why do these preist disbelieve?

[domi]

I was watching something on sightings of Mary and it keeps telling about these sightings and in most of them the people that recive them are told to go vist the priests and tell them they saw the virgon and she told them stuff, like to build a church or a site of worship ect. U would think that they would be like *** YAH SURE AWESOME but they don't they r all like yah right and adnore it. Why would they do that?! They r suspota be the most faithfull why would they just disbelive like that? How could they?Those r the people we depend on for worship and we look up to the most holy how could they?

Even if they get jelious it's like. They spend their life devoting to god spreading the word of godand they should know that the people that mary apear to just like jeasus deciples are those that realy need that help that realy need that message. Ones that people in the comminty would belive more then the they would the preists in the long run.

I'm not saying all Priests would do this, like abduna for example, but i just don't see how those could.

[CopticGirl]

Saints or Angels or an apparition occur to all sorts of people for all sorts of reasons. Not only Christians see apparitions and not everyone believes that they are for real. Some apparitions are for the believers, some for the nonbelievers, some are to convey messages, some are to warn, some are to protect...etc.

I mean take St. Mary's apparition in Zeitoun. She appeared every night for almost 3 years. Those of all sorts of faiths witnessed it, and there were all sorts of miracles occuring. But, not everyone in Egypt converted to Christianity. While a lot of people did believe it was real, others didn't. The local officials assumed it was a hoax and that it was some sort of projected image.

Some faiths--especially those who don't recognize the Saints, assume it is a demonic apparition.

So for various reasons, people doubt apparitions.

God Bless.

[erinipassi]

Hi Domi

If you are referring to Coptic priests, here is why a Coptic Priest will not immediately accept visions of Saints, St Mary or sightings of Jesus. All Apparitions must be thoroughly investigated by Bishops first to be deemed from God because Satan can disguise himself as an angle of light or an image of a Saint.

Also Jesus warns us in the bible when he says, "Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!' or ‘There!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. "Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it”” (Matt 24: 23-26)

There is a really good Coptic website which explains why we need to discern between false or true apparitions. But unfortunately, the forum here doesnt allow me to post the website. Here is an extract from the website:


“Some people have visions of Saints or angels. One has to be very careful before accepting these, because the devil can imitate these in order to ruin your spiritual life. The history of the desert Fathers is filled with horror stories about people who accepted these visions without discerning whether they are from God or from the devil. One of these stories is the story of Heron, a monk that spent 50 years in ascetism and was brought to ruin by a false angel that appeared to him for a long time. He stopped going to church, and refused the advise of the other monks, who advised him to tell the Abbot about this. In the end the “angel” convinced him that he was going to be taken alive to heaven like Elijah. The poor man went to say goodbye to his fellow monks, who tried in vain to convince him that this is the devil, but he would not listen. The “angel” took him to a mountain and convinced him to jump, and of course he fell to his death.”


'To another monk “The Lord” appeared and told him to worship him, but he said, “I don’t want to see the Lord on earth, I want to see him in heaven.” Again, the false “Lord” disappeared in smoke.'


“There are true apparitions, but there are also false apparitions, in the same way that there is real money and there is counterfeit money. And the proper way to handle revelations, apparitions and dreams, is to consult with your Father in confession.”

"Even if you do it the right way and go to your Father in confession, the devil starts convincing you to do more than what your Father in confession told you to do. The devil starts telling you, “Abouna probably doesn’t know your spiritual stature!” or “Abouna is delaying your spiritual growth.'.........In order to confirm you in your delusion, the devil can sometime make you “know things” before they happen! Or know the thoughts of people!"

When St Mary appeared on St. Demiana Church in Shoubra, Egypt, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III established a commission to investigate it and found that it was a true apparition. One of the ways the Bishops determine whether an apparition is a true one is they perform a sacramental prayer meant to dispel any satanic powers appearing before them.

Detailed information is written in that coptic website that I wanted to post, so please let me know if you are interested in reading it and perhaps I can send it to you as a private message.

I hope that this helped explained things to you.

Blessings & love
erini

[domi]

Actly that made alot of sense..thanks for the explination. I feal so loved..i have coptic buddies :) Thanks guys. That bible verse also helped. Although I'm not sure if that was ment to aply to aperitions. I'm not quite sure but don't they also have to do with people claming that they were profits. cuz i know Jesus said not to trust all profiets b cuz they are probly trying to fake u out. How do u know that these bible verses also apply to the apritions. Thanks again.

-Domi

O and btw i would love hear more about that thing with Pope Shandowa and the confermations of the visions and stuff. That sounds intersting.:D