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The sanctity present among the Orthodox faithful is not to be denied, but is not in itself a proof of the marks of the one true Church. The sanctity to be found among the Orthodox is at least rivaled, if it is not surpassed, in the Catholic Church since the schism.
- Misconception #1: The Orthodox Church Is The Same as The Roman Catholic Church
- Misconception #4: You Must Be A Certain Ethnicity to Be An Orthodox Christian.
- Misconception #6: Orthodox Christians Worship idols.
- Misconception #7: Orthodox Christians Believe They Earn Their Way to Heaven
- Misconception #8: Orthodox Christians Don’T Believe in The Bible.
- Misconception #9: The Orthodox Church Is A Dead Religion
- Conclusion
Many Protestants object to the Orthodox Church because they conflate it with Roman Catholicism. While there are indeed certain similarities between Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, there are far more differences between our confessions. For instance, we view Church authority differently, especially when it comes to the infallibility and sup...
This misconception is actually quite understandable; however, it is untrue. Many people have not heard about the Orthodox Church in this country. And if they have, they have more than likely seen a church affiliated with a particular ethnicity (ex. the Serbian/Russian/Greek Orthodox Church). This affiliation consequently leads people to think that ...
Someone simply taking a cursory glance at the Orthodox Church may find our spiritual practice of venerating icons, relics, and Saints a bit off-putting. Many Protestants accuse the Orthodox of idolatry, of making gods out of and worshiping the objects and people that occupy an important place in the life of the Church. However, we do not make gods ...
Another misconception many have is that Orthodoxy teaches a works-based salvation. In other words, that we can somehow earn our way to heaven. However, this is not what Orthodox Christians believe, nor has the Eastern Church ever taught this. Just as the Scripture tells us, we believe we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and that ...
Because of the strong emphasis on Sola Scriptura, most Protestants falsely accuse Orthodox Christians of not believing in, respecting, or reading the Bible. More often than not, this assumption also comes from a place of ignorance, from those who have not experienced the divine services or studied the canonization of the Scriptures and their use in...
Yet another misconception about the Eastern Orthodox Church is that our faith is “dead”. Because her worship is liturgical in nature– focused on ritual prayer – many Protestants interpret Orthodoxy as a dead religion; however, they fail to see the importance of ritual in other parts of life. For instance, Americans have a ritual for graduation from...
If you have questions about how to respond to the misconceptions and objections of others, your spiritual father or any Eastern Orthodox priest would be the best resource. What other misconceptions about the Orthodox Church have you come across in conversation? Are there some of these misconceptions you once held yourself? Let us know in the commen...
However, in the year 1054 the Bishop of Rome and the other four bishops had a break-up (the Great Schism). We Eastern Orthodox believe we are closest to the original Church (or, "most true") largely because we have changed the least since that break-up. After the Bishop of Rome became the Pope and established absolute authority over the Western ...
The Eastern Orthodox Church (officially the Orthodox Catholic Church) identifies its confederative communion of Orthodox churches as the "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church" of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed and applies this title in conciliar and other official documents, for instance, in the Constantinople synods held in 1836 and ...
Feb 10, 2014 · I believe the Orthodox Church really is the one, true Church of Christ. There’s a lot that could be said here, but the reason why I believe this is that I examined both the Scriptures and the early history of Christianity, and I became convinced that the only church that matches them both is Orthodoxy.
Aug 5, 2016 · Is the Orthodox Church (i.e., Greek Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox) a true Christian church? Are their beliefs consistent with the Bible? The Orthodox Church was established in AD 1054 following a schism of the Roman Empire which split the church in the east from the church in the west.
The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 230 million baptised members.
