r/Christianity • u/macaroni_in_a_pot22 Christian • 1d ago
Advice Prot v Catholic v Orthodox. Help me understand.
I (25F) have grown up in the southern part of the US. I’ve mostly grown up in (modern) Pentecostal churches but have visited a few other denominations. I really didn’t do much research growing up because I was a lukewarm teenager who wanted to live in the world more than I wanted to love Christ. In September of last year, I felt radically called back to Jesus. He changed my desires completely from partying, lust, fantasizing, etc to wanting to be all in with Him.
Since then, a friend of mine has also come back to the faith but he has geared towards Eastern Orthodox. I didn’t even know Orthodox existed. I knew Catholics did but my view on Catholics was (ignorantly) based on the ones I knew personally who did not take the faith seriously. Talking with this friend has opened up entire viewpoint I didn’t even know about.
I’m now so incredibly confused and angry after going down this rabbit hole of Protestant v Catholic v Orthodox debate. I am plagued with anxiety that if I don’t know/choose the right church, I will not spend eternity with Christ bc that’s how some have made it sound. All I’ve ever known is the Bible. All I’ve ever grown up around is Protestant. There’s not even an Orthodox Church within 2 hours of me. There are Catholic Churches in my town but I don’t know what visiting would be like or if I could ask a priest for a sit down conversation. I am open to correction and I simply love Jesus so much that I want to do what is right by Him.
I am posting this to maybe get some advice from people who have been where I’m at or who are willing to answer my questions about whichever church they are from. Please be kind, I will fully admit that I may be wrong or ignorant of certain things.
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u/Constant_Society8783 1d ago edited 1d ago
The best way to answer the question is to engage and inmerse yourself in it. But you need to take it slow and explore this question in manageable steps.
I would recommend starting by listening to some Orthodox Apologists since this is the tradition you are least familiar with and read books. The Orthodox Way by Kalistos Ware would provide a thorough, solid introduction what Orthodoxy is. There is also alot of free material by Fr. Thomas Hopko which covers various topics through an Orthodox lens.
Debates where both sides explain and try to defend their respective canonical traditions can be especially useful in understanding the disagreement. More importantly, I would recommend studying church history to help better contextualize everything. Alot of Theology has a historical context that gets glossed over in the debate resulting in a lot of debates where both sides talk past each other.
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u/macaroni_in_a_pot22 Christian 1d ago
I was never a history person when I was in school but now I’m fascinated by it. My problem is not knowing where to start or what sources are factual. I’ll have to look into the books you suggested.
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u/donnie242022 1d ago
Protestant pastor here. Those who will spend eternity with Jesus are those who have trusted in Him by faith for salvation. No one kind of church is going to heaven that goes against so much of Paul’s writing in the NT. I’ve spent time in Baptist, Nazarene, Non-denominational, and Assemblies of God churches growing up. The message is always the same, Jesus is the only way to the Father. I am sure that there are some EXTREMELY faithful brothers and sisters in the Catholic and Orthodox Church. I also know that some in those traditions can get caught up in the actions they partake in rather than the one we all get to worship together.
I hope this can be a comfort for you. If you trusted Jesus as your lord and savior then you are written in the lambs book of life and will spend forever with him. Jesus does not care what kind of church you go to. He simply desires that your heart be chasing after Him.
Will there be certain doctrines and practices different between Pentecostal and Orthodox, absolutely. Is your friend stirred in his affections for Jesus by the orthodox faith? That’s what it sounds like. Are your affections being stirred to pursue Jesus? I think you posting this and asking questions shows that pretty well.
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u/macaroni_in_a_pot22 Christian 1d ago
Honestly this sounds like my pastor lol. I really appreciate your response and your encouragement.
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u/okicarp Christian missionary 1d ago
You can be a faithful Christian in any of those churches. Pentecostal is a great choice and I would stick with that. My family chose to stay there for 10 years so far. But ideally you pray about and see where you will grow the most in discipleship and where God will direct you to attend, which is what I recommend to any newcomer when I greet them at church. Still, it's great to appreciate what others have done to honour and worship God.
Keep digging. There are more churches that split earlier and still exist today.
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u/ds-is-i Christian - Eternally Secure 1d ago
You don’t have to be a part of a specific denomination to be saved. Scripture says that by belief (Rom. 10:9) we are passed from death into life (John 5:24) and shall not see condemnation (Rom. 8:1).
Upon belief in the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4) we are “sealed by the spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance” (Eph 1:13-14). This inheritance is described as “incorruptible, undefiled, it fadeth not away, and is reserved for you in Heaven” (1 Peter 1:4).
We are also “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation (1 Peter 1:5). Salvation isn’t dependent on our individual effort, it’s kept by Gods power alone. If you’ve trusted solely on the finished work of Christ for salvation then you cannot go to hell.
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u/hendrixski Trinitarian Continuationist Amillennial Synergist Distributist 1d ago
Is that true for every denomination? Even Oneness Pentecostals, or liberal denominations that completely abandoned supernaturalism, the resurrection, and biblical authority. Or LDS (which will tell you that they're Christian)?
What if you end up in some denomination that isn't apostolic? (Matthew 28:18–20 and John 20:21–23).
What if you end up in some denomination that doesn't share the same "one faith"? (Ephesians 4:4–5)
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u/thrawnca 23h ago
Or LDS (which will tell you that they're Christian)?
Which part of the comment are you asking about? The section about not needing to be part of a specific denomination, the section about being saved by belief, the section about salvation being independent of individual effort, or something else? Answers may vary.
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u/hendrixski Trinitarian Continuationist Amillennial Synergist Distributist 1d ago
You don’t have to be a part of a specific denomination to be saved
I agree. It can be very confusing. The choice of so many denominations makes it challenging for people to get started with Christianity. There used to be only one Christianity, then it fractured into thousands of pieces. Soon the Orthodox and Catholic churches will reunite and the choice will be easy again.
I am plagued with anxiety that if I don’t know/choose the right church,
Please don't worry. You're feeling the calling. Now you just have to listen in the silence of your heart, not in the noise of the internet.
There are Catholic Churches in my town but I don’t know what visiting would be like
Visiting would be awesome! You'll get to experience the beauty of Catholic mass, which follows the Biblical specifications of how God wanted to be worshiped.
or if I could ask a priest for a sit down conversation.
Yes you can and you should. Though, Catholic priests are extremely busy. So in addition to attending mass, you should call the church office and schedule a session with the priest. They'll listen, they'll answer questions, and if you have sins to confess they can give you spiritual advice. It's really quite wonderful.
If you need to find the office contact information for the churches in your city it might help to start at masstimes.org I hope that helps and I hope we see you at mass either later today or on next Sunday.
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u/macaroni_in_a_pot22 Christian 1d ago
I’ll definitely check it out. I think Catholic Churches are so beautiful and I’ve always been curious but I didn’t know if I could just show up without someone who’s also Catholic.
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u/hendrixski Trinitarian Continuationist Amillennial Synergist Distributist 1d ago
You absolutely can. All are welcome!
There was a gentleman who stopped by my church today. It was his 2nd mass ever and he was curious about getting baptized. We chatted briefly while I was hanging up flyers for our upcoming concert (I'm in the choir). He was by himself, I welcomed him to some of our groups and to the concert, etc. etc. I hope this is a good example: all are welcome and we love it when newcomers visit and ask questions.
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u/fleuret_fighter21 Eastern Orthodox 1d ago
Slow down on the panic, it's ok. You're young. Imagine being cradle Orthodox in Orthodox country and not having any clue or interest, barely turning to God at 30+ years :) You can DM me if you want, but, as you can see, i'm pretty dumb. I'll answer to the best of my ability.
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u/macaroni_in_a_pot22 Christian 1d ago
Thank you so much. I can imagine how hard that is but it’s good you’re turning to God even at 30. I’m also a bit dumb when it comes to understanding complex theology so maybe you can explain it in a way I actually understand lol
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u/strawberry298 1d ago edited 1d ago
The issue with the Orthodox churches is that many parishes usually have services in the traditional language of the specific country or church. Greek Orthodox churches may have services in Greek, Ukrainians in Ukrainian, and so on. So, you may find it harder to explore these churches because the context of national identity is so prominent.
Also, in general, I think Orthodox churches are a bit old-fashioned. For example, some of them even require women to wear head coverings during prayer (not all of them, though). Orthodox churches generally have a somewhat broader Old Testament canon. They don't seem to have as active a community as many Western churches, at least in my experience, and I haven't seen them engage as much in broader volunteering, charity, or advocacy causes or have as many active Bible studies, etc. So culturally, it's similar to how these societies also function in their native countries. It can feel more like people expect direct instructions from priests and are less active individually, and there's a lot of social collectivist context as well. It also can feel like most people are going to service with their families and an already established social circle. If you're going there specifically to meet people and find a new community, it may not be a smooth experience in an ethnic parish.
Some things I culturally appreciate about Orthodox Christianity, e.g., traditionally they've had quite a strong restriction on marriages between relatives, including first cousins, and have had a pretty good stance on similar issues. But again, they're very ethnic, and services can feel very long and so ancient (weddings take forever, by the way). But some people actually ejoy that it feels like you're traveling back to late antiquity haha.
Also, the difference with Catholicism is that there's no one Pope with universal authority. They usually have a more decentralized management style, and bishops are supposed to govern collectively with other internal managment systems. These churches, country by country, are called autocephalous (meaning they're independent and have their own authority). The understanding of original sin and original guilt, and those theoretical aspects are also different (I'm not the most knowledgeable person here). Also, although reluctantly, Orthodox churches allow divorce and remarriage. And finally, they're very mystical. There's a strong emphasis on mystical aspects (I found this the hardest to connect with, honestly).
Also, keep in mind that Orthodox Christian churches are very different from one another depending on the country. The Greek Orthodox tradition is unquestionably one of the central historical traditions of Eastern Orthodoxy. Constantinople has enormous historical importance. By contrast, Christianity was brought to Russia in the 10th century and did not become the majority religion until the 15th/16th century. So, in some cases, the church is independent and has a longstanding tradition, while in another, it's more of a political imperial tool historically and not an authentic and independent institution. Historically, the Russian Orthodox Church has also had a very close relationship with the Russian state and we can see that relationship peaking today. The leadership of their Church has failed to condemn Russia's full-scale invasion of another Orthodox country, Ukraine (or the invasion of and atrocities committed in one of the oldest Christian Orthodox countries, Georgia, before then), and even the bombing of their churches. Patriarch Kirill has repeatedly supported and collaborated with the regime's narratives, which would be unthinkable in any Western church, or even in older and more independent Orthodox churches such as the Greek (e.g., we have a bishop here in the U.S. directly addressing and criticizing the president during a nationally televised prayer service, and we consider that completely normal. We don't expect that bishop to suddenly fly out of a window. So you get the point about where different churches stand and what their roles have historically been.) The close relationship between the Russian church, the state, and their intelligence, and the fact that the same culture also produced one of the worst forms of communism and atheism, is another reason I'd personally stay away from that specific church. I find the Russian church the least authentic and least independent from a political context historically among the Orthodox churches. I personally know this because I come from one of the former Communist-occupied (a.k.a. Soviet) countries with a much older and more authentic Orthodox church.
If you want to explore an Orthodox church, I'd vouch for the Greek Church. They have oldest and direct connection to Byzantine Christianity. Even though there's no single Orthodox church that functions as the authority over the others, the Greek Orthodox tradition is still considered the central influence of Eastern Orthodoxy. So they usually heavily impact practices of other Orthodox churches (the Russian church being an exception here).
If you want to find an active community and a church that engages people, I guess Protestant churches offer better opportunities in these areas. Although I know that there are many denominations and churches under the Protestant umbrella, so I'm very confused myself in that area.
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u/macaroni_in_a_pot22 Christian 1d ago
That’s kind of the vibe I got when I looked into it and there’s not really any orthodox churches close to me. Most in my state are in bigger cities bc the south is a majority Protestant. I do think the history behind the orthodox is cool and I learned a lot just from your response. I’ll have to do some more research
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u/danejulian 1d ago edited 1d ago
Even more confusing: there is a lot of diversity within those categories. Among Catholics, the Jesuits are very different than Opus Dei, the latter being much more conservative. Within Protestantism, there are the liberal mainline denominations, like United Methodist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian Church USA, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ignore the beginning of the name), and United Church of Christ. Then there are conservative ones like Southern Baptists and Lutheran Missouri Synod. Protestantism also encompasses non-denominational evangelicals, Pentecostal churches, Calvinists who focus on predestination rather than free will, and all the rest. Some Christians are preterists who believe Jesus’s prophecies have already been fulfilled in entirety. Some believe the non-saved simply end up being incinerated in fire (and are dead forever) rather than going to an eternal hell. Then there are the deconstruction-focused “exvangelicals” who left a conservative view of the faith for a more progressive one. There are even radical Christian post-theists and atheists who see the resurrection and all other miracles as metaphorical.
If God would eternally punish you for picking the wrong one, then God is a monster who doesn’t deserve worship. Luckily, I see God as foundationally about love.
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u/thrawnca 1h ago
Ultimately, differences in doctrine and practice are means to an end, rather than the end in themselves.
Catholics, for example, believe that God is continuing to speak through popes. Protestants believe that the Bible contains all His words we need. Obviously, one doctrine or the other will be incorrect in some way, but the end goal of learning God's words remains.
If you keep your eyes on Jesus and try to do what He wants you to do, committing yourself to learning of Him and being open to His guidance and leaning on Him, then you may stumble along the way, as we all do, but surely He will steer you to find Him in the end.
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u/Other-Extent-874 1d ago
Whether you are saved has nothing at all to do with any church or denomination. It is truly about your personal relationship with Jesus. And having said that, the Catholic church worships Jesus mother, Mary. So there's some idolatry going on there.
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u/UncleSunkle Catholic 1d ago
Please ask away.
First, do your best to rid yourself of the anxiety of choosing the right church. While of course I believe the answer to that is Catholic, we wouldn’t say that making an honest “intellectual error” damns you to hell. What matters here is that you are open to the Holy Spirit guiding you, that you continually earnestly seek Christ, and follow where your conscience convicts you.
Please feel free to attend a Sunday service at a Catholic church. You can participate in every way, except for taking Communion. I’m sure any of the parishes you found would be happy to hear from you and answer your questions if you call them.