San Diego's Antiochian Orthodox church surprises.

@refriedgringo Thanks for elaborating. I think, were we to meet, we would have a lot more to discuss than this comment forum will permit. If I'm following your argument, you're trying to say that man, not God, wrote the Bible, I would concede that man transcribed it. That doesn't mean it's not God's Word. I'm no theologian and I don't presume to "know it all", so I'll defer to Fr Anthony M. Coniaris on this issue: "When someone says, Prove God to me and I will believe,' we ask, 'What do you mean by proof? Do you mean logical proof? Is God a geometric theorem to be proved logically? Do you mean scientific proof? Is God a material substance we can place in a test tube and analyze? There are different kinds of proofs for different things.' As George Buttrick said, 'There is one kind of proof for potatoes, another for poems, another for persons, another for God.' The proof of God is to discover Him for yourself, not through logic or science but by faith, by surrendering your life to Him, by prayer, by repentance, through the Bible, the Church and the Sacraments. These are the tools we use to discover God who is Spirit and Truth. We use spiritual tools to discover spiritual truths. Faith in God is never irrational, never against reason; it is beyond reason; therefore beyond logic and beyond scientific demonstration. After all, if we could analyze God in a test tube and understand Him logically, He wouldn't be God. We would be God. He would be less than we are. We would be greater." -From "Daily Vitamins for Spiritual Growth VOL 1" by Anthony M. Coniaris (http://is.gd/xbFZ-) Let me just say I'm not trying to pass judgement on anyone and I'm sorry if I came off that way. I'm just trying to work at it everyday and get better. If you're truly interested in knowing more, I'd recommend seeking out an Orthodox priest and discussing things more with them. Perhaps even attend a few services. Thanks for your comments. God Bless.
— May 6, 2009 5:02 a.m.

San Diego's Antiochian Orthodox church surprises.

@refriedgringo Thanks for the applause. "I have it on pretty good authority that God didn't write a single word of the holy bible." Care to elaborate on that? I'm not sure I follow your point.
— May 5, 2009 11:31 p.m.

San Diego's Antiochian Orthodox church surprises.

@cherylynn Christ Is Risen! The cultures play an important role in how the Church grew up in this country. The Church was largely a cultural and social center and the Church part came second sometimes. But without those rich cultures we might not have a Church in this country today. That said, I know it can be discouraging at times when faced with the hard cultural lines. I'm 100%, cradle, 2nd generation, Greek Orthodox, and sometimes I am terribly frustrated our inability to open up to "outsiders". It's this inability that has stunted our growth in this country. The very tough challenge we are faced with is breaking down those cultural barriers in a way that honors those cultures so that the Church can continue to grow without any divisiveness. We need to do a better job of our Confessing/Witnessing/PR/Marketing, both individually and collectively because we have a Light that needs to be shared with all. If you're interested in more Christian history, there is a pretty good podcast, a sort of Christian History 101, by Fr Luke Palumbis here: http://gosaintbasil.org/media/podcasts/category/c…
— May 5, 2009 8:09 p.m.

San Diego's Antiochian Orthodox church surprises.

@ParisL I think you've missed his point. It's not about "their voice". It's about God's voice. The purpose of this article is to connect you with the Traditions of the Liturgical faith as given to mankind directly from Christ, which are practiced most closely to that original Tradition by Orthodox Christians. One thing this article doesn't mention is the fact that the Liturgy is COMPLETELY based on God's Word, Holy Scripture. There is nothing extraneous. Everything can be traced back to Scripture. So it is perfect because God's Word is perfect. That doesn't mean it's always executed perfectly, but you won't ever hear it asked, "Maybe we should use apple juice instead of wine next time?" or "Or maybe next time Jeff should read the Gospel instead of the Priest?"
— May 5, 2009 8:03 p.m.

San Diego's Antiochian Orthodox church surprises.

Christ Is Risen! (What the Orthodox faithful declare on Easter, or Pascha, in celebration of Christ's resurection). An interesting article. Thanks for writing it. It's a sad, but hopeful commentary on how we as Orthodox Christians need to a better job confessing our faith to others. Sad because it recognizes our complacency as Orthodox Christians, that so few know who we are. We are the Body of Christ, but we do a poor job of spreading the Word. It's evident in the fact that people have never heard of us, or think they have to be Greek or Russian or the appropriate ethnicity to attend our services. And it's just externally, either. I'm a 34 year-old, 2nd Generation, 100% Greek Orthodox Christian. I went to Church because my parents told me to. And they went, for the most part, for the same reasons. I went to Sunday school, but I didn't Bible read the everyday. I heard all the stories in Church, but I didn't know how they applied to my life. I received Holy Communion and was told what it was, but I didn't really feel bad if I missed one or two or even ten Sundays in a row. I definitely took my faith and the Church for granted. I would say it is only in the past 5 or so years, that I've really attempted to gain deeper understanding of my Christian faith and have taken a more active role in it. And as a result, I understand now more than ever why it's important to go to Church on Sunday; it's not to be entertained; it's not because my parents told me to do it; it's to be healed through union with God's Word; both the written Word (The Epistle and Gospel reading) and physical Word (Holy Communion). St John Chrysostom said it best when he said [paraphrased] "The Church is a hospital, not a courthouse".
— May 5, 2009 8:01 p.m.