We
are not a living body that contains a soul
We are
a living soul that dwells within a body!
Friday, September 14, 2007
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The Fall of
The
great misfortune for Christianity was the fall of
This
new Ottoman government that rose from the ashes of the Byzantine civilization
was neither primitive nor barbaric. Islam did, at that time, tolerate
Christians as another People of the Book and recognized Jesus as a great
prophet. As a result, the Church was not obliterated nor was its canonical and
hierarchal organization disrupted in any significant way, so its administration
continued to function. One of the first things allowed by Mehmet the Conqueror
was the election of a new patriarch, Gennadius Scholarius.
The
Hagia Sofia and the Parthenon, both of which had been Christian churches for
nearly a millennium were taken over and converted into mosques by the Muslims,
countless other churches in Constantinople and elsewhere, remained in Christian
hands. It is also striking that the patriarch’s and the hierarchy’s positions
were strengthened, and they were given, not only ecclesiastical, but also civil
power over all Christians living in Ottoman territories. Since Islamic law does
not make a distinction between nationality and religion, all Christians,
regardless of their language or nationality, were viewed as a single millet
(nation).
Thus,
the patriarch, being the highest ranking hierarch, was therefore invested with
civil and religious authority and made ethnarch, head of the entire Christian
Orthodox population, which meant that all Orthodox churches in the Ottoman
territory were under
But,
in all honesty, all of these rights and privileges, which included freedom of
worship and religious organization, seldom reflected stark reality. In fact,
the privileges of the patriarch and of the Church were at the mercy and whim of
the Sultan, as all Christians were looked upon as little more than second-class
citizens, and Turkish corruption and brutality was not a myth. It was the
“infidel” Christians who experienced this more than anyone else.
Another
devastating factor for the Church was that it could not bear witness to Christ.
It was very dangerous, if not impossible to do missionary work among Muslims,
whereas conversion to Islam was completely legal, but if converts to Islam
returned to the Church, they would be put to death by the Muslim authorities.
Also, new churches could not be built, church bells were not allowed to be
rung, and finally, the education of the clergy and of the Christian population
were either of a rudimentary sort or it ceased entirely.
I humbly hope and
pray that you will accept this news with love and understanding. Reflect on its
truth. Research it with an open mind in order to see the truth and if in fact
any part of these letters that touches on any teaching that you are currently
receiving and is shown to you to be true,
Then you will give
up yourself, your pride, and your ego in this area and give it to the truth of
Jesus Christ and change your life accordingly.
This is sent with the
love of Christ for you from me.
As always, all
comments and questions are welcome, send them to me at;
monkmichael@newwarriorministries.com.
Monk Michael
A humble servant of
Jesus Christ
On the Web at: http://www.newwarriorministries.com
Email: monkmichael@newwarriorministries.com
Phone: (803)
377-1244
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