Some Form of Response to Nathan Monk

[GregConstantine]

Hello all,

I believe it is prudent for us to formulate some type of a strong, but loving direct response to Nathan Monk and what he is doing on FB. He is slandering our hierarchs, priests, and laity on his FB page and he is causing a scandal amongst us.
What kind of response should we give? I'd like this tread to be on that topic.
Please do not stray from this topic, and please, do not try to defend him. If he felt he couldn't be Orthodox anymore, that is his right. However, doing what he is doing on FB is completely uncalled for. He could have kept his decision private.
Please share some ideas about a response and lets actually respond to him.

 

[Joseph Hazen]

How have we always handled heretics and schismatics? I don't know, but off the top of my head but I believe the correct response is something along the line of "The Lord rebuke you, I will pray for you, but I will not listen to you." Just keep repeating that over and over again, and advise others to do the same.

 

[choirfiend]

The appropriate response is prayer; for him, his family, the people he has hurt, the hierarchs who are responsible, and the people he takes with him. I am chief among sinners, so better pray for me, too.

 

[ArmyMatt]

yeah, our response should be prayer. I don't know the man, and it is easy on the Net to take stuff all out of wack. so I agree with choir that we should pray.

Lord have mercy!

 

[isshinwhat]

The appropriate response is prayer; for him, his family, the people he has hurt, the hierarchs who are responsible, and the people he takes with him. I am chief among sinners, so better pray for me, too.

Amen.

 

[RobNJ]

The appropriate response is prayer; for him, his family, the people he has hurt, the hierarchs who are responsible, and the people he takes with him. I am chief among sinners, so better pray for me, too.

Very sound advice, of the sort that's been somewhat lacking around here, lately!

 

[gracefullamb]

.

 

[katherine2001]

With all due respect, the Church has not hesitated to correct heresy--they hardly only prayed for the person. Remember St. Nicholas of Myra punched Arius and the Theotokos and Christ defended him in that incident. I am certainly praying for him, but maybe the Church does need to make it clear that those priests who openly support homosexuality and same-sex marriage will be suspended or defrocked if they continue to flout the Church's teachings on these issues.

 

[gracefullamb]

.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Would, "Hey Nathan, get your head out of your butt, you moron!" be too strong?

 

[Joseph Hazen]

With all due respect there is a distinct difference to correcting heresy and the what is occurring on facebook, OC.net, and here.

I suppose before I posted I should've verified that he was, in fact, a heretic and schismatic. I actually have never heard of this man before I saw a thread with his name in it here at TAW, and I didn't read that thread. None of my friends are talking about him. I assume, from the stir that his actions (whatever they are) that he was a major figure for a large segment of The Church here in America. I assumed from the little I heard about him he left The Church.

At any rate, that's not asking for more information, but a long way of agreeing with you gracefullamb, I think.

 

[GregConstantine]

at gracefulllamb,

It is Nathan that went on FB and created that public figure page where he is doing exactly what you are accusing everyone else of doing. Many of us are coming to the defense of the Church and our brothers and sisters and clergy that Nathan is badmouthing on his FB page for all the world to see. Don't you see he is causing a scandal? It is very appropriate to respond to him letting him know how his behavior is affecting us and that he needs to stop.

He could have kept this private between him and his bishop, but instead, he went on FB and created that page. Sorry, but that is not a mature way of going about such things.
This tread was created to formulate a loving but firm response to Nathan and what he is doing on FB, not to speculate on his or anyone else's state of mind or heart.

 

[choirfiend]

But we, individually, are hardly the remedying arm of "The Church." without knowledge of the person, his burdens, etc, we are hardly qualifies to offe some statement or rebuff. Prayer is the appropriate response here, plus speaking to our own priests if it continues to bother us.

With all due respect, the Church has not hesitated to correct heresy--they hardly only prayed for the person. Remember St. Nicholas of Myra punched Arius and the Theotokos and Christ defended him in that incident. I am certainly praying for him, but maybe the Church does need to make it clear that those priests who openly support homosexuality and same-sex marriage will be suspended or defrocked if they continue to flout the Church's teachings on these issues.

 

[gracefullamb]

.

 

[buzuxi02]

This guy is an apostate so there are no bishops or monks or fellow priests to correct him. He no longer is under the authority of the church. Greg is right that it was he who posted derogatory things on FB. If he has taken those things down then the matter can and will die and all will be forgotten in no time.

 

[rusmeister]

With all due respect, the Church has not hesitated to correct heresy--they hardly only prayed for the person. Remember St. Nicholas of Myra punched Arius and the Theotokos and Christ defended him in that incident. I am certainly praying for him, but maybe the Church does need to make it clear that those priests who openly support homosexuality and same-sex marriage will be suspended or defrocked if they continue to flout the Church's teachings on these issues.

Agreed, except I don't think there's any "maybe" about it. I see that we absolutely need to make it clear, through our bishops, that they will be defrocked.

 

[127.0.0.1]

Hello all,

I believe it is prudent for us to formulate some type of a strong, but loving direct response to Nathan Monk and what he is doing on FB.

Ha! A prudent response? That's like asking for sanity in the youtube comments section. People here got their own problems, and when they try and call the kettle black usually all it does is clue us in to some of the problems that person is struggling with.

Besides, if you believe in something, just believe and be principled about it. But remember, the louder you scream, the more questionable and insecure you look.

It's like how Protestants who have almost no theology make up for it, by putting crosses on everything. It's all to show you that they're all really really really really super duper absolutely Christian and don't you doubt it for a second or they'll be on you like flies on a cheese sandwhich...

You hear that and you see them do that hand-waiving liturgy where they talk about how they have strong principals and you just think to yourself, 'mmmmm hmmm, they're empty.'

 

[GregConstantine]

Gracefullamb,

we are not islands, isolated from each other, but are accountable to one another, especially when a brother or a sister apostasizes and not only does that, but goes on a public social media (I'm not seeing your point about it not happening on TAW but on FB) and gossips, badmouths, and puts down us, the Church, scandalizing our brothers and sisters. What would you do if a blood related family member is treated in such a way on FB? Say to yourself "oh, its not my responsibility to do anything, that's someone else's, so I'm not going to do anything". Of course you won't, you will come to your brother or sister or mother/father, grandma, uncle, etc defense

This avoidance of responsibility in my opinion, is a big part of the reason why such things as Nathan Monk happens and why we have other Orthodox people going on FB in support of the decision made by SCOTUS. Silence, unfortunately, speaks consent in a lot of situations, and I think this is one of those situations.

 

[Nephi]

I'd say all that's left to do is pray, as others have said here. Enough people have taken it upon themselves to contact him. Some have probably done good, but most have just affirmed his feelings of being mistreated by the Church and her members, and for good reason. Calling him names and otherwise degrading him isn't going to "bring him around." It's just going to cause him to further wall himself off from anything that even resembles an Orthodox Christian.

 

[Gnarwhal]

I'm a little unclear on the current status of this guy... he's left Orthodoxy because he disagrees with it and now he's railing against it on Facebook? Why can't he just go back to wherever it was he came from and leave well enough alone?

EDIT: After a brief glance at his profile, it seems like anything said about him on or off Facebook would just serve to validate his actions and could ultimately be a disservice to the Church. He mentioned that—allegedly—some Orthodox monks were messaging some people who had commented on his profile to tell them he's an apostate, etc. It seems like it'd be better if this guy were just left to fade away and go wherever he sees fit. Maybe what they're saying is correct, but perhaps that's not the best course of action? Oh well, who am I to tell anyone what's right or wrong?

On another note, it sounds like he's publishing a book, anyone know what exactly it'll be about?