GREEK EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH EXPOSED!
Comment from webservant Jesus-is-Savior.com...
The Greek Eastern Orthodox Religion is straight out of the pits of hell.
They teach that performing the seven sacraments are absolutely essential to go
to heaven. This is the same damnable heresy which Roman Catholicism
teaches.
END
About the Greek Eastern Orthodox Church...
Official Website-
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Headquarters-
New York, NY (America)
There are approx 225 million worldwide and 3 to 5 million in USA. American
Branch of Eastern Orthodox was formed in 1922.
Background and Formation
According to
Mead's Handbook of Denominations, The
Greek Eastern Orthodox Church formed in 1054 when it split from the Roman
Catholic Church. Since 869 AD, the Eastern and Roman were two branches of the
same 'Holy Apostolic' church. In 1054 the head or “pontiff” of each group
“excommunicated” the other! The Greek Eastern Orthodox rejected the idea that
the Roman Pontiff was Supreme Ruler over Eastern Orthodox churches. While
Orthodox churches share many of the prayers, litanies,
and Eucharistic forms
of worship with the Roman Catholic Church, it rejects and differs with
Romanism on the following:
Greek Orthodox Church Beliefs
The Bible
- Use the
Bible, along with tradition (7 ecumenical councils) as its two authorities.
Their Bible adds 3 more apocryphal books than the Catholic Bible does and has
49 OT Books.
Eastern Orthodox Churches believe the Bible teaches without error the Truth
needed for Salvation, but must be interpreted within the Tradition of the
Church and its 7 Ecumenical Councils from 325AD to 787AD.
God and Jesus Christ
-Greek Orthodox Churches hold to the historical view, like Romanism, that God
is Creator of all and that God exists as the Trinity. They believe too that
Jesus is Deity as the Son of God who died at Calvary.
HOW ARE WE SAVED?
Salvation is achieved by performing 7 Sacraments during one's lifetime. These
are 'Channels' in which we receive God's Grace.
To
achieve salvation (justification), both faith and
works are considered necessary.
- They reject salvation by faith alone in Jesus Christ. The Orthodox
Churches accepts seven sacraments, as does Roman Catholicism.
"Thru Baptism and participation in the church, God's People receive the
benefits of Christ's redeeming work as they persevere in Christ. God became a
human so human beings might be deified"
Greek Orthodox does not believe
in Eternal Security and does not teach the Believer can have
Assurance of heaven during this lifetime.
Greek Orthodox churches consider themselves the one true church going back to
the days of Peter and Jesus, and that
Rome
erred when it split from the Greek Orthodox Church in 1054. They believe in
Apostolic Succession. There are over 3.5 million Orthodox
church members in the
U.S.
But many more millions in
Russia
and
Europe,
where Greek Orthodox is prominent.
Baptism and the Lord's Supper
Greek Orthodox believes baptism is a
sacrament necessary to salvation, and usually occurs in infants. "Baptism
initiates God's life in the one baptized. Sprinkling is rejected, and 3-fold
immersion is practiced.
In the Eucharist, the bread and wine are
'changed into Jesus' body and blood' (mystery left unexplained)
Woman preachers
(priests)? No
Speaking in Tongues
- No (as of now)
Ecumenical?
Yes Member of NCC?
Yes
Member of WCC? Yes
Style of Worship
-
Church government is
Episcopal and the worship services are brilliantly and elaborately
ritualistic.
Oppose Abortion? - Yes
Oppose Homosexuality? Yes
Do they have
monks and nuns like Roman Catholicism?
Yes
HOW ORTHODOX EASTERN (Greek)
CHURCHES DIFFER DOCTRINALLY FROM ROMAN CATHOLICISM
-reject the doctrine of papal
infallibility and the authority of the Roman Pope.
- Have 2 pillars of authority
(Bible & tradition)...not 3 as Roman Catholicism..
- allow
their priests to marry (before ordination) However, bishops must be
celibate.
- reject sprinkling as a mode of baptism
- They still practice infant baptism, but do it by immersion.
They, like Romanism, believe that baby baptism is one of the seven sacraments
which is necessary for salvation, in Greek Orthodox
Churches, baptism is done by three-fold immersion.
- They also practice infant communion.
- They reject purgatory, but it is believed that the dead may and do
pray for those on earth.
- Greek orthodox churches reject image and relic worship which is
prominent in
Roman
Churches,
and they also reject the sale of indulgences (which are 'surplus' good
works which can be transferred to others as RCC teaches)
- Mass is performed in the Greek language instead of Latin.
-The honor Mary but do not worship her in the way Roman Catholicism does.
They do not believe in immaculate conception of Mary or Assumption of Mary
like RCC does.
- They do grant divorce (unlike RCC)
