Is Orthodoxy a meme or are people actually converting to it?

Not in OCA, and certainly not in some Russian parishes I've been to. I'm from an extremely Roman Catholic family of Eastern European descent. Both are major parts of our identity, though I was born in the US. When I first looked into Orthodoxy, I started attending an OCA church. The parish was mostly made up of formerly protestant converts. The parish I attend now is EXTREMELY Russian, probably half of the parishioners are Russian immigrants. I have never once felt unwelcome or uncomfortable.

>The best thing you could do for your kids is bring them to a small weird (not cult) church.
This is a good point user, I hadn't thought of that. Thanks.

How do cradle orthodox feel about converts? Are they reluctant or wary? Do they treat you much differently or do you feel welcomed?

whats it like rejecting god's true immutable word the king james?

sounds like this is a big deal where you are from. Is that the case?

mostly a meme
a few impressionable young men go to """orthodox""" because they heard all the bad things about Catholicism, but most men looking for God still find their way to the True Church

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this is the most absolutely pleasant thing i have seen all week

Hear the gospel and get saved youtu.be/WDEBz25lGdY

you're welcome

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Not an orthodox myself, but here's what Jesus had to say about >could be in the minority in the future:

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)

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>heresy
happened. Energy Essence Distinction, divorce and remarriage, Spirit only precedes from the Father
>fall to Islam
happened immediately after the "orthodox" perjured themselves at a Council
>fall to communism
happened. Russian "church" is all KGB
>fall to modernism
happening right now

I'm Greek Orthodox, we would be happy to have you join us. We/re orthodox by birth but you would be orthodox by choice, and we would have a great respect for you for that.

If you demonstrate an understanding of our traditions and customs we would love you as a brother.

I realized I asked a question already asked, so extra thank you for your response.

>Energy Essence Distinction
>Spirit only precedes from the Father
How many angels can dance on end of a needle?

>Divorce and remarriage
Go read Exodus 21:4, brother.

>Russian "church" is all KGB
No, by definition, the church is the collection of people who believe in Jesus Christ. So what you claim there is tautologically false. Maybe you meant to say something like, the visible Russian "church" buildings are all KGB.

>fall to modernism happening right now
Funny, I didn't know Francis was Orthodox!

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Russian orthodox here. I’m not super religious, but go to church on holidays with my senpai. The people are cool, but all the prayer is in Russian, so I don’t understand any of it. The priests can marry, so you don’t see much if any of the kiddie molester shit like the Catholic Church. Also, you stand the whole service. Usually an old lady’s hair gets burnt with a candle every year On Christmas cause it’s packed and someone locked their knees and passed out.

I talked to an Ortho priest last summer. He says usually they would get one convert a year, now it's like 5 a month. Even the Evangelical "Bible Answer man" converted.

I'm not big on icons and praying to saints, but I think they nailed everything else perfectly. Every complaint I had with Catholics (whom I still love and seek reunion with as brothers) is already fixed in Orthodoxy.

It's a completely reasonable question to ask. Our community can be very clannish but it is one of the sources of our strength.

Look up Father Josiah Trenam's lectures on YouTube. Based orthodox priest who converted from Protestantism. I'll post one to get you started.

youtu.be/-fm2a2WeIdI

This. We're welcoming of converts, we don't treat you guys any differently, Like he said, if anything we'd treat you with more respect than a cradle Orthodox because if your interest and ability to seek the truth

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got this meme from orthodox meme squad fb group, you from there too?

>Go read Exodus 21:4, brother.
Go read Matthew 5: 32

Greek Orthodoxy retains the original language of the Gospels. It retains the mysticism and traditions of the church and is the true faith as it rejects all the degeneracy which has destroyed Catholicism and Protestantism.

In my congregation about 75% are Orthodox by birth while the remaining are converts through marriage and conversions.

>can marry, so you don’t see much if any of the kiddie molester shit
I never understood this line of reasoning.
If celibacy = kiddie molesting then the apostles, Church Fathers, and Jesus Christ himself were... See I dont even want to say this blasphemy.
Proof that "orthodox" are anything but

It's not a meme. The theology is correct

In the USA, you pretty much want to find a ROCOR church if at all possible. The rest are mostly liberal faggots (especially Antioch which is full of antifa Bernie bros).

Celibacy does not imply child molestation, but homosexuals are drawn to roman catholic clergy because they have access to teen boys and other homo priests. Same can happen in Orthodox too of course, but being married cuts down the likelihood that the clergy turns into a cabal of sodomites like RCC is.

Yeah, let's worship the guy who invented hell over 2 stolen apples, what could go wrong?

Popeyes Emeritus Benedict said it himself.

OPs infiltrated the clergy in large numbers after the sexual revolution. As we all know, OPs are usually pedos.

One way or another, the pedos need to be purged. We all agree. There is no place for priests who violate their vows.

Fucking autocorrect. I said pope.

>could be in the minority in the future
It already is ya dummy, only one state has more than 1% orthodox population. Nonetheless it is the Church established by Christ and the gates of hell will not prevail against it, and it is the only one which will survive the coming islamic tide.

I'm now a catechumen coming out of the RCC and I have not a single regret.

I'd like to ask anyone in this thread though just so I can feel better, am I going to hell for only going to one Holy Week service so far?

>cuts down the likelihood that the clergy turns into a cabal of sodomites
That's what you claim. Never really believed it myself. I think its just more likely that
1 Satan doesn't attack his own "church"
And
2 Jewish media doesnt report on Jewish "orthodox" crimes

>I'm now a catechumen coming out of the RCC and I have not a single regret.
You will when you are burning in Hell

Switched to my phone
They've always been really kind and welcoming, no matter the parish or patriarchal jurisdiction. Expect to get asked a lot about why you're leaving your old denomination. Ask them questions too, I've built a small library off of the books I was recommended.
Not sure what you mean. My Orthodox Study Bible has the Septuagint for the OT, and KJV for the NT
Orthodoxy is growing in the US as virtually every protestant sect is shrinking. Roman Catholicism is growing, but solely due to hispanic migration. Younger people who reject all of the social degeneracy, political zionism, and the farce of American "judeo-christianity" are coming to Orthodoxy. Anything their old churches give them they can get from jewish media without bothering to get out of bed in the morning.

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God isn't a tyrant user. When you can't make it, pray at home. Most of the services are available on youtube and many churches stream video or audio these days.

Nt was written in Greek... the most proper translation would be from greek to english sooo Orthodox Study Bible

how are Orthodox ppl on the JQ? Are they more redpilled?

I would probably not have become Orthodox had I not first become an anti semite. I can't speak for others.

The Russians, Romanians, and Greeks are woke to it. Probably the Russians more than any due what the jews did to Russia. Czar Nicholas and his family are saints. The Romanians had a lot of priests and orthodox faithful brutally tortured by the jewish communists when they took power. In the prisons the jews would put on mock liturgies and force the prisoners to eat excrement and call it the Eucharist. They don't have any delusions about what jewish power means for goyim.

Better than being a Prottie American mutt.
- A Catholic

I’ve met more jwoke people since converting to Orthodoxy than I’ve ever met anywhere else in my life, even in a convert-heavy parish. Hell, I was just at the Holy Unction service tonight and our archbishop referred to “Palestine” but not Israel when talking about where the other Antiochian Orthodox are, and even made a remark about how “they can take the land, but they cannot take our faith.”

I'm in the process of converting. If you want a religion you can really look into and study without necessarily casting serious doubts upon your beliefs, not just by buying meme audio books but by reading thousands of years' history, Orthodox seems the only way to go.
It's also important to note that the Orthodox Church compiled the Bible that modern Protestants view as the only truth, they didn't hide it away and in fact Orthodoxy in contrast to Rome was the one that translated it to the languages of the people.
Most of the Protestant criticisms of the Church can be easily answered by an Orthodox priest or many in the congregation, so long as you ask willing to learn rather than trying fedora-style to disprove. Criticism is important but hostile criticism and open-minded criticism are quite different.
>t. someone who transitioned from hostile to open-minded criticism of Orthodoxy to eventual acceptance

I live like 45 mins from his church, I’ve been there a few times. Wonderful place. I still like my home parish more but Fr Josiah is pretty B&R.

WHY DO I KEEP SINNING

IVE GONE TO MY LENTEN CONFESSION AND ITS ALREADY HOLY WEEK AND I KEEP SINNING FUUUUUUUUUUCK

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Well unlike Catholics, many foreign Orthodox churches exist in places where Christians experience lots of discrimination and hate. Also unlike Catholics, many Orthodox faithful come from lands where the state religion was until very recently atheism and religious citizens were persecuted as in the early days of the Church.
The Orthodox Church by and large has none of the worship that protestant churches so often have for a nation that happens to have a biblical name any more than they'd worship the Californian city of Paradise and hope be taken there after death.

At least I'm not alone.

It's the real Church. Don't put your family in anything less. I got baptized six months ago.

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>I’ve met more jwoke people since converting to Orthodoxy than I’ve ever met anywhere else in my life

same here

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So I've been interested in attending an Orthodox church for the first time.
Would it be weird to show up on Pascha Sunday for my very first Orthodox experience?

Specifically looking at a small OCA congregation for starters, but I'd like to attend a few different ones before I decide on a home. Greek seems like a pretty good fit for me too, and I'm curious what a Coptic church would be like.

Any advice related to these meandering thoughts from practicing Orthodox?

I go to an Antiochian church, and although I was a bit off put at first by the Arabic flavor and a significant chunk of the laity being Middle Eastern, I was pleasantly surprised when one of the older Arab ladies went on a soft rant about Israel in front of the whole congregation after returning from a trip to the holy land. Arab Christians probably live one of the most hardmode lifestyles in existence, being fucked with by Muslims and Jews constantly in their homelands, so it's safe to say they are pretty redpilled on kikery and Islam.

>Would it be weird to show up on Pascha Sunday for my very first Orthodox experience?
As long as you’re aware that Pascha usually happens on Saturday night (we start around 10:00 and wrap up around 1:00 Sunday morning). But there’s nothing wrong with that being your first time! It’s actually very common for it to be visitors’ first impression (I know because I’ve brought visitors on Pascha before).

>Would it be weird to show up on Pascha Sunday for my very first Orthodox experience?

It might be a little overwhelming. My first time in an Orthodox church was on Holy Friday but I didn't experience the Pascha service until the next year. I would just say go any time, as soon as possible.

Orthodox and Catholics are equally subverted. Almost all Churches are subverted. Read the King James Bible and find a rare based Baptist Church.

I converted to it from the LCMS, but I got interested in it about 10 years ago through a friend and some books, not by le ebic maymays. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

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The Orthodox actually has the correct Bible. But it's stupid to go to Church to hear someone talk in a language you don't even understand.

>what women think men want
>what men actually want
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My priest and I talked extensively about it, he's very aware of the vitriol held by them against Christ and us Christians. He doesn't hate them, but he's plenty j-woke

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>As long as you’re aware that Pascha usually happens on Saturday night
I am now, thank you!
That does make it a little more intimidating though. I don't have any Orthodox friends or family to keep me from embarrassing myself.
I've been trying to do research in advance just so I don't feel too extremely out of place.
I feel like I've put off attending for too long and want to get started already, but thinking maybe I should wait for Thomas Sunday and really earn that holy week experience next year.

Will be just in time for Easter brother.

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Hey Orthobros, I need some help here. I'm getting that there's more to the world than the material and have been reading some Bible. I'm pretty convinced on Christianity and Orthodoxy seems like the way to go (especially with the absolute state of RCC.) The problem is I have no idea on how to do the whole church thing. My parents were never the religious types and never took me to church. There's an Orthodox church kind of close to me, but I'm not sure how services and attending and being part of the community work. Do you just show up whenever or is there a proper way to go about this?

>I would just say go any time, as soon as possible.
This sounds right to me, but I'm still anxious. Was Holy Friday a good introduction for you?
I might be able to attend then if I get off work early enough.

Anons I've been filled with Faith lately and have been reading the bible and listening to pastors every day... but once again I am up against the issue of an Eternal Hell. Life is very confusing and it's honestly very easy for people to end up in hell according to the Bible. How is infinite punishment for finite crimes fair in any way? I just can't accept that God is just if Hell is truly the way the Bible says it is, eternal.

Have a Holy Week.

Just stay in the back and observe. Stand when other people stand and sit when they sit. Don't go up for communion. Most churches I've gone to, the parishioners have been aware of visitors and have been welcoming.

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The first time I talked to my Serbian parish priest we got on a weird tangent and he reminded me about how the jews orchestrate revolutions worldwide. Wasn't expecting that. Funny... He also has the literal jaw-line of the chad from the virgin vs chad meme.

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>Popeyes Emeritus Benedict

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Of course you can just show up for a service. You could also try emailing the priest beforehand and letting him know you're interested. They usually will help you out and give you the proper literature. I think Orthodox priests in the US are getting a lot better at accommodating possible converts.

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This seems to be about as prepared as I can get.
Thank you for the encouragement.

No problem bud

I fully converted and have no family members that are Orthodox either. AMA
(pic related is cross I just bought)

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The enforcement of celibacy among the clergy universally is a RC invention, as you might already know. Gregorian Reforms f'd the west up. The west's solution to simony was partially addressed by celibate clergy. In the east the problem was partially addressed by pulling bishops from the monastics rather than parishes.

>into a church that could be in the minority in the future.
orthodox is already a small church
and no, but people have been converting to Catholicism on mass the last 3 years or so

Nothing wrong with just showing up! Maybe email the priest and see if you can talk to him after Liturgy or something for more info.
You can, but I will echo the words of St John Chrysostom (from his Paschal homily, which Orthodox churches read every Pascha):
>If any of you have arrived only at the eleventh hour, do not be dismayed for being late. The Master is gracious; He accepts the last even as the first.
Let me explain Hell from the Orthodox perspective:
When we sin, it’s not really about transgressing against a divine law that we now deserve to burn forever for. Most of that mentality comes from C*lvinism. Rather, when we sin, we are breaking communion with God. Our sin is like a sickness, and so things like the sacraments, good works, prayer, etc are vehicles of God’s Grace that heal us from this sickness. When all time is rolled up as a scroll and the final Judgement is held, we will ALL, saints and sinners alike, experience the full presence of God. Those who have spent their life pursing Good (for who is the ultimate Good but God Himself) and communion with God, will experience this as the fulfillment of their purified desires. Those who spent their lives sinning and pushing away from communion with God, and actively sought to push away from Goodness, will experience God’s presence as a burning fire because they only ever knew their own selfish way of living and hated God in their lifetime.

You should go to a service and stay after. Notify the priest you wish to convert and it should be smooth sailin from there.

>Was Holy Friday a good introduction for you?

Yes, I just wandered in off the street into the afternoon service and found my home. I came back in the evening for Lamentations, which is pretty much the most intense service of the year (aside from Pascha, but tonally the opposite). I loved my church so much from the beginning but it was hard to make it back there. I returned a few times over the next few months and then finally admitted to myself that I wanted to join and I became a catechumen. By the next Holy Friday I was chanting from scripture on my own during the vigil.

Becoming Orthodox is pretty much the best thing that's ever happened to me. Don't worry too much about the timing, it will be the right time whenever you go. God bless you.

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>Funny, I didn't know Francis was Orthodox!
The Orthodox hierarchy is in full communion with the Post-Vatican II "Church."
If Francis is a an evil man and the Patriarchs are not only in communion with him but respect him, what does that say about your hierarchy?

>>If any of you have arrived only at the eleventh hour, do not be dismayed for being late. The Master is gracious; He accepts the last even as the first.
Thank you. This is powerfully relevant.

Hmm guys, you're walking on thin ice. That's the trail to the desert. True (orthos, lol) orthodox is always oldbelievers or monks or some hardcore shit. Better be happy and shiet

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Weird, no, but as that other user said it would be a little overwhelming. There are services all week building up to the weekend, and it isn't the typical Sunday experience. As someone who did their homework beforehand as seems to be the case with yourself, it was still a sensory overload and took a long time to adjust to things, and I went on a normal Sunday. If you do decide to go, just observe and take it all in, there is a lot going on and it usually takes several visits to see all the patterns and make sense of everything. Don't worry about looking weird or out of place, chances are there are converts who can help explain stuff as you go.

Celibacy was the norm for clergy in the Early Church.

>Funny, I didn't know Francis was Orthodox!
well hes sure not much of a catholic

Just go and talk to the priest after the service.

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Due to scheduling issues, this is the first Lamentstion service I have actually been able to attend (I converted in 2016). Also the deacons convinced me to sign up to help carry the funeral bier at the end, and apparently I need to hold it up high for like 10 minutes while everyone passes under it. Any recommendations to prepare for the service? (Besides overhead press at the gym, already doing that for months)

Anyone notice a bunch of Jow Forumsacks coming to services in the last year. Ive seen 4-5 people come to agape hour that are clearly from Jow Forums. They talk about politics and europea universalis a lot then leave after a month.

I would probably only be able to attend Lamentations. My boss isn't very understanding about schedule adjustments.
I really appreciate hearing your account. I think becoming Orthodox could be life defining for me too.

I don't expect to understand everything all at once, and am honestly even looking forward to being a bit uncomfortable at first.
If it weren't challenging, it wouldn't feel like truth, given the day and age we live in.
That said, you're absolutely correct that I'd be throwing myself into total sensory overload.
It might just come down to signs and synchronicities in the moment for deciding what my first service will be.

catholics literally wrote the books, but you have to read them to know when the priest or bishop is talking about it

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memoirs_Illustrating_the_History_of_Jacobinism

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Jouin

gutenberg.org/ebooks/50556

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Bresciani_(writer)

just so many jesuits laid it all out its hard to even know where to start listing