:: St. Stephen's Musings ::

:: Wednesday, September 24, 2003 ::

Christianity Began in the 16th Century, Don't You Know!

I started to do an in-depth analysis of this site, optimistically thinking that the author was attempting to honestly and thoughtfully engage the Orthodox in dialogue. Silly me.

So rather than post my original thoughts and research, I'll leave you to chuckle over the two most outlandish claims made on the website of this alleged "ex-Orthodox." Here is the first:

"The Eastern Orthodox Church teaches that its rituals are handed down from eons past, in holy reverence with great care taken to preserve the original and authentic liturgy of the past. The historical record constantly contradicts this, and continues to demonstrate that most of the Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church dates to not earlier than the 1600, even after the time of the Protestant Reformation."

Somebody should tell St.'s John Chrysostom, Basil, and James that they only *thought* they lived in the 4th century. In reality they lived in 16th century Germany like every other Christian who ever walked the face of the earth. Those poor, deranged Byzantines: if only they would have known that for all those centuries their liturgies were actually brought back in time from the 16th century by aliens....

But my favorite is this gem:

"The Eastern Orthodox Church fosters the impression that the Orthodox Church of American is independent or "auto-encephalitic" (their term - not ours), without disclosing the fact that the Orthodox Church of America is little more than a rubber-stamp of the Greek Orthodox Church ruled as an Autarchy from Mt. Athos."

Goodness sakes! Somebody tell Metropolitan Herman and the gang that the hesychasts are secretly controlling their minds! Yo, OCA! It's a trap...Run!!

:: Karl :: 2:45:00 PM [Link] ::