Question...

[Vedant]

If anyone can point me to any other theological differences between Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodoxy, I would be very grateful.

Aria already provided the example of marriage annulments, which is a good thing to know.

 

[Monica child of God 1]

AMEN!!!

If you believe that you can't possibly think that both the Latin Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church are incomplete. One must be whole and the other has departed.

M.

 

[rusmeister]

I know in my heart that we will be in communion with each other in heaven, kamikat, and by that we shall resolve what the one true church is.

I would have expected more open-mindedness from Eastern Orthodoxy about this matter.

Hi Vedant!
We need to be careful about what we know in our hearts. The Baptists "know in their hearts" that if they were to die today, they would surely go to heaven, because on (for example) March 10th, 1994 they said a formulaic prayer. A lot of people know different and even opposing things about faith in their hearts. They can't ALL be right. So somewhere you have to take a stand. Mine is that the Orthodox Church is the One True Church, but that God saves whom He will - membership in the right church is no guarantee of salvation(but it sure as heck points you in the right direction!). C. S. Lewis said, "There will be surprises." and the noble pagan in heaven in his book "The Last Battle" is a good example of that. But we are responsible for us, and we are called to the True Faith in the True Church.

 

[Vedant]

Finally,

I don't mean to debate you guys. I visited your churches recently, and I think they're beautiful, the liturgy, icon veneration, always standing, full of incense and candles, etc.

If we could pray for unity between the schismed churches, that would mean a lot to me, even if you believe it to be impossible.

I'm going to go to bed in a little bit.

Cheers!

~Vedant

 

[Vedant]

If you believe that you can't possibly think that both the Latin Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church are incomplete. One must be whole and the other has departed.

M.

Sure I can. The Catholic Church and Orthodoxy are incomplete without each other. I can't see this as Rome leaving the other four or the four patriarch's leaving Rome, but rather the two separating.

 

[Vedant]

Hi Vedant!
We need to be careful about what we know in our hearts. The Baptists "know in their hearts" that if they were to die today, they would surely go to heaven, because on (for example) March 10th, 1994 they said a formulaic prayer. A lot of people know different and even opposing things about faith in their hearts. They can't ALL be right. So somewhere you have to take a stand. Mine is that the Orthodox Church is the One True Church, but that God saves whom He will - membership in the right church is no guarantee of salvation(but it sure as heck points you in the right direction!). C. S. Lewis said, "There will be surprises." and the noble pagan in heaven in his book "The Last Battle" is a good example of that. But we are responsible for us, and we are called to the True Faith in the True Church.

I know rumeister, but I thank God for the sacrament of Holy Orders to help me find the church that shows me fuller truth.

 

[choirfiend]

If it's the two separating, then there is no Church, and God lied when He said it would withstand unbroken forever until His coming again. It cannot be a breaking of the Church into twain, for that destroys God's statement to us about His Church.

 

[choirfiend]

If it's the two separating, then there is no Church, and God lied when He said it would withstand unbroken forever until His coming again. It cannot be a breaking of the Church into twain, for that destroys God's statement to us about His Church.

 

[Michael G]

orthodox (lowercase o) means right teaching, or more appropriately, "the way" what early Christians called themselves to be a part of.

Orthodox (capital O) is what is meant to be Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy, which I have already asserted, have kept to traditional practices of Christianity more than the Roman Catholics.

catholic (lowercase c) means universal.

Catholic (capital C) means part of the Catholic church, of which the Roman Catholics make up the majority and Eastern Catholics make up the minority.

Catholics assert themselves to be orthodox as much as the Orthodox assert themselves to be orthodox.

Apostolic means that holy ordination has continued uninterrupted since the ordination of the original 12 apostles...I know you don't believe the Catholic church to have valid apostolic succession, but I believe they do have it.

Finally, I assert that both Catholic churches and Orthodox churches are catholic, orthodox, and apostolic.

ay...this is getting complicated.

There is but one true church of Jesus Christ. It can't be split between the Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans and Orthodox. It MUST be one or the other. It is the Orthodox Church!

 

[Vedant]

If it's the two separating, then there is no Church, and God lied when He said it would withstand unbroken forever until His coming again. It cannot be a breaking of the Church into twain, for that destroys God's statement to us about His Church.

That depends on your and God's definition of what "broken" means and what "church" means. I am not one to interpret scripture, but Orthodoxy and Catholicism are not broken, as they still continue to function as church, in my belief. They are divorced, schismed, but not broken, in my belief. I pray that they will become one again soon.

 

[repentant]

Does anyone know any priest that I can E-mail about this then? All the ones that I have asked questions to (about other things) have ignored me.

Email GOARCH they will respond. It make take a few weeks, but they will..

GOARCH

 

[Vedant]

There is but one true church of Jesus Christ. It can't be split between the Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans and Orthodox. It MUST be one or the other. It is the Orthodox Church!

And when all Christians join together in communion in heaven, what will it be?

 

[Vedant]

Email GOARCH they will respond. It make take a few weeks, but they will..

GOARCH

Yeah I did! They're great!

 

[Michael G]

That depends on your and God's definition of what "broken" means and what "church" means. I am not one to interpret scripture, but Orthodoxy and Catholicism are not broken, as they still continue to function as church, in my belief. They are divorced, schismed, but not broken, in my belief. I pray that they will become one again soon.

But they are not one. They began to schism as early as 382 AD. In 382 AD a Pope proclaimed the Canon of scripture, but it was not until the late 390s with the councils of Hippo and Carthage that the Canon was agreed upon by these two councils of Bishops. In the late 500s (arround 590) the local council of Toledo, Spain proclaimed the Filioque, which broke the canon of the Second Ecumenical Council which proclaimed that only a council might add to the creed. By the 900s the west was already clearly set against iconography, but it would be until the 1200s that this would fully manifest itself. I dare say you are in error in your reading of history. Catholicism is HETERODOX while Orthodoxy is Orthodox!

 

[MariaRegina]

If it's the two separating, then there is no Church, and God lied when He said it would withstand unbroken forever until His coming again. It cannot be a breaking of the Church into twain, for that destroys God's statement to us about His Church.

It appears that you didn't write this passage because we don't use 'twain' in modern English. Could you please site your reference so that we can read more. Thanks.

 

[choirfiend]

They are more than schismed, for they teach different things. If we were only in schism, then we would not have two different doctrines, two teachings, two faiths. Two faiths is something hard to reconcile with a God who is Truth. If Christ is Truth, as He says, then this is no mere relativistic truth, whereby you say A, he says B, and you are both "right" as long as you are each happy. If Christ is Truth, and there is only one Truth as there is one God, then if one says A and another says B, one has to be wrong.
This is not schism. This is two different faiths. Why else would we even have two different Creeds, differing in as important a matter as who God has revealed Himself to be?

 

[choirfiend]

It is obvious that you didn't write this passage because we don't use 'twain' in modern English. Could you please site your reference so that we can read more. Thanks.

Actually, that one is all me. Thanks for explaining about modern English to me, though; I was so ignorant of useage and had no idea that I would never say such a thing!

 

[Vedant]

But they are not one. They began to schism as early as 382 AD. In 382 AD a Pope proclaimed the Canon of scripture, but it was not until the late 390s with the councils of Hippo and Carthage that the Canon was agreed upon by these two councils of Bishops. In the late 500s (arround 590) the local council of Toledo, Spain proclaimed the Filioque, which broke the canon of the Second Ecumenical Council which proclaimed that only a council might add to the creed. By the 900s the west was already clearly set against iconography, but it would be until the 1200s that this would fully manifest itself. I dare say you are in error in your reading of history. Catholicism is HETERODOX while Orthodoxy is Orthodox!

This is your forum, I respect your beliefs, and I cannot debate here, so I will leave this as that. If you wish to educate me more about Orthodoxy, please PM me Michael, because above all else, I value learning, wherever that may lead me. Please do not assert that I am ignorant of history. I have read history and continue to do so, but never assert that I am an expert, only that I have opinions, which are subject to change of course.

That all being said, I believe the church to be what has been separated through time, but I don't believe the church is broken, in East or West, only separated. They are not broken, because they don't cease to function, and I do see the schism capable of being healed, Godwilling.

Thank you for your posts.

 

[Michael G]

They are more than schismed, for they teach different things. If we were only in schism, then we would not have two different doctrines, two teachings, two faiths. Two faiths is something hard to reconcile with a God who is Truth. If Christ is Truth, as He says, then this is no mere relativistic truth, whereby you say A, he says B, and you are both "right" as long as you are each happy. If Christ is Truth, and there is only one Truth as there is one God, then if one says A and another says B, one has to be wrong.
This is not schism. This is two different faiths. Why else would we even have two different Creeds, differing in as important a matter as who God has revealed Himself to be?

Orthodoxy and Catholicism are TWO different faiths. They are not the two lungs of one Church. They are not different sides of one coin. They are totally separate faiths which split as early as 382 AD.

 

[choirfiend]

The churches that left the RCC and became Lutheran didn't cease to function, either...but is Lutheranism and Roman Catholicism the same belief, the same Church?