Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
I have some problems with this. You can vindicate EO priests, yet judge LCM ministers. You have your bias, and your judgments reflect it. Shall we judge Phillip Lee for drunkenness, but not the EO priest in your story?
|
Ohio, you are right. Unfortunately, I am bias. Not only because I am an Eastern Orthodox and not an LRC member but also because of the facts that I know about the priest and Philip Lee. So, I agree with you. I prefer the drinking Russian priest to the son of WL. Both of them could be a shame for any church. But the former was destroying his own life and the latter was corrupting lives of others. Their lives had different fruit. (I don't know how PL will finish his days but the Russian priest died like a Christian. This change didn't happen overnight. It means that in spite of his personal sin, his core was not rotten. The priest sinned against the Lord and the Church (like we all do by our sins) but by his death, he proved his faithfulness to the Lord. (I am not sure if I'd do the same, even if I can't stand vodka)).
I think we must distinguish between
judgement (which is a juridical aspect) and
exposure/disclosure (which can have a therapeutic effect).
The Apostle Paul writes, "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather
expose them." (Ephesians 5:11)
"But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning." (1 Timothy 5:20)
"These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority." (Titus 2:15)
We can expose the drinking Russian priest for his alcoholism and PL for his drinking, abusing, and molesting. But we cannot judge them. The judgment belongs to God only. Who are we? We are just the same sinners: imperfect, corrupt, blind, self-centered, and bias. We can't judge with right judgment because we don't see the whole situation. We don't know people's hearts. We can't know their thoughts on their deathbed. Moreover - because we don't love them. The Russian priest and PL are strangers to us. But to God, they are His children. We must not hate them. And we can't and must not judge them (i.e. pass sentence on others). But we can expose their sins because our indifference can lead towards a bigger sin. We have no rights to say that a certain sinner will go to hell. It's not for us to decide. But it's our duty to expose and stop evildoers.
I like this short story about a Russian Orthodox elder (an old monk). When people told him something negative (and true) about another person, he always replied with the prayer, "Lord, save the brother... and have mercy on me, a sinner".