But even though I was sure I had those issues worked out, as I continued to study and dig. I started to find things that didn’t fit together as I had first thought, this journey was not just I, my wife played a huge role in this as well.

But here’s the thing, I would join again, because I still think the Catholic Church gets it about 98% right. I think you get that I’m not here to bash Catholics in any way shape or form, I have only love for the Church. Michelle and I talked about your comments, and think it was the right decision, we both do (someday I’ll post about that). I think it was all part of some plan, I have learned so much, met some wonderful people, and maybe as you have stated can become a voice to start healing the bitterness (which I really don’t understand why someone would be bitter, get over it and get on with living!!).

I think your comment about the EO making decisions, plays into what Michelle and I have talked about, that the Catholic church has taken almost a view of making common sense into rules or legality. While the EO have taken a more of a position of grace or finesse. For instance, you would say no contraceptives in a marriage, the EO say, Why do you need to use them, what is your reason?

In practice I’ve seen Catholic Priests take that same route, in defiance of what the Church clearly teaches. Then I see Catholics disparage those Priests as being ‘Radicals’, and telling people to not trust them.

This disparity is one reason that I struggled so much, when I would sit one on one and talk with the Priest (more than one), what they would say was not the black and white rules that the Church teaches.

Do I think that’s wrong, not really. Because life when lived here in the flesh, with emotions, and consequences is vastly different than what Apologists or theologians write as a rule to be followed. There are many examples like this, and what bothers me is that good God fearing Priests, get maligned when they are ones who are doing the hard work, not sitting and reciting the rules.

I would love to do an experiment, and pose a number of straw men questions, and get reactions from different faiths and then publish the results. I’m positive that it would show that there are differences in how each faith approaches critical issues that humans are caught in.

Maybe by taking that route, and showing what I see from my position, it would help show how each faith is different, but the same.

Blessings…

Thanks man. It is good to hear that you realize the schism is not really about theological issues. Some EO apologists try to exaggerate the relatively small theological differences…leavened vs. unleavened bread, the filioque, etc. These are really non-issues.

I plan to make a post soon about the causes of the schism. Suffice it to say that it had lots to do with a growing cultural divide, politics, attitudes, some unfortunate events, and pride (on both sides).

I’m also sad that the lack of warmth, lackluster implementations of the liturgy in many parishes, and so on have occurred in your experience. The EO here in the U.S. have the advantage of being relative newcomers and being quite tiny in number, which allows them to more easily become a markedly different group.

But if you became Catholic while believing that the Catholic Church was in error in one or more of her doctrines, that perhaps reveals that you never fully accepted that God has guided and is guiding her into all truth. Do you believe that God is guiding the EO Churches, protecting them from error in their doctrines? Not accusing, not trying to trap you, just curious.

The EO are less dogmatic, in large part because they would never be able to come to agreement on something like contraception. I would argue they lack the mechanism to declare something dogmatically, whether the Assumption or the immorality of contraception, etc.

God bless,
Devin

This is partly your fault you know!!

If you hadn’t been so dang irenic and compassionate, I would have not continued to follow up on this path!

I wish with all my heart, I didn’t have to leave one for the other. I may have things that I don’t agree with in Catholicism, but I would not have left at all if I didn’t have too.

The one thing I was little surprised with, was how little the good Fr. knew of Catholics, he was raised Lutheran (his wife Bapists), they married and went Methodist (that caused some laughter), and then converted about 15 years ago. But the more he talked, the more I found just how common the two faiths are.

He did say that they consider their first Bishop to be Peter in the Antiochian church, which I found amusing. Especially since Peter is called the Primate of the Bishops, so that part is the same!!

But please don’t hesitate to bang me on the head on my posting, I spoke as I see the issues, that doesn’t mean they are that way for everyone. We have found love and grace in the Catholic Faith, and I continually find that the Priests share a different faith, than what the apologists proclaim. That has bothered me for a long time, and last night I heard what I read, a little more, but no less in any way.

But again, thank you. I’m not much of a voice, but I will defend Catholicism if it gets maligned, that much I can tell you for sure. I was going to make some snarky comment about this being akin to being married to two different women, but my wife reads the blog, and I HATE that dog house!!

Blessings

-Paul-

Maybe you can be voice within the EO of reconciliation and peace–they need those in there to help quell the deep resentment many feel toward the Catholic Church. I know you won’t have that bitterness, and that is valuable.

God willing reunion will happen between the Catholic Church and the EO Churches, which would make this kind of decision moot.

In Christ,
Devin