a comparison of various christian denominations with orthodox faith

7/30/2019 A Comparison of Various Christian Denominations With Orthodox Faith

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1. The doctrine that the Holy Spirit proceeds "and from the Son" (Filioque) against the specific teaching ofthe Church which says that the Holy Spirit "proceedeth from the Father."

2. The use of unleavened bread in the Holy Eucharist, although the leavened bread was used in the LastSupper.

3. The serving of the Holy Bread and Holy Wine (i.e. the Body and the Blood of Christ) to the Clergy only.The laity receive only the Holy Bread.

4. Permission to one Priest to celebrate many Liturgies on the same day and on the same Altar.5. Obligatory celibacy for deacons, priests and bishops, whereas Orthodoxy requires celibacy of bishops

only.6. The granting of indulgences by the Pope on the ground that he has the right to take the surplus of the

good works of Christ, the Blessed Virgin, and the Saints, and to credit with them those who have none.7. The performance of the sacrament of Baptism by pouring water on the head of the baptized, whereas the

Eastern Orthodox Church accepts as canonical Baptism the three immersions.8. Changes in confessions.9. Concentration of the entire authority of the Church in the Pope who is considered infallible, whereas the

Orthodox Church considers the Church as a whole infallible, i.e. when it comes together in anEcumenical Council.

10.The existence, besides heaven and hell, of a purgatory.11.Communion may be given to children only after they axe 11 years old.12.The separation of Chrism from Baptism and the annointing of the baptized, not immediately, but when

the child is from seven to eleven years old.13.The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, whereas Orthodoxy accepts that only Christ was conceived

and born without original sin and that the Virgin Mary was cleansed from it on Annunciation Day.14.The recently declared dogma that the Virgin Mary's Body "was taken up into heaven."15.Not granting divorces.16.16. Canonizing Saints every now and then, whereas the Eastern Orthodox Church is very conservative in

this point.

Anyone can see that these doctrines cannot be based either on the Scriptures or on Holy Tradition, and that they

are innovations introduced by persons who disregard that Christ said: "Whosoever shall break one of these leastcommandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 5, 19)

The total number of Roman Catholics in the United States is almost 33,500,000.

The Uniats or The Uniat Church

The Uniat(e) Church, called also the Greek Catholic Church, came into existence in the Eastern-Central part of

Europe (Galicia), after the armies of King Sigismund the Second, of Poland, conquered in 1596 the Slavicpopulations of that regionmostly Ruthenians, Ukrainians and Carpathorussians, who always belonged to the

Greek Orthodox Church since their christianization in the 9th century.

They were compelled to recognize the Pope of Rome as their spiritual head. To make their submission safer,they were permitted to retain their Orthodox Liturgy, their Sacraments, their religious customs and ceremoniesand to conduct them in their own languages. Their native priests are dressed like the Greek Orthodox clergymen.Married men may be ordained to the deaconate and priesthood. But bishops must be celibate, nor can a deaconor priest marry after ordination. The Uniats have only to mention the Pope's name in their Liturgies and Services.


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To those Uniats joined later some Hungarians, Croatians, Roumanians, Sicilians, Syrians and a few others who

were formerly Greek Orthodox.

Aside from external appearances, the so-called Uniat or Greek Catholic Church is Roman Catholic or a LatinChurch and should NEVER be confused with Eastern Orthodoxy, because it is entirely different. The Uniats arenothing else but a branch of the Catholic or Latin or Roman Church.

The total membership of the Uniate Church is about 41/2 millions. In the United States, some 45 years ago, theUniats were almost unknown. Now there are about 450,000. They came from Europe as laborers and miners in

the coal districts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, mostly. In Greece also there are about 20,000.

The Church of England or The Episcopal Church

During the 16th century, many Christians separated from the Roman Catholic Church. But instead of comingback to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, i.e. the Eastern Orthodox Church, they organized

themselves into separate groups. They protested against the Roman Church and were called Protestants.

One of them is the Church of England or Protestant Episcopal Church as it is called in the United States, becauseit alone of all Protestant Churches retains the order of bishops. It is known as (a) "High" or "Ritualistic" Church

and (b) as "Low" Church. It does not admit a supreme visible head on earth and it has therefore an equalEpiscopal hierarchy. Almost all Episcopalians desire a union with the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Their teachings may be found in the so-called Thirty-Nine Articles and in the Book of Common Prayer. Theybelieve in the Divinity of Christ and in His two natures. They believe in the seven sacraments with emphasisonly on two of them: Baptism and Holy Eucharist. The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Holy Apostles are mostvenerated by them. They, as do almost all Protestant Churches, accept the belief that the Holy Spirit proceeds

"and from the Son," but many of the Episcopal Theologians consider the phrase "and from the Son" as anunfortunate addition.

The communicant members of the Episcopal Church in the United States are about 3 million.

The Lutheran Church

The Lutheran Church was also formed in the 16th century. Martin Luther, a priest and a monk in the Roman

Church, broke away from that Church because of its doctrinal errors and the abuses of some of the Popes ofRome.

These are the basic beliefs of the Lutheran Church:

1. It abolishes the invocation of the Saints,2. it teaches that the Holy Spirit proceeds "and from the Son,"3. it denounces five of the seven sacraments, retaining only Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. It has no

priesthood or consecration and denies the efficacy of sacramental confession,4. it rejects the doctrine that the bread and wine in the Holy Eucharist are actually changed into the Body

and Blood of Christ,5. it places its hope of salvation on faith alone,


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6. it rejects Sacred Tradition entirely and allows individual interpretation of the Scriptures.

The Lutherans have the largest membership in the world among the Protestant Churches, but in the United Stateshave about six million communicant members divided among 19 ecclesiastical bodies.

The Presbyterian Church

The Presbyterian Church believes that the government of the Church belongs to the Presbyters-Elders instead of

to the bishops. These Elders, after their election by the congregation, place their hands upon the candidate for thedeaconate, or the presbytery, and this is what they call Ordination. There are two classes of Presbyters: the"teaching Elders" or the pastors, and the "ruling Elders." The highest court is the "General Assembly," composedof an equal number of Pastors and Ruling Elders, representatives of the parishes.

The Presbyterian Church believes in Predestination. It believes that "man fell because God ordained it," whereasour Orthodox Church believes that "Adam fell by the abuse of his freedom." The Presbyterians do not believe in

the bodily presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, but in a spiritual one. In Baptism they separate thesanctifying grace from the actual reception of the sacrament. They believe in the Holy Trinity, but consider that

the Holy Spirit proceeds "and from the Son."

The founders of Presbyterianism are John Calvin and John Knox. Almost united with the Presbyterian Church isthe so-called Reformed Church. According to statistics the Presbyterians have the second largest membership inthe world among the Protestant Churches. They number 10,893,000. Of these, 3,986,000 are in the United States.

The Baptist Church

The Baptist Church also has no Apostolic succession, although its members claim that they are the originalchurch.

1. It administers Baptism to adults only by one immersion and regards Baptism as a mere symbol and not ameans of cancelling sins.

2. It leans toward the calvinistic doctrine of predestination and justification by faith alone.3. It maintains, in common with other Protestant denominations, that the Scriptures are the only rule of

faith and religious practice, and that anyone may interpret them according to his own private notion,with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

4. It believes in a merely symbolical meaning of the Holy Eucharist.5. 5. It believes in salvation through faith, whereas Eastern Orthodoxy teaches that in order to be saved, thesacraments, faith, good works, grace, and the keeping of the commands of God and of the Church arerequired.

Every local Baptist Church is independent because the Christian, they say, has no need of rules and

governments, of altars, etc., because he himself is a priest. Baptists largely recommend offering 10% of one'sincome (tithing) for the maintenance of the Church and its institutions.


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In the whole world there are now (according to 1955 statistics) twenty-one million Baptists and in the United

States about seventeen million, including the Southern Baptists, the Negro Baptists, and the minor sects.

The Congregational Church

In England some pastors and members, strictly Calvinists, being dissatisfied with the retention by the Church ofEngland of so many rites and practices, arose against it. They called themselves Puritans or Independents. Theywent to Holland trying to organize Congregations, but, not being successful there, they set sail in the Mayflowerand in 1620 landed at Plymouth, Mass., and adopted the name of Congregationalists. They reject:

1. the use of the sign of the cross,2. the invocation of Saints,3. They appoint their pastors as they wish, with a trial sermon only,4. They have no council or synod or jurisdiction, so that every Congregation is autonomous.5. They have no priesthood, and almost deny even the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and the divinity of

Christ.

In 1932 they united with the "Christian Church," a liberal Unitarian denomination. There are about 2,100,000Congregationalists in the world. Of these, 985,000 are in the United States.

The Methodist Church

When in the eighteenth century a group of students in Oxford University (one of them was John Wesley) becamespiritually serious and organized a "Holy Club," the other students, noting their "methodical" habits of life andwork, nicknamed them "Methodists." Later in 1738 when some of these men led a nation-wide evangelical

movement, they took this name. It indicates method in moral and spiritual pursuits, but no distinctive doctrine.

1. Methodists admit only two sacraments: Baptism and the Holy Eucharist, but not in the sense of ourOrthodox Church. For them Baptism is merely a sign of the regeneration which they claim comes onlythrough faith in Christ. The Holy Eucharist is for them merely a commemoration of the passion anddeath of Christ.

2. They receive bread and wine believing that Christ comes to them in a spiritual manner.3. They believe in the Filioque ("and from the Son").4. They also consider the Scriptures as the only source and rule of faith, and they do not believe in Sacred

Tradition.

The Methodist Church in America was established in 1784. There are 15,000,000 Methodists in the world, ofwhom 9,000,000 are in the United States.


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United Brethren in Christ

Similar to the Methodist Church is the Church of the "United Brethren in Christ," organized in Germany andtransferred to the United States in 1789. They believe in only two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Eucharist; butthe mode of baptism and the manner of observing the Holy Eucharist are always to be left to the judgment ofeach individual. Among the United Brethren in Christ there are many sub-sects. Their total number is about425,000.

The Church of Christ Scientist or Eddyism

The Church of Christ Scientist was organized at Boston, Mass., in 1879 by Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy. From her

book called "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" we infer that this denomination:

1. does not believe in the Holy Trinity, considering this as polytheistic;2. does not accept the divinity and the resurrection of Christ;3. does not consider angels as messengers of God;4. does not accept the future resurrection of men;5. does not accept the doctrine of original sin;6. does not accept sickness, and leaves many with gangrene, peritonitis, diptheria, etc., while medicine

could have cured or at least alleviated the sufferers;

7. does not accept the sacraments, the priesthood or grace;8. denies sin;9. denies the work of Christ;10. rejects the ordinance of matrimony by teaching that children are only "spiritual thoughts."

All that Christian Science retains of Christianity is the name. It has, however, an excellent daily newspaper, the

"Christian Science Monitor." Its literature is rich, and the Scientists contribute very liberally toward themaintenance of their institutions, although they are only about 825,000 in the United States.

Disciples of Christ

The Church of the "Disciples of Christ," organized in 1808 by Rev. Thomas Campbell in accordance with otherPentecostal denominations, holds that the Scriptures are the only rule of faith; that only one sacrament, Baptism,is enough; that the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is only a memorial feast; that no creeds or doctrines or rites

are necessary. They believe, however, in the final judgment of all men with reward for the good and punishmentfor the wicked. In the United States there are 1,100,000 members of this sect.

Mormonism or Church of the Latter-Day Saints

Mormonism was organized in 1830. Driven successively out of the States of New York, Indiana and Missouri,

the Mormons went to Utah where they built Salt Lake City. Mormonism is an eclectic religion, having borrowedfreely from many sources such as polytheism, paganism, unitarianism, judaism, masonry, spiritism and


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Christianity. The Mormons have their own book, called the "Book of Mormon" which, they say, was written by

their prophet Mormon in Egyptian Hieroglyphics.

1. They interpret the Scriptures as they wish.2. They believe in polygamy, but do not practice it now.3. They believe that "Adam fell that man might exist."4. They believe in the necessity of Baptism.5. They believe in the Holy Trinity.6. They believe that Christ is the Son of God.7. They accept the doctrine that all men may be saved through the atonement of Christ.8. They dream of a happy millennium when Christ will visibly dwell and reign on earth at Jerusalem for

one thousand years.

There are about 800,000 Mormons in the United States. We find very few in other countries.

Adventists

The Adventists teach that Christ will bodily come and reign on earth. They reject infant baptism forgetting that"unless a man be born of water and spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Adventism can hardly beclassified as a Christian denomination. The Adventists reject almost all the sacraments; celebrate the seventh dayof the week instead of Sunday; demand that the Old Testament tithe and dietary rules must still be observed;teach the utter annihilation of the wicked on Judgment Day, whereas the Orthodox Church believes that the

wicked will go to never-ending punishment. Differing again from the Orthodox Church, the Adventists hold thatthe soul sleeps from the time of man's death until the general resurrection. There are seven sects of Adventists in

this country taking their name from their belief as to the second coming of Christ. The Adventists and the so-called Church of God have almost the same teachings, as do Jehovah's Witnesses, Chiliasts, and Bible Students.They number about 190,000.

Quakerism or Religious Society of Friends

The Quakers or Friends, were organized in England about the year 1660. They reject all sacraments, creeds,councils and external practices, believing in theInner Light, a sort of individual inspiration by the Holy Spirit. Ifany man or woman, or child in the congregation believes himself or herself moved by this Inner Light, that

person rises and speaks "by the Holy Spirit." Their ministers receive no salary, but are to do their work for the

love of truth.

Quakers believe that all rites were abolished by Christ. They dislike the word "Trinity" because they claim theycannot find it in the Scriptures. They do not like concerts or singing, dancing or luxurious clothing, and theycondemn wars and slavery.

While at one time the Quakers were the third largest religious group in the United States, there are now about120,000 in the United States, 30,000 in England and fewer than a quarter-million in the whole world. Its founderwas G. Fox.


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We have briefly examined some of the main Christian denominations. There are others, perhaps as many as two

hundred and fifty or more in the United States with almost 257,000 church-buildings.

Protestantism, in general, has a world membership of approximately 170,000,000. Roman Catholicism395,000,000 and Eastern Orthodoxy about 224,000,000. In the United States there are about five and a halfmillions of Orthodox. Of these one million are Greek-Orthodox with 382 church-buildings.

The more the Orthodox people compare the confessional writings of the other Churches with the Word of God,the more deeply will they appreciate in humble gratitude the mercy of God which has given to them the Word inits truth and purity, and the sacraments according to Christ's institution. The Eastern Orthodox Church canwithout doubt claim that it dates back to Jesus, the Founder of the One Church which He called as the "Kingdom

of Heaven" and of which He plainly said: "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

For us, Americans of Greek descent, the Eastern Orthodox Church is the only church. It does not propagandizeamong other denominations, but it wants and insists that all Of its children remain in it. If we wish to live as

good, industrious and loyal citizens Of this beloved country of ours, let us remain conscientious members of our

historical, conservative, One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, whose sanctity God confirmed in manymiraculous ways. Let us always pray to God that we may be worthy of this great grace and privilege He gave usto be members of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Thank you

a comparison of various christian denominations with orthodox faith

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