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What is Ancient Faith Today?

Ancient Faith Today is what Ancient Faith Radio and Orthodox Internet radio have been missing — a live inter-active conversation program. Now that void has been filled! Ancient Faith Today streams live, with call-ins from around the world, twice a month on Sunday nights at 5:00pm Pacific/7:00pm Central/8:00pm Eastern on Ancient Faith Radio Talk.

Topics cover all of life through the lens of Scripture and the teaching and canonical tradition of the Holy Orthodox Church. Ancient Faith Today’s host Kevin Allen talks with knowledgeable guests about social issues, global events, politics as they affect matters of faith (from a non-partisan perspective), war and peace, aging, death and life, church affairs, inter-faith affairs, current events, journeys to faith and Orthodoxy, theology and apologetics, cults, atheism, the paranormal, the New Age movement and Eastern religion. More than just “talk radio”, Ancient Faith Today is Orthodox Christianity’s platform for illumining and informative conversation about subjects that matter, with people who care.

There is no other live (streaming) call-in show with an Orthodox Christian perspective on television, radio or Internet radio!

Kevin Allen was the host of Ancient Faith Radio’s popular award-winning program “The Illumined Heart.” Kevin draws upon his unique faith background to host this fascinating, engaging and spiritually constructive program with guests you should know!

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Program Schedule

April 22: The “New Atheists” and their claims (Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens) Guests: Father Hans Jacobse (Antiochian), President of American Orthodox Institute, and Dr. John Mark Reynolds, philosopher, author (editor: Three Views of Creation and Evolution), and Director of the Torrey Honors Institute of Biola University May 6: Demons, exorcism, and the paranormal Guest: Father George Aquaro (Antiochian Orthodox priest), who has done advanced training as an exorcist May 20: Same-sex attraction: An Orthodox perspective Guests: Dr. Philip Mamalakis and Andrew Williams, the creators and facilitators of “Finding the freedom to live in the image of God,” a new therapeutic program based on Orthodox principles for sexual addictions and sex-related issues.

June 3: “I’m ‘spiritual’ but not ‘religious’” Spirituality in the 21st century and Orthodox spirituality Guest: Father Daniel Rogich (PhD), author of the book, Becoming Uncreated: The Journey to Human Authenticity June 17: Same-sex marriage: Separation of church-state issue, or a moral problem we must oppose? Guests: Father John Whiteford (ROCOR) and David Dunne, PhD, author of the Huffington Post blogpost, “Gay marriage: An Eastern Orthodox Perspective” July 8: Spiritually-minded Eating Guest: Rita Madden, Diet and Nutrition Expert

All these live shows will be available for download as podcasts on Ancient Faith Radio. Please check ancientfaith.com frequently for the schedule of upcoming shows.

A 12-Step Observation

"1, 2, skip a few, 99, 100."

If it is a true premise that the spiritual principles within the 12-steps of AA are “Christian” principles, then I have to conclude that they are NOT “Protestant/Reformed” principles. Which begs the question…did the Reformation lead many, if not most Protestants, away from Christianity? I’ll leave the finer points of soteriology up to the theologians, but come on, Christianity is blood, sweat and tears, just like the 12-steps of AA, not, easy believism.

Just a few observations…

How many Protestants still believe in free will?

How many Protestants still believe that confession is necessary?

I know that Protestants will give a confession, (just between God and themselves), but how serious can one really be about repentance if we are unwilling to put all our cards on the table for another believer to see and hear? If the only recipient to our confession is God, how much effort will we take at seriously analyzing our own moral bankruptcy before we talk to Him? After all, He already knows how utterly ‘sick’ we are right?

By eliminating thorough and regular confession to God before another human being, Protestants deprive themselves of the vital Grace God longs to give them for healing through confession. If we can’t be forgiven by God unless we forgive others, and if we can’t love God without loving others, then how does it follow that we can confess our sins to God without first confessing them to others?

How many Protestants who are devoted to a slogan such as “faith alone” possibly have any interest in removing their character defects? I’m sure many of them do, but why?

If God’s Grace is merely a “covering over” of our sins and objectionable character traits, (a common Protestant proclamation), then how serious does one really have to be about the cultivation of virtue, such as humility…a true Christ-like humility that seeks to serve, even our enemies?

There are many other subtle and not-so-subtle missing links between the 12-Step program of AA and Protestant groups, depending on which flavor of Protestantism you’re trying to live in, but there are no such inconsistencies between the 12-Steps and the authentic Church of Jesus Christ. At least, none that I can find.

I would challenge any self-proclaimed Christian to try and live their faith according to the Biblical and Spiritual principles of the 12-Steps. However, if you are a Protestant, I do not see how you can easily practice these principles without the necessary structure. Some aspects to be sure can be practiced alone with God, but the weightier aspects, those packed with the most of God’s promises and Grace, are only possible in the life of the Body of Christ. If you are an alcoholic, as I am, then of course I would recommend the structure of Alcoholics Anonymous, where structure makes possible and encourages the practice of, the 12 steps. However, though this is vital to your sobriety, it is NOT the Church. If you are an alcoholic or drug addict plugged in to AA or NA, AND a Protestant Christian, then there is a good chance that there is a serious disconnect between your “Step Life” and your “Church Life”. This has been my own experience in the past, and rather than leaving what I thought was “the Church”, I decided that the 12-Steps must not be Christian after all, and so I abandoned the steps only to continue in my alcoholism floundering around in a “non-sacramental” Church experience.

On the other hand, if you are a member of the traditional Church, whether or not you are a drug addict or an alcoholic, you should pleasantly find the spiritual principles of the 12-Steps a great help in your own spiritual walk.

I have found that in studying the 12 Steps, and now trying to “work” them, has made it much easier for me to identify and “flesh out” these principles in the Scriptures, as well as in the Sacramental life of the Church.

A PRAYER OF REPENTANCE, FROM THE ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX PRAYER BOOK (With the 12-Step Links)

O Lord our God, good and merciful, I acknowledge all my sins which I have committed every day of my life, in thought, word and deed; in body and soul alike. I am heartily sorry that I have ever offended thee, and I sincerely repent; with tears I humbly pray thee, O Lord: of thy mercy forgive me all my past transgressions and absolve me from them. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy Grace, to amend my way of life and to sin no more; that I may walk in the way of the righteous and offer praise and glory to the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Neo-Con vs Leftist Censorship

AJF I’ve just discovered, first hand, that a Neo-con will shut you down (censor you) in a debate just as quickly as a leftist… especially if you bring up Ron Paul.

JC Yep!

AJF I always knew about it, in theory…. but wasn’t ‘real’ until about an hour ago….

JC Interesting how first Paul is “unelectable”, then as his popularity grows four years later, we switch tracks by pulling out the ad hominem and censorship.

AJF My friend got upset when I pointed out that now that the Republicans have a true Constitutionalist as a candidate (something they’ve been pinning (lip service?) for since the election of Obama… they’re rejecting him as ‘nuts’….

JC The Neocon Party solely exists for the purpose of dominating the globe militarily.

AJF oh.. and I got called a protestant hater, too…because I like Ron Paul, I guess

JC Strange considering he is the only Protestant candidate on the Republican side.

CC Lol! No shocker.

JC Funny how you’re not called a Protestant hater if you vote for the Roman Catholic, Rick Santorum,

AJF My friend doesn’t like my posts about Orthodoxy on Facebook and sees them as a personal attack on her….

JC So now she conflates Protestant Ron Paul with Orthodoxy. Go figure…

AJF it’s the same tactic as a leftist: throw out a catch phrase such as ‘racist’ in an attempt to get one’s opposition off track and forget about his (correct) point…

CC Lol, that’s hilarious.

JC In my personal experience, I’ve been called a racist at least as many times by Neocons for criticizing Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, which for them is more or less ‘non-existent’.

JC And if you quote an unflattering Talmudic passage, you are *automatically anti-Semitic.

AJF How un-American of you to not blindly support Israel and/or the USAs support of them… but insist on following the Constitution instead.

JC It doesn’t seem to sink in for most people that having little to no familiarity with the sources you are dealing with might disqualify you from commenting…lol

Fitness: What’s better, sustained cardio or intense bursts?

“The key to protect your heart is exactly the opposite of “cardio.” It’s not endurance. It’s intensity. In fact, they proved that the more intense the exertion, the lower their risk of heart disease.” American Heart Association, Inc.

THUS THE “NEW” FITNESS RAGE . . .

. . . Controlled Fatigue Training

. . . Peak 8 Training:

. . . PACE Training:

Not to mention the popular “P90X”, “Insanity”, and the rest of this fast-growing industry based on these (fairly-new) scientific breakthroughs in fitness. If you’re still jogging, you’re really missing out.

Here’s a sample routine. Replace “exercise” with whatever you want…ie; weights, calesthenics, sprints, plyo, etc…or any combination of things. * (If all you can do is walk, then replace “exercise” with walk. Believe it or not, this routine works no matter what kind of shape you’re in or how old you are.) As time goes on you will be able to increase your intensity levels.

1. Warm up for three minutes
2. Exercise as hard and fast as you can for 30 seconds. (You should feel like you couldn’t possibly go on another few seconds.)
3. Recover for 90 seconds
4. Repeat the high intensity exercise and recovery 7 more times.

* Be mindful of your current fitness level and don’t overdo it when you first start out.

More on the dangers of “steady-state” activity.

“… the issue isn’t necessarily the running for hours and hours and hours. It’s the modality itself. You will never, in nature, see an animal jogging… What the steady-state activity does is it trains the plasticity out of your physiologic system—that ability to handle widely varying levels of exertion within a short span of time gets trained away. You actually make yourself less plastic and less adaptable to physical stress in general.”

More Here: Avoid This Popular Exercise – As It Shrinks Your Muscle and Accelerates Aging

Luther Had His Chance

EXCERPTS FROM THE GREAT CHURCH IN CAPTIVITY BY HISTORIAN STEVEN RUNCIMAN PAGES 238 AND FOLLOWING

Martin Luther’s chief interest in the Eastern Question lay in the belief that the Grand Turk was Antichrist: though he had an alternative candidate in the person of the Pope.

This article is an historical account of the “Lutheran” attempt for approval from the Eastern Orthodox in regards to The Confession of Augsburg.

Originally reprinted in Volume 3 of The Christian Activist (now defunct). (Source)

Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy

AUDIO
BY FR. ANDREW STEPHEN DAMICK – ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY vs. NON-ORTHODOX DOCTRINE –> Start Audio

Start date: October 2009 -655 minutes, 3 seconds in 17 episodes

Discover how Orthodox Christianity and non-Orthodox doctrine differ and why it matters to your spiritual journey. The notes for this series are available at Fr. Andrew’s parish web site at St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Emmaus, PA.

Tour of a Classical Christian Church Temple

BY FR. JOSIAH TRENHAM AT ST. ANDREW ORTHODOX CHURCH

Saint Anna, the Ancestor of God

FOUND AT THE OCA WEBSITE ON FEASTS AND SAINTS

FACEBOOK BIRTHDAY WISHES

Holy, Righteous Ancestor of God, Anna

Commemorated on September 9
(And today, September 23rd, 2011, is my wife Anna’s birthday, the ancestor of 6 gifts from God)

Comet Elenin Scientific Evidence of mass 20 times greater than Earth

I am only posting this for reference. I have no idea who this poster is, but am ‘studying’ the info he posts. Many of his links are broken and I am ‘fixing’ them as time permits and if I can figure out where they link too.

BY Anonymous Coward, User ID: 1552003,United States
ON 09/15/2011 10:28 PM

Classical Christian Church Tour; Part One/Seven

http://sermonwriter.wordpress.com/2011/09/25/tour-of-a-classical-christian-church-temple/

BY FR. JOSIAH TRENHAM AT ST. ANDREW ORTHODOX CHURCH - PARTS TWO-THREE | FOUR-SEVEN PENDING