There's no such religion called a totalitarian sect
Because it is not a religion, but criminal cabal disguised as "religion". They even can't be named "heretics", because it will be an offence for heretics.
And Jehovah's Witnesses are a part of the umbrella that is Christianity whether you like it or not
I don't care what this disgusting criminals declare. They are criminals in the first place. Theft and racket is incompatible with Christianity.
Interesting, that most dusgsting globalist organizations, mostly Jewish, like all that ECHR, Amnesty International, HRW and so on, agressively protected Jehovah's Witnesses when inevitable prosecutions started. Cried out loud protecting thieves, when states began to cut them access to their prey, confiscate and return property to rightful owners. This show that Jehovah's Witnesses are not only some totalitarian sect, but criminal organisation heavily backed by globalist filth.
Look at how corrupt the Orthodox church is (link to www.ecaglobal.org)
What do you expect from jewish antichristian organisation? And it is clearly jewish antichristian organisation, because they have 0 reports on corruption and child abuse in sinagogues.
Orthodox Church consist from regular men with all their sins and corruption. And as among regular men there inevitably will be some bad people from time to time. The difference is that priest will have much tougher judgement than regular men.
Orthodox Church is not about "priests are saints and infallible" or "priests are ultimate examples for congregation", it is a mechanism to help people get most effective and full access to God's grace.
Protecting pedophiles.
Seems you absolutely don't know what eventually happens with pedophiles in Russia. There is almost zero chance to leave jail alive for them. Also accidents and all that stuff.
Your Church has killed people throughout history and force converted peopl
Also that immortal slogan of Saint Alexander Nevsky - "Those who come to us with sword, will all die from sword", as a continuation of Christ one - " I have not come to bring peace, but a sword".
Historically we had to protect ourselves and our Church form numerous enemies from abroad, from Pope thugs and Khazar Jews to that Jehovah's Witnesses thieves you mentioned and other globalist filth. Don't be surprised when you find out that you will be met with weapons if you come to us with bad intentions. And our Orthodox Church with Christ and all His glory will be with us in that, as usual.
What else you don't know about Orthodox Christianity?
Do you realize how stupid it is to just go around blindly believing all the claims people make in life?
That is why there is a very limited list of things that should be believed - Symbol of Faith. Everything else Orthodox Christians have to study and know, not believe.
for no other reason than someone claimed it
This someone was Jesus himself, if you are not aware. :)
Thanks for admitting Orthodox Christians promote blind faith.
That's the point of any religion without exclusion. Blind faith.
So why do you believe the Orthodox church is some kind of True Church?
It is not a question of faith. Faith is in Symbol of Faith. Everything else is just consequences of that. Orthodox Church is True Church just because math. It is a least square estimate from all Christian religions. Closest to the source.
Thanks, Crazy, that's actually a better argument than Winston Smith was giving! As a Protestant I still hope for that extranormative connection to the True Church.
IIRC Protestantism appeared as an attempt to return to the source from what Catolic Church created in Europe. However, later Orthodox Protestantism was heavily influenced, changed and divided into several different parts and unfortunately cease to exist as a single community.
In Orthodox Christianity, Christ is a leader of the church and parishioners connect with Him directly through eucharistia.
IMHO same should be valid for other churches where Christ is a leader of the church and proper eucharistia exist. Closer the church to origins, better connection to Christ through eucharistia, closer the connection to Christ's True Church.
I'm not a theologist, so it is better to talk with a priest about that matters. If you are curious enough - it is perfectly fine to find an Orthodox Church and just talk with a priest about such matters. You don't need to be Orthidox to have a good talk. Do the same with Protestant pastor if this is apropriate for your confession.
So would you agree that Orthodox Christianity is based on circular reasoning then?
There is no any circular reasoning. Everything is based on Symbol of Faith.
How do you know it's closer to the source, or that there even is a source, if you haven't proven the source to begin with?
There is ancient texts. Translations used by Orthodox Churches are closer to the originals than those used by other churches.
Do you believe all the claims in that symbol of faith are true?
Yes.
Do you even care?
Yes.
Sounds like you aren't a part of Orthodox Christianity because you actually believe the tenets it's based on are true, but rather because you don't have an alternative to believe in and Orthodox is the most convenient for you to function in society given you're Russian. Is that accurate for you?
There are no any churches closer to the origins of Christianity than Orthodox Church.
Functioning of society in Russia does not depend on the religion of citizens. We have at least 3 major religions here - Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. So no any pressure or whatever from society. My parents and even grandparents wasn't religious (as in routine visiting church prayers at home and all that stuff). I was baptised at the age of 10 when my mother proposed, mostly from curiosity and just in case (yes, it was in that "scary godless communist USSR" you know nothing about). It was interesting, inspirational and I had a great talk with priest (about Trinity, Universe, free will and even aliens). Then, studing science lead me to the conclusion than not everything in Universe could be explained by science, and using my childhood expirience and some research, I just found Orthodox Christianity a best possible thing to follow, because it give a clue to everything unexplainable in a most straight and consistent way. Also, studying Bible (in ancient Russian), Lives of Saints, I found that this all is real and believable, not some fake sweetened stories (or on the opposite, fear porn) as in other confessions. And no any marketing like all that churches that flood Russia after the fall of USSR. Good things don't need marketing, if you are not aware. Nobody knock into my door or pester me on the streets to lure me into Orthodox Cristianity, unlike all other confessions and sects.
You champion reason, logic, critical thinking, and knowing in everything except the core stuff your religion is based on?
Yes, because religion is necessary for things that fundamentally can't be explained by science. From all religions I prefer Orthodox Christianity for this,
You have to appeal to blind faith because you cannot prove the central tenets of your religion.
If central tenets of religion could be proved and replicated independently, then it is not a religion, but science.
Because it is not a religion, but criminal cabal disguised as "religion". They even can't be named "heretics", because it will be an offence for heretics.
I don't care what this disgusting criminals declare. They are criminals in the first place. Theft and racket is incompatible with Christianity.
Interesting, that most dusgsting globalist organizations, mostly Jewish, like all that ECHR, Amnesty International, HRW and so on, agressively protected Jehovah's Witnesses when inevitable prosecutions started. Cried out loud protecting thieves, when states began to cut them access to their prey, confiscate and return property to rightful owners. This show that Jehovah's Witnesses are not only some totalitarian sect, but criminal organisation heavily backed by globalist filth.
What do you expect from jewish antichristian organisation? And it is clearly jewish antichristian organisation, because they have 0 reports on corruption and child abuse in sinagogues.
Orthodox Church consist from regular men with all their sins and corruption. And as among regular men there inevitably will be some bad people from time to time. The difference is that priest will have much tougher judgement than regular men. Orthodox Church is not about "priests are saints and infallible" or "priests are ultimate examples for congregation", it is a mechanism to help people get most effective and full access to God's grace.
Seems you absolutely don't know what eventually happens with pedophiles in Russia. There is almost zero chance to leave jail alive for them. Also accidents and all that stuff.
We have our famous warriors as Saints. Other Orthodox Churches too. Here is a photo of Greek Orthodox priest for you from Crete - http://www.plakias-kreta.de/wp-content/uploads/kloster-preveli-moench-statue.jpg . Enjoy.
Also that immortal slogan of Saint Alexander Nevsky - "Those who come to us with sword, will all die from sword", as a continuation of Christ one - " I have not come to bring peace, but a sword".
Historically we had to protect ourselves and our Church form numerous enemies from abroad, from Pope thugs and Khazar Jews to that Jehovah's Witnesses thieves you mentioned and other globalist filth. Don't be surprised when you find out that you will be met with weapons if you come to us with bad intentions. And our Orthodox Church with Christ and all His glory will be with us in that, as usual.
What else you don't know about Orthodox Christianity?
That is why there is a very limited list of things that should be believed - Symbol of Faith. Everything else Orthodox Christians have to study and know, not believe.
This someone was Jesus himself, if you are not aware. :)
That's the point of any religion without exclusion. Blind faith.
It is not a question of faith. Faith is in Symbol of Faith. Everything else is just consequences of that. Orthodox Church is True Church just because math. It is a least square estimate from all Christian religions. Closest to the source.
Thanks, Crazy, that's actually a better argument than Winston Smith was giving! As a Protestant I still hope for that extranormative connection to the True Church.
Thank you.
IIRC Protestantism appeared as an attempt to return to the source from what Catolic Church created in Europe. However, later Orthodox Protestantism was heavily influenced, changed and divided into several different parts and unfortunately cease to exist as a single community.
In Orthodox Christianity, Christ is a leader of the church and parishioners connect with Him directly through eucharistia.
IMHO same should be valid for other churches where Christ is a leader of the church and proper eucharistia exist. Closer the church to origins, better connection to Christ through eucharistia, closer the connection to Christ's True Church.
I'm not a theologist, so it is better to talk with a priest about that matters. If you are curious enough - it is perfectly fine to find an Orthodox Church and just talk with a priest about such matters. You don't need to be Orthidox to have a good talk. Do the same with Protestant pastor if this is apropriate for your confession.
There is no any circular reasoning. Everything is based on Symbol of Faith.
There is ancient texts. Translations used by Orthodox Churches are closer to the originals than those used by other churches.
Yes.
Yes.
There are no any churches closer to the origins of Christianity than Orthodox Church.
Functioning of society in Russia does not depend on the religion of citizens. We have at least 3 major religions here - Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. So no any pressure or whatever from society. My parents and even grandparents wasn't religious (as in routine visiting church prayers at home and all that stuff). I was baptised at the age of 10 when my mother proposed, mostly from curiosity and just in case (yes, it was in that "scary godless communist USSR" you know nothing about). It was interesting, inspirational and I had a great talk with priest (about Trinity, Universe, free will and even aliens). Then, studing science lead me to the conclusion than not everything in Universe could be explained by science, and using my childhood expirience and some research, I just found Orthodox Christianity a best possible thing to follow, because it give a clue to everything unexplainable in a most straight and consistent way. Also, studying Bible (in ancient Russian), Lives of Saints, I found that this all is real and believable, not some fake sweetened stories (or on the opposite, fear porn) as in other confessions. And no any marketing like all that churches that flood Russia after the fall of USSR. Good things don't need marketing, if you are not aware. Nobody knock into my door or pester me on the streets to lure me into Orthodox Cristianity, unlike all other confessions and sects.
Yes, that's all.
Yes, because religion is necessary for things that fundamentally can't be explained by science. From all religions I prefer Orthodox Christianity for this,
If central tenets of religion could be proved and replicated independently, then it is not a religion, but science.