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Being Greek Orthodox in a sometimes aggressive American/Protestant culture
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<blockquote data-quote="grandvizier1006" data-source="post: 66777106" data-attributes="member: 365677"><p>Yeah, here's the thing about us Protestants; we can be incredibly dogmatic. But only because we've had no competition or have had to co-exist with some other denomination.</p><p></p><p>Sometimes we can be kind of silly, chanting "faith alone in Christ alone!" and acting as if Christianity began in the South with good ol' simple folks who knew EXACTLY what Jesus meant.</p><p></p><p>But the truth is a lot of Christians are just ignorant of history. I myself was raised Protestant, but I would certainly try not to be as arrogant as my brethren about stuff. Although I do often wonder, if the "Apocrypha" was fine the way it was then why did God allow Martin Luther to show up and reduce the Bible? Had the Catholic church really gotten too distant from what Christianity was meant to be or was Luther just some upstart? Is one denomination "in the wrong", and if so what needs to be "changed"? Can one denomination be "more true" than the others? How "heretical" would you need to be in order to "not count" as a Christian? <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite5" alt=":confused:" title="Confused :confused:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":confused:" /></p><p></p><p>Thankfully a personal experience with Christ has reassured me that, well, faith in Jesus Christ and an acknowledgement of your sins is all you really need. From there you can do whatever is needed or whatever it is that you feel like you need to do, provided that it's not sinful. Christians inevitably can't all be the same, and the diversity within the Church--I mean EVERY legit Christian--is a good thing <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/old/groupray.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":groupray:" title="Group Prayer :groupray:" data-shortname=":groupray:" /><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/old/preach.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":preach:" title="Preach :preach:" data-shortname=":preach:" /><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/old/liturgy.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":liturgy:" title="Chant :liturgy:" data-shortname=":liturgy:" /><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/old/priest.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":priest:" title="priest :priest:" data-shortname=":priest:" /></p><p></p><p>Personally, things like the Council of Chalcedon were just divisive and discriminatory, and the church is supposed to be a unified body in Christ. We can't fight over stupid things <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite3" alt=":(" title="Frown :(" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":(" /></p><p></p><p>While I appreciate Martin Luther's valiant efforts to fix where the Catholic Church was becoming detached from its people and from God, and his firm convictions, he was an angry man. Did you know that it is believed that he once ordered a child who was (most likely) autistic to be smothered to death because he thought he was possessed by demons? <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite9" alt=":eek:" title="Eek! :eek:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":eek:" /> As a person with Asperger's Syndrome that kind of bothers me <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite3" alt=":(" title="Frown :(" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":(" /></p><p></p><p>So yeah, Protestants have their issues. We wonder why all those Christians were so easily "duped into believing that they had to worship Mary/kiss icons", but you forget that the Bible couldn't just be mass-produced back then and read by oneself. As a (sort-of) Protestant the privilege of being allowed to have your own Bible is important to me, but let's face it, a pastor/priest/preacher knows more than you, the average layperson, know about it.<img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/old/indiff.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":|" title="Indifferent :|" data-shortname=":|" /> Although to be fair Catholics can be arrogant and dogmatic, too, and all of those patriarchs in Russia and Istanbul keep going on and on about how THEY are the "true church" and everyone else has "just fallen away". I'm starting to think that the "true church" comes from believers of all stripes who understand what it means to be a Christian.</p><p></p><p>I think that other ex-Orthodox-turned-evangelical guy was trying to point out (poorly) that if you've been raised Catholic or Orthodox, then you run the risk of having your faith being just a tradition with a bunch of rituals. Furthermore, a bunch of rituals can be very Pharisee-esque, as in you might consider a bunch of traditions and cultural customs more important than your faith. But trust me, you can find that in Protestantism, too.</p><p></p><p>So yeah, nothing wrong with being Orthodox or Catholic or whatever. Although personally I don't like Constantine since he institutionalized the church and really wasn't a Christian at all. He just kind of said he was a Christian, sponsored some debates and took sides for political power. And so many other emperors after him were like that, too, like with Theodosius and his pointless persecution of pagans. We Christians can't just respond to centuries of persecution with revenge, it's just not right <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite3" alt=":(" title="Frown :(" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":(" /><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/old/doh.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":doh:" title="doh :doh:" data-shortname=":doh:" /></p><p></p><p>Personally, though, I'm thinking about looking around at denominations in the future and joining one. I was only considering Protestant ones, though, since there aren't really any Orthodox churches where I live and I don't think I could be a Catholic. I will say, though, that the monastic life appeals to me TREMENDOUSLY as an introvert, and Protestant churches are ANNOYINGLY extroverted, what with all their happiness and smiles and singing. I don't know much about Catholic and Orthodox liturgies, but I've heard that Orthodoxy favors introversion. I'd probably fit right in<img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="grandvizier1006, post: 66777106, member: 365677"] Yeah, here's the thing about us Protestants; we can be incredibly dogmatic. But only because we've had no competition or have had to co-exist with some other denomination. Sometimes we can be kind of silly, chanting "faith alone in Christ alone!" and acting as if Christianity began in the South with good ol' simple folks who knew EXACTLY what Jesus meant. But the truth is a lot of Christians are just ignorant of history. I myself was raised Protestant, but I would certainly try not to be as arrogant as my brethren about stuff. Although I do often wonder, if the "Apocrypha" was fine the way it was then why did God allow Martin Luther to show up and reduce the Bible? Had the Catholic church really gotten too distant from what Christianity was meant to be or was Luther just some upstart? Is one denomination "in the wrong", and if so what needs to be "changed"? Can one denomination be "more true" than the others? How "heretical" would you need to be in order to "not count" as a Christian? :confused: Thankfully a personal experience with Christ has reassured me that, well, faith in Jesus Christ and an acknowledgement of your sins is all you really need. From there you can do whatever is needed or whatever it is that you feel like you need to do, provided that it's not sinful. Christians inevitably can't all be the same, and the diversity within the Church--I mean EVERY legit Christian--is a good thing :):groupray::preach::liturgy::priest: Personally, things like the Council of Chalcedon were just divisive and discriminatory, and the church is supposed to be a unified body in Christ. We can't fight over stupid things :( While I appreciate Martin Luther's valiant efforts to fix where the Catholic Church was becoming detached from its people and from God, and his firm convictions, he was an angry man. Did you know that it is believed that he once ordered a child who was (most likely) autistic to be smothered to death because he thought he was possessed by demons? :eek: As a person with Asperger's Syndrome that kind of bothers me :( So yeah, Protestants have their issues. We wonder why all those Christians were so easily "duped into believing that they had to worship Mary/kiss icons", but you forget that the Bible couldn't just be mass-produced back then and read by oneself. As a (sort-of) Protestant the privilege of being allowed to have your own Bible is important to me, but let's face it, a pastor/priest/preacher knows more than you, the average layperson, know about it.:| Although to be fair Catholics can be arrogant and dogmatic, too, and all of those patriarchs in Russia and Istanbul keep going on and on about how THEY are the "true church" and everyone else has "just fallen away". I'm starting to think that the "true church" comes from believers of all stripes who understand what it means to be a Christian. I think that other ex-Orthodox-turned-evangelical guy was trying to point out (poorly) that if you've been raised Catholic or Orthodox, then you run the risk of having your faith being just a tradition with a bunch of rituals. Furthermore, a bunch of rituals can be very Pharisee-esque, as in you might consider a bunch of traditions and cultural customs more important than your faith. But trust me, you can find that in Protestantism, too. So yeah, nothing wrong with being Orthodox or Catholic or whatever. Although personally I don't like Constantine since he institutionalized the church and really wasn't a Christian at all. He just kind of said he was a Christian, sponsored some debates and took sides for political power. And so many other emperors after him were like that, too, like with Theodosius and his pointless persecution of pagans. We Christians can't just respond to centuries of persecution with revenge, it's just not right :(:doh: Personally, though, I'm thinking about looking around at denominations in the future and joining one. I was only considering Protestant ones, though, since there aren't really any Orthodox churches where I live and I don't think I could be a Catholic. I will say, though, that the monastic life appeals to me TREMENDOUSLY as an introvert, and Protestant churches are ANNOYINGLY extroverted, what with all their happiness and smiles and singing. I don't know much about Catholic and Orthodox liturgies, but I've heard that Orthodoxy favors introversion. I'd probably fit right in;) [/QUOTE]
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