From: ewanco@MLO.DEC.COM (Eric James Ewanco)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.catholic
Subject: Re: Some questions
Date: 16 Oct 92 18:25:41 GMT
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Good to see you, Father Mark.

Excerpts from catholic: 16-Oct-92 Re: Some questions mark
gilstrap@BRONZE.UCS (2678)

> 	If you are serious about avoiding these and other serious modernist
> heresies, perhaps you should try my Church. We always say the Creed (but
> we leave out the filioque innovation - I suppose 1000+ years is too long
> to use the modifier "modernist"). If these blatant modernist trends
> today are so serious, why is it also not serious that an addition was
> made to the words/meaning of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed long
> ago?
> (it was of course one cause of the Great Schism, so therefore quite serious!)

Well, the filioque was not really heretical, since one it was added to
emphasize the divinity of Christ, and two, the Orthodox do not deny that
the Spirit proceeds from the Father through the Son, they just got upset
because we added it to the Creed without consulting them.  Granted that
was an rude thing to do, but not a heresy.

It is a far greater heresy to reject the doctrinal primacy of the Roman
Pontiff.  That Rome is pure and without error is far more attested by
tradition and patristic writings than opposition to "filioque."
Filioque was simply a lame excuse; remember we were also accused of
exhibiting Manachaeism for despising married clergy (though the East
also had unmarried monks).  I hardly find the reasons for the schism
worthy of the results.

Excerpts from catholic: 16-Oct-92 Re: Some questions mark
gilstrap@BRONZE.UCS (2678)

> In an age where I can calmly (seemingly) describe my town as being home
> to the above abominations, it seems like one iota, or one filioque, are
> unimportant.

Except that the iota represented a real doctrinal difference between "of
like substance" and "of the same substance", whereas the Orthodox do not
deny that the Spirit proceeds from the Father through the Son, they just
are upset we added it to the Creed to defend ourselves against heretics.
 Do you fault us for that?  Filioque does not make a doctrinal
difference.  The iota certainly does make a doctrinal difference.

While I'm at it, Father, what is a "toll house"?  I saw it on the
Orthodox list (yes, I'm a subscriber) and I had little idea of what it
was.

Eric
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\==========================- 2 Th 2:15 -====================================/
    "...[T]he greatest and most ancient Church known to all, founded and
    organized at Rome by [] Peter and Paul, [is] that Church which has the
    tradition and faith which comes down to us after having been announced
    to men by the Apostles.  For with this Church, because of its superior
    origin, all Churches must agree ...  and it is in her that the
    faithful everywhere have maintained the Apostolic tradition."
       -- St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, c. 180 A.D., 3,3,3.
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