Christianity, East and West different perpectives

[Bubbles]

I have been reading about some of the differences in perspective.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_–_Roman_Catholic_theological_differences

It's a bit long and on many different ways of seeing different issues.

I think it could have multiple threads, but will start with one and see where it goes.

I was reading that joining the priesthood doesn't involve getting a qualification at a university but rather having a more experiential qualification.

This thread isn't about who is right, but just to explore different perspectives between the two.

Do Eastern Orthodox have confession for example?


The structure is as good a place to start.

But feel free to put your own or start a new thread if required.

I've not had very much contact with Eastern Orthodox except visiting churches while on holiday ( lovely icons )

I've had slightly more with RC but not a lot.

So please be patient 🌹

[Bubbles]

This is an interesting link too.

http://www.ocf.org/OrthodoxPage/reading/ortho_cath.html

[ad_orientem]

A big subject. One of the differences as highlighted in the other thread would be original sin and which as I explained Orthodoxy sees somewhat differently. Adam sinned and the whole of humanity shares in the consequence, which is death. We do not hold to belief, however, that we all share in the guilt of Adam's sin.

Yes, we do have confession. The mysteries (or sacraments to use western terminology) are baptism, chrismation (or confirmation in western terminology), holy communion (which are the sacraments of Christian initiation, always in that order, and administered also to infants), confession, marriage, annointing of sick and orders.

[trippymonkey]

Could you enlighten we ignorants as to where all this is in the Bible, please ?

[ad_orientem]

Could you enlighten we ignorants as to where all this is in the Bible, please ?

Be more specific, that is, which points specifically and I'll do my best tomorrow.

[trippymonkey]

'Only' the claims you made in your post just before mine, please.

[Sriram]

Its amazing! Its all about mental tuning I suppose.

I can hardly see any differences between the different Christian denominations or even all the three Abrahamic religions for that matter.  In fact, I can't even see any differences between any of the religions in the world. They all seem the same to me.

Its all about having different mindsets and view points. One is about a microscopic view that focuses on the differences and the second is about a telescopic view that focuses on the similarities.  People with the former view separate, categorize, differentiate...which is how science develops. The latter view assimilates, puts together and integrates...which is how philosophy develops. 

Its difficult for one person to think like the other.

[ad_orientem]

Could you enlighten we ignorants as to where all this is in the Bible, please ?

Regarding death being the consequence of Adam's sin there is the narrative in Genesis "of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat. For in what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death" and the Apostle says to the Romans "death reigned from Adam unto Moses, even over them also who have not sinned after the similitude of the transgression of Adam, who is a figure of him who was to come".

All the sacraments are to be found in the New Testament.

Baptism: John 3:5
Confirmation: Acts 8:14-17
Holy Communion: John 6:51-58
Confession: John 20:21-23
Marriage: Matthew 19:4-6
Annointing Of Sick: James 5:14
Orders: Acts 6:5-6

[trippymonkey]

Thanks for that.
'Only' in the NT though

[ad_orientem]

To be expected. They're new covenant sacraments.

[ad_orientem]

Another difference between East and West would be how we view the bishop of Rome. Orthodoxy does not believe that he is infallible or that he has jurisdiction over the whole Church (and we would go so far as to say that he is not even part of the Church at the moment, belonging to the schismatic West). In Orthodoxy any hierarchy among the bishops is merely an administrative convenience, making it easier to govern the Church, even the ancient Patriarchates (Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem), amongst whom Rome had the first honour. Clearly in the early Church the bishop of Rome had a special place on account of the See there having been founded by the Apostles Ss. Peter and Paul who were martyred there, but this special place was merely one of honour. The "Petrine ministry" as defined by the First Vatican Council is a great lie according to the Orthodox.

[ad_orientem]

Another difference is that we do not have the "filioque" in our creed. It was never approved by the councils and we consider it heretical. "Filioque" means "and the Son". The West confesses that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son whilst in the East we confess that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. We consider the filioque to be heretical because it attributes two sources of the Godhead (two gods?). There is only one source, the Father, from whom the Son is eternally begotten and the Holy Spirit proceeds.

[Bubbles]

Thanks Ad O, I am popping back to the thread intermittently 

🌹

[Bubbles]

I think some of your dates also differ

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/greece/easter-sunday

[ad_orientem]

I think some of your dates also differ

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/greece/easter-sunday

The calendar is a touchy subject for many Orthodox. For me not so much. My only desire is that we all use the same, which we don't at the moment: some use the Julian calendar throughout the year, others use the Julian for Easter but the Gregorian for the rest of the year and one (the Finnish Orthodox Church) uses the Gregorian for both. It's a bit of a mess. A pan-Orthodox council is planned for next year and I hope this is one of the things they'll sort out.