CHRISTIANITY IN AMERICA AND THE WEST

CHRISTIANITY IN AMERICA AND 

THE WEST

     The chief error of western civilization is that people want to be people but without God. However, the Creator of man and of  heaven and earth, wants every person to be personally united with Him, which is the only way to become the real person he is meant to be!  God’s plan is for men to become His own image and likeness, so all who live without God live badly and  walking away from God they travel the path leading to destruction and eternal death.

     Most people look at new born babies delighting in what they see and hear, unspoiled innocence with delightful cooing and coupled with sweet smiles but no laughter. In a godless society, the formerly innocent babies will more than likely follow the path to godlessness, and if so  be caught up in well tolerated sins and live badly. Happiness will always be evasive for as long as they travel off their predestined path. The Lord called for the little children to come into His Kingdom and he still calls. There are only two ways to go through the temporary life of this world, 1. with faith following Christ and  2. faithlessly following the devil without Christ. Following Christ leads us up to heaven and eternal life, without Christ leads us down to eternal death. There is no other way.  To those who ignore or hate Him He warns that they will be judged and condemned. To those who love and follow Him, he gives help and the firm promise of eternal and everlasting joy.

     Although Christ and the church are preached outside of Orthodoxy the preaching is woefully distorted by Catholics and Protestants. They all choose to acknowledge that the one holy Church established and headed by Jesus Christ necessarily has remained faithful for almost two-thousand years, as Christ promised. Roman Catholics, who were once part of the true church, placed a man in Christ’s place, thus usurping Christ’s position as head and they morphed into the Papacy, which is not a part of the Church founded by Christ and their sacraments are invalid. Protestants broke from Rome introducing countless errors of dogma and faith, and many leaders formed their own religions, such as Jehovah Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists. They all preach their distorted gospel and deceive many, especially those who do not know the history of the true Church and its Head Jesus Christ.

     The true Church, Orthodoxy has not escaped the influence of western Christianity due to the breaking of divine laws and violation of sacred Canons by hierarchs.  Contrary to divine and sacred laws and Canons converts are being deprived of triune baptism, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and cannot put away their sins. For genuine baptism cannot possibly exist outside the Church.  Inter marriage of Orthodox with non-Orthodox has been illicitly introduced by false interpretation of St. Paul in Holy Scripture.

   Those who willfully distort the words of Christ and of Holy Scripture have no place in the heavenly kingdom, which includes those outside of the Church. Christ will not be present in the heretical and schismatic churches as the Scripture says and as we Orthodox confess: “I believe in One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.” “And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of Light, true God of True God, begotten not created, co-essential with the Father through whom all things were made.” Also every word spoken in Scripture is true, for all Divine Scripture is God-inspired. God is the Absolute Truth and is the Source or Fountain of Truth.

    The western concepts of Christianity are not related to divine Scriptures or Orthodoxy which is in total agreement with Scripture being the true Church and is the author of Holy Scriptures which are preserved in original Greek, and have been translated into English in the west by various people.

     Orthodoxy is the source of all doctrine and dogmas needing no defense for history testifies to her authenticity. She is one and the same Church serving in most languages of the world. She is One in that she is the same and the sole Body of Christ, wherein there is no supreme human authority, for she is headed by Christ and guided by Holy Spirit. Orthodoxy alone has the function to preach the Gospel as she is the Apostolic Church and Christ gave His commandments to the Apostles and to us as the Apostolic Church.

   The Orthodox Church has gone through many different difficulties, and more will come,  including heretical attacks and schisms, which exclude their followers from the Church but do not affect the Church. Various leaders have led and misled the Church but they will not prevail as the Lord himself is our Head. Schisms and heresies with come and go but holy Orthodoxy will remain until the end.