Help with an Orthodox poster

[Dandelion_Wine]

I hang out at another website (I know, for shame, for shame) and there’s an Orthodox poster who’s fairly anti-Catholic. He’ll cut and paste stuff here and there that’ll take a slam at Catholics.

I always thought the only real difference in beliefs was the filoque (sp?) and the authority of the pope.

It seems like at every turn though there is more and more differences (original sin and Mary for instance). Any books or website references anyone can point me to?

Thanks.

 

[Matt16_18]

There are many Protestant converts to Orthodoxy – and some of these converts are more Protestant in their thinking than they are Orthodox in their thinking.

What are you dealing with, a cradle Orthodox, or a Protestant convert?

 

[Dandelion_Wine]

I’m not 100% sure but he may have been Lutheran.

 

[RJS]

Dandelion_Wine:

I hang out at another website (I know, for shame, for shame) and there’s an Orthodox poster who’s fairly anti-Catholic. He’ll cut and paste stuff here and there that’ll take a slam at Catholics.

I always thought the only real difference in beliefs was the filoque (sp?) and the authority of the pope.

It seems like at every turn though there is more and more differences (original sin and Mary for instance). Any books or website references anyone can point me to?

Thanks.

Which site?

 

[Matt16_18]

I’m not 100% sure but he may have been Lutheran.

Yeah, I have run into this type before. The convert may still be clinging to a “priesthood of all believers” mentality.

Argue with him as you would any other Protestant.

 

[Benedictus]

Dandelion_Wine:

I always thought the only real difference in beliefs was the filoque (sp?) and the authority of the pope.

The role of the Pope of Rome is the major issue separating us, at least as far as the Catholic side is concerned.

It seems like at every turn though there is more and more differences (original sin and Mary for instance).

Orthodox Christians, like Eastern Catholics, object to the notion of inherited guilt. Personally, I think the biggest problem is that the Latin Church lacks a clear definition of original sin. The language of the Council of Trent is quite different from the language found in the New Catechism. I doubt many Orthodox would object to the treatment of Original Sin in the New Catechism. Nevertheless, the Latin Church hasn’t repudiated the idea of inherited guilt, and that creates problems in the minds of some Orthodox.

I’m not sure what the differences regarding Mary are. I would guess that your Orthodox friend has problems with the Immaculate Conception, largely because of the different understanding of Original Sin. Nevertheless, all Orthodox Christians I’ve encountered agree that Mary was conceived in original holiness.

Orthodox Christians will also object to the idea of created grace (as opposed to uncreated grace). This gets to the issue of whether you consider God to be actus purus or both Essence and Energies, but you didn’t ask about that…

Any books or website references anyone can point me to?

Most apologetical books and sites are written with Protestants in mind and will be of little use in understanding the Orthodox positions. The only website that comes to mind is east2west.org. You might also want to check out the Eastern Catholic Churches forum on E.W.T.N.'s website.

Jason