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Thread: Three Reasons to join the Eastern Orthodox Church

  1. #1

    Exclamation Three Reasons to join the Eastern Orthodox Church

    Somewhere, TER and HB34 are smiling.

    Reason #2 is the most important, I think.

    If Christianity is going to survive the coming global Islamification, especially in the West, then it is going to need a much more powerful messenger than doddering old men spouting stale Marxist drivel, Joel Olsteen prosperity televangelists, kiddie diddling priests and fat tattooed lesbians and their "wives".

    There is a reason, for instance, that the majority of European converts to Islam are woemen.



    3 REASONS TO JOIN THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH

    http://www.returnofkings.com/144309/...rthodox-church

    MICHAEL WITCOFF DECEMBER 28, 2017

    Michael is a Christian, a copywriter, an author, and a marketing consultant. He believes the West is experiencing divine wrath for turning our backs on God, and that the only hope for salvation is to unite under one faithful banner as our enemies have under theirs.

    Friends and brothers, it’s been quite a while since I last wrote to you. Between my consulting business and my growing interest in the world of blockchain technology, I’ve had a lot on my plate lately.

    But the time seems right for me to come back to Return Of Kings and share a bit more of my journey with you. The rhythm I aim for in life is to learn and grow, then share and teach.

    Today’s topic, Eastern Orthodoxy, is something I’d never even heard of when my last article here was published. But since discovering what it is and delving deeper into its mysteries, it’s consumed an enormous amount of my time and attention.

    So much of it, in fact, that I recently decided to leave my Wesleyan ways behind and become a full-fledged member of the Orthodox Church. Today, I’d like to share with you my top three reasons for doing so.

    1. It’s The Church That Jesus Planted

    During my time as a Protestant, it never even occurred to me that a denomination existed reaching all the way back to the time of the apostles.

    Once I realized there was an unbroken chain of tradition reaching back nearly 2,000 years, I began to ask an entirely new kind of question. What did they teach? How did they worship? What did they believe? How did it get transmitted through time like that?

    I’ve always believed that, whatever you’re trying to do in life, it’s usually better to go straight to the earliest sources than to adhere to newer interpretations. It’s as true with Christianity as it is for copywriting, and I still consider the old Schwartz and Hopkins advertising books to surpass almost everything that’s come out since.

    I discovered that the students of the Biblical apostles had written down a fair amount of material regarding ancient Christian practice and belief. From that point on, I could never really look at Protestantism in the same light.

    After all, why would I follow the doctrines of the 16th century when I could follow the doctrines of the 1st century instead? It simply made no sense to me that someone who didn’t personally know Christ or the apostles could have more understanding and insight than the men who did.

    Christ gave the apostles pretty specific directions, and Paul taught those traditions to all the churches he planted and visited during his ministry. The students of the apostles upheld the traditions and taught them to their own students, and so on and so forth right up until the present day.

    Best of all, Orthodox services feel like being transplanted directly into the ancient Christian world. That sense of reverence, holiness, and solemnity can inspire the soul in a way that electric guitar music simply cannot.

    2. It’s Untainted By Cultural Marxism

    It is not unusual, among Protestant churches, to hear preaching that’s fully aligned with Social Justice ideology and the Cultural Marxism that spawned it.

    This takes on different forms and manifests to different degrees, but it can reach levels that—at its worst—makes the preaching of a church utterly indistinguishable from what you’d hear at a typical liberal arts college.

    This is not only revolting to most normal and healthy men, but also tends to result in lower church attendance. It is well-documented that “the more liberal the church, the emptier the pews.”

    Between the ordination of unrepentant sinners and the preaching of the “prosperity gospel,” it is not surprising that Protestantism is losing its core male audience. This is more than a statistic; it is a tragedy.

    Scripture tells us, in no uncertain terms, that men are to lead both church and home. With a lack of masculine leadership forming a new generation of young boys into developed and effective leaders, all of society suffers.


    However, you will find nothing like these problems in Eastern Orthodoxy. 100% of the clergy are men, and they follow an ancient tradition of hierarchy and rank.

    This tradition—for thousands of years—has naturally taught younger men the healthy dynamics of both obedience and command. The fruit of this effort is an endless chain of men who are prepared for their role as leaders in society.

    Equally important, there is little to no trace of the Evangelical Zionism which I was already frustrated with before I’d discovered Orthodoxy. Unlike most Protestant denominations, Orthodoxy follows the proper Scriptural understanding that believers in Christ are the true “people of Israel.”

    In Matthew 16:18, Jesus tells the apostle Peter that “the gates of Hell will not overcome” His Church.

    You can decide for yourself whether lesbian Zionists or alpha male patriarchs better represent the Church that Jesus had in mind.

    3. It Offers Deeper Theology And A Richer Experience

    I am not trying to attack all of Protestantism with this article. I am still friends with the people I met there, and maintain a deep love for my pastors and their passion for God.

    I’m profoundly grateful for my experience in the Wesleyan denomination, and I would never be where I am today unless I had learned the basics of Christianity there.

    But that’s just it… it stops at the basics. Jesus died for your sins, now you’re saved, and that’s where it ends.

    Orthodoxy, drawing on monastic wisdom going back to at least the 4th century, invites the seeker into a deep mystical understanding of God that far surpasses the typical experience.

    I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I have any real understanding of the Orthodox mystery, because I have barely even knocked at the door.

    However, I can feel the power coming from the other side and greatly look forward to exploring it further.

    Each day of my studies draws me in deeper and deeper, as new levels of both God’s glory—and my own sinfulness by comparison—are revealed to me. It is humbling, it is powerful, and it’s a fuller experience than I knew existed just a few short months ago.

    Protestants have the appetizer; the Orthodox serve the meal.

    If you are ready to deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ or even to start one…the way that all the apostles and their students did…I highly recommend you check out an Orthodox service sometime and examine it for yourself.

    The priests are incredibly helpful to inquirers, and several of them have taken the time to guide me towards various resources or respond to my questions via e-mail.

    Even if your nearest Orthodox Church is 20 or 30 minutes away, I think it will be worth your time and effort to make it to a Vespers (on Saturday night) or a Divine Liturgy (on Sunday morning) to see if what it offers matches what you’re looking for.

    God bless and Merry Christmas.
    Another mark of a tyrant is that he likes foreigners better than citizens, and lives with them and invites them to his table; for the one are enemies, but the Others enter into no rivalry with him. - Aristotle's Politics Book 5 Part 11



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  3. #2
    I've been hopping back-n-forth between the local EO and the church I settled on when I moved to this lil' town....

  4. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by tod evans View Post
    I've been hopping back-n-forth between the local EO and the church I settled on when I moved to this lil' town....
    Neat.

    What are your impressions of the church?

  5. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    Neat.

    What are your impressions of the church?
    That's a complex question that'd require several pages delving into my early religious upbringing, the changes in "politically correct" church doctrines and my current outlook on life and religion...

    Given that I really do type one fingered I'll simply say my impression is that the EO church is honest, upright and standfast...

    My eulogy will probably be EO and son's catechism will be EO, (mine was oldschool Episcopalian/Anglican)

    The EO church here in the sticks is very small, visiting Bishop once a month to do communion because our priest isn't ordained yet, he's a reformed Episcopalian who got fed-up.
    Last edited by tod evans; 12-31-2017 at 08:58 PM.

  6. #5
    These are just a few of the reasons why I joined in 2015. After my Chrismation, I was greeted after the Liturgy with "welcome home." That is the best way I can describe my journey to Orthodoxy from atheism and various denominations, I finally felt at home.
    ...

  7. #6
    I refuse to join any organization that would have me as a member.


    ...
    Pfizer Macht Frei!

    Openly Straight Man, Danke, Awarded Top Rated Influencer. Community Standards Enforcer.


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  8. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Danke View Post
    I refuse to join any organization that would have me as a member.


    ...
    You may have a point. The Church isn't that picky. They let me and HB join.
    Last edited by RJB; 01-01-2018 at 06:35 PM.
    ...

  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Danke View Post
    I refuse to join any organization that would have me as a member.


    ...
    lol
    Quote Originally Posted by Torchbearer
    what works can never be discussed online. there is only one language the government understands, and until the people start speaking it by the magazine full... things will remain the same.
    Hear/buy my music here "government is the enemy of liberty"-RP Support me on Patreon here Ephesians 6:12



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  11. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by RJB View Post
    You may have a point. The Church isn't that picky. They let me and HB join.
    Yeah, but we have to behave ourselves during liturgy, orthros, etc.
    Quote Originally Posted by Torchbearer
    what works can never be discussed online. there is only one language the government understands, and until the people start speaking it by the magazine full... things will remain the same.
    Hear/buy my music here "government is the enemy of liberty"-RP Support me on Patreon here Ephesians 6:12

  12. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by RJB View Post
    These are just a few of the reasons why I joined in 2015. After my Chrismation, I was greeted after the Liturgy with "welcome home." That is the best way I can describe my journey to Orthodoxy from atheism and various denominations, I finally felt at home.
    Hey man, I had no idea I predated you. I was Chrismated in Sept 2014.
    I was a Lutheran for 40 years prior to that. I kind of take issue with the idea that all of Protestantism is infected by feminism and Marxism. It's only like 90 per cent.
    The problem is that it's pretty much an intractable situation... toward the end of my life as a Protestant we were attending a "Zombie Safe House" church, where everyone in the area attended who didn't want to be a zombie, and that was pretty much the only reason anyone was there in the first place, and just like in the movies, nobody really got along as a result.

    For anyone considering checking it out, I'll let you in on a few secrets first.

    The reason why Orthodoxy will never go SJW retard is the same reason why it hasn't changed in two millennia. Tradition, with a capital-T.
    If you decide to check it out, please check your protestant tradition baggage at the door first and just check it out.
    Capital-T Tradition doesn't mean to us what it means to you.
    It's also not negotiable, for the exact reason cited: it is what keeps this going in perpetuity.
    With time and eyes to see it, you will find that nobody can learn everything there is to learn about Orthodoxy in one lifetime. The inevitable conclusion from there, once you think about how something far bigger than any one person can survive unadulterated through time, is that there actually is an outside force keeping it together.
    I submit that's what you're all looking for, really.

    Also, I found Fr Barnabas to be vital for helping me get over that and some other baggage - like most other Orthodox I know, including my priest (who is also a bishop), he's a convert, too.

    this is a 5-part series, btw.


    If anyone has any other questions, I'm totally down to answer them (even if they're mudslinging, but SF hasn't been around for some time now) but like I already told ya, I don't have all the answers.
    There are no crimes against people.
    There are only crimes against the state.
    And the state will never, ever choose to hold accountable its agents, because a thing can not commit a crime against itself.

  13. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by fisharmor View Post
    Hey man, I had no idea I predated you. I was Chrismated in Sept 2014.
    .
    Mine was Oct 2014. You still win, but I don't know why I wrote 2015. I guess the years have been blending more as I get older.
    ...

  14. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by RJB View Post
    You may have a point. The Church isn't that picky. They let me and HB join.
    I've never met so many people with ink at Church since I became Orthodox.
    A few months ago there was a guy visiting from another church, and I was one of three people (the other two were an FBI agent and a DEA agent) who noticed his 1% tat.
    (Which was obviously in the process of getting removed, though.)
    There are no crimes against people.
    There are only crimes against the state.
    And the state will never, ever choose to hold accountable its agents, because a thing can not commit a crime against itself.

  15. #13
    Oh yeah, and don't forget that while facial hair isn't required for men, it's really, really common.
    I cut my 8" long beard into a Van Dyke a few months ago and felt like I was apostasizing.
    There are no crimes against people.
    There are only crimes against the state.
    And the state will never, ever choose to hold accountable its agents, because a thing can not commit a crime against itself.

  16. #14
    2. It’s Untainted By Cultural Marxism

    It is not unusual, among Protestant churches, to hear preaching that’s fully aligned with Social Justice ideology and the Cultural Marxism that spawned it.
    btw, my priest has spoken out publicly and emphatically specifically against Cultural Marxism. (it's in the vids I've posted, IDR which ones) He also spent something like a month last year talking about the importance of men acting like men and taking charge and care of themselves and those around them.

    Scripture tells us, in no uncertain terms, that men are to lead both church and home. With a lack of masculine leadership forming a new generation of young boys into developed and effective leaders, all of society suffers.
    Quote Originally Posted by Torchbearer
    what works can never be discussed online. there is only one language the government understands, and until the people start speaking it by the magazine full... things will remain the same.
    Hear/buy my music here "government is the enemy of liberty"-RP Support me on Patreon here Ephesians 6:12

  17. #15
    Orthodoxy in general has some substantial problems with Marxism - and Islam, too.
    But this isn't based on some neocon boogeyman... it's rooted in history and comes from actual destruction of actual churches and actual murder of actual Christians.
    Quite a lot of it.
    Orthodoxy also never says "I know, let's go over there and blow up a bunch of schools and places of business, that'll show 'em".

    One of the reasons why the Crusades got off to a bad start, is that the Orthodox in Byzantium - even the soldiers - were expected to self-exclude from communion for three years following the killing of anyone, including an enemy combatant.
    Then the West got involved and created groups like the Templars, who expected a member to eat off the floor with the dogs for a whole year if he didn't kill in battle.

    It's an altogether different way of thinking.
    There are no crimes against people.
    There are only crimes against the state.
    And the state will never, ever choose to hold accountable its agents, because a thing can not commit a crime against itself.

  18. #16
    I refuse to join any organization that would have me as a member.
    Groucho Marx



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  20. #17

  21. #18
    1. It's the church that Jesus planted.

    No it isn't. The EOC doesn't teach the gospel that Jesus and the apostles preached. The EOC preaches the second and third century churchmen's deviations from the gospel. It's a watered down half gospel that really is no gospel at all because it doesn't protect the pure grace of God.

  22. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Sola_Fide View Post
    because it doesn't protect the pure grace of God.

    Seriously?
    Gods Grace needs no protection.
    His Grace is protection..

    What bizarre and twisted purpose are you pushing Sola,, To even type something that stupid as an attack .

    and it was nothing but an attack. and a pointless one at that.

    To think that God needs defending..

    You seem to have a low opinion of this god you know.
    Liberty is lost through complacency and a subservient mindset. When we accept or even welcome automobile checkpoints, random searches, mandatory identification cards, and paramilitary police in our streets, we have lost a vital part of our American heritage. America was born of protest, revolution, and mistrust of government. Subservient societies neither maintain nor deserve freedom for long.
    Ron Paul 2004

    Registered Ron Paul supporter # 2202
    It's all about Freedom

  23. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by pcosmar View Post

    Seriously?
    Gods Grace needs no protection.
    His Grace is protection..

    What bizarre and twisted purpose are you pushing Sola,, To even type something that stupid as an attack .

    and it was nothing but an attack. and a pointless one at that.

    To think that God needs defending..

    You seem to have a low opinion of this god you know.
    Yes, God's grace needs defending.

    1st Peter 3:15

    But in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you

  24. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by Sola_Fide View Post
    Yes, God's grace needs defending.

    1st Peter 3:15

    But in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you
    Gods Grace needs no Defense.. It is all sufficient.

    We are to Give Answer to any that ask,, Testimony,, of Gods Grace,, but it needs no defense..
    it is unattackable.
    Liberty is lost through complacency and a subservient mindset. When we accept or even welcome automobile checkpoints, random searches, mandatory identification cards, and paramilitary police in our streets, we have lost a vital part of our American heritage. America was born of protest, revolution, and mistrust of government. Subservient societies neither maintain nor deserve freedom for long.
    Ron Paul 2004

    Registered Ron Paul supporter # 2202
    It's all about Freedom

  25. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by pcosmar View Post
    Gods Grace needs no Defense.. It is all sufficient.

    We are to Give Answer to any that ask,, Testimony,, of Gods Grace,, but it needs no defense..
    it is unattackable.
    Shrugs

    The Bible says defend it, you day don't defend it.... I think I'll just stick with the Bible.

  26. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by Sola_Fide View Post
    Yes, God's grace needs defending.

    1st Peter 3:15

    But in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you
    My reading of that is not a defense of God, but defense for you: a defense against scoffers and doubters who attack you for your faith and hope and good will that is in your heart.

    YMMV

  27. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    My reading of that is not a defense of God, but defense for you: a defense against scoffers and doubters who attack you for your faith and hope and good will that is in your heart.

    YMMV
    I think you're right, although the hope that I have being a Biblical Christian is not the same hope that an Eastern Orthodox has. We have different faiths. Go back years in the debates between myself or Erowe against TER to see this.



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  29. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    My reading of that is not a defense of God, but defense for you: a defense against scoffers and doubters who attack you for your faith and hope and good will that is in your heart.

    YMMV
    In common English,, that is the meaning most get from it.
    Liberty is lost through complacency and a subservient mindset. When we accept or even welcome automobile checkpoints, random searches, mandatory identification cards, and paramilitary police in our streets, we have lost a vital part of our American heritage. America was born of protest, revolution, and mistrust of government. Subservient societies neither maintain nor deserve freedom for long.
    Ron Paul 2004

    Registered Ron Paul supporter # 2202
    It's all about Freedom

  30. #26
    Quote Originally Posted by Sola_Fide View Post
    I think you're right, although the hope that I have being a Biblical Christian is not the same hope that an Eastern Orthodox has. We have different faiths. Go back years in the debates between myself or Erowe against TER to see this.
    I posted the OP with a sense of inquisitiveness.

    I am done with the cultural Marxism of "mainline" Protestantism. I will not be led or taught by a blue hair dyed, tattooed lesbian and her "wife", or any of the other freakshows and weirdosexuals and communists running amok in the church today. EO seems an alternative.

    I've seen nothing that suggests that EO has any different "hope" other than that of eternal life and salvation through Christ.
    Last edited by Anti Federalist; 01-15-2018 at 12:46 PM.

  31. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    I posted the OP with a sense of inquisitiveness.

    I am done with the cultural Marxism of "mainline" Protestantism.

    I've seen nothing that suggests that EO has any different "hope" other than that of eternal life and salvation through Christ.
    What is mainline to you? But no matter what it is, a church shouldn't be sought after for a political position.

  32. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by Sola_Fide View Post
    What is mainline to you? But no matter what it is, a church shouldn't be sought after for a political position.
    I added to my post.

    That should clarify.

  33. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    I posted the OP with a sense of inquisitiveness.

    I am done with the cultural Marxism of "mainline" Protestantism. I will not be led or taught by a blue hair dyed, tattooed lesbian and her "wife", or any of the other freakshows and weirdosexuals and communists running amok in the church today. EO seems an alternative.

    I've seen nothing that suggests that EO has any different "hope" other than that of eternal life and salvation through Christ.
    But what you're describing isn't even a Christian church. Homosexuals cannot be Christians.

  34. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    I will not be led or taught by
    I came to a similar place years back,,with conflicting doctrine of many denominations. and many teachers.

    and I went to the Source.

    I can worship almost anywhere,, in any church. Though usually under the sky.

    I would advise finding a community of believers that you are comfortable with,, and let yourself be led By God among them.
    Liberty is lost through complacency and a subservient mindset. When we accept or even welcome automobile checkpoints, random searches, mandatory identification cards, and paramilitary police in our streets, we have lost a vital part of our American heritage. America was born of protest, revolution, and mistrust of government. Subservient societies neither maintain nor deserve freedom for long.
    Ron Paul 2004

    Registered Ron Paul supporter # 2202
    It's all about Freedom

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