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Why is Orthodox Christianity?

Orthodox Cross on the head of church, source: Unsplash

Hello back! I actually still do not want to write this blog again because it's closed permanently, but I think I prefer to leave a final writing for a while. So, I decided to write a final writing about Orthodox Christianity. Are you wondering about the Orthodox Christianity?

Orthodox, the word defined as true teachings. Orthodox is the early church in the first century and was established by Apostle Mark, Thomas, Bartholomew, and some Christ's Apostles in Antioch, Jerusalem, Damascus, Ethiopia, Cyprus, Alexandria (now in Egypt), and Constantinople (now in Istanbul and moved to Greece). Roman Catholic was also part of the early churches and is located in Rome, Italy. We believe Jesus Christ, but we also believe Mary the Theotokos, Saints, and Fathers of Church. But nobody else who knows about the Orthodox Christianity. That causes misunderstanding about Orthodox Christianity. So, we want to explain in a summary of five things about Orthodox Christianity that people should need to know, by as far as I know and have learned from. So, let's go!

  • Is Orthodox copying Islam?
No, we do not copy Islam because we existed in the first century before Islam came. We still hold in the old teachings that what Apostles taught us in the canonized Bible, apostolic, and traditions. Women wear veiling at a church because it's what is said in the Book of Corinthians, we sing many psalms because it's what is said in the Book of Psalm, we have to fast 80-day for Easter and Christmas because it's what says in the New Testament, especially the four gospels, and many liturgies and traditions that we should do. The Orthodox Church is similar to a mosque but we established Hagia Sophia was initially Orthodox Church but now officially taken over as a mosque by the Turkish government. Orthodox is Christian because we believe in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ is our pope. So, we aren't Chrislam (Christian Islam). 
  • Is Orthodox split from Roman Catholic?
No, we aren't actually splitting from Roman Catholic because we are five early churches in the first century, such as Rome, Jerusalem, Alexandria, Constantinople, and Antioch, which it has ended become two only churches, those are Orthodox and Roman Catholics. It came by the Great Schism in 1054. Roman Catholic and Orthodox, especially Eastern Orthodox (Russia, Greece, Serbia, Jerusalem) still recognise the seven councils, while the Oriental Orthodox (Coptic/ Egypt, Armenia, Syria, Ethiopia) only recognise the three councils. However, Roman Catholic appointed a bishop as a human being becoming a pope which the Orthodox rejected. Roman Catholic is led by human by appointing by cardinals to be a pope. Orthodox has a pope but the real pope is Jesus Christ and the highest position is only Patriarch leads in the patriarchal administrations across the world. Orthodox is the holy, one, apostolic, and catholic church. Catholic is a universal Christianity that's isn't related to Roma or Orthodox. We believe the true church is supposed to be an unchanged church. We love and respect Roman Catholics and as well as Protestants who also split from the Roman Catholic church since the 15th century and was led by a German, Martin Luther on famously 95 theses.
  • Why do you worship icons?
No, we do not worship icons. Indeed, we kiss and pray in front of icons but it's just showing the honour and love. It's a tool of knowing Jesus Christ, Mary the Theotokos, Saints, and Fathers of Church through these beautiful icons. We aren't allowed to have statues like Roman Catholic and we use icons instead. We can pray without icons and still no big deal. 

  • Is Orthodox worship God and have same Bible?
Yes, we are Christian! We worship the Holy Trinity, as Son, God, and Holy Spirit. But we honour the Mary the Theotokos, saints, and fathers of church, which is a big issue of Protestants. We have same Bible but more many books compared to Roman Catholic, despite we do not believe the purgatory, and Protestant and we don't have any translations, like NIV, ESV, NKJV, NLT, etc since we have a direct translation from its patriarchal. 

  • Are all Orthodox a Russian or a Greek?
No, we aren't. Russia or Greek is just patriarch where are member of. How about Roman Catholics? They aren't automatically an Italian citizen! As well as we are! Some Orthodox weren't born to an Orthodox family and most converts from Roman Catholic, Muslim, Atheist, Agnostic, Protestant, etc. We have blacks, Asians, white, Deaf, wheelchairs, and which some people aren't a Greek or a Russian. They would end up to become an Orthodox Christian when getting baptism with Orthodox priests. We believe the true teachings that should be an unchanged church in 2.000 years ago and still be taught directly by the Christ's Apostles, yeah, that is Orthodox Christianity. That's why we aren't a Russian or Greek still want to be Orthodox Christians. If you are devout Christians, you want to know what is actually truth of its Christianity, you will know what is that based on history, theology, studies, and some documents. 

So, it's finished! Still many more to share facts about Orthodox Christianity but I think it's five beyond enough basically to share. I believe Orthodox is the true of its Christianity and I want to live in a direct teaching from Christ's Apostles since Jesus going to Heaven. I think Protestant isn't because some things that they have missed or hide something, especially Bible Protestant studies, theology, interpretation, history, and how devout what is actually the "true teaching". Roman Catholic also ended up in having bad shape of itself theology still be changed or revoked inconsistently, like priests were earlier still allowed to marry before ordination, but they suddenly revoked and all priests are celibacy, Roman Catholic was part of the three Gs (gold, glory, and gospel), which forcibly conversion Natives into Catholicism. Despite that, I still respect Roman Catholics and Protestants, also Muslim, other religions, atheists, agnostics, and even LGBTQ because we believe Jesus is love, that's something we want to show publicly. 

Orthodox is forever and Christian. I hope people aware well-kindness and humbly about the true understanding of what is definition Orthodox Christianity. We love Orthodox and Orthodox loves people which even aren't Christians and member of Orthodox Church. Axios! ☦

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