I've been researching for spirituality (especially in Christianity) for 3 years now. I've had a few signs about the orthodox church, such as seeing an orthodox priest outside in my city where there are no orthodox with a big wooden orthodox cross on his chest after asking God which church was the true one. I don't trust these things too much though, so I kept that on a side. There are good arguments about catholicism such as Peter's role and the essence-energies problem that the Orthodox have and can be considered polytheism, also hesychasm which seems pagan. But orthodoxy has a good few points too, such as for the Papacy where they have the Church Fathers in their favor when they say that the bishop of Rome is "primus inter pares".
Also I mostly feel bad with catholics here in France, they are very weird people and I don't feel any love or anything from them… while Jesus said "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35
As you can see I'm lost and pretty much asking for help here, since asking to priests IRL wasn't of much help. Also I feel like the catholic vs orthodox debates are a bit useless and don't seem to point anywhere, both sides argue pretty well actually.
Because I want to find a way to see which one is true, without the usual theological arguing.
Colton Jones
Essence-energy distinction is not polytheistic that's just a rinse and repeat talking point of the Catholics.
God's essence cannot be known by man, both Orthodox and Catholic acknowledge this. Catholics however believe in absolute divine simplicity and that God is only essence. Well how can we have a relationship with that which we cannot know? Orthodox Saint Palamas clarified this in that we can know God through His energies that He sends into the world.
For example when I embrace my parents, they know me through my energies (the embrace) not my essence. There is a distinction between energy and essence. It's not polytheism, that's beyond absurd.
Essence-energy being polytheism is a total meme, even weaker than absolute simplicity being non-Trinitarian. Hesychasim is blown out of proportion, there's nothing wrong with it but it also isn't common, and it's not like the Latins don't have enough of their own spiritual oddities and celebrated acid burns. If you haven't studied the history of Christianity yet do so, honestly it seems pretty obvious which church is the one that has continued down from the apostles and which church is a western political power that has fundamentally reorganized it's ecclesiology
Interesting yes I know but still doesn't resolve much of the problem in the end.
Thomas Bell
One mistake you made so far was making reddit threads, reddit's catholicism subreddit is more conservative than the average latin and the orthodox subreddit is more liberal than the average orthodox person. Keep that in mind
Joseph Davis
For me it does. This is how I see the two sides. Orthos always default to theology. They always talk about this bigbrain shit that I frankly don't care about. They never talk about unity or loving your brother. And to me that's what the Catholic Church is, it's all about being united as one family pursuing god together. Jesus never talked about having to become a philosopher. In the same way that protestants think you have to research the Bible all on your own and become some kind of Bible scholar, the orthos think you have to become some kind of theologist just to find god. Jesus never talked about this stuff, he talked about love and giving up the self. And maybe the Catholic Church IS wrong about god's nature. who cares? How does this change anything? Who cares if Jesus wore a red shirt or a brown one? The Bible says to love god, not to autisticly examine his structure. Like wtf. I'd rather be wrong about one tiny detail and be united with my brothers than to be right and have to be confined to some kind of exiled sect. I care about making sure my brothers aren't depressed NEETs with no one to love them over some gay philosophy. I see orthos as the next generation of fedoras, all they care about is being right in arguments. Just look at Jay dyer. Also like how you said Catholics seem kind of weird, I've also noticed that a lot of normies say that. They automatically think that Catholic priests are pedos before they've even talked to them. The world hates Catholics, which is another aspect that has lead me to this church.
Mason Bennett
What is scholasticism, sweaty?
Dylan Lewis
I am not a normie at all, but catholics in France are very different to catholics in other countries man. Because they are people that are kicked off the society due to freemasonic influence. I don't think that catholic priests are pedos at all, I am friends with a few and I am not scared of them at all, they are good people!
Also, in France, the catholics are the ones always philosophing and resorting to theology. Scholasticism is a catholic anyway. In France, the orthodox don't do much philosophy. So maybe it differs according to the region? Or are you talking about internet orthos?
Cooper Brooks
I'm talking about internet orthos.
Ethan Lewis
They are not like the actual orthos, that were born in orthodox countries.
Caleb Adams
Yeah but would you even be considering orthodoxy if it weren't for e-orthos?
