Posted on 03/15/2011 11:08:09 AM PDT by Gamecock
Moscow, March 15, Interfax - The Moscow Patriarchate is fundraising for needs of Orthodox believers who suffered from the earthquake in Japan.
"We start collecting aid in Sts Martha and Mary Convent in Moscow. We're fundraising for needs of the country's Orthodox communities," head of the Synodal Department for Charities and Social Work Bishop Panteleimon of Orekhovo-Zuyevo told Interfax-Religion on Tuesday.
According to him, there is no any accurate and detailed information about damage inflicted to Orthodox churches in Japan.
"However, we know that some churches were badly damaged, one or two are destroyed," the bishop said.
Bishop Panteleimon added that his department fundraises together with the Synodal Department for External Church Relations.
"Means can be transferred to the accounts of the Synodal Department for Charities in rubles, dollars and euros. We will publish detailed information about donated money," he said.
To heck with the Pagans! < /sarc>
(I guess their Bible doesn’t include the account of the Good Samaritan.)
Perhaps the Russian church didn’t get the message.
http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=8283
“”The number of the Japanese who identify themselves with Orthodoxy equals to about 30,000 people.
The Japanese Autonomous Church was founded by St. Nikolay (Kasatkin) who came to Japan on 1861 on the decision of the Holy Synod. He founded and headed the Russian Orthodox mission in Japan in 1870. He translated the Holy Scripture and liturgical books into Japanese and built the Resurrection Cathedral in Tokyo.””
30,000?
From my limited understanding of the religious landscape of Japan that is a pretty good sized denomination.
If works are worthless, who cares? It's going to make no difference to my eternal destiny. I'm saved by faith alone. Done and done. Why should I bother? You insinooatin' that works have some value?
I often wonder what the sola fide crowd think when they read the parable of the Good Samaritan. Who was pleasing to God? Not the Levite nor the priest, who presumably believed and had faith but rather, the Samaritan who actually did something and helped the man who had been robbed. Are we therefore to believe that God would not reward him for his charity to his neighbor? I think not for Paul tells us that there are three things, faith, hope and love.........and the greatest of these is love.
Yes Felicity, faith without works, is useless.
**If works are worthless, who cares?**
It is worthless in the realm of justification. That’s where the Papists and various legalistic denominations get it wrong.
The new man will want to do works because of the love showed us. It is evidence to the outside world we are saved, but does nothing to improve our rightstanding before God.
This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men." -- Titus 3:7-8 "That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
First men are justified by Christ on the cross according to the will and purpose of God. Then they believe by the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit freely given to them, and from that faith comes good works, the fruit of the Spirit.
In other words, the Samaritan's help to the man who had been robbed, would go unrewarded by God. Which brings me back to my original question; why bother? I'd be with the Levite. Carry on walking. I'm already saved.
Which makes a mockery of the words of Jesus who commended the "mercy" shown by the Samaritan and instructed his listeners to do likewise. Apparently, when we show mercy to others, it makes no difference to our relationship with God.
Was Jesus just jerking them around, then? Did he forget to say...."Oh by the way, this won't help you one iota to enter into paradise..."?
Interestingly (lurkers take note), immediately after the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke, we have the story of Martha and Mary. This is the other side of the coin. Martha runs around busy, busy and Jesus rebukes her for not first sitting at the his feet like Mary.
We take from these two episodes in Luke the teaching that first comes our relationship with Jesus (we sit at his feet) and from this springs our works. Our works are therefore testament to our faith and are proof that it is real.
So yes, works alone are not salvific, but neither is a faith that smugly thinks that it need not be put into action. See James. Anyone who thinks that all that is necessary to attain paradise is to maintain a gut feeling of being saved........or else damnation.......is deluded.
We would say if there is no behvior change your profession is questionable.
In other words, the Samaritan's help to the man who had been robbed, would go unrewarded by God.
So is that your motivation?!? "To be rewarded by God for all your "good" works? If that is one's motivation I would worry about the underlying issue of greed.....
As it is written: "So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” Luke 17:10
So quick to judge.
You help the people you can reach through the people you can trust. If you hear reports of the Russian Orthodox Churches slamming their doors on the faces of the pagans, then judge them... after you’ve given all you have to the poor, as well.
Let's focus on the story shall we?
No. There will be reward for those good works we walk in. What Catholics appear to be confused about is just what the reward is. The rewards for good works in not eternal life. We have that already by our faith in Christ. There are additional rewards for works done by those who are saved.
For those who are not saved, good works are meaningless in regard to salvation. Sure, they make life more pleasant for everyone involved, but they don't contribute to attaining salvation.
I suspect they did get the message since their Eparchy here in America is part of the IOCC. The Moscow Patriarchate is raising the money within its own canonical territory. Likely it is coordinated with the IOCC.
Like I said: When they slam a door on a pagan searching relief, and you’ve given all you own to the poor, then you can judge.
Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” -- Mt 19:21
Although it may appear to be from the outside, that's not how it works with a born again Christian...
Apparently the salvific process for you guys includes the 'gut feeling' of getting saved while doing good works to add to your account...
A born again Christian knows that when we do good works, it is not us doing the works but Jesus Christ within us...
IF you all believe that was written for you, and you haven't sold everything you own to give away, any chance for heaven is out of your reach...
That is clearly what it says. This Scripture obviously does not mean what it says. Must be one of those “implicit” meanings that the RCC so often cites. But I am willing to wait for clarity on this...
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