There is ignorance and there is foolishness

By definition, “ignorance” is a state of unknowing. The term is devoid of characterization when used, as I say, “purely” to indicate the level of knowledge one has in a particular setting. There is a great deal of ignorance in spirituality, especially Orthodox Christian spirituality.

On the contrary, by definition, “foolishness” is a lack of good sense or judgment. The term implies more than a lack of knowledge caused by a lack of intent. There is a great deal of foolishness in spirituality, especially Orthodox Christian spirituality.

Both can be dangerous if left unchecked, but one is definitely more offensive than the other. Whereas ignorance can be “cured” with a bit of education, foolishness cannot. I have noticed a great deal of both within “Orthodox Christian circles” on the internet lately, but I have little patience for foolishness when it comes to spirituality.

One example is in regard to the date of Christmas. MANY are ignorant to the ACTUAL historical timing of how the Church came to celebrate the Birth of Christ on December 25^th. There are many websites that offer a well researched and appropriate timeline of how the Church “chose” December 25^th as the date for the Feast of the Nativity. These sites are more than enough to “cure” the ignorance on the matter. The foolishness on the subject is another matter all together. Those who CHOOSE foolishness reject the historical treatment, in favor of mythology such as, “The Church chose December 25^th to compete with solstice celebration.”  Even worse are those who reject December 25^th in favor of January 7^th for the Feast of Christmas, when in reality they are the same date, albeit on different calendars.

Since this blog is dedicated to education, especially in terms of living the Orthodox Christian Faith, ignorance is preferred over foolishness for our readers and fans. I welcome comments and questions from those who seek the truth about Orthodox Christianity. I invite the foolish to read, but if you do not have the desire to cure your ignorance, please refrain from posting comments, as they will just be ignored.