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NorthStar
Member
| Joined: | Sat Mar 15th, 2008 |
| Location: | Wisconsin USA |
| Posts: | 20 |
| First Name: | Chuck | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Roman Catholic, Evangelical, Orthodox |
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Posted: Sat Mar 15th, 2008 06:14 pm |
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Greetings to all! I just wanted to say "hello" and introduce myself briefly, a brief background: I was baptized Roman Catholic when I was about 1 yr old because my mother promised her aunt that she'd at least batpize her firstborn (turns out I was too much to handle and I was my parents only child...lol!) My mom stopped attending Church long before I was even born, and my dad was "protestant" but never, ever went to Church because "the church is full of hypocrites"...he does believe in God and etc...but just wasn't raised going to Church. (though he often has more faith than most people I've met, if I only had as a strong a faith as he does...) Anyways, because of those circumstances we just never went to Church, and the wanted to let me choose when I got old enough...
When i was 19 I was "born again" in the Evangelical sense that is, and for the next 7 or 8 years went from Evangelical tradtion to the next...eventually I began reading about Church history, the real stuff not the pop culture type, and was eventually led to the more historical Churches, finally I became Eastern Orthodox at a Greek parish. I've been Orthodox for 5 years, and am a tonsured Reader and psalti (cantor/chanter) at my parish. Like all Christians who take their faith seriously I've been disappointed, struggled and doubted the Church, because well there are hypocrites, sometimes many, and I've even doubted the very existance of "Christianity" as truth, but by the Grace of God things my spiritual life has improved over the last several months. (I've been dealing with a chronic illness for the last year too) Anyways, that's starting to improve as well, and things are looking up. And the reason I signed up is simply because I want to learn more about the western tradition of the historic Church. It is part of my heritage (I'm half irish after all) and while I'm fully immersed in the Byzantine tradition, as of late some of the western traditions seem to call to me, including the Rosary, which I started praying back at Christmas. I'm not intending to leave Orthodoxy, but at the same time I think East and West have so much in common that I feel I can learn from the Western tradition and incorporate it into my Orthodox life. And so that's basically why I'm here, to learn and share with my Western brethren and in the end draw closer to Christ as best as I can.
Lastly all of this is why I chose to sign up here, because this board doesn't seem full of polemics and debates as many Orthodox and Catholic forums tend to be. And I'm just tired of reading that stuff, it helps no one....debates are fine, but not arguments or deliberately misquoting Church fathers (which I've seen both sides do). Like I said we have so much in common, why can't we learn from each other, instead of tearing each other down? i'm not saying we don't have differences because we do, but in the end, our heirarchs all say we're "sister" Churches, all ahve valid orders and Sacraments etc...so why argue? Anyways, that's kind of long winded......sorry. But that's why I'm here, to learn and to experience....thanks!
Look forward to future discussions, and expect questions in the future from me! 
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mg57
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Tolland County, Connecticut USA |
| Posts: | 166 |
| First Name: | mg57 | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Infant Baptised Catholic |
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Posted: Sat Mar 15th, 2008 09:50 pm |
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Welcome to the board Chuck ! Looking forward to your participation.
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Intercessor
Member
| Joined: | Tue Sep 25th, 2007 |
| Location: | Southcentral, Kentucky USA |
| Posts: | 859 |
| First Name: | Becky | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Southern Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Sat Mar 15th, 2008 10:12 pm |
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Hi, Chuck,
Welcome to the CHNI forum! 
I believe you are going to fit right in here. We don't do much fighting. Those who try must bake cheesecake for Laura.  Don't try to get away with baking her a pie. The lady does not care for pie. Just cheesecake. 
We have some members here who attend Eastern churches. You will not be alone. I look forward to learning some things from you, Chuck.
God bless,
Becky
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"If our charity is arrested by the difficulties encountered in dealing with our neighbor, . . . our relations with our brethren are not regulated by our love of God, but by our love of self." Divine Intimacy p. 781, Fr. Gabriel, O.C.D.
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tedjenczewski
Member
| Joined: | Thu May 10th, 2007 |
| Location: | Richmond, Virginia USA |
| Posts: | 162 |
| First Name: | Ted | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic, Presbyterian, Catholic |
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Posted: Sat Mar 15th, 2008 11:54 pm |
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| Welcome to the forum Chuck. I have friends and relatives who are/were in the Byzantine Catholic rite, not orthodoxy. But I have always felt more at home in the western Catholic Church as it tends on the whole to be less a "national" church. I pray daily for re-union of the east and west to fulfill the prayer of Jesus for His church that we may be one as He and the Father are one. God bless you.
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"...the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth." 1Tim 3, 15
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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 4981 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Mon Mar 17th, 2008 01:22 am |
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NorthStar wrote: Greetings to all!
Greetings to you as well. We do little fighting here. We're here to learn from each other and support each other in our faith journey, and to speak the truth about the Catholic faith. We're happy to have you with us, and we all promise to support you on your faith journey wherever it might lead.
But we also have to admit we hope it leads you back to the Catholic Church, until such time as the See of Andrew and the See of Peter are once again under the umbrella of one Church.
I had an extended dialogue across the Internet several years ago with a Russian Orthodox priest who happened to be Irish, living in a monastery in New Zeland. I learned a lot about the relatively minor differences and the significant agreements between our Churches, and for the first time in my life, I had a new perspective over some elements of theology that just didn't make sense to me before. Eastern teachings such as Theosis filled in the blanks for me. I came to believe that Eastern and Western teachings, for the most part, complement each other quite well, and I long for reunification so that we all might someday again be one. I'm not so optimistic that I think it will happen in my lifetime, but every step in that direction brings us closer!
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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Ave_Girl
Moderator
| Joined: | Wed Nov 7th, 2007 |
| Location: | Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 113 |
| First Name: | Mary Clare | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Cradle Catholic |
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Posted: Mon Mar 17th, 2008 01:24 pm |
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| Welcome! I'm so glad you found your way here. Hope you enjoy your stay. Looking forward to your posts.
____________________
~Mary Clare Piecynski~
Coming Home Network Staff
740-450-1175 ext 105
maryp@chnetwork.org
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NorthStar
Member
| Joined: | Sat Mar 15th, 2008 |
| Location: | Wisconsin USA |
| Posts: | 20 |
| First Name: | Chuck | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Roman Catholic, Evangelical, Orthodox |
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Posted: Mon Mar 17th, 2008 05:09 pm |
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Thanks for the welcome everyone! I look forward to learning what I can! I know the everyone here will be on their Holy Week journey this week. I actually plan on attending a couple of the Holy Week services at the local Catholic Church this year since we don't celebrate Holy Week until late April, so that will give a chance to check out a few services. Anyways, hope everyone has a blessed Holy Week.
Chuck
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Dave Armstrong
Network Apologist
| Joined: | Fri Nov 2nd, 2007 |
| Location: | Melvindale, Michigan USA |
| Posts: | 1227 |
| First Name: | Dave | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Nominal Methodist / evangelical non-denom / "Bapticostal" / Catholic |
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Posted: Mon Mar 17th, 2008 06:42 pm |
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Hi Chuck,
A warm welcome and "top o' the mornin'" to ya as well (it being March 17th). I hope you will be edified here and will be able to learn more about the great Christian heritage that East and West share. I commend you for wanting to inquire about Catholicism. I think it'll be spiritually beneficial to you. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and learning from you, too.
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I'm happy to offer whatever theological & personal assistance I can. My blog, Biblical Evidence for Catholicism, contains 1900+ papers & web pages (absolutely free) & 16 apologetic books (for sale):
http://www.biblicalcatholic.com/
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rbo4u2
Member
| Joined: | Tue Jan 16th, 2007 |
| Location: | Sunnyvale, California USA |
| Posts: | 324 |
| First Name: | Rich | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Formerly Christian & Missionary Alliance then became Presbyterian |
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Posted: Mon Mar 17th, 2008 08:12 pm |
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Welcome Chuck to one of the friendliest forums you find on the web. I hope you find a home here. It will be fun to get your Orthodox take on some of our discussions.
God Bless
Rich
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