some the other day and thought how stupid it is that we can't just all worship in the same church). But for me personally a huge litmus test is how much a church bends to accommodate the world, and frankly, everyone is doing it, that is, all churches, to greater or lesser degrees, have changed or in general actively modified their teachings, particularly over the last 150 years. Baptists more (I say this as an ex-Baptist) and Catholics much less.
Except the Orthodox Church.
I don't have all the answers; I'm a pretty simple guy. But I trust that the Church does have the answers. I would pose your thoughts about Maximus to people who've spent more time studying this and know where to find the answers,
which the Church already has.
I find it totally illogical that believers with a mere 20, 40, or 60 years of experience could find those answers, often not knowing ancient Greek and Hebrew (or other foreign languages period), or specifics of the cultures in which the Scriptures were written, or how translations affect interpretation of Scripture, yet many people believe in their own self-sufficiency to interpret Scripture. One dinky example - what does the word "brother" mean in those ancient languages, or even modern ones such as Russian? This is one of the bases on which people assert that Mary had other children after Jesus. Yet I know from my own experience that in many Eastern languages, 'brother' also includes cousins, literally. I have to struggle (I teach English to little Russian kids using only English) to get it clear to kids that in English, 'brother' and 'sister' does NOT include cousins. This makes it clear to me why you can't just take Bible verses and assume you fully understand what something means (even more to battle using Scripture and make points with it).
The point is that we don't live long enough to learn what we would need to learn to understand Scripture on our own, and our Enemy does not have such a problem. That is why there MUST be a Church, not a building, not just people who live and die, but an entity that marches through time, to use Lewis's expression. From that standpoint, Sola Scriptura, the idea that all I need is the Bible, doesn't work (as if the Bible fell from heaven ready to go).
Upshot, I'm not seeking because I've found the True Church. Other churches have parts of the Truth, and if they don't want to find more, God bless them. I believe that many people will be saved without ever having set foot inside an Orthodox Church. I trust in God's mercy. But that's why I'm not going to argue with anyone here.
Oh, I read only summaries of Schaeffer - I can't readily get books in English from here (Russia), but the impression is somewhat aggressive and perhaps arrogant. I can't say for sure. I don't want to attack other faiths. Only explain why I can't believe them. Why I couldn't return to the Baptists.
Anyway, learning about the best kept secret on the planet - the Orthodox Church - is an education unto itself. I encourage you to take a look. If nothing else, it will make it easier to talk to people like me (don't know as there are all that many like me, but...). That link to our Open Cafe
http://www.christianforums.com/t2911851 ... cient-way-[open]-caf might be a good place to start. Or just go to
www.oca.org
Or meet with a local Orthodox priest! (Best option, but most internet surfers won't go for it)
I'll still pop my head in periodically, and I'll answer any questions or whatnot. Like I said, some fun people write here!
God bless!
"Eh? Two views? There are a dozen views about everything until you know the answer. Then there's never more than one."
Bill "The Blizzard" Hingest - That Hideous Strength