Re: Conciliatory moves over Easter

On Tue, 2 May 2000, Adrian Morgan wrote:

> bjm10 wrote,
>
> > Wellllllllllll, yes and no (as the Orthodox say
> > so often). There were others who were beginning
> > to transcend national divisions (Isis, Mithras,
> > et al), but they were either closed Mysteries
> > and/or otherwise restrictive in membership (no
> > women for Mithras).
>
> Well then they weren't transcending very many
> divisions, were they?
They didn't require that one be Latin, Egyptian, Gaulish or become a
member of other national political/social units.

> > While Christianity is a Mystery faith,
>
> What exactly do you mean by a mystery faith?
> You're right if you mean, simply, a faith that
> claims its foundation in some divine revelation
> or message. From Ephesians 1 : "For God has
> allowed us to know the secret of his plan and it
> is this ..."
>
> __But__ the word 'mystery' has other connotations,
> which are often antithical to Christian teaching.
The Greek term that is translated as "Sacrament" in the West is
"mysteria" [sic].  It is still translated as "Mysteries" in some English
Orthodox writings.  We do not understand the mechanisms, therefore, they
are "Mysteries".  This is also how "mystery" was often used in Western
theology.  If something is intentionally kept hidden, it is not a
"mystery", it is "occult".