Featured What Denomination are You?

The list is close enough, perhaps the only change I would make is with the Orthodox. The Orthodox Church have overlap with Catholics but they are certainly are not the same (i.e. they reject purgatory, the papacy, different views on original sin, Mariology, the Filioque, their priests can marry, etc.). The Oriental Orthodox should have a separate category as well because they are not in fellowship with the Orthodox Church. I guess it is close enough. The only change I would have made is with the Orthodox. Orthodox would be insulated to be lumped in with the Catholics they consider the papacy (Pope) as heretical.

 

The discipline in the Eastern Rites of the Holy Catholic Church allows for married priests as well.

 

That is correct … I forgot the Eastern rite Catholics can have married priests. The Catholic Church also allows for exemptions for example, they allow selected married Anglican and Lutheran priest to come in as Catholic priests. But the Western rite (with the few exceptions) do not allow for married priest.

Point of clarification with the Orthodox they have to be married before they become a priest (I’m sure it’s the same for Eastern Catholic priests) and if their spouse dies they cannot remarry. Bishops also have to be un-married. I believe most Orthodox priests are married.

I kind of find it odd that the Catholic Church allows for married priests in the Eastern rite (Byzantine) but not the western rite. The liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom is beautiful. My guess is they allow the eastern rite to have married priests for cultural reasons … the east has always had married priests.

If you are Catholic and want to be married and be a priest join an eastern rite Catholic Church.

 

I am Pentecostal Holiness who was brought up Baptist. In our church people would go up to the altar for prayer. If somebody got a touch from God it was something unique between them and God and you could talk to them and notice the spiritual fruits mentioned in Galatians as well. It is annoying to me to have preachers emphasize tongues when the spiritual fruit obviously is not there. It is always nice to have people Spirit filled with the Christ like spirit as well. Which is not always the case in any denomination.

 

Baptist and Pentecostal do not have altars … they have a stage. Ironically, they have “altar calls” … but not altars or altar rails (kneelers). An altar is where you kneel to receive Christ body and blood or kneel before the altar for private confession and holy absolution. An altar serves a specific purpose in the Divine Service (Mass) …

This is an Altar (Lutheran Missouri Synod St. Paul’s Fort Wayne).

 

Is what you call 'the altar' the stage at the front of the church? I have always thought it odd that an area of the auditorium is referred to as 'an altar' when it amounts to a stage where people are standing. Is it possible that it is meant that as a spiritual term and not an actual area or object? Just curious.

 

The spelling of the word 'altar' as 'alter' by most Baptists on this board confirms what you are telling me. Most Baptists I have known never use the word altar unless referring to OT references. However, many Baptist 'Landmark Missionary Baptists' for instance would never use of the word 'sanctuary' to refer to the 'auditorium'. No biggy.

 

When our church built, they had to have a vote to determine if it was a sanctuary or auditorium. Sanctuary was overwhelming. Although it is not the place where God dwells, it is the place where God's people regularly meet for corporate worship.

 

If if looks like a duck and quacks like a duck … modern day Baptist sanctuary look like corporate auditoriums. If the sanctuary is no different than the auditorium at you work … can you blame them for wanting to call it an auditorium?

 

Sorry … I could not resist.

 

Sure looks like a stage to me.

 

Senior pastor is a fabrication as well.

 

“Senior Pastor” follows Paul’s instructions do everything in order and the mention of multiple “elders” in the church as well as Moses’s example of delegating authority.

peace to you

 

This is a good explanation from a Baptist perspective. Its interesting how Baptist will refer to Holy communion as a merely “spiritual act” which is a teaching of Zwingli. The spiritual/figurative language boils down to the Baptist view of Christology — the two Natures of Christ.

Here lies a big difference with historical liturgical minded churches (e. g. Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans, high church Anglicans). Everything from the Narthex to the Nave to the Altar is sacred. We would not refer to things like vestments as just a piece of clothing or just a chalice or just a tabernacle or just a crucifix or just an altar …as if its merely just piece of furniture or accessory. These are sacred things set aside for sacred use in the Divine Service (Mass). The architecture of the building, confess something … this why church architecture is so important.

Another different. Everything externally catechizes … for example if a church uses plastic cups with saran wrap, they are teaching something about Holy communion or if they have a “praise band” upfront that capitulates to the culture it is catechizing the laity. Even when making the sign of the cross, it is teaching something, the thumb pinch together with the pointer and index finger represents the Trinity … the other two fingers pointing down represent the two natures of Christ. It also reminds us that we have been baptized into Christ and his church. Everything externally catechizes in the Church.

I have heard the marriage analogy from Baptist on other topics such as baptism.

At the ends of the day, views on Christology and doctrine are going to shape worship practices. For a Baptist everything is merely symbolic … therefore there is no need to have all this other stuff or even treat something as sacred (other than a Bible).