And you don't suppose that the Sumerians were the ones who were deceived by the Watchers? I've already shown you that older does not equal more accurate with the comparison of Noah's Flood and Utnapishtim. What greater way to lead men from their creator by altering stories through the tinted lenses of 20th century UFO lingo so they can make the feint in admitting they are the bad guys, but "truly" are our creators. If they can't impress us by their power to lead us into worshiping them, they can appeal to our egos by making us think we are beyond God. I don't suppose it has occurred to you that the people who often spew this theory are channelers like Icke and Maxwell? Zecharia Sitchin also had ties to the Vatican and his research is revisionist garbage.
Now I would like to address the "Evils of the Church" shpiel. It is partially true, but only through a warped entirely western understanding of Christian history. I'm not calling you ignorant, it's part of our society to be cognitively dissonant of the East and to think that the Early Church was Roman Catholic. This weekend I checked out the Christian section of Barnes and Noble, they had an entire aisle of Christian books and not one had anything to do with the Eastern Church. Nothing. Anyways I digress.
The Patriarchates of the Early Church (Pre-Schism)
1. Jerusalem
2. Antioch
3. Constantinople
4. Rome
5. Alexandria
The Patriarchates that Remained Orthodox After the Schism
1. Jerusalem
2. Antioch
3. Constantinople
4. Alexandria
Perpetrators of the Crusades: Roman Church (victims: Orthodox)
Genocide of the Cathars: Roman Church
First heretic killed: in Rome
Inquisition: Roman Church
Vice grip control of Europe: Roman Church
Protestant Reformation: Never would have happened if the Roman Church wasn't abusing it's power
Counter Reformation: Roman Church
Infallible supremacy of one man in a ridiculous fish hat over all of Christendom whether he helped pedophiles go free of not: Roman Catholic belief
This is not to say that heretics have never been killed under the banner of Orthodoxy. I believe the Paulicians were killed by a supposedly Orthodox Emperor/Empress, but the Church has never done more than declare anathema on heretics. Censorship is another misunderstood concept in regards to the Church. The Orthodox would not let their flock use false gospels like Thomas and Judas, but anathematized heretics would not be under their jurisdiction. In fact you can find gnostic gospels being read among Syrian Christians who have been neighbors to the Orthodox for ages.
Most importantly you must understand that proponents of "just war" and "verily burning thee hereticks to crispy bits" are localized to the west among people such as Blessed Augustine (not a Saint, but we like his devotional works) and Thomas Aquinas.
"Christians above all men are not permitted forcibly to correct the failings of those who sin. Secular judges indeed, when they have captured malefactors under the law, show their authority to be great, and prevent them even against their will from following their own devices: but in our case the wrong-doer must be made better, not by force, but by persuasion"- St. John Chrysostom (whose Liturgy is celebrated in Orthodox Churches most Sundays)
edit on 1-6-2011 by kallisti36 because: (no reason given)
edit on 1-6-2011 by kallisti36 because: (no reason
given)
