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"The catholic church getting to be too much these days. I'm going to convert and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior. Trouble is which church to join."

If your Catholic and you haven't accepted Jesus as your savior, than something's not right, despite what Protestants would insinuate. (no offense meant to Protestants, but a lot of what they say about the RC church is bunk and fluff)

I'm RC, but I've seriously looked into the Orthodox church. It's the only church other than RC who can claim any historical ancestry to the early church. The schism occurred before both Inquisitions and the Crusades, so they don't have the "blood on their hands" most non-RC Christians attribute to Catholicism.

However, its not as easy as just show up, have faith, and read the Bible. Anyone familiar with the traditions of the Catholic church (especially pre VaticanII) compared to the vast majority of Protestant churches will find the Orthodox church on the other end of the spectrum, past the Catholics.

Strangely enough, the Orthodox faith is pretty darn close to that of the RC church (minus the Pope).

I've seriously looked into the Orthodox church. It's the only church other than RC who can claim any historical ancestry to the early church.

I know as a Roman Catholic you probably won't agree, but all Protestant churches claim an "historical ancestry" to the early church. The earliest reformers of the 16th Century sincerely sought using the best scholarship of the day, to return the Church to its earliest theological and organizational roots--which by 1500 was very different from AD 100. Those first reformers were thrown out of the Roman church by the very corrupt leadership of the time (the corruption of which is now fully acknowledged by scholars, Roman or not...) and yet they sought hard to REFORM not revolutionize Jesus' Church.

While it is true organizationally only the Orthodox (and perhaps the Egyptian Copts too...) can trace an unbroken lineage of "apostolic succession" like the Roman church... it WAS broken, from Rome...just like those Protestants were later. Even the apostolic succession thing isn't totally exclusive--as recall that Henry VIII's Anglican church kept the same people in power taken from Rome--and can be said to have had that apostolic succession ever since.

St. Augustine's arguments against the Donatists ca. AD 400 pretty well eliminated the vital importance of succession anyway--proving all believers receive grace from Christ Himself--and an unbroken line of godly priests (however desirable that may be...) is not required for our salvation.

"It's the only church other than RC who can claim any historical ancestry to the early church."

Could you please explain to me what the historical ancestry of the Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox Church has to do with God's plan of salvation?

It's the only church other than RC who can claim any historical ancestry to the early church

Not quite. There are still Nestorians and monophysites in the world

I'm RC, but I've seriously looked into the Orthodox church. It's the only church other than RC who can claim any historical ancestry to the early church.

I wonder if ancient Hebrews ever doubted their "Jewishness" by virtue of not being able to trace their lineage to Abraham?