Russian Orthodox?

[Mom2ten]

Not sure where to put this, so mods if it's in the wrong lace, please move it. My sister has been going to a Russian Orthodox church and it's getting a bit weird. She has icons and pictures of icons and is very much into head coverings now. She insists that we are being saved daily and doesn't think the day that we accepted Jesus is important. Does anyone know anything about this church?

[iSong6:3]

The Eastern Orthodox churches were one with Rome until 1054 when they split primarily over the infallibility of the pope. But they have substantially the same rites and liturgical worship as the Catholics.

They do not take Scripture literally but see the Bible as full of wisdom and allegory. If you mention being born again they will look at you quizzically, it's not part of their theology. As long as you are baptized into their church as an infant or convert, you are considered a Christian and the goal is to embrace your inner *godlikeness* through different exercises and self-effort.

They have an exalted view of Mary as do the Catholics and pray to her as well as the saints.

I can't link to anything right now but we do have threads on the Greek Orthodox Church here if you do a search and also you can google their beliefs and customs to learn more.

[Mom2ten]

The Eastern Orthodox churches were one with Rome until 1054 when they split primarily over the infallibility of the pope. But they have substantially the same rites and liturgical worship as the Catholics

They do not take Scripture literally but see the Bible as full of wisdom and allegory. If you mention being born again they will look at you quizzically, it's not part of their theology. As long as you are baptized into their church as an infant or convert, you are considered a Christian and the goal is to embrace your inner *godlikeness* through different exercises and self-effort.

They have an exalted view of Mary as do the Catholics and pray to her as well as the saints.

I can't link to anything right now but we do have threads on the Greek Orthodox Church here if you do a search and also you can google their beliefs and customs to learn more.

Thanks iSong Is Eastern Orthodox the same as Russian Orthodox?

[iSong6:3]

Thanks iSong Is Eastern Orthodox the same as Russian Orthodox?

Yep Eastern Orthodoxy has a few subgroups, like the Russian Orthodox and Greek Orthodox, I can't remember what else.

Prevailing thought by many is that Christianity is divided into three streams, Eastern Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant.

[Mom2ten]

Yep Eastern Orthodoxy has a few subgroups, like the Russian Orthodox and Greek Orthodox, I can't remember what else.

Prevailing thought by many is that Christianity is divided into three streams, Eastern Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant.

Alright Ma'am..thanks so much! I will start to look into it.

[kjlistrom]

I was in Russia 11 years ago for just over three weeks, while there we visited many of their places of worship all over Russia. I saw nothing that was Christ like at any of them. There were dead people encased in glass being worshiped, there was planets and stars in some where astrology was worshiped along with dead saints that had helped the towns people, there was candle lighting and kissing icons, there was magic and praying to the dead. There was healing springs of water coming out of the ground in the midst of the church, all seemed to be mixed with Catholicism. In one we visited, the priests buried their dead in a cave that the church was built over and they believed that it was so sacred that even the dust as you walked in the cave would clean and preserve your shoes for years, only the vary rich could be buried there and it showed, the priests eat on solid gold plates. In one only the preist could go in so all you could do was point to which icons you wanted him to kiss for you, then he would go in and do it for you as only he could, you stood out side with a lit candle. Most of the icons were of Marry with lots of silver around her. Like I said, there wasn't much Christ likeness there.

[Buzzardhut]

I was in Russia 11 years ago for just over three weeks, while there we visited many of their places of worship all over Russia. I saw nothing that was Christ like at any of them. There were dead people encased in glass being worshiped, there was planets and stars in some where astrology was worshiped along with dead saints that had helped the towns people, there was candle lighting and kissing icons, there was magic and praying to the dead. There was healing springs of water coming out of the ground in the midst of the church, all seemed to be mixed with Catholicism. In one we visited, the priests buried their dead in a cave that the church was built over and they believed that it was so sacred that even the dust as you walked in the cave would clean and preserve your shoes for years, only the vary rich could be buried there and it showed, the priests eat on solid gold plates. In one only the preist could go in so all you could do was point to which icons you wanted him to kiss for you, then he would go in and do it for you as only he could, you stood out side with a lit candle. Most of the icons were of Marry with lots of silver around her. Like I said, there wasn't much Christ likeness there.

Liturgical worship is a cook book of white magic and good works for salvation and has nothing to do with born again salvation. They keep you chained in a slavery of rituals and works in hopes of a salvation they can never deliver.
They, along with Catholicism, claim to be the first church, but they were not the first and nether was the catholic church.

Jesus started His original first church 300 years before satan sowed in his seeds of liturgical mysticism of Romanism and Orthodoxy worship taken from the culture of Greek and Roman mythology and harvest rituals in those days.

They claim one can be born again through their religious rituals. They teach a priest can magically induce their jesus into a sun wafer of bread and when you eat the wafer you receive jesus.

http://buzzardhut.net/index/htm/Semiramis.pdf

[Mitsy]

Not sure where to put this, so mods if it's in the wrong lace, please move it. My sister has been going to a Russian Orthodox church and it's getting a bit weird. She has icons and pictures of icons and is very much into head coverings now. She insists that we are being saved daily and doesn't think the day that we accepted Jesus is important. Does anyone know anything about this church?

I am Serbian Orthodox from my family background but became a Born Again Believer and left.

We here in Australia have a strong connection with the Russian Orthodox Church and often have had services and celebrated many feasts together as i was growing up I was sent to Sunday School and Youth Group which was often done along with the Russian Orthodox Churches where I lived (Sydney).

The Eastern Orthodox Church teachings on salvation are that you cannot be sure of your salvation. It is how they keep their congregation coming back over and over again. Just like the Roman Catholic Church you are made dependant on doing good works, giving money to the Church, getting baptised or christened into their denomination and having on going confession and forgiveness (given by the Priest).

So those who go to an Eastern Orthodox Church are never Assured of their Salvation and the Forgiveness for their Sins.

I understand what your sister has been taught by the Russian Orthodox here. It all sounds quite logical as they will misuse various scriptures to support their teachings.

Additionally to not being assured you are fully Saved when you receive Christ they also like the Roman Catholic Church put much more emphasis on the Churches teachings and other spiritual teachings and books so that the Bible is not the primary focus and they don't encourage their followers to read the Bible. They will read a small piece of scripture each week in Church. When say small I mean small. You rarely get a good amount of scripture read out to the congregation during Sunday service and then the Sermon can often be on something totally different to what was read out from the Bible and often not Biblical at all.

They often super spiritualise things and couch their teachings to make them sound mystical and from God but their teachings are often confusing and in the end always about doing good things but devoid of Jesus.

Most of my family still attend a Eastern Orthodox church. Some have even married Catholics and go to the Roman Catholic Church regularly because they say it is fundamentally the same as the Eastern Orthodox. Not even the reasons for the Orthodox/Catholic split are taught in our Church today. I can see the Eastern Orthodox rejoining the Catholic Church it won't be much longer they will put aside their differences.

Additionally to the complete lack of proper teaching of the Gospel and any other good interpretation of the Bible many Churches introduce their own myths and stories.

For example when my Aunty recently passed away the Serbian Orthodox Priest that did her funeral was an American Russian Orthodox Priest here visiting and was asked to do us the honour of taking her funeral. Well in his teaching about death he told a myth of how my Aunty would be taken by an Angel to see the Sinners who are currently been tormented in Hell for 6 days to purify her Soul and then she would be counselled and taught things of heaven for 40 days before she is able to enter Heaven. I did question this priest afterwards his reply to me was in such arrogance was astonishing. I was able to with a Bible from the Church to point out how there is no such teaching. I showed him the end of Revelation where it says not to ADD anything to the scriptures and God's dire warning to those who do and he was not disturbed by it at all. I was dismissed as an ignorant woman. God have mercy on that man's soul!

Fortunately for my Aunty I spent years reading the Bible to her in Serbian (she was born before World War 2 and many village girls were not sent to school). I sharedover and again the gospel message and led her to the Lord and then we spent time reading the Bible together often. She knew Jesus as her Lord and Saviour and that her sins were definitely forgive through the death of Christ on the Cross. Her family had her funeral in the tradition of our Church but I know she was Saved. Even my poor grandfather (who has been a long time Serbian Church goer) was shocked at this visiting Russian Priest's teachings (he never heard this teaching before). It gave me a chance to re-assure him of his salvation in Christ alone and he died soon after.

So there are some weird non-biblical teachings she will also be exposed to as well.

Some people in Eastern Orthodox Churches are into superstition as well.

The Bible has not been their central Book and only source for their faith. Too many made up superstitions and humanistic traditions have eroded any Truth you can manage to find in their doctrines.

I have spent years studying my Churches doctrines and tried to point out what is Biblically Sound in them to elders and other congregation members so they would question the Superstitions and Traditions we blindly follow but they don't want to hear them. Then there are the super religious nuts in our Church that read every spiritual writing by Holymen or Monks and follow the strict rules of the Orthodox Church and walk around piously thinking they are above being corrected from the Bible.

I have found the odd family or family friend who has allowed me to read the Bible with them and help them learn what it has to teach us about Jesus and salvation. I have focused on those who are willing to hear. Most of them will not leave the Church because they have too many family and social ties to the Church. The younger generations are more willing to come with me to an English Speaking Sound Bible Teaching Church. The older ones hardly read and write in their own language and are not that good in English.

I'm sorry to hear your sister has gotten involved in the Russian Orthodox Church. Pray for her because only the Holy Spirit can release her from the religious teachings (mingled with myths and tales) that she has been enticed into.

Most people are attracted to the Eastern Orthodox Church because they have a lot of rules and regulations they can follow. You fast at these times and go to confession at the end to get your sins forgiven. You fast on Wed and Fri. You have to celebrate these various feast days. You have specific prayers to say at various times. It is all regimentated and laid out for them in the Orthodox Calendar what to do on what days. An easy formula to a truly pious and religious (supposedly god pleasing life). At the end of your days you hope you did everything well enough to get you into heaven. If not you can have your death bed confession to an Orthodox Priest and that should seal your place in heaven.

[Buzzardhut]

Liturgical worship is a cook book of white magic and good works for salvation and has nothing to do with born again salvation. They keep you chained in a slavery of rituals and works in hopes of a salvation they can never deliver.
They, along with Catholicism, claim to be the first church, but they were not the first and nether was the catholic church.

Jesus started His original first church 300 years before satan sowed in his seeds of liturgical mysticism of Romanism and Orthodoxy worship taken from the culture of Greek and Roman mythology and harvest rituals in those days.

They claim one can be born again through their religious rituals. They teach a priest can magically induce their jesus into a sun wafer of bread and when you eat the wafer you receive jesus.

http://buzzardhut.net/index/htm/Semiramis.pdf

Beware of all Liturgical Romanism.