Aren’t Orthodox Christians, too?
Big nothing burger.
If the Patriarch of Constantinople professed the Reformed faith he would have to step down.
Some are, some aren't. The same can be said about any "Christian" sect or denomination.
Growing up in an evangelical Christian household, I witnessed two churches go through bitter and contentious splits. The first over whether divorcees could serve in leadership positions (deacon, trustee, Sunday school teacher and the like). The second was even more petty, over a proposed remodel that some didn't felt made the church look too different from the old church and that the pastor was allowing music that was too secular (anything other than century old hymns).
If Christian sects spent one tenth the time and energy defending Christianity and working to make the world a better place than they do trying to destroy each other, we would probably be living in a much better nation.
If a Roman Catholic Broadcaster on a Roman Catholic show suddenly tells everyone that he has been baptized into a Reformed Church, would he still be allowed to broadcast as a Roman Catholic?
HERE ARE SOME DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT EVANGELICALS AND EASTERN ORTHODOX BELIEVE...
Beliefs Evangelical Christianity Eastern Orthodoxy (EO)
Authority of The Bible
Evangelicals: Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone). The Bible is the absolute and final authority
Eastern Orthodox: The Bible is not the absolute and final authority; it is subject to the interpretation of EO church tradition that include councils, the writings of the saints, and other sources
Salvation
Evangelicals: by Faith Alone Sola Fide (Faith Alone). Salvation is by the grace of God as a gift through faith, not by works and not as a daily progression. Genuine faith is manifested in one’s life.
Eastern Orthodox: The progress of Salvation includes baptism, faith, good works, the Eucharist and other
sacraments; it is a continual progression
throughout life
The Eucharist
Evangelicals: The Bread and the wine/grape juice
do not literally become the body and blood
of Jesus in any way—physical or mystical. Jesus said, “This do in remembrance of me.”
Eastern Orthodox: “The ‘Sacrament of all Sacraments’….In the Eucharist, we pass continuously from death to
life and obtain God Himself. By partaking of Holy
Communion divine life flows into us and
penetrates the fabric of our humanity.”
“The Eucharist, as St. Ignatios of Antioch said, is
‘the medicine of immortality and the antidote
against death, enabling us to live forever in
Jesus Christ.’ In Christ we become gods by
grace.” (1) The Eucharist becomes the body and
blood of Jesus in a mystical way (not actual flesh
and blood) and his power flows through the
body.
Patron Saints
Evangelicals: None – The saints are with the Lord and cannot be contacted. Their lives are useful for emulation.
Eastern Orthodox: Chosen at chrismation (confirmation); Saints are part of the “living” church and can be
“communed” with, prayed to, and asked to
intercede with Jesus.
God shares His power and glory with his saints,
but they can do nothing apart from Him.
Confession
Evangelicals: Confession is made directly to God.
Eastern Orthodox: Confession is made to a priest as God’s earthly representative but only God can forgive sins;
According to Orthodox teaching, “the penitent
confesses to God and is forgiven by God. The
priest is the sacramental witness who represents
both Christ and His people.”
Mary
Evangelicals: Chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus, Mary was not sinless; She lived a good, normal earthly life as a wife to Joseph and mother to his children.
She was not assumed bodily into heaven at her death, so she did not leave an empty tomb. She is to be honored as an obedient, chosen vessel of God, but is not to be prayed to, nor should she be considered our intercessor to God.
Eastern Orthodox: Known in the EO church as the “Theotokos” or Mother of God. “Mary is Ever-Virgin, All-Holy, Most-Pure…free from actual sin, but...she did fall
under the curse of Original Sin as does all
mankind.”
“She was assumed body and soul into Heaven;
and her tomb was found empty.”
Mary and the saints with her intercede for us
with Jesus and through His power miracles or
messages may occur.
There are no dead saints—all are alive and all
the saints commune with each other as the one
true church.
Icons
Evangelicals: No Icons. God does not share His power or
glory; we cannot communicate with the saints and ask them to help us. We can study and learn from their lives and emulate their devotion to God, but that’s as far as we can go.
Eastern Orthodox: Saints are Called “Windows to heaven” they are part of the “Divine Liturgy”– Parishioners “venerate” by making the sign of the cross, bowing and kissing icons to pass on respect to saints who still
intercede for us.
Theosis or Deification
Evangelicals: None
Eastern Orthodox: A mystical union with God. Each Christian is involved in a movement toward God which is
known as theosis or deification.
The Orthodox church understands theosis as a
[true] union with the energies of God and not
with the essence of God.
Original Sin
Evangelicals: All men are born sinful—guilty of the
same sin as Adam and Eve: rebellion against God. Human
nature is corrupted by evil and the
penalty for sin is death.
Eastern Orthodox: Mankind doesn’t inherit the guilt of Adam’s sin, we only inherit Adam’s punishment—death. Sin
violates the human conscience and the law of
God; individuals are responsible for their own
sins.
Chrismation
Evangelicals: Confirmation (in some
denominations).
Eastern Orthodox: Includes the renunciation of false teachings and teachers—any beliefs prior to choosing the EO church. The Holy Chrism is prepared from oil
and other fragrant essences, which symbolize
the variety of gifts of the Holy Spirit that the
chrismated Christian receives…..Through the
administration of the sacrament of Chrismation,
the baptized receive gifts (charismata) that are
transmitted to them by the Holy Spirit.
“Aren’t Orthodox Christians, too?”
More to the point, are they Protestants in their theology? If not, then they are not what the radio program was founded to present. The folks who donated money to keep the radio program on the air for decades didn’t do so to promote Orthodox theology.
So if the “Bible Answer Man” is asked about the Lord’s Supper, the folks who started the program and funded it for decades don’t expect to hear how Orthodox priests would answer it.
Not any more than all Baptists or all Lutherans, or all Methodists are.
I'm sure there are Christians within the EO church just like there are in every denomination. And there are unbelievers in every church as well.
“Aren’t Orthodox Christians, too?”
Not the right type, however.