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To: Kolokotronis
From an Orthodox point of view, they were indeed “practical atheists”.

True. There is really no practical difference between a pantheist, a deist, and an atheist. Exponents of monism (a kind of pantheism) sound like raving atheists most of the time. Deists sound like raving atheists when they talk about religion. In this regard it is interesting to examine the history of theology in 19th century Britain. We see Christians slowly giving up their Christian identity, and adopting the phraseology and posturing of deists and monists. And in some cases ridiculing "old-fashioned" stuff like piety and devotion Why? I suppose they wanted to seem hip with the times. Monism and Deism were identified with a new hip scientifically enlightened attitude. Miracles were out, chemistry and the periodic table were in. Forget the 10 commandments, we have Boyle's law. Science, scientists, and those who talked like scientists were the new idols and prophets. The 19th century was certainly one of the darkest eras of theology and human thought in general. We are inheritors of their problems.

45 posted on 06/29/2008 12:37:52 AM PDT by Ethan Clive Osgoode (<<== Click here to learn about Darwinism!)
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To: Ethan Clive Osgoode

“In this regard it is interesting to examine the history of theology in 19th century Britain. We see Christians slowly giving up their Christian identity, and adopting the phraseology and posturing of deists and monists.”

Yet there were also, in those days in England, great theologians, patristic theologians really, bishops like J.C. Ryle, who likely would have agreed with your observation, btw.
As for reaping today what was sowed then, I think you are exactly right, but our problems in the West go back further than the 19th century, to the enlightenment at least.


46 posted on 06/29/2008 3:32:47 AM PDT by Kolokotronis (Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated)
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