yeah quote me
Monasticism and why is it considered good
Luke Collins
Brayden Miller
Lol bullshit. There weren't as much drugs and technology back then. No, don't ask what people do just to feel good.
Asher Garcia
Henry Taylor
Pilpul all you want. All communist,feminist and postmodernist argue like this. Protestants are to blame for the modern world we live in today.
Justin Rodriguez
I guess you're conceding that that was rationalizing huh
Nathaniel Price
Why are you trying to turn this into another denominational shit-flinging thread right off the bat? You do realize that there are Lutheran and Anglican monestaries right?
Jace Green
Anything but rationalization
Aiden Phillips
Throwing one of the most important practices out of the window because you love coochie too much deserves flaming in my book.
Blake Martin
Oh I see, you're shitposting. Carry on.
Ryan Fisher
Monasticism is like all basically good things; good when done properly, bad when done improperly.
Some are called to it, others to serve the faith in other ways (Romans 12:6-8), but isolation should be a tool rather than a dogma. It only directly helps yourself to isolate yourself in prayer, your prayers can help others, but there are superior ways for aiding others than simply locking oneself away forever in prayer. We can't all forever be anchorites (Matthew 5:15), but isolation can be used to dispel arrogance and impatience in men's hearts.
Some monastics seem to venture on cult-esque mentalities when it comes to absolute obedience towards spiritual "fathers" (Symeon the New Theologian and some of the Desert Fathers were bad in this regard, almost worshiping their spiritual fathers) which seems in direct contradiction to Christ's teaching of equality (Matthew 23:9) and not serving two masters (Matthew 6:24). The stated purpose being to create humility, but it is often abused. Some of these practices of prayer seem to verge on mystic pagan nonsense (breathing techniques, visions, and other manner of "spiritual" practices which seem utterly un-Christian.)
You have to remember also that the Desert Fathers and early monks also often didn't have the entirety of scripture, they only have excerpts of the teachings of Christ, thus they are hardly masters of Biblical teachings. A lot of the Desert Fathers also seem to display an almost misanthropic view of others, and venture on being plain prideful about their spiritual progress.
Monks are still human, subject to human desires and whims, pride and lust and all other temptations. It's a case-by-case basis. The underlying ideas of humility, self-control, and giving up all earthly things are good, but being a good Christian is more complicated than spiritual mysticism; it also means preaching the Gospel and serving your community, even having and loving your family.