Why did you decide to convert?

[E.C.]

What are your specific reasons for converting to the Orthodox faith?

1) The Liturgy was more fulfilling than the Catholic mass.
2) It never changed nor will.
3) People who were Orthodox were ones that have really helped me and my family.
4) It is the Truth because it will not change.
5) I love the food!

 

[Naozane]

5) I love the food!

Oh yeah, can't forget the food! I never knew there were so many kinds of pierogi... So... many... kinds...

Yeah, I love pierogi.

 

[xristos.anesti]

I found that everything fits in Orthodoxy. And the more you find out the more it fits - from Church History over Church Theology and in everthying simple expression of faith.

There is nothing more impacting than actual realisation that Orthodoxy is The Way.

Then in this Orthodox mind-set in which all becomes united you sit down and read the Bible and suddenly the verses start to "pop out" and whilst wondering whether someone over night added verses into your own Bible, for surely they weren't there before, you read what St. Paul said to Ephesians:

...to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,...(3,10).

And you realise that God chose her, one and holy, catholic and apostolic bride of Christ to reveal His wisdom to the universe - not a small feat for body of sick.

I love Orthdoxy - I adore her.

ICXC
NIKA

 

[elizabethcynthia06]

I converted because my husband and I had been looking for the "original" church, the one from the beginning. I had read up on Orthodoxy years ago, thinking about becoming Coptic, because I was fascinated with the idea that St. Mark himself had been the missionary who "started" that church. However, I was married to a fundamentalist at the time and there was no way to convert. Later, though, my second husband and I went to a Greek festival and found the Orthodox church over again. There were a lot of things we didn't agree with the Catholic Church on so this is the way we went.

 

[silouanathonite]

When I stepped into my first Orthodox Church, I was very skeptical and was out to prove that the claim the Church made was complete crap. I was wrong. Then I read the Church (& Christians since the beginning) believed about Christ. It totally surprised me that our God could be so loving. Then I read the life of Saint Silouan and saw that everything that Christ has promised can become a reality. I then realized that if this is what it meant to be Christian, I want to be that (a Christian) because right now, I am not. If He can change this person (and not just in an external way) but being completely transformed, then surely He cna do the same for me. There is no place else to go except to the fullness of Christ as is contained within the Church.

 

[Mary of Bethany]

This has just been an awesome thread.

Thank you for starting it, k3. It's good to share anew with each other.

Mary

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

What are your specific reasons for converting to the Orthodox faith?

Put simply...

“We have seen the true light, we have received the heavenly Spirit; we have found the true faith, worshipping the undivided Trinity: for He hath saved us. “

Forgive me...

 

[Orthocat]

Put simply...

“We have seen the true light, we have received the heavenly Spirit; we have found the true faith, worshipping the undivided Trinity: for He hath saved us. “

Amen.

 

[authiodionitist]

1) The people. They remembered my name.
2) Intelligent, consistent theology.
3) The singing.
4) The intimacy of worship.

"Let us bless the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit: the Lord!"

 

[E.C.]

I also like the fact that most churches are small in number. Makes me feel like I'm in one of those neighborhoods were everyone knows everyone else. The sort of place where if there was someone new in town, word would spread in less than an hour.

 

[choirfiend]

Hmmmm? So you've never been to any of the churches that number 2,000 parishioners or more? There's lots o them.

 

[E.C.]

None of the ones I've been to

 

[kamikat]

Hmmmm? So you've never been to any of the churches that number 2,000 parishioners or more? There's lots o them.

The Greek church that I went to in the begining of my inquirery had over 5,000 families listed as members of the parish. Even if you count half of them as being only C and E members, that would leave 2,500 FAMILIES, not individuals. They didn't fit in the church anymore, so they have DL in the church and a kids' DL in the reception hall, converted into a church. It was quite overwhelming.

 

[Orthocat]

In no particular order of importance because they're all important:

1) Study of the history, reading the Apostolic Fathers, reading book 4? of Irenaeus' Against Heresies.

2) Being convinced over time that various claims of Orthodoxy have merit. The first one that got me was that the rest of Christianity is far too divided, too many denominations, too much confusion. You don't know where to go anymore to find the Church. The next was that the splits were caused in the first place because events such as the Schism and the Reformation made people think it was okay to leave/divide the established Church. After that, it's just one split after another, very unstable, with even the denominations splitting. Orthodoxy is a tree; Protestantism is a bunch of splinters.

3) Wanting a place where my wounded, sinful soul could finally be healed. I began to crave confession, where once I had thought it was a Catholic heresy. I began to crave fasting, prayer, and ancient worship. I began wondering how much of my life would have been different if only I'd had a priest to confess to and ask advice of. How many mistakes would I have avoided?

4) Prayer. I kept asking God to show me the way to go.

5) I wanted a place where I could be sure the Holy Spirit was speaking. I was sick and tired of hearing every doctrine, theory or desire defended as "the Holy Spirit led me to this." How can the Holy Spirit lead one person to say that homosexuality is wrong, and another person to believe God smiles on his relationship with his gay life partner? How can the Holy Spirit lead those who put the canon together, but lead another person to believe that the Bible only consists of certain books--and the books of Paul can be deleted? Etc. etc. Even before I considered Orthodoxy, I was sitting in a class on Issues in my PCUSA church, listening to various points of view about homosexuality in the church. During a question-and-answer session afterwards, somebody asked, "If everybody says the Holy Spirit told them different things, how do we know who the Holy Spirit really spoke to?" I had the exact same thought. And the preacher had no answer.

That sounds almost exactly like what I went through....only I was in ECUSA. It got to the point where I didn't smell incense in the building, but sulphur...

 

[Shubunkin]

The deciding factor for me is that I had come to believe that the church established by Christ and the Apostles was still here - it was either the RCC or the Orthodox - and I needed to join myself to it. And I became convinced that the Orthodox was the one that had remained faithful to the original teachings through all the centuries.

Mary

Exactly my reasons too!

 

[cassc]

I drifted into TAW, I was stunned and delighted at the unity of faith I saw among people from nearly every walk of life and countries all over the world. I knew there had to be something to it.

I think it is wonderful that the internet can serve as a place of inspiration and community!!

I also like the fact that most churches are small in number. Makes me feel like I'm in one of those neighborhoods were everyone knows everyone else. The sort of place where if there was someone new in town, word would spread in less than an hour.

I wish my parish was smaller. I think we are claiming 800 or so registered families and recently had to purchase a larger church. Many people there do not know me and I do not know many people, but I am actively trying to change that 1 person at a time.

 

[NyssaTheHobbit]

My church has maybe 50 people on a good day. Of course, it's packed on special days such as Christmas and the Philoptochos dinner.