Cyprus-Forum.com

[Rodosthenis]

Visit http://www.oodegr.com/english/index.htm to find out

[unique_earthling]

well, i am sorry but i dont believe in organised religions, i believe they were invented to control the people, and if the fat pappas and bishops are supposed to be emmisaries of God with their childish actions, and every deadly sin known to the bible, i would rather be emmotionally spiritual and intelligent than those ignorant and stupid people, whose huge egos have lack of understanding of Gods words and precepts anyway, certainly would not make me want to join the supposedly Christians.. Most people pray in the morning and fornicate with their mistresses in the afternoon. Sorry hypocrits dont do it for me..

[reportfromcyprus]

Arguments and dogma get in the way of real understanding of spirituality, this site is too simplistic to get into any depth or meaning. And what's with the design?

[unique_earthling]

[color=darkblue](quote) Cyprus mail..In an October 27 statement from the ‘Press Office of the Honourable Kykkos Bishop’, the Kykkos Bishop accused the Paphos Bishop of “continuing his favourite tactic of abusing and slinging mud at all of his brothers in Christ who do not agree with his arbitrariness and illegalities”, and of taking it upon himself “to abuse, undermine, defame and sling mud at the Kykkos Bishop to lower his honour and esteem.”

In 2000, the Paphos Bishop was seen as having spearheaded an effort to mar the growing reputation of the Limassol Bishop Athanassios by accusing him of homosexuality. The Limassol Bishop, who had relinquished his monastic duties at Greece’s Mount Athos for a post in the Cyprus Church, had a strong and committed following on the island, and it was believed that he would be a leading candidate for the throne should elections arise.

archive article - Thursday, July 27, 2006)

THE DISHING of dirt has begun, signalling the official commencement of the campaign for the election of a new Archbishop. In the last few days we have read about a priest offering sexual favours to a young man (pictures were even published in Politis, for some inexplicable reason), of a conspiracy by the Holy Synod, allegedly, aimed at undermining the election prospects of the hot favourite, and of a bishop taking pensioners on excursions to win their support in the elections.

In Cyprus it is not atheists, non-Christians or even rivals of Orthodoxy who bring the Greek Orthodox Church into disrepute – it is the bishops themselves who seem incapable of behaving with any dignity or restraint.

With two months to go before the elections, the start of the mud-slinging was only a question of time. The pictures of a Limassol Bishopric archimandrite; allegedly (they may have been doctored) involved in a sexual act with a man was a perfect illus[color=darkblue]tration of how the campaign will be conducted.

archive article - Friday, July 16, 2004)

AFTER an extended ceasefire, Cyprus’ bishops resumed hostilities this week, exchanging salvoes against each other through the media. At least this time the public bickering did not centre on allegations of sexual misconduct as it had done a couple of years ago when the exchanges lasted several months.

The latest row follows claims by the Bishop of Kitium that the terms of reference of the committee investigating the financial dealings of the Archbishopric and minutes of the Holy Synod meeting had been altered, implying that this suited the Bishop of Paphos. After making the charges he walked out of Monday’s Holy Synod meeting, threatening to seek the intervention of the Patriarch of Constantinopole.

KYKKOS Bishop Nikiforos yesterday invited his Paphos counterpart to a meeting where the two clerics would resolve any issues between them.

His invitation came a week after Politis published the transcripts of a conversation that Bishop Chrysostomos of Paphos had with his supporters.

Among other things, Chrysostomos suggested that Nikiforos was on a power trip, and expressed regret for his initial decision to back him for the bishopric.

The outspoken Paphos bishop added that he was sorry he had failed to listen to the advice of a friend, who said Nikiforos’ family had “bad DNA”.

Speaking at a news conference yesterday, Nikiforos, who is tipped to replace the ailing Archbishop, said he was saddened that the remarks had also been aimed at his family.
“It is with pain of heart that I was informed about the reports in the press; I was especially saddened by the fact that this time, the negative and offensive remarks by my beloved brother, were not confined to myself, but they also targeted my family and my 89-year-old father,” Nikiforos said. (unquote)




I could have written a book on the goings on with so called spiritual leaders, if this is the example to the masses, what are they all thinking?

In the orthodox web sight its say and i quote..

asceticism. "The forceful practice of self control and love, patience and stillness, will destroy the passions hidden within us" (56). Nicetas St. Stethatos, disciple of St. Symeon the New Theologian, describes this ascetic practice. Man has five senses, so the ascetic practices are five in number: vigils, study, prayer, self-control and hesychia. The ascetic should combine the five senses with these five practices: sight with vigils, hearing with study, smell with prayer, taste with self-control and touch with hesychia. When he succeeds in making these links, "he quickly purifies the nous of his soul and by this refining makes it dispassionate and clear-sighted"

Moreover if there is a bishop and a divine Liturgy, it means that salvation is possible. Why does the Church exist and function? What is more, there is an appropriate application of Christ's commandments for each person. In patristic literature we have such cases. The Fathers, who have themselves been healed, have acquired the grace of discernment and they advise each person to find his path, which is essentially the path of the Orthodox tradition. (unquote)
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Houston we have a problem

[Natty]

Hey Unique Earthling, I know you didn't mean to cause any offence, but for some GC's religion and Orthodoxy is a way of life, I am myself an Orthodox Christian, although I don't take anything at face value, I do always question things, I also don't like the way some priests, and other religious leaders interprit Christianity, Islam etc, and then 'preach' their own view and opinion on what makes a good Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddist , etc , and I also don't agree with everything the church teaches etc...but the core message is something that, if you truly follow it...well it can't be a bad thing....'Love thy neighbour'...'Turn the other cheek', etc....

Peace!!

Although the way the Bishops behaved was something so bad it was almost commical......they really should have known better...It was pretty ridiculous....

[Rodosthenis]

First, we have to look into ourselves and make ourselves better. If we look into ourselves then we may see that we are worse than the others we criticize, especially God's 'representatives'.

[Natty]

First, we have to look into ourselves and make ourselves better. If we look into ourselves then we may see that we are worse than the others we criticize, especially God's 'representatives'.

True, true.....

[Rodosthenis]

Natty, are you Cypriot?

[unique_earthling]

You speak for yourself rodosthenis, i have spent years of study and worked on my self, and i am not the same person i was 20 years ago, i dont steal, i give, i dont lie infact i am so steeped in reality based thinking i could run circles round you, i am not interested in the physical without love, I am not racist, or emeshed in greed, I hate the sin but not the inner person, as i do believe we are all the same if we get past peoples defences and conditioning. In fact i feel if i was to be around those here in the church in paphos it would be like regressing a hundred years... so i would rather not.

Christian precepts are a good starter for those who have take no personal responsibility for their lives, who need dogmatic guidelines for living, and have little self control, or emotional intelligence. And who believe in fairies.

Natty you said its a way of life, you dont even know my roots or my conditioning, but i think for myself and not how my parents think, or a country or friends. And i have to be true to myself, and i am the driver of my destiny, I dont believe anything has power or control over me but myself. And its no good, professing to believe in a religion and not follow its precepts.

This idea you can do what you like and be good on sunday and pray for forgiveness and then continue sinning and still think heaven awaits, does no one any good. I see it every sunday and easter, the same thieves and fornicators showing religious obeiance, fasting etc, and then after its off to do the same again.

Sorry but i believe it takes more than a religion to change the hearts of men, it takes personal soul searching and often therapy. And most of all it take humility..... Now there is a word whose actions are a rarity.. And as someone said before this isnt really a place to go into such depth, though we do have some very discerning and intelligent thinking people on here. I am sure Miltiades can add something to this if he so wishes...

[Rodosthenis]

Father Ioil: "Don't put your nose everywhere. You will be benefited if you put your nose into the nice smells of

others and into yourself's dirts".