"Choosing Gods - we choose destiny"
Virgil
(ancient Roman poet)

All over the world, the Russian Christian Church is called the Orthodox Church. And, what is most interesting, no one objects to this, and even the “holy” fathers themselves, in conversations in other languages, translate the name of the Russian Christian Church in this way.
At first, concept "Orthodoxy" has nothing to do with the Christian church.
Secondly, neither in the Old Testament nor in the New Testament there are no concepts "Orthodoxy"... And there is this concept only in the Slavic.
Complete understanding of the concept "Orthodoxy" given in:

“We are Orthodox, for we glorify Rule and Glory. We truly know that Rule is the World of our Light Gods, and Slav is the Light World, where our Great and Wise Ancestors live.
We are Slavs, for we glorify from our pure hearts all the Light ancient Gods and our Light-wise Ancestors ... "

So, the concept "Orthodoxy" existed and exists only in the Slavic Vedic Tradition and has nothing to do with Christianity. And this Vedic Tradition arose many thousands of years before the advent of Christianity.
The previously single Christian church split into western and eastern churches. Western Christian Church centered in Rome, became known as "Catholic", or "Universal"(?!), and the eastern Greco-Byzantine church centered in Constantinople (Constantinople) - "Orthodox", or "Pravovernaya"... And in Russia, the orthodox appropriated the name "Orthodox".
Slavic peoples, adhered only to the Slavic Vedic Tradition, therefore Christianity is among them.
(he is Vladimir - "bloody") abandoned the Vedic Faith, single-handedly decided which religion all Slavs should profess, and in 988 AD. with the army he baptized Russia with "sword and fire". At that time, the Eastern Greek religion (the cult of Dionysius) was imposed on the Slavic people. Before the birth of Jesus Christ, the cult of Dionysius (Greek religion) completely discredited itself! The fathers of the Greek religion and those behind them fussed in advance and at the beginning of the 12th century A.D. the Greek religion turned into Christianity - without changing the essence of the cult of Dionysius, they used the bright name of Jesus Christ, grossly distorted and proclaimed Christianity (allegedly new cult, only the name of Dionysius was changed to the name of Christ). The most successful version of the cult of Osiris was created - the cult of Christ (Christianity). Modern scientists, historians and theologians argue that Russia "became Orthodox only thanks to the baptism of Russia and the spread of Byzantine Christianity among the dark, savage Slavs mired in paganism." This formulation is very convenient for distorting history and belittling significance ancient culture of all Slavic peoples.
In the modern sense, the "learned intelligentsia" identifies Orthodoxy with Christianity and the ROC (Russian Orthodox Christian Church). During the forcible baptism of the Slavic peoples of Russia, Prince Vladimir with an army massacred the recalcitrant 9 million people from the total (12 million) population only Kievan Rus!
Before the religious reform (1653-1656 A.D.) carried out by Patriarch Nikon, Christianity was Orthodox, but the Slavs continued to live according to the norms of Orthodoxy, the norms of Slavic Vedism, celebrating Vedic Holidays, which did not fit into the dogmas of Christianity. Therefore, Christianity began to be called Orthodox, in order to "please" the ears of the Slavs, bringing in a number of ancient Orthodox rites to Christianity, while maintaining slavish essence Christianity itself. Christianity was invented to justify slavery.
The modern Christian church has no reason to be called Orthodox Christian (you have to think of something to just confuse people!).
Its correct name is Christian Orthodox (Orthodox) Church or Russian (Ukrainian) Christian Orthodox Church.
And yet, it is wrong to call fanatics of Christianity “believers”, since the word faith has nothing to do with religion. Word faith means a person's achievement of Enlightenment by Knowledge, and there are none in the Old Testament and cannot be.
The Old Testament is the Talmud adapted for non-Jews, which in turn is the history of the Jewish people, which it directly says! The events described in these books have nothing to do with the past of other peoples, with the exception of those events that were "borrowed" from other peoples to write these books.
If we consider it differently, then it turns out that all people living on Earth are Jews, because Adam and Eve were Jews.
Thus, the defenders of the biblical version of the origin of man, too, will not get anything from this - they simply have nothing to argue with.
Why in no case should the Vedic Tradition of the Slavic peoples and the Christian Orthodox religion be mixed, what are their main differences.

Russian Vedic Tradition

1. Our Ancestors never had a religion, they had a perception of the world, they had their own ideas and a system of Knowledge. We do not need to restore the Spiritual connection between people and Gods, since this connection has not been interrupted with us, for "Our gods are our Fathers, and we are their children" ... (Slavic-Aryan Vedas).
2. Gives a complete understanding of the concept of "Orthodoxy".
3. Source
Slavic-Aryan Vedas. They describe the events of 600 thousand years of the past, sent to us by our Ancestors.

The Slavic-Aryan Vedas describe the events of 600 thousand years of the past. To many Orthodox Traditions hundreds of thousands of years.
5. Freedom of choice
The Slavs treated the faiths of other peoples with respect, for they observed the Commandment: "Do not force the Holy Faith on people and remember that the choice of Faith is a personal matter for every free person." .
6. Concept of God
Our Ancestors always said: "We are children and grandchildren" .
Not slaves, a children and grandchildren... our Ancestors considered people who reached the level of the Creator in their development, who could influence space and matter.
7. Spirituality
There has never been slavery, either spiritual or physical, in the Slavic expanses.
8. Attitude towards Judaism
Nothing connects the Slavic Vedic Tradition with Judaism.
Our Ancestors believed that the choice of Faith is a personal matter of every free person.
9. Attitude towards Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ with his mission to "... the sheep of Israel" was sent by our Slavic Gods. It is worth remembering only who first came to greet him with gifts - the Magi. The concept exists only in the Slavic Vedic Culture. Church priests know this and hide it from the people, for which there are many reasons.
He (Jesus Christ) was the "bearer" of the Vedic Traditions.
The real teaching of Christ after his death existed in the south of France. 176th Pope Innocent III sent an army on a crusade against the true teachings of Jesus Christ - within 20 years the crusaders (they were called "the devil's army") destroyed 1 million people.
10. Essence of paradise
As such, paradise does not exist. A person must improve himself, strive to achieve the highest level of evolutionary development, and then his soul (true "I" - zhivatma) will go to the highest planetary levels.
11. Attitude towards sins
You can only forgive what is truly worthy of forgiveness. A person must understand that he will have to answer for any evil committed, and not before some mysterious God, but before himself, forcing himself to suffer cruelly.
Therefore, you need to learn from your mistakes, draw the right conclusions and not make mistakes in the future.
12. What cult is it based on?
On the cult of the Sun - the cult of Life! All calculations are made for the Yarila-Sun phases.
13. Holidays
Before the reforms of Patriarch Nikon, there were truly Orthodox Vedic holidays - the holidays of the cult of the Sun, during which they glorified Slavic Gods! (holiday, etc.).
14. Attitude towards death
Our Ancestors were calm about, they knew about the reincarnation of souls (reincarnation), that life does not stop, that after a while the soul will incarnate in a new body and will live new life... It doesn't matter where exactly - on Midgard-Earth again or on higher planetary levels.
15. What gives a person
Meaning of life. A person must self-actualize. Life is not given for nothing, you have to fight for beauty. The earth will not become better for a person until a person “merges” with it into one, until he fills it with his goodness and decorates it with his labor: “Holy honor your Gods and Ancestors. Live according to your Conscience and in harmony with nature. " Every life, no matter how insignificant it may seem, comes to Earth with a specific purpose.

"Orthodox" - Christian church

1. This is religion. The word "religion" means - the artificial restoration of the Spiritual connection between people and Gods on the basis of any Teaching (Slavic-Aryan Vedas).
2. In general, there is no concept of "Orthodoxy", and it cannot be, if we proceed from the essence of Christianity.
3. Source
80% of the Bible is the Old Testament (it consists entirely of fragments of the texts of the modern Hebrew, the so-called Masoretic Bible). "Orthodox" Christianity is based on the same Gospels as the Catholic Church and its many sects.
4. Duration ("age") of the source
The books of the Old Testament were written over a thousand years before the birth of Christ (R.H.) in the Hebrew language, the books of the New Testament are written in Greek in 1 century. according to R.Kh. The Bible was translated into Russian in the middle of the 19th century, the "Old Testament" (80% of the Bible) was written before the birth of Jesus Christ.
5. Freedom of choice
Christianity was imposed on the Slavic people, as they say, "by sword and fire." Prince Vladimir from AD 988 2/3 of the population of Kievan Rus was destroyed - those who did not abandon the Vedic Faith of the Ancestors. Only the elders (who soon died themselves) and babies were left alive, who, after the death (murder) of their parents, were given to be raised in christian monasteries.
6. Concept of God
Christianity is a variation of Judaism! Both Jews and Christians have the same God - Jehovah (Yahweh). The basis of these two religions is the same "holy" book of the Torah only for Christians, it is abbreviated (removed explicit texts showing real essence religion of the Jews) and is called the "Old Testament". And the God of these religions is the same - "The Devil", as Jesus Christ himself spoke of him!
(New Testament, Gospel of John, chapter 8, verses 43-44.)
The principal difference between these religions is only one thing - the recognition or non-recognition of Jesus Christ as the Messiah God Yahweh (Jehovah). Notice God Yahweh (Jehovah), not some other God.
7. Spirituality
Christianity justifies and justifies slavery! From birth, a Christian is hammered into his head with the thought that he is a slave, "Servant of god", the slave of his master, that a person should humbly accept all the hardships of his life, humbly watch how he is robbed, raped and killed by his daughters, his wife - "…all the will of God!.." The Greek religion brought spiritual and physical enslavement to the Slavic peoples. A man is living his life senselessly, killing a man in himself, he spends his life in prayer! (from the word "beg").
8. Attitude towards Judaism
Christianity is a variant of Judaism: the common God Jehovah (Yahweh), the common "holy" book - the Old Testament. But since Christians use a specially "worked" version of the Old Testament for them, then it is hidden from them double standard, inherent in it: God Yahweh (Jehovah) promises the Jews (the "chosen" people) heaven on earth and all peoples as slaves, and the wealth of these peoples - as a reward for faithful service. The nations, whom he promises to the Jews as slaves, promises eternal paradise life after death, if they humbly accept the slave portion prepared for them!
Well, who doesn't like such a share - promises total annihilation.
9. Attitude towards Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ was crucified by the decision of the court of the Jewish high priests, they sacrificed him to their common with Christians (today) God Yahweh (Jehovah), as a "false prophet", during the Jewish holiday of Passover. Christianity today, being a variant of Judaism, celebrates its resurrection during the Easter holiday, "not noticing" that he was sacrificed to their common God Yahweh (Jehovah) with the Jews! And at the same time, on the chest crosses they remind of this image of the crucified Christ. But Jesus Christ called God Yahweh (Jehovah) "the devil"! (“New Testament”, “Gospel of John.” Chapter 8 verses 43-44).
10. Essence of paradise
It clearly follows from the analysis of the Old Testament that Paradise is on Eden. Earth Eden, and not on any other level, where the righteous will go after the Day of Loan. Eden-Earth (like the Land of Nod) is located in the galactic east of Midgard-Earth.
So there are no saints and righteous people in Christian Eden, according to at least, in the one mentioned in the Old Testament!
11. Attitude towards sins
For naive believers, the deceitful idea of ​​"forgiveness" is invented to allow them to do any evil, knowing that whatever they do, they will ultimately be forgiven. The main thing is not whether you commit a sin or not, but to repent of your sin! In the Christian understanding, a person is already born (!!!) sinful (the so-called “original sin”), and in general, the main thing for a believer is to repent, even if a person has not done anything - he is already sinful in his thoughts. And if a person is not sinful, then it was his pride that seized him, for he does not want to repent of his sins!
Sin and hurry to repent, but do not forget to donate to the “holy” church - and ... the more, the better! The main thing is not sin, a repentance! For repentance writes off all sins!
(And what is it, I wonder, Gods forget for all sins for gold ?!)
12. What cult is it based on?
Christianity is based on the lunar cult - the cult of Death! All calculations here are done by moon phases. Even the fact that Christianity promises "eternal life in paradise" for a person after death, suggests that this is a lunar cult - the cult of Death!
13. Holidays
Although Russia was forcibly baptized, she continued to adhere to the Vedic system, to celebrate Vedic Holidays. In 1653-1656. from R.Kh. Patriarch Nikon to "lull" genetic memory Slavs, carried out a religious reform - made the substitution of Vedic Holidays for the holidays of the lunar cult. In this case, the essence folk holidays the essence of what is celebrated and what is “drummed into” the masses has not changed, but has changed.
14. Attitude towards death
The main doctrine of Christianity is based on the notion that a person must resignedly accept everything God has prepared for him, as a punishment for sins or as a test of the firmness of faith! If a person humbly accepts all this, then “eternal paradise life” awaits him after death.
The concept of reincarnation is dangerous for Christianity, because then this bait "will not work." Therefore, the ministers of the Greek religion at the next Ecumenical Council in 1082 excluded reincarnation from their doctrine (they took and excluded the law of life!), I.e. took and "changed" physics (the same Law of Conservation of Energy), changed (!!!) Horses of the Universe!
The most interesting thing: those who promise others a paradise life after death, for some reason themselves "prefer" this paradise life, on a sinful Earth!
15. What gives a person
Renunciation real life... Social and individual passivity. People were inspired, and they accepted the position that they themselves did not have to do anything, but only wait for the grace from above. A person must resignedly accept the slave's share and then ... after death The Lord God will reward you with heavenly life! But the dead cannot tell whether or not they received that very heavenly life ...

Christianity has many faces. V modern world it is represented by three generally recognized directions - Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism, as well as numerous trends that do not belong to any of the listed. There are serious differences between these offshoots of the same religion. The Orthodox consider Catholics and Protestants to be heterodox associations of people, that is, those who glorify God in a different way. However, they do not see them as completely devoid of grace. But the Orthodox do not recognize sectarian organizations that position themselves as Christian, but have only an indirect relationship to Christianity.

Who are Christians and Orthodox

Christians - followers of the Christian denomination belonging to any Christian movement - Orthodoxy, Catholicism or Protestantism with its various denominations, often of a sectarian nature.
Orthodox- Christians whose worldview corresponds to the ethnocultural tradition associated with the Orthodox Church.

Comparison of Christians and Orthodox

What is the difference between Christians and Orthodox Christians?
Orthodoxy is an established doctrine, which has its own dogmas, values, and a long history. Christianity is often passed off as something that, in fact, is not. For example, the White Brotherhood movement, which was active in Kiev in the early 90s of the last century.
The Orthodox consider their main goal to be the fulfillment of the Gospel commandments, their own salvation and the salvation of their neighbor from the spiritual slavery of passions. World Christianity at its congresses declares salvation in a purely material plane - from poverty, disease, war, drugs, etc., which is external piety.
For the Orthodox, the spiritual holiness of a person is important. The evidence of this is the saints canonized by the Orthodox Church, who have revealed the Christian ideal in their lives. In Christianity as a whole, the spiritual and sensual prevails over the spiritual.
The Orthodox consider themselves co-workers with God in the work of their own salvation. In world Christianity, in particular, in Protestantism, a person is likened to a pillar that does not have to do anything, because Christ performed the work of salvation for him on Calvary.
The teaching of world Christianity is based on the Holy Scriptures - the record of Divine Revelation. It teaches you how to live. The Orthodox, like the Catholics, believe that Scripture stood out from the Holy Tradition, which clarifies the forms of this life and is also an unconditional authority. Protestant currents rejected this claim.
A summary of the foundations of the Christian faith is given in the Creed. For the Orthodox, this is the Nikeo-Constantinople Symbol of Faith. Catholics introduced the concept of filioque into the wording of the Symbol, according to which the Holy Spirit proceeds both from God the Father and from God the Son. Protestants do not deny the Nicene Creed, however, the Ancient, Apostolic Creed is considered generally accepted among them.
The Orthodox especially revere the Mother of God. They believe that she did not have personal sin, but was not devoid of the original sin, like all people. After the ascension, the Mother of God bodily ascended to heaven. However, there is no dogma about this. Catholics believe that the Mother of God was also devoid of original sin. One of the dogmas of the Catholic faith is the dogma of the bodily ascension of the Virgin Mary to heaven. Protestants and numerous sectarians do not have the Mother of God cult.

TheDifference.ru determined that the difference between Christians and Orthodox Christians is as follows:

Orthodox Christianity is contained in the dogmas of the Church. Not all movements that present themselves as Christians are in fact such.
For the Orthodox, inner piety is the basis of a correct life. For modern Christianity in its bulk, external piety is much more important.
Orthodox Christians are trying to achieve spiritual holiness. Christianity in general emphasizes soulfulness and sensuality. This is clearly seen in the speeches of Orthodox and other Christian preachers.
The Orthodox is a co-worker with God in the work of his own salvation. The Catholics adhere to the same position. All other representatives of the Christian world are convinced that a person's moral deed is not important for salvation. Salvation has already been accomplished at Calvary.
The foundation of faith an orthodox person- Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition, as for Catholics. The Protestants rejected Tradition. Many sectarian Christian movements distort Scripture as well.
An exposition of the foundations of faith for the Orthodox is given in the Nicene Creed. Catholics added the concept of filioque to the Symbol. Most Protestants accept the ancient Apostolic Creed. Many others do not have a specific creed.
Only Orthodox and Catholics revere the Mother of God. Other Christians do not have her cult.

Christianity is multifaceted and is one of the three main religions in the world, along with Buddhism and Islam. All Orthodox Christians are Christians, but not all Christians adhere to Orthodoxy. Christianity and Orthodoxy - what's the difference? I asked this question when a Muslim acquaintance asked about the distinction Orthodox faith from the Baptist. I turned to my spiritual father, and he explained to me the difference of religions.

Christian religion was formed over 2000 years ago in Palestine. After the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles (Pentecost), the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in the form of tongues of flame. This day is considered the birthday of the church, since more than 3,000 people believed in Christ.

However, the Church was not always united and universal, since in 1054 there was a split into Orthodoxy and Catholicism. For many centuries, enmity and mutual reproaches of hereticism reigned, the heads of the two churches anathematized each other.

Unity within Orthodoxy and Catholicism also could not resist, since Protestants split off from the Catholic branch, and the Orthodox Church had its own schismatics - Old Believers. These were tragic events in the history of the once united Ecumenical Church, which did not keep the unity of mind according to the commandments of the Apostle Paul.

Orthodoxy

How is Christianity different from Orthodoxy? The Orthodox branch of Christianity was officially formed in 1054, when the Patriarch of Constantinople demonstratively trampled unleavened bread for communion. The conflict had been brewing for a long time and concerned the ritual part of divine services, as well as the dogmas of the church. The confrontation ended with a complete split of the single church into two parts - Orthodox and Catholic. It was only in 1964 that both churches reconciled and lifted mutual anathemas from each other.

Nevertheless, the ritual part in Orthodoxy and Catholicism remained unchanged, and the dogmas of faith too. This concerns the fundamental issues of the creed and the conduct of worship. Even at first glance, one can notice significant differences between Catholics and Orthodox in many things:

• the clothes of the priests;
• the rite of divine services;
• decoration of the church;
• the method of imposing the cross;
• sound accompaniment of liturgies.

Orthodox priests do not shave their beards.

The difference between Orthodoxy and Christianity of other confessions is East style services. Orthodox Church kept the traditions of oriental splendor, during the divine services they do not play musical instruments, it is customary to light candles and incense with a censer, and sign of the cross put from right to left with a pinch of fingers and make a bow at the waist.

Orthodox Christians are sure that their church originates from the crucifixion and resurrection of the Savior. The baptism of Rus took place in 988 according to the Byzantine tradition, which continues to this day.

The main provisions of Orthodoxy:

• God is alone in the faces of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit;
• The Holy Spirit is equal to God the Father;
• is the only begotten Son of God the Father;
• The Son of God became human, took the form of a man;
• the resurrection is true, as is the second coming of Christ;
• the head of the church is Jesus Christ, not the Patriarch;
• baptism frees a person from sins;
• the believer will be saved and receive eternal life.

The Orthodox Christian believes that after death his soul will receive eternal salvation. Believers devote their whole lives to serving God and fulfilling the commandments. Any trials are perceived meekly and even with joy, because despondency and murmuring are revered as a mortal sin.

Catholicism

This branch of the Christian church is distinguished by its approach to doctrine and worship. The head of the Roman catholic church is the Pope, in contrast to the Orthodox Patriarch.

Fundamentals of Catholic doctrine:

• The Holy Spirit descends not only from God the Father, but also from God the Son;
• after death, the soul of the believer goes to purgatory, where it is tested;
• The Pope is revered as the direct successor of the Apostle Peter, all his actions are considered infallible;
• Catholics believe that the Virgin was taken up to heaven without seeing death;
• veneration of saints is widely developed;
• indulgence (atonement for sins) is a distinctive feature of the Catholic Church;
• the sacrament is performed with unleavened bread.

Divine service in Catholic churches called the mass. An integral part of churches and cathedrals is the organ on which inspired music is played. If in Orthodox churches a mixed choir sings in the kliros, then in Catholic churches only men (boys' choir) sing the chants.

But the most important difference between the Catholic doctrine and the Orthodox is the dogma of the integrity of the Virgin Mary.

Catholics are sure that she was immaculately conceived (had no original sin). The Orthodox claim that the Mother of God was ordinary mortal woman, which God chose for the birth of the God-man.

Also, a feature of the Catholic doctrine is mystical meditations on the torment of Christ. This sometimes leads to the fact that believers have stigmata (wounds from nails and a crown of thorns) on their bodies.

Commemoration of the departed is held on days 3, 7 and 30. Confirmation is carried out not immediately after baptism, as with the Orthodox, but after reaching adulthood. Children begin to receive communion after the age of seven, and in Orthodoxy - from infancy. There is no iconostasis in Catholic churches. All clergymen take a vow of celibacy.

Protestantism

What is the difference between Protestant Christians and Orthodox Christians? This movement arose within the Catholic Church as a protest against the authority of the Pope (he is considered the governor of Jesus Christ on earth). Many people know the tragic St. Bartholomew's night when in France, Catholics massacred Huguenots (local Protestants). These terrible pages of history will forever remain in the memory of people as an example of inhumanity and madness.

Protests against the authority of the Pope swept across Europe and even spilled over into revolutions. The Hussite Wars in the Czech Republic, the Lutheran movement - this is just a small mention of the widespread protest against the dogmas of the Catholic Church. Severe persecution of Protestants forced them to flee Europe and find refuge in America.

What is the difference between Protestants and Catholics and Orthodox? They recognize only two Church Sacraments - baptism and communion.... Baptism is necessary for a person to join the church, and the sacrament helps build faith. Protestant priests do not enjoy unquestioning authority, but are brothers in Christ. At the same time, Protestants recognize apostolic succession, but attribute it to spiritual action.

Protestants do not perform funerals for the dead, do not worship saints, do not pray to icons, do not light candles and do not burn censer. They lack the sacrament of wedding, confession and priesthood. The Protestant community lives like one family, helps those in need and actively preaches the gospel to people (missionary work).

Divine services in Protestant churches are held in a special way. First, the community glorifies God with songs and (sometimes) dances. Then the pastor reads a sermon based on the Bible texts. The service also ends with a glorification. In recent decades, many modern evangelical churches have been formed with young people. Some of them are recognized as sects in Russia, but in Europe and America, these movements are allowed by the official authorities.

In 1999, the historic reconciliation of the Catholic Church with the Lutheran movement took place. And in 1973, the Eucharistic unity of the Reformed churches with the Lutheran ones took place. The XX and XI centuries became a time of reconciliation between all Christian movements, which cannot but rejoice. Enmity and anathemas are a thing of the past, and the Christian world has found peace and tranquility.

Outcome

A Christian is a person who recognizes the death and resurrection of the God-man Jesus Christ, believes in a posthumous existence and eternal life. However, Christianity is not homogeneous in structure and is divided into many different denominations. Orthodoxy and Catholicism are the leading Christian faiths, on the basis of which other confessions and movements were formed.

In Russia, the Old Believers split off from the Orthodox branch, in Europe much more different currents and configurations under the general name Protestants. The bloody massacres of heretics, which horrified the peoples for many centuries, are a thing of the past. In today's world, between everyone Christian denominations peace and harmony reign, however, differences in worship and dogmas have remained.

Christianity, like Buddhism and then Islam, created the ideal of a universal human behavior and existence, has created a holistic worldview and attitude. At the heart of Christianity is the doctrine of the God-man Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came to people with good deeds, commanded them the laws of a righteous life and accepted great suffering and martyrdom on the cross.

Christians believe that the world was created by one eternal God, and created without evil. The Resurrection of Christ marks for Christians the victory over death and the newfound possibility of eternal life with God. Christianity views history as a one-way, unique, “one-time” process directed by God: from the beginning (creation) to the end (the coming of the Messiah, the Last Judgment). The main idea of ​​Christianity is the idea of ​​sin and human salvation. People are sinners before God, and this is what makes them equal: Greeks and Jews, Romans and barbarians, slaves and free, rich and poor - all sinners, all "servants of God."
The Christian religion asserted that suffering in earthly life would bring salvation and heavenly bliss to a person in the afterlife, and it saw the way to moral perfection in resistance to evil. She promised that the righteous will be rewarded and the future belongs to the lower classes. Christianity acquired the character of a universal, universal religion.

The main directions of Christianity are Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism.

Orthodoxy. The Orthodox Church is closest to the traditions of early Christianity. For example, it preserves the principle of autocephaly - the independence of national churches. There are 15 of them in total. A distinctive feature of Orthodoxy is that since the time of the first seven Ecumenical Councils, not a single dogma has been added to this teaching, unlike Catholicism, and not one of them has been abandoned, as was the case in Protestantism. In the Orthodox Church, ritual prevails over theology. The splendor and luxury of the church, the festivity of the liturgy are aimed at the perception of faith not so much by reason as by feeling. The idea of ​​Orthodox conciliarity presupposes the unity of the laity and the clergy, adherence to tradition and the primacy of the collective principle.

The Orthodox Church claims that Christianity, unlike all other religions, is a divine revelation, which forms the basis of the Orthodox faith. It is based on a set of dogmas - immutable truths, which are also the result of divine revelation. The main such dogmas are the following: the dogma of the Trinity of God, the dogma of reincarnation and the dogma of atonement. The essence of the dogma of the Trinity of God is as follows: God is not only a personal being, but also a spiritual essence, he appears in three hypostases: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. All three persons make up one Holy Trinity, inseparable in their essence, equal in divine dignity.

God the Father created heaven, earth, the visible and invisible world out of nothing. From the earth, God created the first man, Adam, and from his rib, the first woman, Eve. The purpose of man in the act of creation is to know, love and glorify God and through this gain bliss. God predetermined the salvation of people through his only-begotten son, who is the second person of the Trinity, in human incarnation - Jesus Christ. The third person is the Holy Spirit. Together with the Father and the Son, he gave birth to the spiritual life of man, instilled in people the fear of God, bestowed piety and inspiration, the ability of knowledge and wisdom. Orthodox teaching believes that in afterlife the souls of people, depending on how a person lived his earthly life, go to heaven or hell.

One of the basic laws of Orthodoxy is the rule of reception, the acceptance of any norms by the whole church. No person, no organ of the Church, no matter how broad in composition it may be, can be completely infallible. In matters of faith, only the Church is infallible — the “body of Christ” —as a whole. In Orthodoxy, the traditions of the seven sacraments are strictly observed - baptism, communion, repentance, chrismation, marriage, sanctification and priesthood. The sacrament of baptism symbolizes the acceptance of a person into the bosom of the Christian church and through him the original sin is forgiven to the person, and all other sins to the adult. It is believed that only on the basis of the sacrament of communion (Eucharist) can a person maintain an inseparable connection with Jesus Christ. An indispensable attribute religious life For an Orthodox Christian, it is the performance of the sacrament of repentance (confession), which includes confession and forgiveness of sins.

Following the rite of baptism in Orthodoxy, the sacrament of chrismation is performed, the meaning of which, according to the Orthodox catechism, is "to preserve the spiritual purity received in baptism in order to grow and strengthen in spiritual life." Spiritual meaning the wedding ceremony consists in the fact that when the wedding is performed, God's grace is poured out on the future spouses, which provides an inextricable symbolic union based on love, fidelity and mutual assistance to the grave. The sacrament of blessing (unction) is performed on a sick person, since blessing of oil has healing power, cleanses the patient from sins. The Orthodox Church attributes a special meaning to the sacrament of the priesthood. It occurs when a person is ordained to the priesthood, that is, to one degree or another of the priesthood. In Orthodoxy, the clergy is divided into black and white. The black is the monks, and the white is the clergy who do not take the vow of celibacy.

In addition to performing the sacraments, the Orthodox cult system includes prayers, worship of the cross, icons, relics, relics and saints. Fasts and holidays occupy an important place in the Orthodox cult, the main of which is Easter, established in memory of the resurrection of the son of God Jesus Christ crucified on the cross.

Catholicism. The basis of the faith of Catholicism is made up of the books of the New and Old Testaments (Holy Scripture), decisions of the 21st Ecumenical Council of the Church and judgments of the popes on ecclesiastical and temporal affairs (Holy Leaving). The Catholic Church, in contrast to the Orthodox, has a single head - the Pope. The head of the church is considered the vicar of Christ on earth and the successor of the apostle Peter. The Pope fulfills a threefold function: the bishop of Rome, the pastor of the Ecumenical Church and the head of the Vatican State. In the Catholic Church, all priests belong to one of the monastic orders, and celibacy, the vow of celibacy, is obligatory for them.

The dogma of Catholicism, in many respects close to Orthodoxy, has some peculiarities. In Catholicism, a peculiar understanding of the Trinity was established, enshrined in the form of the filioque dogma: the procession of the Holy Spirit is recognized not only from God the Father, but also from God the Son. The Catholic Church formulated the dogma of purgatory - an intermediate place between heaven and hell, where the souls of sinners who have not received forgiveness in earthly life, but not burdened with mortal sins, dwell.

In general, Catholicism is quite condescending to a person, since it proceeds from the conviction that sinfulness is an integral part of human nature, only the Pope is sinless. Atonement for sins in Catholicism is possible through social activities. A huge role in the salvation of sinful people is played by the so-called treasury of good deeds, in abundance performed by Christ, the Virgin Mary and the saints, which only the Pope can dispose of. So in the Middle Ages, the practice of indulgences appeared in Catholicism - the redemption of sins for money. Catholicism is characterized by a sublime veneration of the Mother of God - the Mother of Jesus Christ, which was expressed in the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, as well as in the dogma of the bodily ascension of the Mother of God. Catholicism, like Orthodoxy, recognizes the seven sacraments of Christianity. However, baptism here is carried out by pouring, and confirmation is separated from baptism and is carried out when the child reaches 7-8 years old. Main holiday in Catholicism - Christmas.

Despite the elaborate and pomp of the ritual, in Roman Christianity, theology still dominates the rite. Therefore, Catholicism is more individualistic than Orthodoxy. The Catholic Mass is more magnificent, festive in nature, it uses all types of art to influence the consciousness and feelings of believers.

Protestantism. Despite the presence in Protestantism of many churches and confessions, it is possible to distinguish common features of doctrine, worship and organization. The Bible is recognized by most Protestants as the only source of doctrine. Protestantism orients a person towards personal communication with God. Hence the right of every person to read and discuss the Bible. Paying great attention to the human incarnation of Jesus Christ, the majority of Protestants recognize Christmas as the main holiday. The main services are Bible reading, sermon, individual and collective prayers, and singing of religious hymns. As a rule, the cult of the Mother of God, saints, icons and relics is rejected. Basic organizational structure Protestantism is a community, and the hierarchy of clergy is not developed.

Protestantism can be divided into two main directions: liberal, which accepts criticism of the Bible, and fundamentalist, which insists on a literal understanding of the Bible texts. The liberal movement, the oldest in Protestantism, originated in the form of the teachings of Martin Luther at the beginning of the 16th century. Its supporters - Lutherans - recognize the dogmas defined in I and II as a Symbol of Faith. Ecumenical Councils... The main way of atonement for sins is repentance. Two Christian sacraments are recognized - baptism and communion. Lutheranism has preserved the liturgy, the church altar, and the vestments of the clergy. There is also an ordination (ordination), there is a bishop. The Lutherans accept the crucifixion as the main symbol, the icons are denied. The founder of the fundamentalist trend in Protestantism is John Calvin. As a single holy book Calvin recognized the Bible.

Denying the clergy, he affirmed the principle of worldly vocation and worldly asceticism (every believer is a priest). Calvinism presupposes salvation of the soul not so much by repentance as by active worldly activity, entrepreneurship. Calvinists deny the external attributes of the cult - the cross, icons, candles, and so on. The sacraments of baptism and communion are carried out symbolically with them. The main forms of worship are sermons, prayers, and the singing of psalms. Calvinism denies any form of church organization other than community.

Protestantism teaches that it is not so much rituals that are important, but the conscientious fulfillment of each of his duties, that is, in conscientious work, a person embodies Christian commandments. Protestantism affirms the equality of all believers before God and preaches salvation by faith already in earthly life, denies monasticism, as well as the celibacy of the clergy. Protestantism is characterized by the desire to separate the spheres of influence of the spiritual power of the church and the secular power of the state: God - God, and Caesar - Caesar.
The main tenet of Protestantism is that of justification by faith alone in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Other means of salvation are considered insignificant. According to this dogma, as a result of the Fall, original sin, a person has lost the ability to independently do good, therefore salvation can come to him only as a result of divine intervention, salvation is a gift of divine grace.

All about Christianity.

Christianity got its name due to the fact that the person of Jesus Christ stands at the center of its doctrine (although this term did not appear earlier than the end of the 2nd century). According to one of the dogmas of Christianity, the God-man Jesus Christ descended to earth to accept martyrdom and redeem the original sin of people. Belief in the atoning sacrifice of Christ and the universal sinfulness of people is one of the main provisions of the Christian doctrine. Many researchers generally deny the historicity of Christ, while others believe that Jesus existed, not as a God-man, but as a simple Jewish preacher.

The Christian religion proclaims the principle of monotheism. At the same time, the main directions of Christianity adhere to the position of the divine trinity. According to this provision, although God is one, however, he appears in three hypostases (persons): God - the father, God - the son and God - the holy spirit.
Christians believe that it is God, the Son, in the image of Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary by the virgin birth, who is the savior of people who are mired in their sins. The idea of ​​the salvation of people is also one of the central ones in Christianity. The provision on the resurrection of the crucified Christ and his ascension to heaven is also considered important in the Christian doctrine.

Many of the precepts of Christianity reflect universal human moral standards, while others are very specific. These special norms include the requirements of patience, obedience, forgiveness, respect for all authority.
The main provisions of Christianity are set forth in the "holy scriptures" - the Bible. The Bible is divided into two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The first part is taken from Judaism and is identical to the Tanakh. The second part - the New Testament - is specific to Christianity. It consists of 27 books: four books of the Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), which narrate about the life of Christ and set out the foundations of his teaching, the book "Acts of the Apostles", reporting on the preaching work of Christ's disciples, the 21st Epistle of the Apostles , which are letters written by Paul and other disciples of Christ and addressed to the early Christian communities, and "The Revelations of John the Theologian" (Apocalypse), in which the author sets out the prophecy communicated to him by God about the future fate of the world and mankind.

"Holy Scripture" is supplemented by sacred tradition (the writings of the "church fathers" and decrees Christian cathedrals), but it is not recognized by all areas of Christianity. There are currently five such directions: Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestanism, Nestorianism and Monorisism. True, the last two directions are much inferior in the number of their followers to the first three.

Consider Orthodoxy, and what features it has in common with Catholicism, and which are specific. Both of these directions conduct quite sharp border between the clergy, on the one hand, and the laity, on the other. Some rules of conduct are provided for the clergy, others for the laity. The salvation of people, according to Orthodoxy and Catholicism, can be achieved only through the mediation of the clergy. Both Orthodox Christians and Catholics accept, along with the Bible, the "sacred tradition." Both directions recognize seven sacraments: baptism, anointing, communion, repentance, priesthood, marriage, and anointing of anolescence. Both Orthodox and Catholics venerate the Mother of God, angels, saints, they have a developed cult of relics and sacred relics, they practice monasticism.

There are many features in Orthodoxy that are different from Catholicism. One of the main dogmatic differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism is the issue of the procession of the Holy Spirit. In Orthodoxy, God - the holy spirit comes only from God the Father.
Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit comes not only from God the Father, but also from God the Son. The cult of the Mother of God is inherent in Catholicism. And in 1854. even a dogma was proclaimed that the Mother of God, like her son, was born through the virgin birth. Finally, in 1950, the dogma of the bodily ascension of the Virgin Mary to heaven was additionally adopted.
A distinctive feature of the Catholic doctrine is the idea that the saints form before God a stock of good deeds with which priests can forgive the sins of believers or the previously practiced ransom of sin (sale of indulgences).

Catholics believe that apart from heaven and hell, there is also purgatory, where the souls of believers are purified before going to heaven. Unlike Orthodoxy, which recognizes 7 ecumenical councils, Catholicism recognizes 21.
Catholics are not allowed to leave the clergy. Celibacy should be observed not only by monks, but also by the white clergy. Laymen in Catholicism can remarry only in the event of the death of their spouse (divorce is prohibited). The highest Catholic leadership has repeatedly expressed their hostility to abortion and even to the use of any contraceptive. Divine services are conducted in Catholic churches in most cases in Latin and are accompanied by both choral singing and organ music. The religious symbol of Catholics is the four-pointed cross.

At the head of the Catholic Church is the Pope, revered by believers as the viceroy of Christ on earth and the successor of the Apostle Peter. The Pope's authority is absolute. The Pope, in accordance with the Lutheran agreements concluded in 1929 with the fascist dictator Mussolini, has its own sovereign state, the Vatican, which occupies a small part of the territory of the city of Rome. Several Uniate churches are under the care of the Vatican. These are groups that have deviated from some Eastern Christian churches. They entered into a union with the Roman Church, i.e. obeyed the Pope, adopted Catholic dogmas, but retained their rituals.

There are six groups of Uniates in total: Greek Catholics, Armenian Catholics, Syro-Catholics, Copts-Catholics, Chaldeans and Myronites.

Unlike Orthodoxy and Catholicism, Protestanism does not represent a single direction of Christianity in doctrine and organization. This direction includes many churches and sects that differ significantly from each other in their dogma and have only some common features.
One of the most characteristic features of Protestanism is the presence in it of the provision that the most important condition for salvation is personal faith, and not the assistance of the clergy. It is also believed that a person is able to communicate with God without any intermediaries. In this regard, the clergy in Protestanism plays a small role in the life of the believer (in some trends, the clergy is completely absent).

The main authority for all Protestants is "scripture." As for the "sacred tradition" most of currents of Protestanism does not recognize him. In Protestanism there is no veneration of the Mother of God, angels, saints, there is also no cult of relics and saints, relics, monasticism is not practiced.
Protestanism has many common features with Orthodoxy. For example, lack of faith in purgatory, allowing the clergy to marry, allowing divorce among the laity, performing divine services at native language believers, the presence of independent national churches. Protestanism is subdivided into a number of currents, churches and sects.

Let's consider several main movements: Anglicanism, Lutheranism, Calvinism, Mennonism, Unitarianism.

Anglicanism, which arose in 1534 during the struggle of the English king with the Pope, bears noticeable traces of a compromise with Catholicism. Anglicans believe in the saving power of the church, although they believe that the main thing is personal faith. The idea of ​​purgatory is not characteristic of the Anglican doctrine, some Anglicans admit the existence of something like that.
However, there are also purely Protestant features in Anglicanism. It lacks the cult of the Mother of God and the saints. Anglican priests can marry; laymen are allowed divorce. Divine services are performed in the native language. Formally, the king is considered the head of the Anglican Church in England, where it is the state, but in fact it is led by the prime minister.

Lutheranism, the first in the time of the emergence of the Reformation (founded in 1517 by Martin Luther), made more changes in its doctrine than Anglicanism. Thus, baptism is recognized by Lutherans, as well as by Catholics, as an indispensable condition for salvation. Lutheran services are accompanied by organ music. The cross is left as a Christian symbol in Lutheranism. But along with these "Catholic" features there are also "purely" Protestant ones. For example, Lutherans rejected the idea of ​​the saving role of the church. Lutheranism unconditionally rejected the "sacred tradition." The election of the clergy has been introduced.

Calvinism, founded in the 30s of the XVI century. Jean Coven (Calvin), went even further away from Catholicism. Baptism is not considered by Calvinists to be a prerequisite for salvation. The cross is not considered an official symbol in Calvinism, and in churches there are not only icons, but also wall paintings. Also, the Calvinists abandoned candles and music during worship. And the divine service itself consists of reading the Bible and singing psalms.
Like most Protestants, Calvinists do not believe in the church's ability to help the salvation of believers. Unlike Lutherans, who believe that salvation is achieved by personal faith, Calvinists argue that it is not faith that provides salvation, but, on the contrary, salvation (predetermined by God) gives the gift of faith. Calvinism also recognizes only “scripture”. There are three varieties of Orthodox Calvinists — Reformers, Presbyterians, Congregationalists — differing from each other only in church order.

Mennonism, which arose in the 30s of the XVI century. named after its leader Menno Simons, is a "peaceful" offshoot of the revolutionary trend of the Reformation - Anabaptism, tk. they recognized all violence as sinful.
Mennonites perform baptism as an adult because believe that creative faith can only be in an adult. Rituals are also performed: communion and mutual washing of the feet. The unusual last rite for Christianity symbolizes the taming of a person's pride. Despite the equality of all baptized members of the community, Mennonites nevertheless admit the existence of the clergy.
Mennonites are also very characterized by ideas about the messiah (second coming) and about the future kingdom of God on earth. The doctrine of predestination is not recognized in Mennonism. A person, in their opinion, has free will.

Unitarianism, which also arose in the 16th century, rejects the dogma of the "divine" trinity (according to which one God appears in three hypostases). The Unitarians also do not accept the provisions of the general fall, the divinity of Christ, his atoning sacrifice. God is viewed by the Unitarians as the world mind. This most sophisticated form of Christianity is sometimes considered a cross between religion and philosophy. The rationalism of the Unitarians still continues to irritate the supporters of Christian directions (the Unitarian Miguel Servetus was burned by Calvin at the stake for doubting the existence of the “divine” trinity).

Old Catholics are often considered Protestants. In their creed, they are very close to the Aglicans, with whom they maintain close ties.
The Methodism grouping separated from the Church of England. The name comes from the fact that its supporters demanded a methodical adherence to the norms of Christian morality. The doctrine is also close to the Anglicans.
The Salvation Army, founded by W. Boots, is closely related to Methodism. Her creed is practically no different from the Methodist. The Salvation Army is organized in a military fashion. The members of this organization widely practice street preaching.

The Moravian Brothers - a sect of the pre-Reformation period (XV century) originated in the Czech Republic as a revolutionary movement. Persecution forced the brothers to move to Saxony. The German Count Zinzendorf, who allowed them to settle on their lands, forced the sectarians to accept the foundations of Lutheranism. In view of this, the doctrine of the Moravian brothers is now virtually identical to the Lutheran.
Even earlier, the Waldensian sect arose (XII century France) and it was named after its founder Pierre Wald. Just like the Moravian brothers, she was severely persecuted. The sect proclaimed a return to early Christianity. The Waldensians rejected the veneration of saints, icons, and abandoned the belief in purgatory.

An influential group in Protestanism is Baptism, founded in the 17th century. John Smith. The rite of baptism, like that of the Waldensians and many other sects, is performed in adulthood. Baptists have no clergy; they only gather for common prayer in houses of worship. Each Baptist considers it his duty to convert new people to his faith. There is a worldwide Baptist Alliance.
Reminiscent of the Baptist Quaker sect (the official name of the sect is "friends"), created in the 17th century. John Fox. Quakers abandoned not only the sacraments, but also the rituals. They do not recognize the clergy. There are no houses of prayer, and prayers are performed in empty rooms. Quakers condemn all violence and are pacifists. But they come out only with verbal condemnation of wars. Two American denominations are also close to Baptism: the disciples of Christ and the Church of Christ. They are also baptized after adulthood. Do not accept the doctrine of predestination. Nor do they believe in original sin. These two organizations differ very little from each other.

From the Baptist milieu at the beginning of the 20th century, such sects as the Pentecostals and the fectionist (very similar to each other) emerged. And in the XIX century. V. Miller founded the Adventist sect (from the Latin word - adventus - "coming", because they believe in the imminent coming of Christ). In turn, a branch of Adventism is the sect - Jehovah's Witnesses (founded in the 19th century by Charles Russell). Jehovah's Witnesses deny the "divine" trinity. And Christ, in their opinion, is only the best creation of Jehovah. This sect is characterized by the idea of ​​Armageddon (i.e. the war between Christ and Satan). Strict discipline and conspiracy is maintained in Jehovah's communities. The sect of Jehovah's Witnesses is dangerous to society, because calls all states the work of Satan, and encourages followers to resist authority.

In the 1970s, the Christian Science sect was founded. This sect denies medicine, because matter, in their opinion, does not really exist.

There is also a sect "Mormons", based on the book of the last commandments of Christ, allegedly written by the prophet Mormon (the Bible does not know such a prophet).
Nestorianism is an independent church, like the Monophysism described below. The Nestorians do not consider Jesus Christ as God, but only as a person in whom God has possessed. On other issues, Nestorianism takes positions close to Orthodoxy.
Monophysism differs from other directions of Christianity also in its interpretation of the question of the nature of Jesus Christ. Most Christians see in Christ a dual nature (God and man), and monophysists recognize only one nature of Jesus Christ (God). On other issues, it is even closer to Orthodoxy than the Nestorians.

WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY.

So what is Christianity? In short, it is a religion based on the belief that God came into the world two thousand years ago. He was born, received the name Jesus, lived in Judea, preached, suffered and died on the cross as a man. His death and subsequent resurrection from the dead changed the fate of all mankind. His preaching marked the beginning of a new, European civilization. For Christians, the main miracle was not the word of Jesus, but He Himself. The main business of Jesus was His being: being with people, being on the cross.

Christians believe that the world was created by one eternal God, and created without evil. Man, endowed with free will according to God's plan, while still in paradise fell under the temptation of Satan - one of the angels who rebelled against God's will - and committed an offense that fatally affected the future fate of mankind. Man violated God's prohibition, desired to become "like God" himself. This changed his very nature: having lost his good, immortal essence, man became accessible to suffering, illness and death, and in this Christians see the consequence of original sin passed down from generation to generation.
The man was expelled from paradise with the parting words: "In the sweat of your brow you will eat bread ...". The offspring of the first people - Adam and Eve - inhabited the earth, but from the first days of history there was a gap between God and man. To return a person to the true path, God revealed Himself to the people chosen by Him - the Jews. God more than once revealed himself to the prophets, made "covenants" (that is, alliances) with "His" people, gave him the Law, which contained the rules of a righteous life.

The Holy Scriptures of the Jews are imbued with the expectation of the Messiah - the one who can deliver the world from evil, and people - from slavery to sin. For this, God sent His Son into the world, who, through suffering and death on the cross, atoned for the original sin of all mankind - past and future. The Resurrection of Christ marks for Christians the victory over death and the newfound possibility of eternal life with God. “God became human, so that man might be deified,” said St. Athanasius the Great.
From that time on, the history of the New Testament with God began for Christians. This is the Testament of Love. His the most important difference from the Old (ie, the old, former) Testament consists in the very understanding of God, Who, in the words of the Apostle, “is Love”. Throughout the Old Testament, the basis of the relationship between God and man is the law. Christ says: "I give you a new commandment: love one another, as I have loved you"; He Himself was an example of perfect love.

Christianity, like no other religion, is founded on mystery. The mind does not contain the idea of ​​one God existing in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Mysterious manifestation divine love sending the Son of God to death. The secret is the union ("unmerged and indivisible") of the divine and human nature in Christ, the birth of the Son of God from the Virgin. The possibility of resurrection after death is incomprehensible to the rational mind and the fact that the death of one person (and at the same time God) saves all of humanity from death. Inexplicably from the point of view of everyday logic, one of the main mysteries of Christianity is the sacrament based on the Eucharist (the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ), and the communion of believers through the eating of these divine gifts to God.

These mysteries can be comprehended only by believing, and faith, according to the definition of the Apostle Paul, “is the fulfillment of the expected and the confidence in the invisible” (Heb. 11.1). The Lord enlightens the mind of man and transforms his entire being, giving him the opportunity to directly see the spiritual reality, understanding and fulfilling the will of God. This experience of the saints and the righteous constitutes the Holy Tradition of Christians. The experience of the prophets of the Jewish people who communicated with God, and the experience of people who knew Christ in His earthly life, constituted the Holy Scriptures of Christians - the Bible (Greek “books”).

The Bible is not a statement of doctrine or the history of mankind; the Bible is a story of how God sought man.
Here is an episode from the very beginning of the Bible: after people committed the first sin, they “heard the voice of the Lord God ... and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God between the trees of paradise. And the Lord God called to Adam and said to him: where are you? " (GEN. 3.8-9).
So, the Bible is God's speech to people, as well as a story about how people listened - or did not listen - to their Creator. This dialogue lasted over a thousand years. The religion of the Old Testament begins from the middle of the 2nd millennium BC (R. X.). Most of the books of the Old Testament were compiled from the 7th to the 3rd century. B.C. X.
By the beginning of the II century. according to R. X. the books of the New Testament were added to the Old Testament. These are the four Gospels (Greek "good news") - descriptions of the earthly life of Jesus Christ, made by his disciples, the apostles, as well as the books of the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles of the Apostles. The New Testament closes with the Revelation of John the Divine, which tells about the end of the world. This book is also often called the Apocalypse (Greek "revelation").

The books of the Old Testament are written in the Hebrew language - Hebrew. The books of the New Testament were mainly created already in Greek (more precisely, in its dialect - Koine).
More than 50 people in different times took part in the writing of the Bible. And yet the Bible turned out to be a single Book, and not just a collection of disparate sermons. Each of the authors testified about their experience of meeting God, but Christians are firmly convinced that the One with whom they met was always one and the same. “God, who spoke many times and in many ways to the fathers in the prophets, in the last days These things spoke to us in the Son ... Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever ”(Heb. 1.1, 13.8).
Another characteristic feature of Christianity as a religion is that it can only exist in the form of the Church. The Church is a community of people who believe in Christ: “... where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them” (Matthew 18.20).

However, the word "church" has different meanings. This is a community of believers united by a common place of residence, one clergyman, one temple. Such a community constitutes a parish. Church, especially in Orthodoxy, is also customary to call a temple, which in this case is perceived as the "house of God" - a place for the performance of sacraments, rituals, a place of joint prayer. Finally, the Church can be understood as a form of Christian faith. Over two millennia, several different traditions (confessions) have developed and took shape in Christianity, each of which has its own Symbol of Faith (a short formula that has absorbed the main provisions of the doctrine), its own ceremony and ritual.

Therefore, we can talk about the Orthodox Church (Byzantine tradition), the Catholic Church (Roman tradition) and the Protestant Church (the tradition of the Reformation of the 16th century). In addition, there is the concept of the Earthly Church, which unites all believers in Christ, and the concept of the Heavenly Church - the ideal divine order of the world. There is another interpretation: the Heavenly Church is made up of saints and righteous people who have completed their earthly path; where the earthly Church follows the commandments of Christ, she constitutes unity with the heavenly.

Christianity >> 1.

The question of religion is discussed and studied in every state and society. Somewhere it is especially acute and is quite conflicting and dangerous, somewhere it is more like small talk in free time, but somewhere a reason to philosophize. In our multicultural society, religion is one of the most exciting issues. Not every believer is well aware of the history of the emergence of Orthodoxy and its origins, but all of us, when asked about Orthodoxy, will unequivocally answer that Orthodoxy is the Christian faith.

The emergence and development of Orthodoxy

Many scriptures and teachings, both ancient and modern, report that the Orthodox faith is true christianity giving your arguments and historical facts... And the question - “confession of Orthodoxy or Christianity” - will always worry believers. But let's talk about the accepted concepts.

Christianity is the largest of the forms public conscience in the world preaching life path and the teachings of Jesus Christ. According to historical data, Christianity originated in Palestine (which was part of the Roman Empire) in the 1st century.

Christianity was widespread among the Jewish population, and later gained more and more recognition among other peoples, the so-called at that time - "pagans". Thanks to educational and propaganda activities, Christianity went beyond the borders of the Roman Empire and Europe.

One of the ways of development of Christianity is Orthodoxy, which arose as a result of the division of churches in the 11th century. Then, in 1054, Christianity was divided into Catholicism and the Eastern Church, and eastern church was also divided into several churches. The largest of them is Orthodoxy.

The spread of Orthodoxy in Russia was influenced by its proximity to the Byzantine Empire. The history of the Orthodox faith begins from these lands. Church power in Byzantium was divided due to the fact that it belonged to four patriarchs. The Byzantine Empire disintegrated over time, and the patriarchs evenly headed the established autocephalous Orthodox churches. Later, autonomous and autocephalous churches spread to the territories of other states.

The fundamental event in the formation of Orthodoxy in the lands of Kievan Rus was the baptism of Princess Olga in 954. This later led to the baptism of Rus - 988. Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich summoned all the inhabitants of the city, and a baptism ceremony was performed in the Dnieper River, which was performed by Byzantine priests. This was the beginning of the history of the emergence and development of Orthodoxy in Kievan Rus.

The active development of Orthodoxy in the Russian lands has been observed since the 10th century: churches, temples were erected, monasteries were created.

Principles and Morals of Orthodoxy

Literally, "Orthodoxy" is the correct glorification, or the correct opinion. The philosophy of religion lies in the belief in one God, the Father, the Son and the holy spirit (God the Trinity).

The foundation in the doctrines of Orthodoxy is the Bible or “ Holy Bible”And“ Sacred Tradition ”.

The connection between the state and Orthodoxy is quite distributed and understandable: the state does not make adjustments to the teachings of the religion of the church, and the church is not aimed at controlling the state.

All principles, history, and laws are hardly present in the thoughts and knowledge of every Orthodox person, but this does not interfere with faith. What does Orthodoxy teach at the philistine level? Lord is the bearer higher mind and wisdom. The teachings of the Lord are irrefutably true:

• Mercy is trying to relieve sadness with your own strength. Mercy is needed on both sides - the giver and the receiver. Mercy is helping those in need, a deed that is pleasing to God. Mercy is kept secret and not shared. Also, mercy is interpreted as a loan to Christ. A person's mercy means that they have kind heart and he's morally rich.
• Fortitude and vigilance - consists in spiritual and physical strength, constant work and development, vigilance for good deeds and service to God. A persistent person is one who brings any business to the end, walking hand in hand with faith and hope, without losing heart. Keeping the Lord's commandments requires hard work and endurance. Human kindness alone is not enough to spread good, vigilance and perseverance are always needed here.
• Confession is one of the Lord's sacraments. Confession helps to receive the support and grace of the Holy Spirit, strengthens faith. In confession it is important to remember each of your sins, to tell and repent. He who hears confession takes on the responsibility of forgiving sins. Without confession and forgiveness, a person cannot be saved. Confession can be considered a second baptism. When sins are committed, the connection with the Lord, given during baptism, is lost; during confession, this invisible connection is restored.
• The Church - by teaching, by preaching, brings the grace of Christ into the world. In the sacrament of his blood and flesh, he unites the person with the creator. The Church will not leave in grief and trouble, will not reject anyone, forgive the repentant, accept and teach the guilty. When a believer dies, the church will not leave him either, but will pray for the salvation of his soul. From birth to death, throughout life, in any situation, the church is nearby, opens its arms. In the temple, the soul of a person finds peace and tranquility.
• Sunday is a day of service to God. Sunday must be sacredly honored and the deeds of God performed. Sunday is the day to leave everyday problems and everyday vanity and conduct it with prayer and reverence to the Lord. Prayer and temple attendance are the main activities on this day. You need to beware of communicating with people who like to gossip, swear, and sneer. The one who sinned on Sunday aggravates his sin 10 times.

What is the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism?

Orthodoxy and Catholicism have always been close to each other, but at the same time fundamentally different. Originally, Catholicism is the direction of Christianity.

Among the differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, the following can be distinguished:

1. Catholicism confesses that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. Orthodoxy confesses that the Holy Spirit proceeds only from the father.
2. The Catholic Church takes the main position in religious enlightenment leading to the fact that the mother of Jesus - Mary, was not touched by original sin. The Orthodox Church believes that the Virgin Mary, like everyone else, was born with original sin.
3. In all matters of faith and morality, Catholics recognize the primacy of the Pope, which Orthodox believers do not accept.
4. Adherents catholic religion make gestures describing the cross from left to right, adherents Orthodox religion- vice versa.
5. In Catholicism, it is customary to commemorate the dead on the 3rd, 7th and 30th days from the day of death, in Orthodoxy - on the 3rd, 9th, 40th.
6. Catholics are ardent opponents of contraception, while Orthodox Christians accept some of the types of contraception used in marriage.
7. Catholic priests are celibate Orthodox priests allowed to marry.
8. The sacrament of marriage. Catholicism rejects divorce, while Orthodoxy allows them in some individual cases.

Coexistence of Orthodoxy with other religions

Speaking about the attitude of Orthodoxy towards other religions, it is worth focusing on such traditional religions as Judaism, Islam and Buddhism.

1. Judaism. Religion exclusively Jewish people... It is impossible to belong to Judaism without Jewish origin... For a long time, the attitude of Christians towards Jews has been quite hostile. Differences in understanding of the person of Christ and his history divide these religions strongly. Repeatedly, such hostility led to cruelty (Holocaust, Jewish pogroms, etc.). On this ground, began new page in the relationship of religions. Tragic fate the Jewish people forced to reconsider the relationship with Judaism, both at the religious and at the political level. However, the common basis, that God is one, God the Creator, a participant in the life of every person, helps today such religions as Judaism and Orthodoxy to live in harmony.
2. Islam. Orthodoxy and Islam also have difficult story relationships. Prophet Muhammad was the founder of the state, military leader, political leader. Therefore, religion is very closely intertwined with politics and power. Orthodoxy is a free choice of religion, regardless of nationality, territoriality and language in which a person speaks. It should be noted that in the Quran there are references to Christians, Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, these references are respectful and reverent. There are no calls for negative attitudes or censure. At the political level, there are no conflicts of religions, but this does not exclude confrontation and enmity in small social groups.
3. Buddhism. Many clergy reject Buddhism as a religion because it lacks an understanding of God. Buddhism and Orthodoxy have similar features: the presence of temples, monasteries, prayers. It is worth noting that the prayer of an Orthodox person is a kind of dialogue with God, which appears to us as a living Being, from whom we expect help. The prayer of a Buddhist is more like meditation, reflection, immersion in one's own thoughts. This is a fairly kind religion that fosters kindness, calmness, and will in people. In the entire history of the coexistence of Buddhism and Orthodoxy, there have been no conflicts, and it is impossible to say that there is potential for this.

Orthodoxy today

Today, Orthodoxy ranks third in terms of number among Christian directions. Orthodoxy has a rich history. The path was not easy, I had to overcome and experience a lot, but it is thanks to everything that happened that Orthodoxy is in its place in this world.