THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION IS WRONG (PART 4)

Man, this mysterious being, was created by God as the pinnacle of
creation, in order for him to acquire knowledge of his Creator. In accordance to
his great destiny, man was formed analogously. He received the honor of being
fashioned in an entirely extraordinary and unique manner and was brought to life
through God’s Divine breath. While all of creation was brought into existence
from nothing by a single phrase—“let there be”—that externalized God’s volition,
man alone had his body formed by the hands of the Divine Creator, only he
received a living soul created through God’s inbreathing, and only he is made in
the image and likeness of his Creator. What a marvelous creation indeed! What
an honor for man! What a great destiny! Truly, his destiny is great, and his honor
is sublime; however, more marvelous is the manner in which his body and soul
were created. Because he became the image and likeness of God and was
created in order to live eternally and dwell in the same place as the heavenly
angels.
How noble was man made! How much did sin debase and ignorance
humble him! But this is not so! Man was endowed with nobility, and he will remain
noble, even if certain people degrade themselves, even if certain people have
forgotten about their sublime descent…Yes! Man is a supreme creation, and
nothing can be compared to him.
The prudent portion of the human race, all who are truly wise, confirm this
truth. Behold what M. Frederic de Rougemont states concerning man in his wise
and insightful essay entitled Primitive mankind; its religion, history and
civilization: “Man is of noble descent. He was born in Paradise and not within the
wilderness. The sound of angelic hymns, not the roars of tigers and cries of
wolves, echoed in his homeland. God was vigilantly watching over him even
before man came to know Him. It is not at all true that man created the idea of
God in order to invent a certain divinity to worship. Humanity departed not from
atheism but from faith; not from deception but from the truth; not from ignorance
but from revelation.”
Unfortunately, they who pride themselves on their resemblance to the
animals seek to recruit new followers. They seek young laborers to overturn
humanity’s moral and ethical principles; they are looking for new diggers to help
undermine the foundations of society and deprave mankind. Behold the unethical
moral principles that constitute their “civilized” mission: “Pleasure,” they say,
“debauchery, and love are good; but so is hatred…The truth is good as long as it
provides us with some enjoyment; however, deception, hypocrisy, and deceit are
also good if they can help us increase our assets. Faith is good as long as there
is something to gain from it; however, treachery is also good if it can secure for
us greater profit. Marriage is good as long as it makes us happy; however,
adultery is just as good when marriage no longer satisfies our desires…Life is
good as long as it remains an enigma; however, suicide is also acceptable when
this puzzle has been solved.”


—by St. Nektarios—

THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION IS WRONG (PART 3)

The harmony that exists between man’s body and his rational soul is so
perfect that the careful observer will magnify in astonishment the extreme
wisdom of the divine Creator, Who made all the bodily members compatible with
and capable of fulfilling the demands of the soul…What purpose would man’s
brilliant intellectual thoughts have if they could not be externalized through the
body? What would be the purpose of man’s intellect, mind, spiritual powers,
feelings, emotions, and the entire ensemble of spiritual qualities that
distinguishes him from all the irrational animals, if man was just another
animal?...
Man advances toward perfection daily. Man not only looks after himself,
he is concerned for the well being of all of humanity in general, and he improves
both himself as well as animals. Where do we see a trace of such preoccupation
and improvement amongst the animals? Are not their accomplishments always
the same? What comparison can be made between the shelter of monkeys that
have remained unchanged for eons and the diverse range of buildings erected by
man? What is there in common between man and monkeys, even if they have
similar external characteristics? What if monkeys can build huts, if swallows can
make nests, if bees construct hives, and other animals have dens.
What relationship is there between the chimpanzee that shatters nutshells
with a stone and man who has devised an array of instruments to do the same?
What is so remarkable if a monkey’s hand was designed in such a precise way
(as was deemed necessary for its perpetuation), just as the elephant was given a
dexterous trunk, and other animals analogous body parts according to their
needs? What is so remarkable if God’s providence bestowed animals with
adroitness, in order for them to preserve, sustain, and perpetuate themselves?
Who can confirm that a monkey would have ever felt the need or thought of using
a stone to help it consume its food if its hand was not constructed the way it is.
Never will an animal benefit from the skillfulness and adroitness of another
animal. A monkey can watch a beaver build a dam for centuries; however, it will
never mimic the beaver’s accomplishment. Nor will a dog, or a bird, or any other
animal (whether it be a simple organism or a highly-developed animal) mimic the
skills of another animal….
Which intellectual accomplishment of any animal documents their ability to
contemplate, judge, and reason? Which animal ever turned an idea into
knowledge? When did an animal ever have an opinion on a certain matter?
When did any animal think about the origin of its existence, the end of its life, or
concerning life and death? None of the admirers of monkeys and the theory that
man evolved from apes can substantiate that any such thing has ever taken
place with any animal throughout the centuries. Therefore, to support the opinion
that animals and man have similar spirits that differ only in degree [of
development] is completely incorrect and illogical.


—by St. Nektarios—

The icon of the "disbeliever", as described by St. Nektarios of Pentapolis

Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd, Who lays down His life for the sheep 

  
The icon of the "disbeliever", as described by St. Nektarios of Pentapolis
The unbeliever is the most unfortunate person among men because he is denied the single most precious thing in this world, faith, which is the only true guide toward truth and good fortune. The unbeliever is so unfortunate because he has been denied hope, the only constant support on the long road of life. The unbeliever is very unfortunate because he is missing the true love of people which surround his troubled heart. The unbeliever is most unfortunate since he is being denied divine beauty and the divine likeness of the Creator. This is the beauty that the Divine Artist has engraved in our hearts and which our faith has revealed to us.

The eye of an unbeliever does not see anything else in creation but the forces of nature. The brilliant icon of the Holy Creator and its marvelous beauty for him remain hidden and unknown to him. His vision is out of focus in the immensity of creation. He does not see the beauty of creation anywhere. He does not find the beauty of God’s wisdom. He does not marvel at the great power of God. He does not discover the goodness of God; divine providence, justice and the love of the Creator toward creation. His mind cannot go beyond the physical world. Neither can he go beyond the realm of his senses. His heart remains insensitive before the image of divine wisdom and power. Being like this does not give birth to any feelings of worship. His lips remain sealed. His mouth is motionless. His tongue is wearisome. Wearisome is his turmoil. His turmoil is pain and his pain is despair. All things until now that attracted his attention have lost their grace. This is so because all the joys of life that he experienced are unable to make him happy.

As long as the heart of man has been created so that God can dwell in it, the ultimate joy of man revels and rejoices in this goodness because this is found only in God. But from the heart of an unbeliever, God has departed. The human heart has limitless yearnings since it was created to contain and seek out the unlimited. As long as the heart of the unbeliever is no longer filled with the infinite God, everything around him groans with despair. He seeks and desires after things but nothing satisfies him. And this is so because all the pleasures of life are powerless to fulfill the emptiness of the human heart.

When the true pleasures and activities of the world are turned off, the heart is left with a feeling of bitterness. The vain glories of the world are turned into grief. The unbeliever ignores that the happiness of man is not found by indulging in worldly pleasures but are found in the love of God, which is infinite and eternal good. It is here where we find the misfortune of those who ignore God. He who denies God is like that person who denies his happiness and its unending blessedness. The unfortunate one struggles with the toilsome battles of life without the presence of God.

And so, in despair and fear nestled in his heart, the unbeliever walks to his already opened grave. The miraculous work that unfolds before his eyes is played out on the world stage and is directed by divine wisdom, grace and power. All these things pass by him completely unnoticed. These things play a principal role in ones’ life with the assistance of harmony and divine goodness. Although the sweet water of the river of joy and happiness flows by his feet, he is unable in his disbelief to quench the dryness of his tongue. It is a thirst that burns him because the running water from the gurgling well is unshaken because his voice cannot be heard coming out of his chest, singing praises; glorifying and thanking God.

The joy that is unfurled in the universe has forsaken the heart of the unbeliever because God has distanced Himself from it. The emptiness has been filled with sorrow. It remains obstinate because of the absence of a desire to seek the spiritual has overwhelmed his soul. He is misled in this dark night without any light, a night where no beam of light enlightens his darkened avenues. There is no one to direct and guide his steps. In the race of life he is alone. He navigates life without the hope of a better life. He walks among many traps and there is no one to free him from them. He falls into these traps and is burdened by the weight of them. There is no one to relieve him of his sorrow.

The peace of the soul and the quietness of the heart have been banished by disbelief. Grief has bound up the depths of his heart. The joy which a believer finds in fulfilling the holy commandments and the joy that comes from a moral life is for the unbeliever unknown. Joy that comes from faith has never visited the heart of the unbeliever. The conviction which flows from faith in divine providence and which lighten the struggles of life is an unknown power to the unbeliever.

The feeling of thanksgiving and favor that comes from love is a great mystery to the unbeliever. The disbeliever who places material things first has limited true happiness for himself in a very limited circle of fleeting enjoyment. This is so because he is always attempting to satisfy himself with material things. The desire for virtue is for him completely foreign. He has not tasted the sweetness of this grace. The disbeliever has overlooked that which is the source of true joy and he is rushing without realizing it, toward the source of bitterness. Indulgence filled his worldly desires and in fulfilling them has only brought him nothing but emptiness. This emptiness brought faith but then slipped away and fell from his lips.

Oh, unfortunate slave of a difficult tyrant! How did they steal the joy of life from you? How did they rip away from you this profound treasure? You lost your faith. You denied your God. You denied His revelation to you and then you threw away the bountiful gift of divine grace. How unfortunate is the life of such a person! This life is filled with a whole host of troubles for the unbeliever because the delight of life has lost its flavor before his very eyes. Nature around him appears sterile and infertile because it does not fill him with any sense of joy and delight. He does not rejoice in any of the creations of God. A veil of grief envelopes all of nature and it no longer attracts a sense of fascination for him. His life has become an impossible burden and with the passing of time appears to him to be an unbearable hardship.

This is why despair appears before him like an executioner and terrible torturer. It terrorizes the unfortunate man. His courage has already abandoned him. His resistance is weakened and his moral moorings have since been corrupted by lack of faith. He appears like a man who is motivated completely by something else, that is disbelief. He has surrendered his life to the fearful shackles of despair which are devoid of mercy and sympathy. The thread of his life is forcefully and cruelly cut off from the gifts of God and is hurled to the depths of perdition, to the darkness of hell from where he can only be saved when he is called by the voice of his Divine Creator. This is the Creator that he has denied all his life and now he must give account for his disbelief. Then he will be judged and will be sent to the eternal fire.

http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.ca/2012/06/icon-of-disbeliever-as-described-by-st.html

  

The Man Who Falsely Accused Saint Nektarios

 

  

 

It has been asked why St. Nektarios, a Saint of recent times, works so many miracles today. The answer is because he suffered much in his life, often times being falsely accused by the ignorant. Slander, mocking and false accusation, when endured with humility, patience and trust in God, are a great blessing for the Christian. The humbled are indeed glorified.

 

 

 

 

When St. Nektarios established his female Monastery on the island of Aegina, locals went so far as to accuse him of immorality and that he used the Monastery to perform his debauchery. They speculated that the nuns gave birth to illegitimate children, which they would then throw down the well.

   

One woman from Aegina named Kerou had a grace-filled and God-fearing 16 year old daughter. The mother had a mania to persecute her daughter for this and tried several times to kill her. The young girl took refuge in the Monastery under St. Nektarios.

 

 

 

The tender-hearted Saint took her in and protected her. Kerou in turn began to slander the Saint. A Prosecutor received the complaint and the next day came to Aegina angry with two constables. He breached the door, despite the rules of the Convent, and went straight to the apartment of the Saint. The nuns became upset and began to cry. The Holy Bishop got up and received his visitors with his usual Christian smile.

 

 

 

 

Furious, the Prosecutor said to the aged Elder: "You dirty old man, where are the children you are giving birth to? Is that what you are doing here?" He then seized him by his cassock and threatened him, saying: "I’ll shave off your beard hair by hair!"

 

 

 

 

The Saint did not say a word. He only pointed his hand above and said: "God sees! God knows!"

 

 

 

Indeed, the Prosecutor who was quick to accept slander and dared lift his arm against the Saint became seriously ill within a week. He had terrible pain from his illness. The hand with which he grabbed the Saint dried up. Realizing his error, he felt the need to go to St. Nektarios and ask for his forgiveness.

 

 

 

The Saint, out of forbearance and longsuffering, prayed very much for the man. Within two years the Prosecutor’s hand had to be cut off. Meanwhile, the Monastery of St. Nektarios prospered and the Sisterhood grew. It has become a spiritual hospital, which gives rest to the soul and illumination to the people of God.