Orthodox Christianity ama

Author: Mopac

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The Orthodox Catholic Church is the very Church of the Apostles. Western Christianity diverged from Orthodox Christianity over a thousand years ago, and so we tend to have a very different understanding of the faith. 

With the west we share the first 7 ecumenical councils.

We used to share the 8th ecumenical council with Roman Catholicism, but after the schism, the Roman Catholic Church reverted to a council that was specifically abrogated by what we consider the 8th. This is likely because one of the things that council did was made it anathema to alter the creed of the church, which the Roman Church was guilty of doing. Altering the creed of the church is one of the reasons that The Roman Catholic Church broke away from The Orthodox Catholic Church.

So we maintain that we are the definitive Christian Church. The Orthodox Church.


So if you have any questions about Orthodoxy or how it might differ from newer forms of Christianity that developed in the west,  ask away! I am very well read and do my best to answer questions.






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@Mopac
The first thing i would like to bring up is, the word ( ORTHODOXY ) 
Orthodoxy.
It's fun to say hey? 
I mean it ain't as fun a saying inevitable.
INEVITABLE.  
But Orthodoxy is a cool word,  however the word Orthodox is not. 

You say, We maintain that we are the OC's / original Christians. 
I can maintain things anddddddd, i don't think you guys where the first. I just don't like it. 
Definitely one of the first 10 but. 

Ok let's test this AMA out 
Mopac, my question is.   Approximately how much cash do you give the big fella or your church per month ?   

PS.   Please do not answer If it's over $200

Good day.







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@Mopac
Oh and why is it that all the other Christian denoms on this NEVER EVER LET WHAT TYPE OF CHRISTIAN THEY ARE OUT OF THE BAG. 
They are pros at avoiding it.  They are just Christian.  full stop.
But you moe moe are all like. 
I am Orthodox.  Like You don't care that it is known. ( I havee already awarded Orthodoxy a gold star for this fact ) nice work. 




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@Deb-8-a-bull
I find it necessary to distinguish myself as Orthodox because I truly believe that The Church understands the faith in a way that only the legitimate Church can.

If someone were to desire to inquire deeper into the faith, I would want to point them to the people who will teach them sound doctrine. If it is a real Orthodox Church under the jurisdiction of a real Orthodox Bishop, I know they will at least be taught sound doctrine.




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@Mopac
1. Is another name for your church the Eastern Orthodox Church?

2. Do you teach that salvation is by faith and works?

3. Is the schism you refer to the breakaway in AD 879-880 or AD 1045?

4. What do you believe about Mary?

5. What do you believe about baptism and communion?

6. What is your position regarding the saints?

7. Who are the leaders of your church?

8. Are all outside from your church (all other denominations and believers) who claim the name of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior heretics, in your opinion?


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@Mopac
Does God know how dick tastes? 

Does God know what anal feels like?

Does God have the power to be gay?

Does God have the power to be a women?




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@TheRealNihilist
Lol, there's nothing that you or anybody can experience that God doesn't experience. You are the channel for the Divine to experience anything and everything. 
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1. Is another name for your church the Eastern Orthodox Church?
There are forms of Orthodoxian. Eastern is simply the region it is in. There is Greek Orthodox, Indian Orthodox, and Mopac's region. Eastern Orthodox refers to Balkans, Romania, Bulgaria, etc.

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2. Do you teach that salvation is by faith and works?
Faith will lead you to become spiritual person and believe, but are not fully Orthodox until you become baptized in our church. From there, you must act like a good Orthodox Christian

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There is no such thing as an orthodox church or organization, as the Catholics distorted everything Jesus taught. What we really have is an orthodox teaching or Gospel, and an orthodox understanding. That doesn't apply to any institutions or claims of orthodox groups or clubs. 
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@EtrnlVw
Lol, there's nothing that you or anybody can experience that God doesn't experience. You are the channel for the Divine to experience anything and everything. 
So basically God sucks dick?

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@TheRealNihilist
No you do. 
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I don't suck dick but you said God does. 

This: "there's nothing that you or anybody can experience that God doesn't experience"
Contradicts
So basically God sucks dick?
This: "No you do"

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@Mopac
Are you a convert to Orthodoxy or were you born into it? If the former, what attracted you to it? Was it that you were impressed by orthodox spirtuality? Some kind of apologetic reason?
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If you don't suck dick then God doesn't, if you do, then God does. If you lick pussy then so does God. Pretty simple eh? the irony is that you exist within the same reality as a dick sucker. 
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@EtrnlVw
If you don't suck dick then God doesn't, if you do, then God does.
The thing is I am not the only person that exists. A gay person does exist. They have done it so God has. 
If you lick pussy then so does God. Pretty simple eh? the irony is that you exist within the same reality as a dick sucker. 
Yes I exist in the same reality but God has done it. Me living in the same reality doesn't actually mean I experience the same things. Do you have a problem with gay people being in the same reality?

This doesn't even address the blatant contradiction. I will keep pointing it out until you address it. 
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The thing is I am not the only person that exists. A gay person does exist. They have done it so God has.

Correct. 

Yes I exist in the same reality but God has done it. Me living in the same reality doesn't actually mean I experience the same things. Do you have a problem with gay people being in the same reality?

Not at all. 

This doesn't even address the blatant contradiction. I will keep pointing it out until you address it. 

Please do so. 
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All souls come out of the very heart of God as an expression, it doesn't matter what they like or chose to be. That is what makes creation magical, ignorant Theists think there is some line or barrier between what man does and what God thinks or creates lol, all things come out of a singular reality and there never could be anything else. That means there is nothing that distinguishes God from it's creation, ever. Everything that you experience the Creator experiences, this goes for every channel of conscious awareness, not just some.
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@Vader
1. Is another name for your church the Eastern Orthodox Church?
There are forms of Orthodoxian. Eastern is simply the region it is in. There is Greek Orthodox, Indian Orthodox, and Mopac's region. Eastern Orthodox refers to Balkans, Romania, Bulgaria, etc.

And Greece? Kalispera!

That is interesting. What is Mopac's religion then?  

2. Do you teach that salvation is by faith and works?
Faith will lead you to become spiritual person and believe, but are not fully Orthodox until you become baptized in our church. From there, you must act like a good Orthodox Christian

So, then do you believe that outside your church a person who believes that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior and has faith in Him and His works of righteousness cannot be saved until he/she joins the church? When does salvation take place? And does it require your works to be saved? The BUT and OUR in your statement suggests to me that you look on additions to Jesus Christ and His work to be saved. Is that so?

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@EtrnlVw
This doesn't even address the blatant contradiction. I will keep pointing it out until you address it. 

All souls come out of the very heart of God as an expression, it doesn't matter what they like or chose to be. That is what makes creation magical, ignorant Theists think there is some line or barrier between what man does and what God thinks or creates lol, all things come out of a singular reality and there never could be anything else. That means there is nothing that distinguishes God from it's creation, ever. Everything that you experience the Creator experiences, this goes for every channel of conscious awareness, not just some.
Evidence? I don't think you have changed since the last time I asked you so maybe you actually found the evidence that I previously asked you. 
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And Greece? Kalispera!

That is interesting. What is Mopac's religion then?  

Antiochian Orthodox Christian
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Ah!
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1. Is another name for your church the Eastern Orthodox Church?


It is often called that to distinguish it from Roman Catholicism, because if we called ourselves catholic it gets confusing in the west.


2. Do you teach that salvation is by faith and works?

Salvation is unity with Christ Jesus, to abide in Him. In this, there is no seperation between faith and works, because they are united in faithfulness. Christ says we will be judged according to our works. Faith without works being dead, it is like no faith at all.

What really makes an orthodox Christian? Abiding in Jesus Christ. Christ says that His disciples will be recognized by their love. In love, even the samaritan was deemed righteous. The truth is, we are all wrong. The One who is righteous is God alone. A pagan who loves may be in better standing with God than even someone who has been raised by the church and has no love to show for it. 

The salvation of Christ has been offered to every creature under heaven, the gospel having been preached to all that exists, being buried in the hearts of all. Our hearts are defiled and wicked, but if we choose to be co-workers with God rather than rebels against God, the Holy Spirit is faithful to cleanse us of our stain and purify our souls. The key is to abide. To direct your heart towards God, not vain imaginings that only bring us deeper into delusion.

If you do not have a hunger and thirst for righteousness, can your gamble or outward acceptance of Christ save you? Vain religion does not heal. Worshipping God in spirit and truth is what heals, and this is not a dead faith, but the constant realigning of ones heart towards The Truth out of love for God. A life of repentance. 


3. Is the schism you refer to the breakaway in AD 879-880 or AD 1045?

It wasn't until after the later schism that the Roman church rejected the 879-880 council of Constantinople in favor of the robber council held between 869-870. The council that we consider the 8th ecumenical council was only rejected after the schism.


4. What do you believe about Mary?

That God became incarnate of The Holy Spirit and The Virgin Mary. The angels said that all generations would call her blessed, and so we honor her with the title "Theotokos". Just as the word of God was written on the tablets contained in the ark, so was God in the flesh contained in the womb of the virgin. The church is the body of Christ, and Christ's flesh comes from his mother. We honor her with this prayer of Saint John Chrystostem during liturgy...

"It is truly meet to bless thee, O Theotokos, who art blessed and all-blameless, and the mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim, thou who without stain bearest God the Word, and art truly Theotokos: we magnify Thee."


5. What do you believe about baptism and communion?

We, as the creed states "acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins."

We are not like anabaptists who get their name from their practice of rebaptizing. 

As the body and blood of Christ, we hold communion with utmost reverence. The mystery of the eucharist is central to the mystery of Christianity. Properly known, it is the gospel itself.

We practice a closed communion, only those recognized as being with the church are allowed to drink the blood of the new covenant (as appropriate). We will often share the body with visitors even if they don't take initiative.






6. What is your position regarding the saints?

They are not honored so much for any righteousness of their own, but the righteousness of Christ that shines through them. The ones here on Earth are the salt of the Earth. The ones who have moved on to glory can be learned from.


7. Who are the leaders of your church?

The head of the church is Jesus Christ. The church is pastored by Bishops, who following the resurrection were the apostles and those whom they ordained. The bishops appoint presbyters to act in their place and take care of local congregations.




8. Are all outside from your church (all other denominations and believers) who claim the name of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior heretics, in your opinion?



I wouldn't call someone who is in a heterodox church a heretic. I am sure that there are Christians who belong to heterodox churches that will be reunited to The Church in eternity. God knows the hearts of men. God also knows what we have to work with. There is plenty of room for grace, for we have all fallen short of the glory of God.
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I am just an Orthodox Christian. I go to an Antiochan church, but I would still go to a Greek or Russian Orthodox Church. I have. The nearest monastery to me is actually Greek.


Really, I am an American. The state of the church in America is weird because it is really made up of a bunch of old world immigrant church jurisdictions stepping on eachother's toes. It isn'tthat anyone is to blame so much as it is that the American Church isn't fully foemed yet. In the future, it probably won't be so unusual. I am happy that this is a big issue that the bishop over my parish recognizes as important for the church going forward, and he is a big part of the emerging American Orthodox Church.

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@Swagnarok
Are you a convert to Orthodoxy or were you born into it? If the former, what attracted you to it? Was it that you were impressed by orthodox spirtuality? Some kind of apologetic reason?

I am a convert to Orthodoxy. I became a Christian before I found the church. I was trying to find the right church. I found that Orthodoxy theology was more in line with what was revealed to me in both scripture and meditation. The fact that it is the original Christian Church kind of hammered it home. 
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@EtrnlVw
That means there is nothing that distinguishes God from it's creation, ever.

That which is contingent and relativistic in its being is by nature different from that which is eternal, self sufficient, and existing on its own.

To say these two natures are the same is some type of monophysitism that we reject as a church.