Religion and Spirituality from an Eastern Orthodox Perspective

[solf08]

@presbytergeorge

Thanx father I appreciate your words..

[solf08]

@presbytergeorge

One more father if u don't mind ...I left Catholicism for evangelical Christianity(AG)

I use to define my believes by claiming Catholicism it was more of a pride in the religion than faith in Jesus my lord and savior. Now I believe religion is second to true faith in Jesus. (no dogmas etc) does the orthodox church see other Christians as brothers or as wrong interpretations of the word of God?(lost) and im referring to trinitarian believers only.

[glitch509]

@solf08

Short answer: no.

Long answer: no. A few of their rituals are executed differently. And they don't believe that the Vergine Mary was sinless. The rest is pretty much the same.

[soncomputron]

@solf08 Why Trinitarian believers only? That's just your religious dogma! All I need is Jesus!

[solf08]

@presbytergeorge

Hey father I guess? Thas how to refer to you... I would like to ask you some questions for my own understanding and growth in Christ and his word. If u do mind answering I understand..father I have 3 questions I'll make it short..1st the word says no to call any1 Father for we only have one out heavenly Lord. 2nd the pictures n statue used in catholic n orthodox church, is it idolatry?3rd is Church physical or spiritual?

[PresbyterGeorge]

@solf08 - OK, this has to be short. #1- read 1 Cor 4:15, and you will see that the term 'father' can have lots of meanings. Don't be so literal, otherwise you will end up pulling your eyes out of their sockets (i.e. Mat 5:29). #2 The commandment was not to make an image of the Father nor to treat it as the literal God. However we can see the Father in Christ, and portray Him because He became flesh and offer worship before His image like Israel offered worship before the Ark.

[PresbyterGeorge]

@solf08 - #3 Since I don't quite understand your question, I'll just say that the Church is the Body of Christ, so how you understand this tells you how you understand the Church.

[solf08]

Are orthodox racist it's all about Greek this Greek that I'm not Greek, Russian, arab or any type of Slavic n can't grow a beard so I don't fit in orthodoxy ???

[PresbyterGeorge]

I'm Italian and Cajun by background, and had the beard and hair before I converted to Orthodoxy. Videos from Orthodox parishes will show most laymen don't have beards. While there is a minority of church members who can't see beyond their ethnicity, as you have already seen the Church herself extends far beyond a single nationality.

[devdasrai]

@solf08 Although there are some Orthodox Christians that only see Orthodoxy as a cultural thing, most don't. There are all types of people in Orthodoxy, I'm Indian and Syraic/Oriental Orthodox (which is mostly an Arab and Indian form of Orthodoxy) but we have all sorts of other cultures in our church. There's Greek, Byzantine, and Syraic/Oriental Orthodox. You can fit into anyone! As long as your heart is after Him, who cares what race you are. And you don't have to have a beard btw!

[DreamsofMajesty]

scribd (dot) com/nb812

[bealtown]

XB!

Hey, Fr George! How you doing in SD?

Thanks for posting your take on the subject. I read Evelyn Underhill's book about corporate worship; it became a milestone on my way to the Church, convincing me quickly about the need to join in religious worship with others, in church, in order to embrace a form which contained beauty. "Opening the box" is a good anodyne to the temptation toward over-attachment to form.

Fr John

[jonmsawyer]

Fr. George,

It is very interesting that I watched this video of yours today after Divine Liturgy. During the ride home, I was discussing with my wife some areas that we Orthodox need to work on, and that is precisely the looking beyond "The Orthodox Church" into the presence of Christ rather than Greek this, Russian that, etc. So thank you for explaining this in refined detail.

Please pray for me. Joyous Pascha!