I am a 20 year old who i was born muslim and now i am atheist.I want to learn more about christianism.I do this thread and in a forum who have Orthodox Christians.If i decide to be christian i want to decide what christian i must do.Catholic or Orthodox?And why?
Hi. You’re in a challenging position, especally if you still live in a Moslem country. At least in Christian countries, you have the freedom to make up your own mind. God’s given us a brain, and expects us to use it.
For a bit of personal background, I was atheist at one stage, became Christian at age 28, was Protestant for about 14 or 15 years, then became Catholic. From my point of view, the Catholic Church is “Closest” to the truth.
As you’re probably aware, there are 3 main Christian camps - Catholic and Orthodox, and Protestant. The Catholic and Orthodox can trace their history back much earlier than the Protestants, who didn’t even start until 1500 years after Christ, and were a breakaway group from the Catholic Church.
So you’re correct in seeking clarification as to which of the two earliest churches to consider - Catholic or Orthodox.
The basic reason for the differences goes back in history. Emperor Constantine was the first Roman emperor to formally admit Christianity as the official religion of the state in 313AD. At that time, he was seated in Rome, and the bishop of Rome was recognised by many as the inheritor of the Petrine declaration as “head” of the church.
However the same Emperor also set up Constantinople (now Istanbul) as a bulwark against barbarian invasions from the East. In time, as Constantinople became easier to defend and grew in strength, Rome became a backwater, and the Roman Empire, now officially Christian, shifted its focus from Rome to Constantinople, and became known as “The Holy Roman Empire”.
And in Constantinople, the Emperor declared himself the head of the church.
So you had two conflicting claims to supremacy, the spiritual claim of the Pope in the West, and the secular claim of the Emperor in the East.
This set the scene for centuries of confrontation, and even though the Holy Roman Empire has long ceased to exist, the differences still remain. Meanwhile Rome had a resurgence, but the reality is that the Church is not tied to a location. The real head of the church is Jesus Christ, who then gave authority to Peter, stating “… on you I will found my church”.
The Catholic claim is that the Pope, the bishop of Rome, is the successor of Peter, and can trace his line all the way back to the original declaration.
Having said that, even if the Pope were forced from Rome, his authority would still hold, as it is a spiritual authority, not secular.
So, you have to make up your mind as to which church can rightfully claim the See of Petrine authority, as instituted by Christ.
We’re a Catholic forum, and therefore biased. As I said before, I think the Catholic Church is “closest” to the truth.
All the best with your search. Bear in mind however that
John 6:44 NIV
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.
If you’re being drawn to Christ, then it is God the Father who is calling you. There is no other possible method.
Since that is the case, ask Him in prayer to help you decide which Church you should join, and to make it very clear for you. You’ve come from a Moslem background, not Christian, so you’d need some assistance to get around the theological and traditional differences.
After all, God is the author of history and the Church, and He would know precisely which Church He wants you to join. Don’t get too tied up in human arguments - in our
sinfulness, we have divided the Church into three major conflicting sects.
