/christ/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

Welcome to /christ/!

Now brace for the Catholic storm.

>>4989

Catholics are silly people and need to stop being so silly. I respect our brothers to the west, but we understand that it is no man's place to judge the way others live.

The definition of sin is one of the mysteries of our faith, and we believe firmly that the given imperfections of man bar us from being allowed to judge and define others.

The most we can do is learn to respect and tolerate our fellow man, such was the teachings of christ, after all.

>>4990

You and I will get along fine but be aware that many here have a strict legalistic approach to religious life. It's all about formalities to them, and the less you enjoy it, the more spiritual they think it is.

Hey, welcome.

I live in America and here Orthodox churches are almost always ethnic. Which is to say, some will be overwhelmingly Greek, some other Balkan type or Slavic. Is there any particular reason for this?

Also,what is the Orthodox view of the afterlife, heaven and hell and whatnot?

Are the Old Believers heretics to you or simply differ in practice like the Plain Catholics do from their respective church?

What type of Orthodox are you, nationality wise?

If you want a trip, here's how you do:

Orthobro ##123456789

In your name field. The sequence of numbers is your password, it can be anything, including letters.

Testing the based namedness.

>>4999

Heretic? Technically, Yes.

But this is not a bad thing.

You have to understand what a heretic is, and what it is defined as.

It's a Greek word. It means "To have a Distinguished Opinion" or "Have the Ability to Choose"

You've chosen your path, and have a distinct opinion from those who share your faith. In all technicality you are a heretic, but there is no wrongness in this. Jesus was a heretic, and so was our great emperor Constantine.

Orthodoxy changes depending on who you ask, like anything else, it depends on the individual.

As I have said time and time again, in our church, your relationship with god should be personal, and whether or not you follow the church's institutions and beliefs is irrelevant.

While many orthodox Christians aren't fond of homosexuals like me, many are. My priest has told me time and time again that god loves all his children and willingly gives me communion whenever I go in.

It also depends on the ethnicity. Some will put their faith and their faith in the church before their own families. This is not true for the Greek Orthodox. Our families believe that their own comes before the church, and should be accepted and tolerated.

A Book? I wouldn't have one on hand, but I can look around and see what I find.

Fun fact though: The bible is fundamentally different in Koine/Greek than in modernized languages. This is why I don't take too much of the scripture to heart, rather the beliefs and standards of jesus himself, like much of the orthodox community.

We're firm believers in education. Theological, Ethical, and otherwise.

Official Soundtrack btw.

For all you English Speakers, there are orthodox chants available in the language.

I think it's some of the most beautiful singing on the planet.

Particularly this tune.

>>5001

Sounds good to me. Sounds like what I've always done since I decided to be a Christian, actually. I've only done one Catholic thing (I once took the Eucharist) and I've always been told I shouldn't have (because no confirmation, no confession, etc).

I know my country is very important for Orthodoxy, because we are where you guys meet up, in Geneva.

>>4997

Thank you for the detailed response. I'm on my phone atm but I'll give a more meaningful post, and ask more questions, once I reach a computer

>>5009

Right on

>>5010

I must go, but it was nice meeting you. You have been the best thing that happened to me all day, and potentially much more.

Thank you for being.

I wont address all this obscurantism and prelest for now.

But I find it a nice antidote to protestantism and more scrupulous readings of Catholicism.

Orthodoxy is always a nice read, I have to admit

>>5004

Confirmation is called chrysmation for you. Also, you certainly do believe in confession, although less legalistic and without distiction of mortal and venial sins.

>>4987

>Hey Catholics, quit it with this sin and confession nonsense.

James 5: 16

Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.

>You're nothing but mere mortal men, who gave you the right to govern and judge others?

John 20: 19-23

Now when it was late that same day, the first of the week, and the doors were shut, where the disciples were gathered together, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them: Peace be to you. And when he had said this, he shewed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.

>and that the bible was written also by mere men. The bible to us is nothing more than a collection of moral stories to preach basic ethics and morals.

2 Timothy 3: 16=17

All scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice, That the man of God may be perfect, furnished to every good work.

For a man who claims to be Orthodox, you say some pretty unorthodox things.

If you're trying to start a theological debate, you're better than this. At least attack papal authority or our concept of original sin.

>>5029

As a follow up in case you don't accept Scripture, here's some websites run by various Orthodox churches that deal with the Sacrament of Confession.

http://oca.org/questions/sacramentconfession

http://www.orthodox.net/confess/index.html

http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/pr_confession.aspx

http://orthodoxwiki.org/Confession

>>5029

>>5030

Being this much of a neckbeard.

There really isn't a god.

>>5038

why not anon?

>>4987

>Hey Catholics, quit it with this sin and confession nonsense.

No thanks, it's also no nonsense.

>who gave you the right to govern and judge others?

God.

> The bible to us is nothing more than a collection of moral stories to preach basic ethics and morals. This, along with the values of jesus christ himself are our core tenants.

On the edge.

>>4990

>The most we can do is learn to respect and tolerate our fellow man, such was the teachings of christ, after all.

This sounds so Liberal. Explain please.

>>4991

>formalities

yes, it's only good that the orthodox do not care for formalities

:^)

(^:

>>4997

>The Byzantine Empire were the founders of what we understand as Orthodoxy today, so amongst the orthodox community, Greeks are considered to be the purest in their beliefs (depending on who you ask) Naturally, the churches do their best to imitate the Greek ones.

What's your view on the emperor? Was he theologically important when there still was one?

And on the Greeek King?

>>5001

>Heretic? Technically, Yes.

>

>But this is not a bad thing.

This hurts so much.

>>5029

>>5030

These

We have a Greek Orthodox flag btw and two generic orthodox ones.

I also wanted to make a Russian Orthodox one but I had no idea what to use. What would be an appropriate flag for them, if you know?

>>5002

This is so beautiful. You are very welcome to participate in our music thread

>>303

>>5001

>Orthodoxy changes depending on who you ask, like anything else, it depends on the individual.

Modernist sophistry. This falsehood may damn you for eternity, just keep that in mind.

>>5061

>Modernist sophistry

Indeed.

>>5073

You keep quoting the bible but it's really doing you no good. You're coming off as an extremist. That's really silly. I honestly don't even know what you're debating here.

I'm just answering questions about the church compared to how I personally see things.

>>5071

>Reformists like me

Get behind me Satan. Faith does not need a "reformation" nor to "get with the times".

>I myself am gay. My preist has given me communion time and time again and has told me each time that god loves all his children. Many priests are down to earth and understanding. But the Greek Orthodox tend to be a bit more liberal than the Russian Orthodox for societal and cultural reasons.

Are you a practicing gay? You shouldn't if you are. God loves you, and that's why he hates it when you sin. This stuff is destroying you and he has to watch.

>Family usually comes before faith.

This is a hard one I know, but Faith has to come first. If your father or your son prevent you from being a Christian split from them.

>Yes. He was extremely important at the time. The symbology behind our Double Headed Eagle and the crown is that the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire maintained control both over the Church and state. Without Emperor Constantine, it is our belief that Christianity would not be what it is today.

But what was his theological importance there?

Our emperor was the defender of the Church and Christianity and for some time a theological entity en par or even above the pope.

And the Greek King? Was he the head of the Greek Church? Had he rights and duties?

>Like I said. I personally don't believe in the bible, and so do many members of our congregation.

This is really bad. Why wouldn't you believe in the Bible if you're a Christian?

>You gotta understand that we're a more reasonable/sensible people than the Russians make us seem.

Neither of these is sensible or reasonable.

>Dozens? Of Churches broke off from yours for this shit?

So what? Many came back and the CHurch stands steadfast.

> Papal Authority is such a silly doctrine.

It is one of the doctrines that made us the glorious Church we are, the biggest and probably most influential organization on earth.

>>5075

>You keep quoting the bible but it's really doing you no good.

The bible is only good if it fits in your world view then?

>ou're coming off as an extremist.

Martyrs were and are extremists too.

What is Hell?

I was talking about Hell on /christian/ and got b&, of course and an orthodox guy said something like God doesn't actually send people to Hell but since he's everywhere the afterlife is very unpeasent to those that don't accept him. Is that what y'all believe?

And if that is the case, what happened to those angels that are supposed to be chained up in "Hell" And wouldn't that also mean that even heathens, heretics and sinners go to "Heaven" so long as they love God?

Does God punish sinners?.

>>5095

This.

>>5096

I think that we can judge Church doctrine that concerns itself with governing the earthly Church according to the fruit it bears.

It's just a no brainer that an organisation needs a leader in order to function.

>>5099

>Does God punish sinners?.

Adding to that:

If not, how is he a righteous God?

>>5095

>>5073

I am a questioning Protestant who became a Christian through college ministry about 3 years ago. Months of prayer, research and conviction have led me to the conclusion that the Catholic Church is the unbroken continuation of the true church that Christ (not Constantine) established. Allow me to say that the responders in this thread are a true credit to the kingdom and I hope one day soon to be able to consider you brothers/sisters in the faith.

>>5115

evry single denom claims that they come truest to the teachings on Jesus, you should think it with a cool head. catholicism today doesnt look at all like 1 century christianity

>>5174

I think if you read any of the numerous early church fathers you'll see that's patently false. Scripture says you will know them by their fruits. Does it make sense that the ones who wrote the scriptures are the same that established the church, and yet within a few years all of their disciples somehow became heretics? All church doctrines were developed over time, including the composition of the Bible. Just like you said, every denom thinks if they could go back in time, they'd be right at home in the 1st century church. How can a sola-scriptura protestant say that when the Bible as we know it did not even exist? None but Catholics have the quantifiable historical evidence to back up their claim.

>>5099

Yeah that's basically it

We don't have a hell. We have an afterlife shared by all dead, and it's just a really shitty experience for sinners/maj baddies.

What is defined as sin in the Orthodox Church is a bit complicated. Unlike the Catholics, there is no "This is Definitively sin" Aside from shit like the 10 commandments or rampant gayness, it's more of an ethics and morals thing, and breaking your own ethics and morals.

>>5120

Morrowind is the shit. Always related.

Questions 1 & 2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthodox_Church_organization

http://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/13767/what-is-the-ecclesiastical-hierarchy-of-the-eastern-orthodox-church

But hopefully these links provide you with all the information you need. (I'm a bit busy atm.)

>My Gayness

No yeah. I date other men. I have sex with other men, the works. Although being the Greek I am, I take the penetrative role. Which apparently ain't as bad as the receptive role in many christian circles.

>Constantinople Patriarchate

More so the latter, but most churches try their best to mimic the Ancient Patriarchates. (Antioch, Constantinople, Jerusalem, and Alexandria) The Wikipedia page explains everything pretty well, actually. The Bible is debated depending on which orthodox church we're talking about. A lot of people in the congregation more or less believe in the words of jesus, the ten commandments, unless they're total fuckin' zealots, which is the other half of our congregation, whom for the most part, follow the bible word for word.

The Incense is a huuuge tradition for us. Came to us from the Romans who did it a lot in their pagan temples. A lot of the Orthodox Church's beliefs, traditions, and practices are based heavily on the Roman Imperial Cult. Like Icons, for example. This is something we differ /heavily/ on with the Catholics.

Sunday worship is a little bit of both, but for the average orthodox American mass/liturgy, it can take quite a while. Almost three hours. Five or six if they do it in the native language (Russian, Serbian, Greek, Armenian, etc.) And English.

>>5250

I don't know about that, man.

The Orthodox Church hasn't changed at all since the Schism. We never had protestants or reformists, either. We've basically been the same church since the axing of the western roman empire from the eastern one. I mean. We even still use Byzantine chants and follow the council of Nicaea to the letter.

But then again, it's been the Agenda of both churches in recent years to try and heal the Schism. For example, the Catholic and Orthodox may partake in communion in eachothers' churches. Though this is a recent development, it's a good one none the less.

But then again. Icons and traditionalism just isn't the catholic church's style.

Plus we kinda like Astronomy in the Orthodox church. The catholics kinda well.. Ya know. *Cough* Galileo *Cough*

>>5111

Nice trips yo

Yeah. God punishes the shit out of sinners. That's sorta the difference between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic church, is that we don't really do the whole judgement thing until you're dead. We leave it up to god, ultimately.

But then we also have this peculiar doctrine of being marked by saints, and being protected by either your patron saint (Hence why we all have names like Mixalis, Dimitri, Vacili, etc.) or by your very own guardian angel (read: conscious) who tries to guide you in the correct and moral direction.

Sociopaths, are basically fucked tho.

>>5252

>But then again. Icons and traditionalism just isn't the catholic church's style.

>Ya know. *Cough* Galileo *Cough*

Ignorance is a bliss.

Are you still here OP? Or any other Orthodox?

Can anybody show exactly how one should pronounce 'Hristos se Rodi!' for me?

I like to greet my grandfather that way on Jan 7th but I'm not exactly sure how it's supposed to sound.

I'm not a regular here

>>8714

http://www.internationalphoneticalphabet.org/ipa-sounds/ipa-chart-with-sounds/

pls

>>8733

Thank you, and Merry Christmas (hey, why not two of them?)