Olgada

As you know, the historical religion of Russia is Orthodoxy, which anyway determined the basic characteristics of the Russian mentality and gave birth to the diamonds of Russian literature.
Nowadays Orthodoxy exists all over the world in the form of Foreign Orthodox Churches with its traditional hierarchy.
Are there people who have taken othodox christianity and belong to the very Church?

Nietzsche

yes there are

what a shame !!

god bless u

Nietzsche

i think than Christians should belong to Jesus not to Catholicism

i strongly suggest that churches should reunited !

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Arthur

Good question, Olga! It would be very interesting to talk to foreign orthodox, but I have strong doubts that you will find them on this forum.

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Olgada

Arthur, why so pessimistic? The forum has no special direction to unite people of a single faith, or is it supposed that a certan type of people avoid communications via forums?

Arthur

I'm almost sure that the majority of people on the forum are either catholic or muslim. The ones who we are speaking of may form the smallest percentage.
Look at the threads in this part of the forum - they are rarely answered and far not by the not-russian-orthodox.
To my mind they may be found in their special community sites, but not here.

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august

Yes and no. The invisible Body of believers consists of all who have been buried and resurrected in Christ, who have received faith, and who have received the Holy Spirit as the seal and sign of their heavenly adoption to God as sons. Jesus Christ is the Lord of every individual believer, but He is also the head of the Catholic (i.e. "universal") Church.

Individuals who are converted become part of the invisible Church. When they are baptized and profess to be Christians, they are also called to have fellowship with other professing believers. This earthly community of believers on earth is the visible Church. Jesus is the Head of both the visible and the invisible Church.

This visible community of professing believers ought indeed to be united in faith but many denominations that claim Catholicity have strayed from the faith themselves and have wrongly excommunicated many groups of believers. That is why it's become practically impossible to reunite all "churches" (i.e. denominations). Unity should not go at the expense of doctrine.

Believers who disagree on non-essentials but agree with each other on essentials, are united in God's invisible Church regardless of denomination. Hence, I think that true believers should [re-]unite rather than all organizations who claim to be "Christian churches".

God bless.

(PS: Sorry for getting off-topic, I know this thread is about Eastern Orthodoxy)