Talk to your Orthodox priest

[TrainedLogosmotion]

Guys, I just want to stress this...

Many people on this forum mean well, but there is no substitute for sitting down in person and having a heart to heart with your Orthodox priest.

We should not rely on the text messages of this forum to overcome spiritual hurdles. It's dangerous.

 

[Pete345]

Therein lies the danger of "Internet Orthodoxy". Many inquirers come to such forums and get stuck on them for ages, just arguing points back and forth, like it's a debate club. That is not what Orthodoxy is. You must go to a church, experience the liturgy in person, speak to the priests or monks, and be involved personally. Orthodoxy is not an intellectual battleground, it is a living faith that must be experienced in person. But in the Information Age, everyone thinks they can feed at the information buffet and pick and choose what interests them, from afar, but never assuming personal risk our accountability for anything.

 

[Lawrence87]

Agreed. I try to stress this in my posts.

The problem is despite our best intentions, the nature of the internet is that you get a range of opinions. So people are at liberty to pick the one they like the sound of.

When you speak to your priest you get one opinion and it is both based on personal knowledge of you and its not necessarily what you want to hear

 

[SirSeabass]

I think this goes without saying, anyone who is serious about their faith and salvation will always seek a living and real experience in the Church. I have never seen anyone on this forum suggest that anything on the internet could be a substitute for a priest or his shepherding. People who are "Online Orthodox" are Orthodox in name only (if even that) and it is up to them to sort out their salvation and be joined to the Church. I have never seen here or elsewhere on the internet in Orthodox circles where talking to a priest and joining a local parish is not extremely clear and upheld.

 

[Roosh]

Yes I do wonder how useful it is to have an Orthodox section on an internet forum outside of sharing news, links, and favorite videos. Then again, if an inquirer needs help, I think we can at least steer them in the right direction. Many don't seem to know how to take the first steps.