20 steps TrueOrthodoxChristianisation First attempt based on the 16-Steps for Discovery and Empowerment

 

20 steps TrueOrthodoxChristianisation First attempt based on the 16-Steps for Discovery and Empowerment

https://trueorthodoxfleauponerroneousfleas.blogspot.com/2025/08/20-steps-trueorthodoxchristianisation.html

20 steps TrueOrthodoxChristianisation of the 16-Steps for Discovery and Empowerment

Introduction

This is a lay person´s critique and modification of the 16-Steps for Discovery and Empowerment, which is itself, quite clearly, a re-balancing of the mea culpa, mea maxima culpa approach of the 12-Steps approach which arose in the 1930s for anonymous confidential self-help for alcoholics who recognised that they had a problem, later spreading to other addictions and problems and combinations of problems.

It starts with the acknowledgement that, as the bible says (in the Old Testament, if memory serves), that the best of secular philosophies are “but filthy rags”. The Patristic interpretation of this phrase cites the meaning of filthy rags, as the rags used to absorb menstruation.

So, secular and non-True Orthodox Christian philosophies can help to deal with problems and help find solutions, to the extent that they are compatible with the only True faith, now known as True Orthodox Christianity.

As such all is subject to the oversight, however light or heavy, of one´s spiritual father. And, above that, of course, of the Church hierarchy, and ultimately, beyond them of the saints, angels, and leading upwards above them, to Mary, the Mother of God, and then to the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ our Judge and potential Saviour, through to God the Father and the fullness of the Trinity.

I have been unable to find anything through searches on, specifically, True Orthodox Christianity dealing with the 16-steps or the 12-steps traditions.

There was something under “World Orthodoxy”. This is, of course, heretical coming under various anathemas, most notably those against Ecumenism, such as the 1983 Anathema Against Ecumenism by the last Synod recognised as canonical by nearly all of True Orthodoxy and also by “World Orthodoxy” which had remained in communion with both, namely the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), but was finally forced to break communion with all the “Orthodox” “Member Churches” of the World Council of Churches (WCC), and those in communion with them, because they refused to allow a True Orthodox bishop they were in communion with, namely Gabriel of the Cyclades Islands, to address the WCC General Assembly meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and to make a request based on this, to condemn the maltreatment unto martyrdom of True Orthodox Christians suffering behind the iron curtain under the Communist yoke. The WCC had, quite rightly, condemned maltreatment of people by Western Empires. What this showed was that the WCC had become, in effect, the tool of the Communist dictatorships, and their allies. This was the end of 67 years (since 1916) of extremely patient negotiation of faithful traditionalist Orthodox leaders, attempting to bring others into a True union, based upon the Truth, rather than a loose administrative union allowing people to agree to differ about just about anything in terms of beliefs, as long as they called themselves believers in the possibility of a supernatural dimension existing. The speech Bishop Gabriel had been intending to deliver was published in full in the New York Times. Within days of the end of the WCCGA, the ROCOR Synod, meeting at their skete (aka priory or mini-monastery) in Mansonville, the Eastern Townships, Québec, also in Canada, responded with their anathema, which the WCC in its entirety, and those directly in communion with any of their members, definitely fall under.

With regard to earthly church structures, we should never expect perfection. As Hieromartyr Mark of Vsevolod put it: “The Church as a heavenly organism is, of course, without spot or wrinkle. But, the church as an organisation on this earth, well that´s another matter.”

References to “Goddesses”, higher powers, etc. have been removed from Step 2, to make it compatible with the only true faith, True Orthodox Christianity, which you can explore here, www.trueorthodox.eu, and therefore compatible with the possibility of eternal salvation, as believing in the only true faith is a requirement to have any possibility of one´s soul passing through the 19th toll house successfully after one´s death at the initial judgement. This is the tollhouse dealing with heresy (and related matters, such as schism). But, even if one get´s through this tollhouse, one still has to deal with the final tollhouse, the 20th, unmercifulness – have you been merciful, etc., successfully. Clearly the rich man failed this test by failing to help Lazarus the beggar, as much as he reasonably could, though he knew him well enough to know his name.

For the tollhouses, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_toll_house

Note especially in this article:

“There are twenty toll-houses, though the number is not dogmatic and different sources list varying numbers. On the first aerial toll-house, the soul is questioned about the sins of the tongue. The remaining are, in order:[5][6]

• Lies

• Slander

• Gluttony

• Laziness

• Theft

• Covetousness

• Usury

• Injustice

• Envy

• Pride

• Anger

• Remembering evil

• Murder

• Magic

• Lust

• Adultery

• Sodomy

• Heresy

• Unmercifulness”

There are, of course, a minority of people who don´t make it through he initial judgement, who are, nevertheless, saved at the final judgement, apart from the people in the very last times of this earth, who are living on earth at the time of the final judgement, for whom the judgements are effectively combined. But, we need to remember that “many are called, but few are chosen”, and therefore, quite contrary to the common misconception and erroneous belief that everyone apart from a small number of “bad people”, like mass murderers and the Hitlers and Stalins of this world, go straight to heaven, whatever they may or may not have believed and/or done. So, it is our task to ensure that we win the race to be considered worthy of salvation by Christ our God at his judgements.

In the absence of anyone eles having done it, it falls to a layman to make the first True Orthodox attempt to harness the 16 step Discovery and Empowerment Program and to Turn it into the first version of a 20 step TrueOrthodoxChristianised Salvific Tool.

The 20 steps of TrueOrthodoxChristianisation of the 16-Steps for Discovery and Empowerment now follow:

1. We affirm we have the power to take charge of our lives and stop being dependent on
substances, habits, or other people for our self-esteem and security.
2. We come to believe that God awakensthe healing wisdom within us when we open ourselves to that power.
3. We make a decision to become our authentic Selves and trust in the healing power of the truth.
4. We examine our beliefs, addictions, and dependent behavior in the context of living in a
hierarchical, patriarchal culture.
5. We share with another person and the Universe all those things inside us for which we
feel shame and guilt.
6. We affirm and enjoy our strengths, talents, and creativity, striving not to hide these
qualities to protect others’ egos.
7. We become willing to let go of shame, guilt, and any behavior that keeps us from loving
ourSelves and others.
8. We make a list of people we have harmed and people who have harmed us, and take
steps to clear out negative energy by making amends and sharing our grievances in a
respectful way.
9. We express love and gratitude to others, and increasingly appreciate the wonder of life
and the blessings we do have.
10. We continue to trust our reality and daily affirm that we see what we see, we know what we know, and we feel what we feel.
11. We promptly acknowledge our mistakes and make amends when appropriate, but we do not say we are sorry for things we have not done and we do not cover up, analyze, or take responsibility for the shortcomings of others.
12. We seek out situations, jobs, and people that affirm our intelligence, perceptions, and self-worth and avoid situations or people who are hurtful, harmful, or demeaning to us.
13. We take steps to heal our physical bodies, organize our lives, reduce stress, and have
fun.
14. We seek to find our inward calling, and develop the will and wisdom to follow it.
15. We accept the ups and downs of life as natural events that can be used as lessons for
our growth.
16. We grow in awareness that we are interrelated with all living things, and we contribute to restoring peace and balance on the planet.
From Many Roads, One Journey: Moving Beyond the 12-Steps by Charlotte Davis Kasl

Sabrina Santa Clara, PLLC www.SabrinaSantaClara.com Revised (1/18), and further revised and edited (8/25) to TrueOrthodoxChristianise it by a True Orthodox Christian layman with the following additional steps:

17. Read through and critically evaluate Steps 1-16 and the Introduction with a view to how it might help you in your life and particular situations in it. Be flexible and do things in your own time and at your own pace.

18. Remember and reflect on the fact that there is no guarantee of getting justice in this world. However the initial (aka particular) judgement when we die, will bring some justice. The final judgement at the end of this world, will bring justice for all, eternally. For ever and ever.

19. We should struggle to the end of our lives, never giving up.

20. We should do our best to pray without ceasing. Getting up when we fall short, again and again and again and again. Our aim is to attract the Lord´s mercy, and thus eternal salvation – heavenly bliss for ever.S