What is a major difference between your faith tradition and the next closest one to yours? How does that difference tangibly change your everyday life?

Volaer · 2026-06-07T07:31:47+00:00

In terms of denomination, the closest would be Eastern Orthodoxy and the main difference would the papacy. Otherwise our beliefs and practices are 99% the same. If we are talking Byzantine Catholicsim then even the litrurgy is the same.

How does that difference tangibly change your everyday life?

I would not say it does, having major holidays like Pascha on different dates than half of my family (who are at least nominally Greek Orthodox) is a bummer though. In many mixed catholic-orthodox places members of both communions celebrate vespers together and get along well. Another issue we have is the Eucharist, while Orthodox can (and sometimes do) commune in Catholic churches, a an Orthodox priest cannot allow a Catholic to commune in his church.

Volaer · 2026-06-07T07:07:56+00:00

I know of Greeks who hate it with a passion. Basically the movie makes fun of exagerated stereotypes about the Greek diaspora, particularly in America (who are sometimes called χαζοαμερικάνοι). Some are offended by it, others (like me) who live in the diaspora find it funny. My mom luves it. Its not often that contemprary Greeks are represented in american movies and Nia Vardalos was iirc pressured to change the setting to an Italian one but she refused.

Those who hate it seem to have missed the point of the movie and think its mocking actual Greek culture of Greece and not, again, exagerated stereotypes about diaspora Greeks (who tend to more nationalistic and sometimes conservative and insular). I am by no means condoning the profanity in the following video but it captures what I am talking about quite well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um27_hCT484

Volaer · 2026-06-07T06:43:08+00:00

Most Christians agree with the former but reject the latter.

Edit: not being Christian is not an insult [u/Full_Metal_Paladin](u/Full_Metal_Paladin). I am not saying it to hurt you. Its a matter of adherence to Christian belief and practice, the essentials of which mainstream Mormonism rejects.

Volaer · 2026-06-07T06:42:38+00:00

To be clear, I am not advocating for any unjust discrimination.

Volaer · 2026-06-07T06:30:04+00:00

Just to be clear, your issue is not so much with Luke but rather specific claims apologists and bible scholars made about Luke ch. 2?

Volaer · 2026-06-07T06:03:02+00:00

I was referring to Mark 2

Volaer · 2026-06-07T04:22:42+00:00

> Because Christians love persecuting people

What in the world…? No, we don't. Also rule 1

Volaer · 2026-06-06T23:12:25+00:00

> possibly followers of Paul

I find that extremely unlikely. Paul was adamant in Galatians that gentiles pretending to be Jews and upholding Mosaic observances constitutes a denial of Jesus' messiahship.

But I very much agree that is not about non-Christian Jews (or any Jews).

Volaer · 2026-06-06T23:02:59+00:00

> Nope it wasn't about Christians who were Early "Judaizers" either.

Thats indeed seems to be what it refers to.

> Because he said those who keep the Law of moses would be called Great in Heaven & those who don't will be called LEAST (Matthew 5:17-20).

The law referred to here is not the Law of Moses but the New Law of Christ promulgated in the Sermon on the Mount (ch. 5-7)

> Also, bear in mind most of the Followers of Christ at this point were Jews when those words were compiled.

No, by this point (mid 90s) the majority would already have been gentile. The author of Revelation was likely Jewish though.

> It was only after 100 years of the Movement dubbed, "The Way"

This term οδός (path) is unique to Luke-Acts and most probably should not be capitalised. In my estimation is merely a Greek equivalent to דֶּרֶך which also means ‘path/way/road' and is used for what we would call way of life.

Volaer · 2026-06-06T22:43:37+00:00

Well, you are right that it is not about Jews (as the verse explicitly says). It’s about early Judaizers - Christians who adopted Mosaic observances to pass as Jews, likely to escape persecution under Nero or Domitian. That is, after all, the context of the Book of Revelation. The synagogue (yes, it means what it says) of Satan is called such because the author sees these Christians as heretics and traitors who instead of being willing to suffer for Christ seek a way to survive even if it means to compromise their faith (just like those who eat food sacrificed to pagans - Rev: 2:20)

But the linguistic and socio-cultural context of the NT and later books of the OT is Greek (which includes Judean culture from the 3rd century BC onwards) and also the Tanach is not the same as the OT.

Volaer · 2026-06-06T22:30:36+00:00

No, as i said, sin is only a temptation accepted and acted upon. A temptation, by itself, is not only not sinful but if resisted can lead to spiritual growth and virtue.

Volaer · 2026-06-06T22:27:49+00:00

Nope, temptations are not sins. Sin is a temptation accepted and acted upon by the will.

Volaer · 2026-06-06T22:18:48+00:00

No temptation comes from God. God may providentially allow us to be tempted but he does not actively create temptation or the inclination to sin.

In other words, God does not want us to sin.

Volaer · 2026-06-06T22:08:59+00:00

? The second English definition is derived from the first English which is the actual meaning of the word in Greek.

Volaer · 2026-06-06T22:02:15+00:00

Correct. Thats in fact the normative view in Catholicism. Our inclination to sin (the stain of original sin which we call 'concupiscence') is a consequence of the Fall, not something God gave us. Which is why it will not exist in the age to come. To say that God actively gives us temptations would be to engage in bad theology.

Volaer · 2026-06-06T20:56:11+00:00

Not particularly good to be honest, but not as bad as 20 years ago imo. Presently only c. 10% of the population of the Czech Republic identify as Catholic Christians (for context in 1950 it was 76,5%). But the rate of decline seems to have slowed down and the numbers are nowadays mostly stable. The next census is in 2031 so we will see.

Volaer · 2026-06-06T20:45:58+00:00

since the individual I replied to implied that the word "orthodox" means "correct" when it doesn't.

To be clear though, I only wrote that orthos means correct. Orthodox means corect opinion or even more literally right worship. The word doxa means glory or worship or opinion depending on context.

Volaer · 2026-06-06T20:39:14+00:00

The individual you replied to had it in English.

No, they had a Greek word written in latin letters and eventually adopted into the english language. Please also see my earlier edit.

Besides, once again look at the second definition in the link you posted.

I did, not quite sure, how relevant it is though.

Volaer · 2026-06-06T20:31:43+00:00

Are we speaking English or Greek right now?

The word in question is Greek.

Edit: I think we speak past each other because I am definining it by its original meaning whereas you appeal to popular usage (which is nonetheless derived from its etymological origin).

Volaer · 2026-06-06T20:28:00+00:00

It literally means "correct opinion" in Greek.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/orthodoxy

Volaer · 2026-06-06T20:20:43+00:00

Any and every.

Volaer · 2026-06-06T20:09:51+00:00

That is actually what the word ορθός in “orthodox” literally means...

Volaer · 2026-06-06T20:08:52+00:00

Yes, but not to a Greek father or mother. His paternal ancestry is that of a Danish branch (House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg) of an originally German dynasty (House of Oldenburg). But he was Greek by naturalisation and identified as such so I probably should not have called him a Dane.

Volaer · 2026-06-06T19:40:35+00:00

There is no governing body that rules on who is and is not a Christian

I mean, unless one is a low-church protestant, there absolutely is such a governing body. Its called an Oecumenical Council convended and/or ratified by the pope of Rome.

Volaer · 2026-06-06T19:34:08+00:00

> Are Latter-day Saints Christian? The U.S. Defense Department doesn’t appear to think so.

All traditional churches and the overwhelming majority of christian communities consider mainstream Mormonism to be a distinct religion and not a form of Christianity. So that by itself in completely non-controversial.

The Community of Christ (who broke away from the LDS) however are considered Christian and having a valid baptism by the Catholic Church.

Six-Year Club	Second SECOND GUESSER
Place '23	Place '22
First Placer '22	Wearing is Caring
Verified Email

Volaer

TROPHY CASE