THEOSISVissarion (Nechaev)
You have accumulated the transgressions of Manasseh by your own choice, establishing as detestable (idols) desires and multiplied, O soul, anger (deeds opposing God). Manasseh ruled over Judah following his father King Hezekiah. As righteous as his father was, the son was profoundly wicked. Manasseh eradicated all that had been achieved in favor of true piety during Hezekiah’s reign. He reinstated the worship of Baal and Astarte, introduced by his malevolent grandfather Ahaz, offered human sacrifices to Moloch in the valley of Gehenna, revered the heavenly bodies, and practiced sorcery. Moreover, he viciously persecuted the faithful adherents of the true belief; on his orders, the prophet Isaiah, who exposed his sins, was sawn in half.
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Regrettably, believers often succumb to such malevolence, when 'at will', through an unjustified whim, they replace idols with desires in their hearts and, to gratify them, increase their God-opposing actions, thus becoming more deeply entrenched in sin. Self-gratification leads to further deterioration; an obsession with figures like musicians and performers causes them to debase themselves, entirely forgetting their inherent dignity; a fixation on worldly amusements renders them not only apathetic but antagonistic to living in accordance with the Church’s teachings; and an obsession with material possessions makes them forsake honor and conscience.
Faith in God and reliance on Him have become so feeble in some individuals that they even resort to practices of sorcery, reminiscent of the disgrace of Manasseh. It would be futile for anyone to admonish the followers of Manasseh and to enlighten them: they harbor animosity towards their reprovers and would be inclined to inflict upon them the same cruelty that Manasseh showed towards Isaiah, ready to expunge them from existence if not for the fear of earthly judgment and retribution.