Hi guys hope you can help?

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Tanaya

Tanaya

Member
#1
Jul 30, 2023
48
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28
Nottinghamshire
#1
For anyone who is from the Orthodox or Catholic background currently or formally... I am confused between which one is the truth, I know only one can be the original church Christ started but I don't know which one. I lean more towards Catholicism but I fear that's only for the mere fact I am in the west and are far more familiar with Catholicism but then see the beauty and truth in Eastern Orthodoxy but as you probably guessed it, i find it difficult to imagine myself fully embracing eastern orthodoxy as it's quite ethnic based but I'm willing to push past this if it's truly the church that shares Jesus' message on earth correctly.

Any advice would be great, I'd appreciate it if was keep civil from those that aren't catholic and orthodox as I'm aware it's very controversial topic and also controversial to say there's only one true church but I believe truth isn't subjective so I will just leave it there. Thank you in advance and God bless
 
ResidentAlien

ResidentAlien

Well-known member
#2
Apr 21, 2021
8,232
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#2
Tanaya said:
For anyone who is from the Orthodox or Catholic background currently or formally... I am confused between which one is the truth, I know only one can be the original church Christ started but I don't know which one. I lean more towards Catholicism but I fear that's only for the mere fact I am in the west and are far more familiar with Catholicism but then see the beauty and truth in Eastern Orthodoxy but as you probably guessed it, i find it difficult to imagine myself fully embracing eastern orthodoxy as it's quite ethnic based but I'm willing to push past this if it's truly the church that shares Jesus' message on earth correctly.

Any advice would be great, I'd appreciate it if was keep civil from those that aren't catholic and orthodox as I'm aware it's very controversial topic and also controversial to say there's only one true church but I believe truth isn't subjective so I will just leave it there. Thank you in advance and God bless
Click to expand...
You don't need to look for the "true" church, religion, or denomination; the truth is in God's word. It will tell you everything you need to know about being a true disciple of Jesus.
 
Eli1

Eli1

Well-known member
#3
Apr 5, 2022
4,621
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#3
Tanaya said:
For anyone who is from the Orthodox or Catholic background currently or formally... I am confused between which one is the truth, I know only one can be the original church Christ started but I don't know which one. I lean more towards Catholicism but I fear that's only for the mere fact I am in the west and are far more familiar with Catholicism but then see the beauty and truth in Eastern Orthodoxy but as you probably guessed it, i find it difficult to imagine myself fully embracing eastern orthodoxy as it's quite ethnic based but I'm willing to push past this if it's truly the church that shares Jesus' message on earth correctly.

Any advice would be great, I'd appreciate it if was keep civil from those that aren't catholic and orthodox as I'm aware it's very controversial topic and also controversial to say there's only one true church but I believe truth isn't subjective so I will just leave it there. Thank you in advance and God bless
Click to expand...
I have been going to Orthodox churches since I was 15 years old.
I have a question for you: Do you want to be defined by a Church or by your Faith?
Because when someone asks me " Hey, do you believe in God?", i don't say "Yes, i believe in the Orthodox Church".
So i don't define myself over a church and i go and continue to go to different churches such as Catholic or Protestant.
God is everywhere including nature since nature is part of His Creation.
The reasons i go to an orthodox church is primarily based on ethnicity like you said and a lot of countries in the east and Mediterranean region (Greece is the first country leading) are part of East Orthodox Church. It's also nice to be part of a church which historically has not had any schisms since Jesus Christ so it's nice to have that feeling of being part of something that apostilles spread in the world in an unbroken chain.
But again that is not the reason why you should be in an Orthodox church because then you're defining yourself by history.
Just go to all Churches and feel the presence of God wherever and whenever your heart tells you to.
 
Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy

Well-known member
#4
Jun 11, 2018
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#4
Eli1 said:
It's also nice to be part of a church which historically has not had any schisms since Jesus Christ......
Click to expand...
Save "The Great Schism" in 1054 AD, yes :unsure:

Thanks!!

~Deuteronomy (David)
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#5
Aug 13, 2014
27,184
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#5
And that big argument somewhere around 325.
 
J

jennymae

Guest
#6
#6
Up here the orthodox churches have some impact on religious life near the Russian border. In Kirkenes, about 600 miles east of here, ten percent of the population is of Russian origin. It’s like in the Cold War. Espionage, betrayal and ordinary people being blackmailed into doing “favors” for different intelligence services.
 
Eli1

Eli1

Well-known member
#8
Apr 5, 2022
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#8
jennymae said:
Up here the orthodox churches have some impact on religious life near the Russian border. In Kirkenes, about 600 miles east of here, ten percent of the population is of Russian origin. It’s like in the Cold War. Espionage, betrayal and ordinary people being blackmailed into doing “favors” for different intelligence services.
Click to expand...
Yes you’re somewhere in Finland right?
Ive seen your posts about how they say one thing and do another over there in regards to clean energy or guns.
Glad you’re seeing that.
Also the bishop of Russia is essentially a politician and ”blessed” Putin’s war.
 
Eli1

Eli1

Well-known member
#10
Apr 5, 2022
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#10
Lynx said:
Funny thing about that timeline tree... Other churches have different denominations as the main branch. :unsure:
Click to expand...
Without getting into the details too much here, i completely understand the sentiment of "Victor writes history".
For example from an American historian POV, USA liberated Europe from Nazis and from a Russian historian POV, it was the Russians who liberated the Europe from Nazis.
So, who liberated Europe?
Nobody knows.
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#11
Aug 13, 2014
27,184
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#11
Eli1 said:
Without getting into the details too much here, i completely understand the sentiment of "Victor writes history".
For example from an American historian POV, USA liberated Europe from Nazis and from a Russian historian POV, it was the Russians who liberated the Europe from Nazis.
So, who liberated Europe?
Nobody knows.
Click to expand...
No, this is more a matter of a lot of different factions all claiming they are the victors.

That Orthodox Church is just one of many claiming it. If you go to a different church they also claim to be the main tree trunk. Shoot, there's a whole forest all claiming to be the same tree.
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#13
Aug 13, 2014
27,184
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#13
Eli1 said:
View attachment 255996
Click to expand...
Actually what I'd like to see is one of those trees but the thickness of each branch, and how close to the center it is, is a reflection of membership count.

Of course for the catholic branches we'd have to determine whether it is ethical to count the people who only show up on Easter and Christmas.
 
Eli1

Eli1

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#14
Apr 5, 2022
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#14
Lynx said:
No, this is more a matter of a lot of different factions all claiming they are the victors.

That Orthodox Church is just one of many claiming it. If you go to a different church they also claim to be the main tree trunk. Shoot, there's a whole forest all claiming to be the same tree.
Click to expand...
Yes, this is a valid point. So, from a historical perspective we're all a bit like Americans and Russians claiming victory over Europe even though each side has their own facts.
 
Eli1

Eli1

Well-known member
#15
Apr 5, 2022
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#15
Lynx said:
Actually what I'd like to see is one of those trees but the thickness of each branch, and how close to the center it is, is a reflection of membership count.

Of course for the catholic branches we'd have to determine whether it is ethical to count the people who only show up on Easter and Christmas.
Click to expand...
Haha, well now you're asking for 2023 type of statistics during ancient history. That's impossible!
We can't even get the stats right correct even now as to who won the elections.:D
 
Tanaya

Tanaya

Member
#16
Jul 30, 2023
48
18
8
28
Nottinghamshire
#16
Eli1 said:
I have been going to Orthodox churches since I was 15 years old.
I have a question for you: Do you want to be defined by a Church or by your Faith?
Because when someone asks me " Hey, do you believe in God?", i don't say "Yes, i believe in the Orthodox Church".
So i don't define myself over a church and i go and continue to go to different churches such as Catholic or Protestant.
God is everywhere including nature since nature is part of His Creation.
The reasons i go to an orthodox church is primarily based on ethnicity like you said and a lot of countries in the east and Mediterranean region (Greece is the first country leading) are part of East Orthodox Church. It's also nice to be part of a church which historically has not had any schisms since Jesus Christ so it's nice to have that feeling of being part of something that apostilles spread in the world in an unbroken chain.
But again that is not the reason why you should be in an Orthodox church because then you're defining yourself by history.
Just go to all Churches and feel the presence of God wherever and whenever your heart tells you to.
Click to expand...
Hmm okay, thank you gave me some clarity and confirmed some things I had already thought. I do not want to say Eastern orthodoxy is ethnocentric because I think it's an unfair judgement to make but here in the West, it's presented as such and unfortunately for me as much as I wanted to feel the presence of God in an Orthodox church I didn't (I'm not saying they don't have the presence of God by the way) granted I've only attended one service but in contrast to when I attended a Catholic church and felt God right away it does say something I suppose. I was very disappointed in myself because all the time I see videos of people discovering Orthodoxy and attending their first Liturgy and feeling overwhelmed spiritually and I didn't feel that way, that doesn't mean I won't attend again though.

The only problem I have with church hopping is I've never received the sacrament of baptism and I feel called by Jesus to do so, so strongly but to do that I'd have to join a church and I don't want to simply be baptised by a church that teaches things that are almost heractial in nature. I hope that makes sense.
 
Tanaya

Tanaya

Member
#18
Jul 30, 2023
48
18
8
28
Nottinghamshire
#18
Also, I'd appreciate it if Christians act respectively towards each other, I'm getting quite fed up when on here whenever I mention anything that isn't of protestant origin I get met with a bunch of almost hate or people telling me neither is the true church, but Jesus would say otherwise so if you wish to argue with His authority feel free.
 
Tanaya

Tanaya

Member
#19
Jul 30, 2023
48
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#19
God is not a God of confusion so I'm sure if He meant that building a church upon this rock meant building many churches with all sorts of different beliefs and that's just fine He would have said so. God all throughout the old and new testament has been very clear what He expects of us, it doesn't change because you have a dislike towards church authority: orthodoxy or catholics.
 
Eli1

Eli1

Well-known member
#20
Apr 5, 2022
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#20
Tanaya said:
Hmm okay, thank you gave me some clarity and confirmed some things I had already thought. I do not want to say Eastern orthodoxy is ethnocentric because I think it's an unfair judgement to make but here in the West, it's presented as such and unfortunately for me as much as I wanted to feel the presence of God in an Orthodox church I didn't (I'm not saying they don't have the presence of God by the way) granted I've only attended one service but in contrast to when I attended a Catholic church and felt God right away it does say something I suppose. I was very disappointed in myself because all the time I see videos of people discovering Orthodoxy and attending their first Liturgy and feeling overwhelmed spiritually and I didn't feel that way, that doesn't mean I won't attend again though.

The only problem I have with church hopping is I've never received the sacrament of baptism and I feel called by Jesus to do so, so strongly but to do that I'd have to join a church and I don't want to simply be baptised by a church that teaches things that are almost heractial in nature. I hope that makes sense.
Click to expand...
I understand you better now and as far as not feeling that the Orthodox church is not right for you, i would say that's great. It means that it's not for you basically.
As far as baptism goes, i was baptized by a church which is not only far away from me now but even if it was close to me i wouldn't recognize it because it has changed so much in terms of people and architectural changes.
So i personally don't think it's important to stay "bound" to a church just because they baptized you.
I wish you all the best in your journey and may God bless you and fill you with happiness, health and joy.
 
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