12 Reasons Why I Became and/or Remain an

Orthodox Christian
February 10, 2014 by Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick 52 Comments

Lists like this are usually so much clickbait, I know, but I thought it was nevertheless worthwhile to
compile a list of most of the reasons why I became and/or remain an Orthodox Christian. Some of these
things were not really on my radar when I became Orthodox in 1998, but they are part of the reason why I
genuinely do love belonging to the Orthodox Church (which is why and/or Remain is in the title).
The nature of lists like this is such that they cant constitute apologetics, really, nor is this one (at least)
intended to be universally applicable these are my reasons. They may not be someone elses. It will
also become apparent that my background as an Evangelical prior to becoming Orthodox is a major factor
here. So, all that said, heres the list.

1. I believe the Orthodox Church really is the one, true

Church of Christ.
Theres a lot that could be said here, but the reason why I believe this is that I examined both the
Scriptures and the early history of Christianity, and I became convinced that the only church that matches
them both is Orthodoxy. Particularly formative for me were the writings of St. Ignatius of Antioch, a
disciple of the Apostle John. The church life he described was definitely not what I saw in
Evangelicalism. Since he was someone who learned how to be a Christian from the Apostles themselves,
I wanted to be in his church.
Orthodoxy takes history seriously and doesnt gloss over the hard stuff. It also doesnt pick and choose
from early Christian witness to develop a streamlined system of theology that is easy to swallow.
Rather, because Orthodoxy is truly the community descended from the Apostles, within its theological
memory are centuries of dogma, doctrine and theological reflection. Not all of it is totally consistent or

easy to sort out, but it is nevertheless one great river of truth with an overall unified direction. One
doesnt see that in the same way in Roman Catholicism (there are several major turns in history), and it is
impossible to find that in Protestantism. Most Protestants arent even concerned with it.
None of that means I regard non-Orthodox Christians as damned, nor do I even regard all Orthodox
Christians as definitely destined for eternal bliss. And Orthodoxys truth is no testament to me. Orthodoxy
is true, but not because of me.

2. Orthodoxy gives me something to do.

I dont mean that I was bored and needed something to entertain me. I mean that the Christian life as I
had been taught it prior to becoming Orthodox was essentially non-critical. I had been saved, and there
was really nothing critical to do after that. I should try to be moral, of course, and get other people to get
saved, too, but those things werent really necessary to the big question, which was: Do you know what
would happen to you if you died tonight? Well, I knew. I was saved. I was going to Heaven.
But what if spiritual life is actually all critical? What if you need to endure to the end to be saved? What if
being a Christian means working out your salvation with fear and trembling? Orthodoxy provides a fullbodied, full-souled spiritual life that assumes that everything you do as a Christian makes you either more
like God or less like Him, and because becoming like God is what salvation consists of, that means that
everything you do is critical. You havent arrived in this life. You should be moral and you should be
evangelistic not because they get you bigger rewards in Heaven but because those things are part of what
it means to cooperate with God so that you can be saved.

3. Orthodoxy gives me a way to see and touch God

physically.
The Son of God became the Son of Mary, and that means that He became visible and touchable. In
Orthodoxy, the implications of the doctrine of the Incarnation are that the divine presence holiness
actually becomes present in the material world. Now, one can argue that that presence is uniquely present
only in one physical place the human body of Jesus or one can be consistent and see how holiness
shows forth in lots of other physical places both in the Bible and in subsequent Christian history. Saints
bones, apostles shadows and even handkerchiefs touched by apostles have all showed forth the power of
God.
Within that context, when Jesus said This is My Body and This is My Blood, it makes more sense to
take Him seriously and not just metaphorically. Thats why St. Paul warned that people who received
Holy Communion unworthily could get sick or even die. If its just a symbol, why would it do that?
The physicality of Orthodoxy sacraments, incense, vestments, church architecture, icons, etc. dont
get between me and God. They put me in touch with God. A bridge between two cliffs does not get
between the cliffs but rather connects them. Orthodoxys many physical elements not manmade magic,
but the working out of Gods gift of the Incarnation, the reconnecting of God and man.

4. Change is really hard.

People sometimes joke that Orthodoxy is not really an organized religion, with emphasis on
organized. There is no pope handing down uniform instructions to the whole Church; our chiefest
prelates often cant seem to get along; and it seems like were never going to get around to holding that
Great and Holy Council weve been talking about for nearly a century. But all those things dont bother
me. For one thing, it means that sheer logistics make it nearly impossible for us to alter what we do.

And if all that Eternity and Truth stuff is really true, why should we even think about altering it? It cant
get voted on democratically, and it cant get imposed monarchically. So change doesnt much happen.
Thats not a bug. Its a feature. Orthodoxy is not going to change out from under you.
That lack of organization also leads me to love Orthodoxy for another reason, too:

5. Orthodoxy really is one Church.

Unlike the denominationalism of the Protestant world, the various churches of Orthodoxy really do have
to talk to each other and work things out. A Presbyterian and a Lutheran may each recognize each other as
Christian, but they have almost no stake in each others internal church life. The same even holds true of
someone belonging to the PCA and someone belonging to the PCUSA (both Presbyterian denominations).
They dont have to work anything out between them. A PCA church plant does not in any way infringe on
the territory of the PCUSA, because theyre not the same church.
Orthodoxy may often bicker and fight (though most parishioners never see this unless they happen to be
in a dysfunctional parish), but the fact that we have such bickering and fighting with each othermeans that
we recognize in each other that we are one Church, that we have a problem and that we need to fix it.
Protestants always have the option of just splitting (and once splits occur, they dont have to bother with
each other), while Roman Catholics can ultimately appeal to the Vatican, who can impose solutions that
work for the Vatican but might not work for everyone else involved.

6. Orthodoxy is a faith for the whole life.

Because Orthodoxy comes with a vast set of expressions of its tradition, you can never exhaust it all.
There is always something new not just to learn but to become. While we dont really arrive until the
next life (and Id argue even that is not an arrival; that is, its not the end of the road of salvation), there
are many way-stations in this life that delight and grant joy. The difference between Orthodoxy and
Evangelicalism in this regard is that Im talking about not just growing in wisdom, which is common to
all religious traditions, but that Orthodoxy tracks many stages of spiritual development throughout a
whole lifetime.
I remember one time hearing a monk explain the response he got from a holy elder on Mount Athos after
asking him many questions. The elder replied that some things just wouldnt make sense to him until
later, until hed received some level of illumination (theoria). Its true. One cannot read a Statement of
Faith from Orthodoxy (not even the Creed) and say, Ah, yes. That is everything Orthodoxy teaches. I
understand it now.
Again, thats not a bug. Its a feature. Yes, we like things to be simple, to be readily accessible to
everyone, but any faith that is not complex enough to address all the complexities of human experience is
not worthy of the dignity of mankind. Orthodoxy provides that in a way that I havent found anywhere
else.

7. Orthodoxy is a faith for the whole world.

There are no target demographics for Orthodoxy. We dont do market research to figure out how to
attract young people, old people, urban people, suburban people, or whatever particular demographic we
might desire for our parish. A parish can often have a certain degree of commonality among members, but
that isnt by inherent design. There was no committee that met saying, How do we get the 30-something
suburbanites?

Yes, Orthodoxy is sometimes plagued with ethnocentrism. But thats a distortion of Orthodoxy, not
faithfulness to it. And its not everywhere. Ive belonged to both more ethnically focused and less
ethnically focused, as well as ethnically non-focused Orthodox parishes, and none of them had an ethnic
membership card check at the door. Orthodoxy is really a universal faith that has shaped numerous
cultures and languages over many centuries.
If people as diverse as Arabs, Greeks, Serbs, Georgians, Russians, Estonians and Finns can all sing the
same faith, and if both their young and old can sing it together, then truly, anyone is welcome. (Some
Orthodox need to remember that more than others, though.)

8. Orthodoxy is a faith for the whole person.

Mankind is not just emotionally moved by beauty, but he aches to be near it, to create it as much as that is
possible. More than any other iteration of Christian faith, the Orthodox Church knows how to envelop the
worshiper with beauty in all five (or more!) senses, both otherworldly beauty that transports the worshiper
and otherworldly beauty that transforms the earthly.
One might describe this as aesthetic, but it is not mere aesthetics in the sense of something that appeals
only to the senses, perhaps for entertainment value, but goes nowhere in particular. This is aesthetic in the
sense that God Himself is beauty. That is why Orthodoxy, while sometimes homely or homey, is never
cheesy. It is timely and timeless, but not contemporary.
The beauty of Orthodoxy addresses the whole human person in multiple ways. It is not a faith just for the
soul or the heart, but for the body, as well, including our ability to apprehend beauty.

9. God really does love you the way you are, and He
loves you so much, He wont leave you that way.
There seems to be a constant battle these days, especially within Protestantism, over whether God should
be perceived as loving or as a judge. Even those who preach that God is love still tend to preach a God
Who is angry at you for your sins and has to be appeased. But Orthodoxy preaches the God Who is
consistently loving, a God Who loves with such strength that His love will change you, if only you will
cooperate with it. The change wont be lousy, either, turning you into some goody-goody prude. Rather, it
will be a change into authentic personhood, where virtue is striven for because of communion, not
because of adherence to arbitrary rules.

10. Orthodoxy is both mystical and rational.

Some Orthodox will oppose the mystical to the rational, but thats a mistake, I believe. For all the
apophatic theology (theology which emphasizes our inability to know God with our minds), there is also a
lot of cataphatic theology (theology that makes clear, positive truth claims) in the tradition of the Church.
We dont have to choose one or the other, nor are the two really alternatives to each other. Apophatic
theology is also not merely a corrective to cataphatic theology. Rather, both are simply ways of talking
about theological emphases within Orthodoxy.
It is not as though, when I am serving the Divine Liturgy, I switch on the rational part when preaching
the Gospel and then toggle the switch to mystical when I drink from the Chalice. All these things are in
play simultaneously. I love that, and I havent really encountered that anywhere but in the Orthodox
Church.

11. Orthodoxy is ascetical.

No Christian body takes asceticism as seriously as Orthodoxy does. Roman Catholicism has it in its
tradition, but it is mostly ignored. Yet Orthodoxy expects all Christians to fast, to stand vigil, to be as nonpossessive as possible, etc., and it provides a programme for how to do that. You dont have to make it up
for yourself, because the tradition is already established. And its also customizable according to the
pastoral discernment of your father-confessor.
Asceticism is a way to do real battle with the broken modes that the human will functions in. It allows a
man to take control of himself in a powerful way so that he can redirect his God-given powers and
energies back toward God and away from his base appetites. Asceticism doesnt save anyone, but it
certainly does help. Why? Because we are only saved to the degree that we want it. Asceticism helps us to
want it.
And as anyone who has really fasted for all of Lent and then tasted that first taste of roast lamb at Pascha
can tell you, asceticism actually makes the good things of this earth taste better. Far from being a
denigration of Gods good creation, asceticism returns the creation to us and opens up its beauty in ways
that consuming it without restraint cannot ever do.

12. Orthodoxy aims higher than any other Christian

faith.
While theosis (deification/divinization) is not the only model of salvation in Orthodox Christian theology,
it certainly makes some of the strongest claims. There are hints at doctrines of theosis in Roman
Catholicism. (I am not aware of any Protestant groups that teach it.) Yet it is only in Orthodoxy that one is
taught that salvation means to become by grace what Christ is by nature, that God became man so that
man might become divine (Athanasius, On the Incarnation) that becoming partakers of the divine
nature (2 Pet. 1:4) is actually expounded upon. I have said, ye are gods, and all of you are sons of the
Most High' (Ps. 82:6) is taken very seriously. You wont find that anywhere else.
Even Pentecostals who teach that you can be chosen by God, spoken through by God, etc., arent really
teaching that you can enter into such union with God that you begin to take on the divine attributes. But
that is exactly what Orthodoxy teaches, that the transfiguration, death, resurrection and ascension of
Christ are all what it truly means to be a Christian, that mankind is now seated on the very Throne of God
Himself, and being in Christ means being seated there, too.
Pretty daring. But why settle for less?

So those are some of my reasons. What are yours?

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About Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

The Very Rev. Archpriest Andrew Stephen Damick is pastor of St. Paul Orthodox Church of Emmaus,
Pennsylvania, author of Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy and An Introduction to God, as well as the
forthcoming Bearing God. He is also host of the Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy and Roads from
Emmaus podcasts on Ancient Faith Radio, and he is a frequent speaker at lectures and retreats both in
parishes and in other settings. You can follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Comments

1.

Holly Kirouac says

February 11, 2014 at 5:22 am

Ditto x twelve! My own list would also include the fact that Orthodoxy brings you to the Trinity.
Evangelicals focus on the Son, Charismatics focus on the Holy Spirit, and Fundamentalists focus on the
Judge (as their portrayal of the Father) but in Orthodoxy the Trinity is revealed. This has such farreaching doctrinal and relational effects for the Church and for each of us personally.
Reply

Ioachim says

October 6, 2014 at 6:25 pm

Gorgeously said. I am an Orthodox convert and a former Protestant. I totally agree.

Reply

2.

vfinnell says

February 11, 2014 at 8:07 am

My reasons were similar to yours, but especially point #5. I came from Anglicanism which is forever
splitting and subjecting things to discussion and vote that should not even be considered in the first place.
For example, the current debate over womens ordination in the Anglican Church in North America may
result in another split along these lines.
Reply

3.

MLee says

February 11, 2014 at 10:17 am

Good list! But for me, the hymn Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death says it
all. It says what and who the real problem is, it forms our goal and endgame, and it guides our actions
(both individually and corporately). Forgiveness is meaningless if we are dead and life in this world
makes no sense if we those in the tombs have not been bestowed Life. That He is risen and we are
given Life is the precious jewel that we must all meditate on continuously. Only Orthodoxy drives home
that message.
Reply

4.

Ephraim says

February 11, 2014 at 11:42 am

because ever since I began attending an Orthodox parish full time, even as an inquirer, but certainly
continuing throughout this neophyte year so far, my need for and path of repentance has become more
and more clear, as though a sort of spiritual fog is being blown away or burned away by the morning sun.
My ability to recognize my need for salvation, along with my ability to ask God for the grace to
participate in that salvation through active repentance has never been stronger. My self-esteem has, in
one way, diminished so greatly that it seems useless, which has made much more room for the action of
Great Mercy in me. Today, I look far worse to myself than I ever did as a very active Roman Catholic,
engaged in ministry on parish and diocesan levels, and this current self-esteem is more clearly true than
my former delusion. (This takes nothing away from my fellow Roman Catholics (I grew up that way, and
they are all still brothers and sisters to me, even though I have now married up) who are engaged in a
life of sincere repentance, because I have known a few who are; I thought they were basically
overwrought kooks, because thats how they looked by comparison to the vast majority of clergy and
laity.)
Although this self-concept will undoubtedly sound very grim to many, if not most people, what I have
come to know is a much friendlier, much more loving and merciful God than I ever got before
becoming Orthodox. Now, my sense of existential security, if you will, does not depend at all on my
ability to justify myself. While I will ever strive for moral rectitude, compassion, emotional sobriety, etc.,
I will rely not upon my own strength, but on the grace of God, so that where I succeed, I know to give
thanks for that work done in me, and where I fail, I know that it is because I, once again, stupidly tried to
live as though I didnt need grace working inside every breath I take.
Pertaining somewhat to what you wrote in #6 above, I could never, at the outset of this journey, have
imagined what a relief it is to confess, in the face of the Holy Mysteries, that I am the chief sinner.
Somehow, I can grasp at this point that this life of repentance we pray for will always turn out to have
something more no matter how long nor how well I have persevered in it. Of course, at this point, I
think that I can be, at best, faithful to repenting as soon as I become aware that my perseverance has
collapsed; after all, I have to drive a car almost every day, while other people are doing the same thing.
Reply

5.

Lubo Atanasov says

February 11, 2014 at 11:56 pm

The healing and restoration of the soul that take place in the Orthodox Church I have not seen anywhere
else. All sacraments of the Church and the entirety of the day to day church life come together to put back
the pieces where they belong and make me capable of true communion with the divine. Protestants are
very knowledgeabpe in scripture and apologetics but their general expression of compassion is get over
it. I can not describe the power of the realization how much I am being loved despite my ignorance,
cruelty, and ungratefulness.
Reply

6.

Susan Cushman says

February 12, 2014 at 2:33 pm

This is informative, but I would leave off Numbers 1 and 12. Theres just no need to be elitist or make
sweeping judgments about other faiths. Ive been Orthodox since 1988, so Ive got ten years on you. In
my early years I tended (as do many converts) to be a bit radical, but Ive mellowed with age. If I had to
choose two of your reasons as ones I can relate to, they would be Numbers 8 and 10. You can read a bit
about why I feel so strongly about beauty here, Icons Will Save the
World. http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2007/12/icons-will-save-the-world
Reply

February 12, 2014 at 3:13 pm

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick says

Thanks, Susan. For whatever it may be worth, as I said, these are twelve of my own reasons. I wouldnt be
being honest if I left off #1 and #12 (especially #1), because they were and are major reasons that I am an
Orthodox Christian.
That said, is it really elitist or sweeping to believe those things? #1 really is part and parcel of the Orthodox
faithwe only believe in one Church, and Orthodoxy is it. Indeed, if someone doesnt believe #1 in particular,
I dont think it would be a good idea for him to become Orthodox. Its also not elitist to believe that, because
Orthodoxys truth is not because Im a better Christian. (Im not.) Like I said, Orthodoxy is true, but not
because of me.
And #12 is a pretty objective statement of fact that is true independent of whether one believes it. Other
Christians teachings just arent aiming as high as theosisthey may believe its wrong but arent proposing
something higher. (The notable exception is the Mormons, of course, who aim far higher, but I wouldnt regard
them as Christians since they do not believe in the Trinity and the Incarnation.)
Reply

Ioachim says

October 6, 2014 at 6:34 pm

I agree with Father. I do not see how # 1 and #12 are to be left off. That is too radical for me. We, Orthodox, are
speak Truth in love. How can one speak to the world to repent, if one is obssessed on not judging? Also, we do n
have more credit by number of years we spent as Orthodox.
Please forgive and pray for me, a sinner.
Reply

Antonia Colias says

February 13, 2014 at 3:21 pm

Posting this in a mindset of peacefulness. I think it irrelevant that I converted to Orthodoxy in 1976. Points #1
and #12 happen to be true. That is no more elitist than is Christs direct speech in John 14:6.
Reply

7.

Cathy Davison says

February 12, 2014 at 5:19 pm

I still do not understand praying to these icons. Why would you pray to anyone but God. Jesus is the only
one who was raised from the dead Mary is dead. The saints are dead. There is nowhere in my Bible
that says you should pray to anyone/anything except our Lord. So I can understand the veneration of the
icon representing Christ Jesusanyone elseno.
Reply

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick says

February 12, 2014 at 6:16 pm

Cathy, thanks for your comment.
In response, first you should know that we do not pray to icons. One might say we pray through them or
with them, but icons themselves are not the object of prayer.
In any event, regarding the saints they are not dead! Indeed, we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses (Heb. 12:1), who are very much alive and aware of us. They experience a foretaste of the

Resurrection even though they are not yet raised from the dead. But they are alive in Christ indeed, in a
sense, they are more alive than we are. We see them, for instance, offering up the prayers of those on earth at
the throne of God (Rev. 5:8).
As to whom we should pray to, there is of course one kind of prayer that is to God alone, but there is another
sort we offer to fellow Christians. The reason we ask the saints in Heaven to pray for us is the exact same
reason we ask each other to pray for us. And pray really just means ask. It does not mean worship, which
is due to God alone. So we are asking for the saints to do for us what we ask those in this life to do for us
though I would submit that they are better at it, since they are unencumbered by sin and are close to the throne
of God.
If you are interested in a much more thorough treatment of this issue, I very much recommend Dr. David
Fords excellent article on it, which is available online and written in a very accessible fashion: Prayer and
the Departed Saints
Reply

Antonia Colias says

February 13, 2014 at 3:23 pm

I dont know, of course; however, I wonder if Ms. Davison believes in what is called soul sleep, an error which
leads Protestants to consider it impossible for the saints to hear our prayers, as well as impossible for them to pra
to God on our behalf.
Reply

February 13, 2014 at 7:31 pm

Cathy Davison says

Thank you for the reply. I have been wanting to discuss this with someone. So you say the saints are all around u
the only resurrection that has happened is Jesus. All others according to what I read in the Bible are in paradise a
the coming judgement. I believe Angels are all around us, but does the Bible say something about the Saints bein
around us? I am not trying to be obstinate, I try to study the Bible. Cathy
Reply

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick says

February 13, 2014 at 7:42 pm

Hebrews 12:1 says since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, and that since refers to everyth
before, which in Hebrews 11 is a description of many Old Testament saints (the only departed saints at the tim
the New Testament).

Also, at the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, the Lord appears with both Moses and Elias, who are certainly quit
not dead as they speak with Him in the sight of Peter, James and John.

Cathy Davison says

February 13, 2014 at 7:36 pm

I am very much interested in this. I will see if I can get the book you recommend. I do believe that your services
much more in line with the way the original Christians worshipped, but I dont think they stood up all the time as
think the Orthodox Church does?
Reply

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick says

February 13, 2014 at 7:39 pm

No ancient church has pews or seats, which pretty much indicates that they stood. Its also apparent in literature
period, too, as well as being the cultural norm even outside the Church students stood while the teacher sat, fo
instance.
Reply

Cathy Davison says

February 14, 2014 at 8:15 am

Ah. I knew they met in houses to begin with. I assumed they sat on the floor. Thank you.

October 3, 2016 at 7:27 pm

Sophia says

Most traditional Orthodox churches have some kind of seats, either benches against the wall or wooden chairs w
installed in the wall, with the seat part on hinges so it can be lowered or raised to allow the person to sit or stand
on the armrests. Also, some churches bring chairs in during the services to allow people to sit if they need to.

Fr. Andrew, with regard to the biblical (=apostolic) understanding of saints and the resurrection of the dead, perh
also refer Ms. Davison to the events described in the gospel of Matthew 27:51ff. The apostle writes that just whe
died, the veil of the temple was torn in two, many bodies of the saints were raised and after His resurrection a
many.

Priest Christopher Johnson says

February 19, 2014 at 2:42 pm

Matthew 22:31-33

But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, I a
the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the livi
And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.
Still astonishing to this day, and I am always struck by it.
-Fr. Chris Johnson
Reply

Julia Jay says

February 15, 2014 at 12:56 pm

I never thought we prayed to the ICONs rather they are stories, symbols, guide us to memory of past just as the
word does- praying the scriptures is not praying to the scriptures rather uniting with them- why make up own
words if there is nothing like reiterating the Word , I am new convert tho so thats just my opinion.
Reply

8.

padrerichard says

February 13, 2014 at 12:06 pm

Reblogged this on padrerichard.
Reply

9.

Mrs. Mutton says

February 13, 2014 at 12:10 pm

None of these is among the reasons I *became* Orthodox. But all of them are the reasons I remain
Orthodox, a Faith for which I thank God every day.
Reply

10.

Laura says

February 14, 2014 at 6:55 am

I love these 12 reasons, and there are many more besides! I left the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod 4
years ago and became Orthodox and have never regretted a minute. I thank and praise God that He led me
to His Church. I am finally in a safe place to work out my salvation with people who love me and dont
judge me. May God continue to bless His Church!
Reply

11.

Joseph Hess says

February 22, 2014 at 11:08 am

Thank you for sharing. I am a follower of Jesus Christ and I enjoyed reading all of your reasons for
Orthodoxy. My walk with God has brought me many wonderful, peaceful, kind, and loving Orthodox
Christians who were critical to my spiritual walk. I am exploring an Orthodox gathering in my area and
school for my children.
Reply

12.

George Moshen says

February 23, 2014 at 8:05 pm

It is by a miracle that I have been an Orthodox Christian for 28 years. I came in skeptical at first, and
found a beauty of worship and people that are constantly changing me for the better. It isnt a faith for the
casual or squeamish. The Christian life is a struggle as we fight against our own passions and sinful
nature. Orthodoxy gives you the tools to climb the ladder of Theosis(God likeness). After all these
years, I am finally beginning to understand this. Born and raised Jewish and first saved in an all Black
Baptist Church, I thank God every minute of every day for showing me HIs Holy, Catholic and Apostolic
Church.
Reply

13.

Michael Bauman says

March 30, 2014 at 7:24 pm

One reason: the overwhelming constant and continuing presence of Jesus Christ. Not my emotion or
feeling but the unmistakeable reality of Him despite silly, corrupt abusive people and my own
unworthiness.
He called me, welcomed me through an icon of His Mother, blessed me to be received by the hands of an
unfortunately unstable priest and to stay despite my pride anger and sloth and the ethnocentric hatred of
some in my first parish.
In the process He has blessed me beyond anything I imagined including being the least in an outstanding
parish.
Reply

14.

Ric Ballard says

April 8, 2014 at 7:05 pm

In regards to reason 12 you have been miss informed about Catholicism. Just like many Orthodox there
are a great deal not aware of their own teachings. Just read this from the Catechism of the Catholic
Church: #460 The Word became flesh to make us partakers of the divine nature:For this is why the
Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion
with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God. For the Son of God
became man so that we might become God. The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers
in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods.. As you can
read this is a central teaching of Catholicism so it might be a good idea to retract your statement in order
to maintain intellectual integrity.
Reply

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick says

April 8, 2014 at 7:22 pm

Theres not really space here to go into this in detail, but what you write is very much taken into account in
#12. I didnt say that theosis is utterly absent in RCism, but where it does exist it does not really go as far as it
does in Orthodoxy. As for it being a central teaching of Catholicism, well, that is an evaluative statement that
is not representative of the official presentations of RC soteriology that I have seen, which are far more
focused on the question of satisfaction of divine justice (which figures quite large in the CCC). The section
you quote from the CCC is on the Incarnation, and of course the Orthodox would agree with that, but while
deification/divinization is mentioned here and there, it really never goes as far as the Orthodox doctrine but is
usually only mentioned in passing and certainly doesnt figure very large in the sections on salvation. Even
when it is mentioned there, it is the result of supernatural grace and not direct union with God Himself
I see from your website that youre probably Eastern Catholic, which definitely is a different perspective from
the other 98+% of Catholicism. But I think a thorough look at the teachings of the CCC will show
that theosis is not the primary Catholic understanding of salvation. Merit, for instance, is mentioned 17 times
in nine different paragraphs the CCC, but deification/divinization is mentioned only once in one paragraph.
So, forgive me, but I wont be making any retractions.
Reply

Mrs. Mutton says

June 13, 2014 at 5:36 am

As a former Catholic and current (grateful!) Orthodox, I can state without reservation that the first time in my lif
that I ever heard of theosis was after becoming Orthodox. It is not any part of Catholic teaching. And I attended
Catholic schools for thirteen years of my life.
Reply

steve says

July 5, 2015 at 1:05 pm

I converted from Orthodoxy to Catholicism a year ago, primarily for practical reasons and a relocation. However
and hesychasm were two major draws for me initially, and I have found that the Catholic Church by and large is
concerned with social issues than theosis. If I am able, I plan to humbly return to Orthodoxy as soon as I am able
Reply

January 31, 2016 at 5:16 am

luca says

Not to deny that in catholicism there is a strong focus on social work, but I would like to share my little experien
dominican student friar (thus catholic), ie that God made himself man to make us God is the first thing which ha
thought to us in the theology classes. As Catholic we consider Athanasius a Father of the Church and we celebra
revere him as such.
Reply

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick says

January 31, 2016 at 6:20 am

Right, and I mentioned that this is not absent in Catholicism. But for most Catholics, its unknown. Even in the C
its mentioned, but the language of satisfaction and merits is dominant.

15.

Kevin Murphy says

June 14, 2014 at 9:40 pm

Father Wonderful article. My one difficulty with Orthodoxy is the teaching on divorce. Even if I were
not Roman Catholic, I could not understand what seems to be a direct contradiction to Christs teaching. I
say as someone who wishes to understand. Please explain. Thank you.
Reply

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick says

June 15, 2014 at 6:15 pm

Probably the best piece I can find that addresses this is found
here:http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/liturgics/athenagoras_remarriage.htm
In short, it should be noted that Orthodoxy does not permit divorce, but it does recognize that it happens.
The question is really how best to move forward with salvation after that sin occurs.
Anyway, do read the piece. Its quite good.
Reply

Thomas Renz says

February 1, 2016 at 6:31 pm

The orthodoxresearchinstitute.org website is no longer active. The piece can now be found
at http://www.oodegr.co/english/ekklisia/marriage_divorce.htm
Reply

16.

Tina says

October 5, 2014 at 9:07 pm

Chrismated two years ago September 9. All 12 reasons, yes, but for me.primarily. what a relief to
finally NOT be in charge of interpreting the scriptures for myself (sola/solo scriptura). And I never really
did get thejustification by faith alone bit. Lord have mercy!
Reply

17.

Carole Pagnotto says

October 20, 2014 at 10:08 pm

I was raised in the Russian Orthodox Church of the Nativity in Erie, Pa., and have spent the better part of
my life apart from the Orthodox church because of the different locations in the US and abroad that I have
lived. I had children to raise and out of necessity, determined that they would be raised as Christian
believers who put Jesus Christ first in their lives. I am thankful that they do and love the LORD. Even
though through the years that I have worshiped in the Anglican/Episcopal church (very conservative!), I
never in my heart left the Russian Orthodox church I grew up in. I love going back to the church in Erie.
There are my roots.
Reply

18.

Aliki McDonold says

October 29, 2014 at 6:09 pm

I grew up Greek Orthodox and left the Church when I married an American man who was Mormon and
converted me and we raised our children in the Mormon faith. I never felt comfortable in the Mormon
Church and left it after I divorced my husband. My children all left the Mormon Church as well. I have
always regretted making that choice and even though my children are all good people I know being in the

Greek Orthodox Church would have given them roots, community, faith and traditions to carry them
through this life and the life to come. I carried the Greek Orthodox Church with me always. It is so ironic
that the Mormon Church teaches they are the only true church but in reality the Orthodox Church is the
original and true Church established by the Apostles of Christ and continues to this day, unchanged and
firm in its beliefs and traditions. I left the true Church to join a church with false teachings and false
prophets and I came back to the original and true Church, The Orthodox Church.
Reply

19.

Alex says

December 8, 2014 at 5:08 am

I am Russian, so please excuse my poor English. In my opinion, the reasons 1 and 12 are very important.
If The Orthodox is the church of the New Testament, founded by Jesus Christ and the Apostles; if she
preserves the teachings and practices of the early Christians, then I want to be a member of this church.
What is the criterion of the truth in Catholicism, Protestantism, and Orthodoxy?
Who is the last authority in the Roman Catholic Church? Pope. It doesnt matter what church councils
decide. The last word always belongs to Pope. Roma locuta, causa finita (Rome has spoken, the case is
closed). Even if a new Pope was elected a minute ago, his personal opinion can define any doctrine
concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church. What makes bishop of Rome infallible? Who,
being in sound mind, may say that the Apostle Peter and Pope are equal and always share the same
opinion? There is no logic when a man, his position, and his bishops office become the criterion of the
truth.
Lets have a look at Protestantism. What gives a man authority to interpret the Bible? They say, The
Holy Spirit. In other words, I am my own authority. If the Holy Spirit gives everyone authority to
interpret the Bible, then how come Protestantism spilled like beans? Why everyone has his or her own
interpretation, teaching, and understanding then? Lutheran, Presbyterian, Reformed Presbyterian,
Anglican, Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist, Reformed Baptist, Pentecostal, etc. If the Holy Spirit is one, why
are their interpretations so different? Why do they contradict each other? Who is right? Where is the
criterion of the truth? There are thousands of Protestant churches, sects, and cults and each of them claims
to have the only true vision and the only right understanding. Some of them allow gay marriages, gay
bishops, and female priests. Some of them dont believe that Christ is the Son of God. Some of them
dont believe in His resurrection. They read the same Bible but have different and even opposite
interpretations. Where is the truth? Well, maybe everyone is right and its ok to have a different opinion?
Lets try to say the same thing when we are lost in a jungle and everyone has his or her opinion about
direction. Everyone has the same map (the Holy Bible) but reads its signs (verses) in different way.

Whom should we trust? When everyone understands the signs in his or her own way, claiming his or her
own authority, then the criterion of the truth doesnt exist.
What about non-denominational churches? They share the same problems of Protestantism. Its me, God,
and the Bible. They reject the Holy Tradition (which is the life of the Holy Spirit in the Church) and
replace it for their own tradition, created by their self-proclaimed oracles. It would be ridiculous for us
modern people to interpret some Chinese manuscript, written 2 000 years ago. Especially if we dont
know the language and dont share the tradition of the ancient Chinese who wrote it. Its the same with
the New Testament. To understand and interpret this book, written in the old Greek almost 2 000 years
ago, one has to share traditions, practices, and teaching of the early Christians. In other words, to belong
to the church that wrote and compiled the New Testament.
Christ didnt come to build thousands of churches. He and His Apostles founded only one Church. So the
task is to find the Church of the New Testament because only this church can give the right understanding
and interpretation of the Bible. As the Apostle Paul says, this Church must be the pillar and foundation
of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:15).
In the Orthodox Church, the criterion of the truth is the concordant teaching of the Church Fathers. If the
Church Fathers of different ages and different countries have the same opinion, only then we can be sure
that its not someones personal opinion but the teaching of the Church. The Church Fathers compiled the
Bible and they knew how to interpret it. They were not scholars or University professors, but theologians
AND ascetics who lived a holy life. The Holy Spirit inspired the authors of the Bible. And it was the same
Holy Spirit that gave the Church Fathers the power and authority to interpret the Bible. The Church
Fathers are not like any scholars but holy people who acquired the Holy Spirit by prayer, fasting,
humility, keeping the commandments of the Gospels, fighting their passions, and cleansing themselves
from sins and sinful thoughts. Their life was a living testimony of the Holy Spirit working through them.
Therefore, wed better stick to their writings which is a voice of the Church.
Reply

20.

Dr. David C. Ford says

December 22, 2014 at 6:33 pm

Your list is terrific! For me, in a nutshell, here are two of many more reasons: 1), the Orthodox Church
shares the Eucharist with baptized infants; and 2), the Orthodox understands that marriage is meant to be
eternal.
Reply

21.

Amy Rhys says

March 19, 2015 at 6:47 am

Yes, I am also proud to be an orthodox and have Palestinian blood in my body. Its from my mother, my
mother is a Palestinian Christian and she was born in Bethlehem, West Bank.
Reply

22.

James P Hosey says

July 27, 2015 at 7:17 pm

I was looking through this website and I found it interesting.I am RC.What is the formal Orthodox
teaching on Matthew 16 Thou art Peter and upon this rock,etc.Also,in regards to Church
Fathers,St.Augustine is magnificent and has greatly influenced philosophers for centuries.Bertrand
Russell had a high opinion of him.Your comments please.Thankyou.
Reply

July 27, 2015 at 8:42 pm

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick says

This probably covers it pretty well: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/justandsinner/the-church-fathersinterpretation-of-the-rock-of-matthew-1618-an-historical-refutation-of-the-claims-of-roman-catholicism-bywilliam-webster/

Reply

23.

Terry Hartman says

August 4, 2015 at 12:51 pm

Just followed you on Twitter!
In my protestant days I was a worship leader, composer, arranger, keyboardist, violinist every Sunday. I
felt I was basically giving a concert/performance every Sunday. Im so, so very glad that as an Orthodox I
dont have to do that any more. I dont know how fine the line is between worship and performance, but I
dont have to deal with that any more. I dont have to top what I did last Sunday anymore. No light
show, no slick sound production. I am no more the middle of that experience, Jesus blood and body is.
This is why I remain here in the church. Worship in its truest form.
Reply

24.

Sarah Holiday says

October 8, 2015 at 8:12 am

Thank you so much for your thoughts! I totally agree with this listespecially #9. I first started attending
an Orthodox church because I was told that Orthodoxy really deals with the whole person instead of
trying to force the person into a religious box. I was tired of religious boxes and was looking for
something that would help my soul heal. My priest tells me that the life of the church is necessarily
exorcistic, and I have found this to be quite true. I keep going despite the painful ways I have to face
myself because it really is healing my soul. Though I am finally starting to learn that God really does love

me as I am (as opposed to having his finger hover over the smite button), but He is also not letting me
stay in my place of fallenness. He is finally answering my life-long prayer for help and healing my soul. I
am so very thankful to have been led to the Orthodox church.
Reply

25.

James says

January 29, 2016 at 2:46 am

Here are my main reasons, some of which are touched on in the article.
1. The history. For one, I studied Church history from a Catholic high school and a Protestant university
and felt like I could never really understand it. They gave me details, but I could never tie it together in a
satisfying way. I figured that maybe I was just not smart enough and you need to be some high-end
scholar to really understand Church history. After reading Bishop Kallistos Wares The Orthodox
Church, which has some introductory church history, I felt like I actually had a good grasp of it for the
first time. Joining the Orthodox Church, I also felt for the first time that I could walk into any century in
the past 2000 years and profoundly relate with a significant community of Christians.
2. The Saints. C.S. Lewis talked about the New Man of whom Christ (the Second Adam) was the first. I
never really understood what he meant until I read about the holy people of the Orthodox Church. There
are also many people of great holiness who are not canonized.
3. The theology. It took me a while outside the Orthodox Church to come to the realization that Jesus did
not save us by satisfying the wrath of the Father. After some more study I discovered the importance of
the Resurrection (thank you, N.T. Wright). In the Orthodox Church, these things are a given. Theres also
the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Transfiguration, and et cetera.
It has been a joy seeing my faith confirmed as I look deeper into the Orthodox Church. Sort of like a
detective who finds a clue that makes him suspicious of a person. He then starts following that person and
finds very concrete evidence as a result.
Reply

26.

Georgia says

January 29, 2016 at 3:59 am

Hello from Greece!
Your list is wonderfull!
I would also add that, Orthodoxy is an alive church! You can witness the presence of God, of the Saints
even with your hearing!!
Reply

Carolyn Clark says

February 15, 2016 at 12:23 am

Hi Georgia, Do you know anything about a Greek saint that appears to be especially venerated on the island of
Kos? St. Archontinus [Archondia; Archonton] is listed as a martyr with St. Chariton and his feast day is
September 3. I have a friend whose mothers name is Archondia and Archondias mother was born on Kos. I
also found an obituary for an Archondia (Drosos) Kallergis who was born in Phili, Kos, and I also found an ad
for Archondia Apartments in Kefalos, Kos, Greece. Thank you for your time and patience. Sincerely, Carolyn
Clark
Reply

27.

Lambros Tsuhlares says

January 29, 2016 at 8:59 am

I love the music. I dont listen to the words as much as I feel the voices in my being. The beauty of the
service and community in homage to the mystery.
Ive tried to wrap around the certainty, and tribal identification, but I dont see it as a prescription to peace
.
Love, peace and justice are what is being sung about. Our pursuit of this through scripture, thought and
practice connect us to the Devine mystery. I find much beauty and solitude in nature, but no emphisis on
justice. Justice is found in community, and that is Gods gift to us.
I look at and through the icons of my church to feel an ancient community who also sought wisdom in the
allegories and metaphors.
But the heat and flame and breath of the church is the community that shares its voices, its fellowship,
its food and love.
Reply