What's with Eastern Orthodoxy?

[Alice S. Fuzzybutt]

I was baptized Russian Orthodox. My mom was the driving force for our church goin' ways.

She died in 1977 and the tradition died. The LAST thing I remember doing is during Easter. I was 7 and I was carrying a candle around the outside of my church about a month after the traditional Easter.

I THINK there was a Russian Orthodox priest at my mom's funeral. I KNOW there was one at my dad's funeral. The incense makes me sick. It ALWAYS made me SICK!!!

I asked my dad once about it since my school mates asked. His answer?

"Oh honey, just tell them we're Catholic!"

I've just been wanting to meet other Russian-Americans and the church just made sense.

Are there other Eastern Orthodox members on the board????? I don't really agree with the church's dogma.

[PapaBear]

Maybe the Father that helped preside over Dave and Casey's wedding will join the board. Not only would you have a fellow Russian Orthodox board buddy, but he'd definitely be an expert on the subject!

I talk to my Bulgarian buddy about it sometimes. When he's living in the US, he goes to the local Greek Orthodox church, since it's the only Eastern Orthodox church in the area.

[drusilla]

my boyfriend was raised greek orthodox, but is now an atheist like i am.


very weird, but i don't know if i ever met another russian person who wasn't jewish.

[A.J.]

I see on the Russian version of CNN that the Church Patriarch just died.

[Thebazile78]

I was baptized Russian Orthodox. My mom was the driving force for our church goin' ways.

She died in 1977 and the tradition died. The LAST thing I remember doing is during Easter. I was 7 and I was carrying a candle around the outside of my church about a month after the traditional Easter.

I THINK there was a Russian Orthodox priest at my mom's funeral. I KNOW there was one at my dad's funeral. The incense makes me sick. It ALWAYS made me SICK!!!

I asked my dad once about it since my school mates asked. His answer?

"Oh honey, just tell them we're Catholic!"

I've just been wanting to meet other Russian-Americans and the church just made sense.

Are there other Eastern Orthodox members on the board????? I don't really agree with the church's dogma.

The one thing I will say about the Eastern Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Churches is those folks REALLY do Easter.

I got all choked up and teary-eyed after some college friends of mine (who are Greek) told me about how they do Holy Week in the Greek Orthodox Church ... and, quite frankly, it made me a little jealous.

I think it's an amazing, wonderful, very spiritual, very beautiful tradition.

(Incidentally, I was raised Catholic and don't currently know any Orthodox Church members. But if I did, I'd totally hook you up.)

[KatPw]

My dad was Russian Orthodox. My mom wanted to raise me Russian Orthodox (she was Roman Catholic) but there were no Orthodox churches near us at the time, so I was raised RC. Back when I was trying to believe (I'm Atheist) I much preferred Eastern Rite. Their Priests can get married, as long as they marry before they take their final vows (but married Priests cannot move up the hierarchy). And no confession! Confession is part of the prayer service, no middleman needed. And their iconographic art is beyond amazing. I still have a gilded Mary and baby Jesus icon picture hanging in our bedroom.

If you are interested, there are a few Russian Orthodox churches in the area. These are two that I know:
http://www.russianchurchusa.org/index.php3?mode=985&ln=en

I believe that was the church my grandmother attended.

http://nycathedral.org/

[alabamatrucker]

Im a Roman Catholic. I dont really know alot about the orthodox part's of catholicism. I know some but i know we are different but same in the way we are both catholic.

[Alice S. Fuzzybutt]

very weird, but i don't know if i ever met another russian person who wasn't jewish.

A lot of people assume I am. During the High Holidays my boss asked why I didn't take off. I had to tell him I wasn't Jewish. He was surprised. I told a guy that I worked with about that and he said he knew he I wasn't Jewish just from my hair and skin tone. Go figure.

I see on the Russian version of CNN that the Church Patriarch just died.

That was part of why I thought of learning more about the church and perhaps trying to "go back."

I got all choked up and teary-eyed after some college friends of mine (who are Greek) told me about how they do Holy Week in the Greek Orthodox Church ... and, quite frankly, it made me a little jealous.

The marriage ceremony makes me teary-eyed. It's a MAJOR commitment to the other person. It just makes me realize just HOW MUCH my dad loved my mom. It also puts so much more power behind his statement, "I loved her. I took an oath."

I much preferred Eastern Rite. Their Priests can get married, as long as they marry before they take their final vows (but married Priests cannot move up the hierarchy).

That is cool. I mean, have you seen an Orthodox priest? They look pretty hardcore.
But I can't take the INCENSE!!!

And no confession! Confession is part of the prayer service, no middleman needed.

Yeah, that IS a nice feature. I'm also glad that they don't take the bible verbatim.

And their iconographic art is beyond amazing. I still have a gilded Mary and baby Jesus icon picture hanging in our bedroom.

True, it borders on tacky but some of the most beautiful church interiors that I've seen are all Orthodox. I also like our cross. I once I had a boyfriend ask, "What's with the kick stand." I knew enough to tell him that the foot [pedal] at Jesus' crucifiction was askew. At least, that was what I was told.


I think what wants me to reconnect with the church the most is a need to meet other Russian-Americans. I miss my parents dearly and feel I'm missing out on the culture.

Another question I pose is why my parents, or even myself, never experienced any sort of discrimination during the Cold War? While I am very happy it didn't happen, I always wondered why, especially given the treatment of Japanese-Americans during WWII and Arab-Americans after 9/11. Is it purely a racial idiom?

[NewYorkDragons80]

Their Priests can get married, as long as they marry before they take their final vows (but married Priests cannot move up the hierarchy)

Who can't agree with that?

[Thebazile78]

....
Another question I pose is why my parents, or even myself, never experienced any sort of discrimination during the Cold War? While I am very happy it didn't happen, I always wondered why, especially given the treatment of Japanese-Americans during WWII and Arab-Americans after 9/11. Is it purely a racial idiom?

Also naturalized citizens from Germany were required to carry an ID card ... my great-grandfather on Dad's Mom's side was, by a freak of timing, born in Vienna in 1899, but his parents had already immigrated & settled in NJ. During both WWI and WWII, he had to carry this ID card with him.

OK, that's not exactly an internment camp or anything, but it happened to German-Americans too.

Were your parents ethnically Russian or did they appear Americanized? The key thing about Japanese Americans and Arab Americans is not just their customs and language, but also their appearance ... you can tell who's Asian and who's Arab just by looking at them, right? Someone from Europe, on the other hand, it's not so easy.

[Alice S. Fuzzybutt]

Were your parents ethnically Russian or did they appear Americanized? The key thing about Japanese Americans and Arab Americans is not just their customs and language, but also their appearance ... you can tell who's Asian and who's Arab just by looking at them, right? Someone from Europe, on the other hand, it's not so easy.


My mom didn't learn English until she went to an NYC public school. She was always SO proud of her heritage, but, she only spoke Russian to my dad. Her name was Fedora and her nickname as a kid was Fenya. She scrapped all that and went with the name "Francis." As a child I knew some Russian words and phrases. When I asked her to teach me more, she said, "Maybe another time."

I don't really know if they denied their heritage; we ate Russian foods and my parents danced to Russian music. If anything, I think their parents influenced them to be "more American."

I suppose the image transcends the name.