Orthodox Christians for Life is an organization that focuses on getting the message of Christ into the heart of society. While many people may be hesitant about becoming a part of the movement, there are several benefits to becoming involved. These include a deeper faith, common ground with Catholicism, and a chance to get more involved in your community.
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Getting involved
If you are considering becoming an Orthodox Christian, then getting involved in church is a great way to start. It will not only help you learn about the faith, but it will also give you the tools you need to make the most of your life.
The Orthodox Church is a spiritual family whose members are bound by many bonds. This includes the unique teachings of the church and a commitment to the love of God. When you are ready to take the next step, talk to your parish priest and learn about the steps you need to take to become an Orthodox Christian.
Common ground with Catholicism
Orthodox Christians have common ground with Catholicism, even though there are differences in sacraments and teachings. They have similar beliefs about the Holy Eucharist, and they also support prohibitions on women becoming priests and married couples being able to divorce.
The Holy Eucharist unites the individual believer with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. It is one of the seven sacraments taught by Roman Catholicism. However, there are sub-traditions within Protestantism that vary in their views on Holy Communion. Some view the Eucharist as purely symbolic, while others emphasize the importance of public confession of faith.
While Catholics and Orthodox Christians have shared a long history of ecumenical interaction, the two traditions have been unable to agree on many disputed issues. This may be due to the fact that the two denominations have different approaches to communion, power and authority.
Worship integrates theology and worship
Worship is the heart of Orthodox Christianity. It is where the Church comes alive and where we experience the living Faith of the Church. All aspects of the life of the Church are sacramental. Sacraments are rituals which celebrate our relationship with God.
The Eucharist is the oldest Christian worship experience. It is also the most distinctive. This service orchestrates the creation, prayer, gestures, emotions, and senses of the human body. Throughout the Eucharist, we experience communion with the Living God.
In addition to the traditional liturgical gestures, such as prayers and hymns, Orthodox Christians also celebrate the Gospel in icons. Scripture is also an important medium of teaching.
Turning from outward to inward piety
Orthodox Christian perspectives on war is a collection of articles, published in 2016. It includes the contributions of leading Orthodox scholars and theologians. The collection provides grounds for a view that war is unacceptable.
According to Orthodox dogmatics, spiritual warfare is fought against external enemies. These are the forces that incline people to fall away from God. They include social, religious, and political forces.
Orthodox theologies of war have appeared in several different contexts over the past century. This article looks at some of these. In particular, we focus on militaristic ideas rooted in Russian Orthodoxy. While this phenomenon is unique to the post-Soviet era, it is not exclusive to world Orthodoxy.
Coptic Orphans
Orthodox Christians for Coptic Orphans is an international Christian development organization with offices in the United States, Canada, Australia and Egypt. Its flagship program, the Not Alone Program, helps orphaned children stay in school and out of the clutches of institutional care providers. In the process, the organization has helped more than seventy thousand children since its inception in 1988.
The 21 program is a hands-on way for volunteers to become immersed in the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children. Over the past several years, 394 youths have traveled to Egypt from eleven countries to volunteer.
The Not Alone Program is a holistic approach to developing the physical, mental and emotional health of orphaned and vulnerable Coptic children. It is based on a network of 750 volunteers from the Church and local community development organizations.
National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA
The National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA unifies more than 30 million individuals and unifies over 100,000 congregations of various traditions. The council is a denominational organization that advocates for unity in the Christian faith and works for the common good of all humanity.
In 1950, the NCC was formed in Cleveland, Ohio, from 29 Protestant and Orthodox bodies. These included the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, which had been involved in ecumenical activities for a long time.
Since the mid-2000s, the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America has left the National Council. At the same time, the Council has received less financial support from its member communions than in the past. This does not mean that the Council is in trouble.
