Orthodox to Catholic, Catholic to Orthodox, what made you change?

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just curious. why do some Catholics feel they want to (or have) become Orthodox and why some Orthodox want to (or have) become Catholics
 
choy said:
just curious. why do some Catholics feel they want to (or have) become Orthodox and why some Orthodox want to (or have) become Catholics
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I would have to say it in a word: Truth.

In Christ,
Andrew
 
choy said:
just curious. why do some Catholics feel they want to (or have) become Orthodox and why some Orthodox want to (or have) become Catholics
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Well, I’m Catholic, considering the Orthodox Church. What draws me to Orthodoxy is the ecclesiology pre-Schism, the emphasis (as a Church) on theosis, not dogmatizing things best left “un-philosophized” (transubstantiation), what seems to me to be a more simple Gospel, without things like indulgences, treasury of merits, etc, baptism by immersion as the standard/norm, with pouring as secondary (as found in the Didache), and a more healthy approach to the “validity” of sacraments outside of itself (I really can’t understand how churches in schism/heresy can still have valid sacraments. Orthodoxy tends towards "we know where it is, and we don’t really speculate on where else it is. The principle of eikonomia, where the Orthodox sacrament will “make up” for anything missing in the previous baptism, confirmation, ordination, etc., makes sense to me).

Now, these are things that I am still thinking about. I have not made any actual decisions yet, though I have attended Orthodox divine liturgy and vigil at various times, and have briefly spoken to two deacons at two OCA cathedrals (the ones in DC and NYC).
 
choy said:
just curious. why do some Catholics feel they want to (or have) become Orthodox and why some Orthodox want to (or have) become Catholics
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I converted from the Catholic Church to Orthodoxy because I wanted to follow the Truth: Jesus Christ into the Church He established that continues to teach the Fullness of Christ’s Teachings without any additions or subtractions to that Truth.

I studied and prayed over the various theological differences between the two Churches - mostly, but not soley, on those differences which led to the Great Schism and found the Orthodox to be holding the Truth.

In addition, the deep richness of the Orthodox Spiritual Life of each Orthodox Christian towards Theosis is beyond compare. I can’t describe the beauty of it.

Through the prayers of the Theotokos O Saviour Save us!
 
Harpazo said:
I would have to say it in a word: Truth.

In Christ,
Andrew
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thanks!

this goes out to all, what particular truth did you find in the religion you are in now that you didn’t in the one you were in before?
 
choy said:
thanks!

this goes out to all, what particular truth did you find in the religion you are in now that you didn’t in the one you were in before?
Click to expand...
What I found to have been removed from the Catholic Faith was:
  1. All of the details of the Spiritual Life as well as the example of those who had fully gone through it before whose faces have shinned so brightly with God’s Energies, that those around them can not look upon their faces.
  2. The distinction between God’s Essence and God’s Energies. Which is vital in understanding “the Good News” Jesus preached of Theosis - which isn’t based on just being saved “from” something, but “for” something.
What I found to have been added to the Catholic Faith was:
  1. Filioque - both wrong from a Theological standpoint as well as condemned by several Ecumenical Councils. Makes a difference in Who God is within His Essence.
  2. Purgatory - the only fire after death is God’s Eternal Fire which people experience as either Heaven or Hell…there is not a “temporal” fire, if that were true then God would change but He has been revealed as being unchanging.
  3. The idea that God’ Energies (Grace) is a created thing. If this were true, thanks be to God it is not, then people would never be able to be deifed since we creatures would be stuck for all eternity with participation with a created thing and would not be able to be partakers of the Divine Nature as was promised to us and written about in Sacred Scripture.
  4. Then you have the idea that the Primacy of the Bishop of Rome did not come from the Ecumencial Council (as it did - just read them!), but rather came from Christ - the primacy of St. Peter among the Apostles did come from Christ, but that did not extend to his Successors either in Antioch nor in Rome.
  5. Then you have the idea that the Bishop of Rome is Supreme and the head of the entire Church…this means that Christ’s Body has two heads. This is silly. Christ’s Body is not a a “freak of nature” or a “two-headed monster”. Christ’s Body has only One Head and that Head is Jesus Christ Himself.
  6. Then you have the idea of Infallibility of the Bishop of Rome. Infallibility lies in the Church, not in one member of the Church. This is why there are Councils and Synods because the Holy Spirit leds them causing them to be infallible. Acts 15 would read much differently if the St. Peter had actually been infallible as there would have been no need for a Council at all!
  7. There are more major differences like the understanding of Original Sin and stuff as well as the other issues, like using Unleavened Bread for the Eucharist, separating Confirmation/Holy Eucharist from Baptism, changing the date of Pascha and the like.
Hopefully, this gives you enough of an idea.
 
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