/christian/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

>>617420

Salvation is free, not earned.

(I'm Catholic)

it doesn't really work that way, going to the catholic church because it is easier will not really be any more effective than contacting a Orthodox priest and arranging some way for you to live an Orthodox life even without a Church near you. I am living in a city with 1 other Orthodox Christian who i meet up regularly with. Our nearest Church only serves 6 times a year and is about 3 hours away by train but he still managed to convert. You can't really gloss over the differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism any more than you could do with Protestantism. There are also no Sacraments outside the Church so the only thing you would get would be fellowship with some people who if you actually believe Eastern Orthodoxy is true don't hold the same faith as you, There is no way you could really believe in Orthodoxy and go to Church every week and say the filioque. Although I'm not sure this thread isn't a baptist troll since you are saying you earn your salvation.

>>617423

I thought Salvation was earned in the Catholic and Orthodox Church through the Sacraments and being a pious Christian

t. Lutheran considering converting to Catholicism or Orthodoxy and unsure of the meaning of Matthew 16:16-19 regarding the Church(es?) today

>>617425

Nothing is earned. We're given both the commandments to fulfill and the means to fulfill them.

>>617420

I'd argue that Catholics are not completely out of the Church since they have valid ordinations and sacraments, putting them in rebelion and schism at worst (we're still ironing out the whole "heresies" thing these days, but it would seem that the only real impasse is papal supremacy).

So, if you're under a real bishop, submit to them and let them lead you to salvation as they are ordered to. If they don't do it, the blame is on them.

You could always attend a Catholic church and be part of a Catholic community until you can become Orthodox. They're certainly much closer to us than the Protestants are.

Converting to Catholic until you can convert to Orthodox… I advice against it. You make vows when you convert to either, it's a sin to violate them.

But to directly answer your question

>If there's no Eastern Orthodox Church anywhere near me, will being a part of the Catholic Church, in a way, be justified by Christ and by works and faith still make me earn my salvation?

To quote one of my priests: "The Catholic Church can pastor, but it doesn't have the ressources to."

You can be saved as a Catholic, but you're better off being Orthodox.

>>617425

The sacraments themselves do not merit salvation. Baptism is necessary to enter into the Body of Christ, meriting through grace our salvation, and confession is how Christ ordained we wash away our sin following that. Anyone who tells you that we teach faith+works, even apostolic, are incorrect, unless they think that confession is a work worth boasting about.

God leads you to the truth and you pick the easy way out? Not a good idea friend

Easterners acknowledge Rome has valid orders and Eucharist so yes you will be accepting the FREE GIFT of salvation and God will justify you if you join the Catholic Church

>>617565

>Easterners acknowledge Rome has valid orders and Eucharist

can someone actually point me to a dogmatic statement on this. it makes no sense that Sacraments exist outside the Church. It is true that Catholics think we have valid orders and Eucharist, in orthodoxy i have seen no concept of the Eucharist being "valid"