Questions about what the Orthodox think/teach

Zenkai · #1 Jul 14, '12, 11:17 am

1.) Does the Orthodox Church think that Catholics have valid Sacraments? I know that the Catholic Church thinks that the Orthodox have valid Sacraments, but what about the other way around?

2.) What is the Orthodox view of Salvation?

3.) Do the Orthodox think that other Christians (Catholics and Protestants) make it to Heaven?

-Thank you

Credo ergo sum · #2 Jul 14, '12, 11:21 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zenkai

1.) Does the Orthodox Church think that Catholics have valid Sacraments? I know that the Catholic Church thinks that the Orthodox have valid Sacraments, but what about the other way around?

Their position is that they don't know, nor do they care.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zenkai

2.) What is the Orthodox view of Salvation?

God became man so that man might become god.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zenkai

3.) Do the Orthodox think that other Christians (Catholics and Protestants) make it to Heaven?

See the answer to question one

Nine_Two · #3 Jul 14, '12, 11:33 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Credo ergo sum

Their position is that they don't know, nor do they care.

I think that is the best summation I've yet seen.

Quote:

God became man so that man might become god.

A little simplistic. Salvation is through fellowship in Christ, following his teachings, and striving to be perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect.

Quote:

See the answer to question one

In this case I'd say we do care, we just don't know.

Credo ergo sum · #4 Jul 14, '12, 11:35 am

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Originally Posted by Nine_Two

In this case I'd say we do care, we just don't know.

Oh blast! That one escaped my attention

Zenkai · #5 Jul 14, '12, 11:39 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Credo ergo sum

Their position is that they don't know, nor do they care.

They must have some sort of opinion on the topic.

Credo ergo sum · #6 Jul 14, '12, 11:40 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zenkai

They must have some sort of opinion on the topic.

No really, they have no official position on it.

Nine_Two · #7 Jul 14, '12, 11:53 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zenkai

They must have some sort of opinion on the topic.

Sure, there are opinions. There is no standard teaching.

I'm sure this will raise the question "Well what is the majority opinion",

the answer to that is that it changes depending on time and place.

At present I'd say the majority opinion (Although I'm not sure it is a very large majority) is that the Catholic Church doesn't have true sacraments.
You don't have to go back very far (one or two hundred years), and the majority opinion (from what I've read), was decidedly the other way. Go back a few more centuries, and you have opinion changing again.

It just isn't important enough to us to bother with making anything official.

Another issue is of course, which sacraments do you mean, as people might have different opinions depending on the sacrament. An individual might accept you have true baptism, but nothing else, for example.

Zenkai · #8 Jul 14, '12, 11:57 am

What would you say their opinion/teaching is on whether or not other Christians make it to Heaven too?

**JonNC** · #9 Jul 14, '12, 12:01 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Credo ergo sum

Their position is that they don't know, nor do they care.

The way I've heard Orthodox describe validity is they know where it is (in the Orthodox Church), but they do not know where it is not.

Jon

Nine_Two · #10 Jul 14, '12, 12:03 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zenkai

What would you say their opinion/teaching is on if other Christians make it to Heaven?

Again, nothing official, however I'd say the prevailing view (in this case by a large margin) is that they can.

My own personal experience/opinion is that I have seen the Holy Spirit working in other churches, and it just doesn't make sense to me that the Holy Spirit would work among a group that has no hope for salvation.

We believe that we have the fullness of truth, but that doesn't mean other groups don't have part of the truth (I don't mean that in a relativistic way).

dzheremi · #11 Jul 14, '12, 12:11 pm

Perhaps this piece of writing by Antiochian Orthodox priest Fr. Andrew S. Damick might help you understand why Orthodox are not committed to any firm or official answers regarding non-Orthodox and their sacraments.

Trebor135 · #12 Jul 14, '12, 12:17 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nine_Two

My own personal experience/opinion is that I have seen the Holy Spirit working in other churches, and it just doesn't make sense to me that the Holy Spirit would work among a group that has no hope for salvation.

We believe that we have the fullness of truth, but that doesn't mean other groups don't have part of the truth (I don't mean that in a relativistic way).

I second all of the above.

Things that Pentecostals have said to me and a friend have been of great help to us. And those things don't seem to be coincidental, fraudulent, or demonic at all.

I also see great faithfulness among Catholics and Protestants in my life that can't be dismissed, scorned, or explained away, either.

Lord, heal our divisions!