Should I convert from Catholicism to Eastern Orthodoxy?
I consider myself more in tune with mystical Christianity. I hate attending church because of the hypocrisy and "conservative values" I am subject to hear about there. Churchgoing has become an unpleasant experience. I consider myself a pious Christian, but I'm a spiritual secretest and also consider myself a theosophist; I practice mystic aspects of many religions, including Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism. I have become disenchanted with the rejection of free thought, in short.
I believe in the big JC and all that, but am looking for something a little more forgiving. I absolutely fully reject Protestantism; I consider Protestants to be very misguided when it comes to Christianity. I think Orthodoxy might be the way to go; it's more mystical, and being somewhat traditionalist, I like its deeper roots in the history of Christianity. I've heard that Catholic and Orthodox dogma is very similar, what else should I know about?
Thanks -- however, I have many issues with the Pope. I've done my homework when it comes to the history of the papacy, and I think I'd prefer to follow the Patriarch. I don't agree with a lot of modern Church practices. I find them too legalistic.
That isn't a question you can ask others because everybody feels there beliefs are the truth and solid. this is something you need to find on your own. sorry i couldn't be more help.
Read the Bible. In the end you're only going to understand what Christianity should be like from that, because that's where God has told us what Christianity is. Reject anything that contradicts or rejects what the Bible says.
Switch from a light tan-Grey smock to a light Grey tan smock...sure.
You consider yourself to be pious.....and Buddhist and Islamic and Judaism...hey anything is possible when we leave the reservation and start making up or own stuff
Catholic and Orthodox Christianity are more similar than perhaps any other kind. However, there are different beliefs. Orthodox priests can be married, for example. The understandings of Mary are similar, but not by dogma. Orthodoxy is much more Eastern-influenced.
As a Catholic, I would say stick with Catholicism. But Orthodox Christians are our brethren.
Have you ever considered Eastern Catholicism? Like the Greek Catholic Church or the Byzantine Catholic Church? They are basically Orthodox who follow the Pope and are in Communion with Rome. I would try that ;]
Orthodoxy isn't big on synergism. And they are big on conservative values too.
You sound like Bahai or something.
You're kind of supposed to conform to the truth, not make the truth conform to you. Truth is not malleable. If it were, Jesus wouldn't have been crucified.
I really dislike it when parishes use the altar as a political platform. My first idea would be to see if there's a better parish to suit your personality and spiritual needs.
There is no shortage of mysticism in the Catholic Church - in fact, the criticism can be that there's too much. Julian of Norwich, St. Gertrude, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Catherine of Siena (latter two both Doctors of the Church). There is A LOT of room and opportunity for theosophy in that.
I wonder what you're hearing if you're not getting the aspect of mercy and forgiveness. All I hear at church is love, love, love and ways to deepen your faith. That doesn't mean we're not accountable for ourselves, that morality is arbitrary, or that there isn't cause/effect or consequences.
I can't tell you which direction to go- I don't think anyone can -Catholicism's right for me. I trust this because I fully investigated what *it was*. The most interesting thing I found in my exploration was that what felt right wasn't necessarily what I originally wanted it to be. It's about God, not my description and definition of him. With that said it might be easier for you to find what's real to you rather than what you've decided you want.
You must follow the Lord's leading. I was led into the Orthodox Church from Evangelical Protestantism. It wasn't so much for the mysticism, but for the keeping of the scriptures (even -- and sometimes especially -- the parts I hadn't underlined as an avid Evangelical) and Tradition, and the sense that they didn't change things just to change them or to increase their power or influence; such is the view we take of papal infallibility: It was never a teaching of the church, so shouldn't become a doctrinal matter.
In the Church's view, it has *not changed the faith; you can go back through history and find the same faith there. When controversies arose, especially in the first 300-800 years, the Church held councils to *clarify doctrine, but never to change it. (So the Orthodox will never come out for abortion, for instance, since it's clearly prohibited in one of the Church's earliest documents, the Didache.)
Orthodoxy is NOT spooky - the incense represents our prayers, not fog-handedness or floppiness.
The Orthodox Church is committed to the service of our Lord Jesus Christ; we hardly call him "the big JC". And it comes with its own set of rules that it received from ancient history, namely the Tradition. The Tradition includes a fair amount of fasting, confession, invocation of the saints, etc., that many consider extraneous to their own stripped-down version of Christianity.
I suggest careful study and much prayer. Conversion to Orthodox is not for the faint-hearted, and as the early church found, there can be many casualties. Do not expect to change the faith to conform to your own; they know better.
The "big" differences between Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism:
Christ proceeds from the Father vs. the Father and Son (foliage) (in the Creed)
Bishops meet in councils to make big decisions vs. papal infallibility
Bishops preside over their own dioceses vs. one bishop to rule them all
There are many little ones
Married clergy vs. celibate
Leavened bread vs. unleavened in the Eucharist << used to be a big one
particular (definitive) judgment at death vs. purgatory
[though in Catholic doctrine, if you've made it into purgatory, you will eventually enter heaven; it's not a path to hell.]
Actual death of the Virgin Mary (and later assumption) vs. Assumption before death
And at least one that "just happened" but makes a difference:
Old Testament from Gk. Septuagint vs Latin Vulgate translation of Hebrew, leading to the Orthodox recognizing a few more books of the OT than even the RC church.
Should I convert from Catholicism to Eastern Orthodoxy?
