Protestants -- why aren't you Orthodox?

  • Thread starter Thread starter VociMike
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Well at any rate I have thought about becoming Orthodox Catholic (of the eastern variety), but I am going to search out this sola scriptura thing first. Cause I am Lutheran after all, and I dont want to be flip flopping back and forth between Lutheran and Catholic (cause I did that flip floppping with baptist/AoG/Nondenom and it makes for a confusing religious life!))
 
Cause I am Lutheran after all, and I dont want to be flip flopping back and forth between Lutheran and Catholic (cause I did that flip floppping with baptist/AoG/Nondenom and it makes for a confusing religious life!))
Are you ELCA, LCMS, or Wisconsin Synod?
 
In some countries, people walk 2 days in order to attend Masses. In US, 25 miles are not too long, and besides, we have transportation.
I wouldn’t attend a service/parish that didn’t offer a service in English. I attended one spanish wedding/mass in Mexico that was pretty much the “same” but I didn’t understand more than 5 percent of what the father said. I can’t imagine how much more difficult it was when everything was done in Latin. I kind of like to understand and participate myself.
 
There are not many Catholics in Alabama. In contrast, take a look at the Churches available in Boston. I would expect to see plenty of Catholic parishes there. Y’all are predominately a regional faith in this country, although I expect that will change over time especially with the influx of Catholic Latinos.
Actually, I think you got it completely backwards dear friend.

Click Here to See

It almost looks like our blue country suffers from a persistent red tumor on its lower right side. 😉
 
Actually, I think you got it completely backwards dear friend.

Click Here to See

It almost looks like our blue country suffers from a persistent red tumor on its lower right side. 😉
The Baptists are that popular? Egads. Why cant we do something? I think we need to do something fast. But what?:confused:
 
Actually, I think you got it completely backwards dear friend.

Click Here to See

It almost looks like our blue country suffers from a persistent red tumor on its lower right side. 😉
SEE!!
My listing of churches in my area tells the same thing!
We Methodists are greatly outnumbered, in fact I drive by four Baptist churches on my way to church:D
WP
 
Don’t get to hearrtened by that chart. Protestants still make up a bigger chunk of the population that we do by far…
 
Actually, I think you got it completely backwards dear friend.

Click Here to See

It almost looks like our blue country suffers from a persistent red tumor on its lower right side. 😉
Interesting map. Still, outside of the northeast and the west coast, the only place where the Catholic Church is “leading” is those low-density places in the west which are not Mormon and in parts of Floridia and Texas. It is almost non-existent (according to the map) in the most populous area of the country–the South. The whole question of Catholic presence, influence and numbers is interesting. I remember a girl I dated in college (in the 80s). She was Catholic and was complaining about how Catholics were so much of a minority in this country. I asked her who she thought was the largest church body here and she guessed Southern Baptist. Not even close. The Catholic Church is by far the largest single religious group in the country because (as you guys love to tell us) the Protestant Churches are divided. Nonethless, in absolute numbers, Catholics are still a minority in most areas.
 
The Baptists are that popular? Egads. Why cant we do something? I think we need to do something fast. But what?:confused:
Baptists have been popular in the South for years. I doubt that anything the Catholic Church could do will change that fact. Now, what could change it is if we continue to see a large influx of Latino immigrants in the South. Latinos tend to be either Catholic or evangelical, but mostly Catholic.
 
Baptists have been popular in the South for years. I doubt that anything the Catholic Church could do will change that fact. Now, what could change it is if we continue to see a large influx of Latino immigrants in the South. Latinos tend to be either Catholic or evangelical, but mostly Catholic.
I have some ideas. I have a “plan” but its in the formative stages.

I will be asking you to play “devils advocate” 😃 Just kidding!!!🙂

As I try to come up with something.

I will. You dont know me. I will return.
 
I believe you, but remember that Southern Baptists generally tend to be quite certain of their respective place in the communities of faith…and it’s not at the bottom. 🙂
Okay, I realize they believe a lot of things. But - I am sad that my faith is not available to the people there. I am sad that my faith is all over the globe but not even all over my country. I dont mind if they dont convert in droves, I do mind that its not a choice. This is making me a bit concerned.

I am not suggesting means that would make anyone uncomfortable here, just common sense.

If we as Catholics were really witnessing our faith in the world everyday, and building Churches in areas that had none,

Bear with me. I am not suggesting everyone would be a Catholic. I just think it needs to be available.

Now.
 
I’m in RCIA, formerly an Orthodox Catechumen, and born and raised protestant in the deep, deep, South. I can say without reserve that most Protestants I know wouldn’t think once about attending an Orthodox Church - much less a Catholic church. However, that’s ‘most’. I noticed recently that the Orthodox parish I had belonged to as a catechumen was chrismating six new members today. And it’s a smallish parish in the deep south. Most of the members there are Protestant converts, and I myself attended - so there must be some Protestants who are attracted (I had to drive over two hours to attend services - and this was done by a good number of parishioners).

All of that being said . . . did I consider Catholicism prior to my journey to Orthodoxy? Definitively not. In fact, I wrote a letter explaining Orthodoxy to some family and friends (hey, it’s weird to most people I know!), and one of the first things I mentioned to allay their fears was, “Hey, calm down, it’s not like I’m going to the Roman Catholic Church.” (not in those words, but that was essentially what I was saying). It didn’t help much 🙂 They still prayed for the salvation of my soul, which I appreciated very much - now, I find myself ‘going Catholic’, so I wonder if they regret those prayers.

God bless,

rusty
:rotfl:

Seems like those prayers sure worked. Congratulations on completing your faith – Westward! You can still attend Eastern parishes in communion with the Pope, the Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholics and various other Eastern Rites 🙂

I attend Divine Liturgy at the Holy Protection of the Mother of God parish here in Denver (www.holyprotection.org) which is an Eastern Catholic parish.
 
For what it’s worth, I think that Catholics make much too much about the “gates of hell” promise. You take it to mean that never–not once–at any time whatsoever–will hell and hell’s ruler prevail over the Church. I think that most Protestants see this as meaning that death will not prevail because Christ has delivered us from death and hell. Also, even though our eventual victory through Christ is guaranteed, it does not mean that there shall never be setbacks. If the Catholic attitude towards this biblical passage were applied in the secular world, say the historical context of the second world war, you might phrase the promise as “the Nazis shall never prevail over the Allies”. And they didn’t…but it does not mean that the Allies never lost a battle or scrimmage…
Actually, we interpret the passage in the way you presented as well, and that interpretation is fully inline with Catholic thought.

However, we also see the literal meaning in the passage. Jesus really did found a visible structure with people leading it after He died so that it could continue 2,000 years and forever after His death & resurrection. Read my sig for historical context. 👍
 
Okay, I realize they believe a lot of things. But - I am sad that my faith is not available to the people there. I am sad that my faith is all over the globe but not even all over my country. I dont mind if they dont convert in droves, I do mind that its not a choice. This is making me a bit concerned.

I am not suggesting means that would make anyone uncomfortable here, just common sense.

If we as Catholics were really witnessing our faith in the world everyday, and building Churches in areas that had none,

Bear with me. I am not suggesting everyone would be a Catholic. I just think it needs to be available.

Now.
Actually, Catholics have a significant presence in the South. Not huge, but it’s not as if they are invisible. Most southern counties have at least one Catholic church. Ironically, one of the exceptions (as far as I know) is Jessamine County in Kentucky (where my wife and I got married and where we are going to spend Christmas) and they do have an Orthodox church (founded by people who went to Asbury Theological Seminary and wound up becoming Orthodox).

Edwin
 
they do have an Orthodox church (founded by people who went to Asbury Theological Seminary and wound up becoming Orthodox).
Edwin
So Edwin, did they convert from Methodist to Orthodox? I thought Asbury Seminary was Methodist.
 
I’ve brought up a similar question before,without receiving an answer. The two most ancient churches in the world, Catholic and Orthodox, were for a millineum the only Church in existance. Each developed separately from one another, but both have nearly identical teachings and structures. Both claim apostolic succession, and each have seven sacraments, infant baptism, priests, bishops, etc. Doesn’t this bother Protestants?

It seems that Protestants do indeed claim the entire Christian world was wrong up until the 16th century and needed to be reinvented. Wouldn’t this also necessarily mean that the “gates of hell” successfully prevailed against Christ’s Church from the very beginning?
I tried to point this out to a protestant friend the other day, and he just rambled something about the crusades and the inquisition.

Kendy
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top