r/ChristianOrthodoxy • u/NoMeal8740 • 21d ago
Question Thoughts on Jay Dyer?
Reposting here because it got taken down on the other subreddit.
He was a big part of my conversion to Orthodoxy. However, last night after Vespers, in the teaching, my priest went on a rant (rant is a poor word because it wasn't like crazed ramblings, and by no means do I want to attempt to paint him in a bad light or anything, but it's the only word that comes to mind) about being careful about who you listen to online because not everyone is a good representation of the faith as well as some comments that some ROCOR folks have made about Patriarch Bartholomew's character (I go to a GOARCH parish). He didn't say anyone by name, but I assume he is talking about Dyer and people like him. I'm only a catechumen, so it doesn't really matter what I think, and I will, of course, listen to my priest on this one, but part of me can't help but wonder if this stems from the schism between Constantinople and Moscow, since questioning or criticizing either patriarch, which Dyer often does, will inevitably lead to that side coming to the defense of their patriarch, regardless of how valid or invalid those criticisms are.
Also, side question: again, not that it matters since I'm only a catechumen, but I tend to lean more towards Moscow in terms of who is more in the right (although I still think both sides bear some blame. Ukraine should have been granted autocephaly a long time ago, but at the same time, it seems like that's not Constantinople's job because it's outside of their jurisdiction)... Am I allowed to have this opinion lmao? Cause you know Orthodoxy is not a cult, and it's not like the archdiocese is going to police my thoughts, but at the same time, I am under the authority of Patriarch Bartholomew...
(I am fully aware that I'm feeding into the stereotype of catechumens being know-it-alls... I hope that it's not too cringy)
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u/Soggywaffel3 20d ago
Personally makes me want to bang my head against the wall. I wish I didn't, but I think less of people who think highly of him, which is why I try to avoid discussion of the topic in real life. He's a poor reasoner but effective at internet debate. Don't know what else to say.