Have you attended religious services in past month?

[Turry Precision ™®©]

So you get questioned and physically stopped in the Orthodox church? How does that work?

They ask if you're a member of the Orthodox church. If not communion is withheld from you. It's not like they have to lay hands on you to prevent you taking it. The priest and deacons would just stonewall you. If you kicked up a fuss I'd imagine you'd be removed by laity who might have to repent for what they did to you.

 

[Mick_Mickerson]

They ask if you're a member of the Orthodox church. If not communion is withheld from you. It's not like they have to lay hands on you to prevent you taking it. The priest and deacons would just stonewall you. If you kicked up a fuss I'd imagine you'd be removed by laity who might have to repent for what they did to you.

So the whole congregation lines up and before offering communion the priest asks each one "Are you a card-carrying member of the Orthodox Church?

The parishioner responds "Yes" or "No," then the priest proceeds? Seems a little far-fetched

 

[Turry Precision ™®©]

So the whole congregation lines up and before offering communion the priest asks each one "Are you a card-carrying member of the Orthodox Church?

The parishioner responds "Yes" or "No," then the priest proceeds? Seems a little far-fetched

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That's not what I said. Every orthodox Church I've been to has members of laity who greet people in the foyer. They ask. If the priest doesn't know who you are and you approach for communion you'll likely be asked but I can't imagine it comes up very often. Generally you'd let the temple know you're coming beforehand so your parish priest can attest to your righteousness.

I'll ask the father on Sunday what he would do in the unlikely event that a stranger turned up to take communion and if it ever happened but I don't know what seems so difficult about this.

 

[Mick_Mickerson]

That's not what I said. Every orthodox Church I've been to has members of laity who greet people in the foyer. They ask. If the priest doesn't know who you are and you approach for communion you'll likely be asked but I can't imagine it comes up very often. Generally you'd let the temple know you're coming beforehand so your parish priest can attest to your righteousness.

I'll ask the father on Sunday what he would do in the unlikely event that a stranger turned up to take communion and if it ever happened but I don't know what seems so difficult about this.

OK, fair enough I guess this is considerably smaller than Catholic ones, so anyone new would stick out

 

[Smeckler's Powder]

These forms are the only church I need.

 

[Turry Precision ™®©]

OK, fair enough I guess this is considerably smaller than Catholic ones, so anyone new would stick out

Yeah. People would also note whether you could actually follow the Liturgy as well - if you seem confused about what's happening you're likely not Orthodox. You'd need to know how to venerate the icons, when to cross yourself and bow, be able to chant along, know where to face, etc etc etc.

This pretty much rules out any heterodox person from sneaking into the line.

 

[Smeckler's Powder]

Our only religious thing we do in this house is watch Life of Brian on shrooms every Easter.

Some missionaries were over like a year ago and my 12 year old just couldn't figure out who the bearded dude was in the picture they were showing him. They looked at me with complete disbelief.

"I'll give you a hint: it says his name on my nametag"

"............Je.......sus?"

 

[Farmer Brown]

That's not what I said. Every orthodox Church I've been to has members of laity who greet people in the foyer. They ask. If the priest doesn't know who you are and you approach for communion you'll likely be asked but I can't imagine it comes up very often. Generally you'd let the temple know you're coming beforehand so your parish priest can attest to your righteousness.

I'll ask the father on Sunday what he would do in the unlikely event that a stranger turned up to take communion and if it ever happened but I don't know what seems so difficult about this.

Genuinely curious. So, the priest likely knows everyone that approaches to take communion? And if not, might suspend the ritual to ask the stranger if he were a member of the Church?

That takes care of (a), but what about (b)? (and this part is the part I am most curious about) How is it assured everyone who approaches for communion is in a state of Grace? I wouldn't think anyone, including the priest, would know about that. Do they ask parishioners? How do they go about asking?

 

[satanssockpuppet]

My old man was a superstitious-type Catholic, and he was really into it. My mother didn't really give a shit, but she played along to keep the peace. I had to go to Mass every Sunday morning, then sit through Sunday school for an hour after. It was all just mind-numbingly tedious, and Sunday school was cutting into the NFL pregame shows, which made it even worse. I did the whole gay confirmation thing, and for months they terrorized us with lies about how we had to learn a bunch of obscure Bible crap because during the confirmation ceremony, the Cardinal would call on kids randomly, and if they didn't get the answer correct they'd throw you out in front of everyone.

Then we had the ceremony and the fruity Cardinal called on an obvious plant, who memorized her answer, and we all realized we'd been had. After that, I just stopped going, except on Christmas and Easter, and even then it was just to appease my father.

 

[Farmer Brown]

OK, fair enough I guess this is considerably smaller than Catholic ones, so anyone new would stick out

Right. Catholic churches have deacons and often laity offer communion as well as the priest at a decent sized church. You might never take communion from the priest himself (depending on where you sit)

 

[JebJoh]

No. Sermons fucking stink. Half the time they're going on about this and that and going off on unrelated tangents then bringing up a Bible verse like it has anything to do with what they were talking about. There's a reason it's free. A lot of priests must have been pissed the pope ix-nayed the Latin Mass because nobody knew what they were saying anyway and were just there to zone out. Now they have to come up with a bunch of bullshit in English? Fuggetabouddit.

Its not supposed to be free, ever see those baskets they pass around?

 

[Turry Precision ™®©]

Genuinely curious. So, the priest likely knows everyone that approaches to take communion? And if not, might suspend the ritual to ask the stranger if he were a member of the Church?

Yes and maybe.

That takes care of (a), but what about (b)? (and this part is the part I am most curious about) How is it assured everyone who approaches for communion is in a state of Grace?

Well we have to do confession. If you didn't confess you'd probably be denied outright. Now can the priest see into your heart and tell if you completely lied during your confession? No but at that point it's between you and God. I'm sure it happens at times but there's only so much to be done.

 

[Farmer Brown]

Yes and maybe.

Well we have to do confession. If you didn't confess you'd probably be denied outright. Now can the priest see into your heart and tell if you completely lied during your confession? No but at that point it's between you and God. I'm sure it happens at times but there's only so much to be done.

The priest who gives you confession is the same as the one who gives you communion, and he knows whether you've been to confession? Don't you have confessionals? You can't be anonymous?

I get it now. I mean, it's the same rules, but Catholics don't have the same mechanisms to enforce them (knowing everyone personally, etc.,)

 

[Turry Precision ™®©]

The priest who gives you confession is the same as the one who gives you communion, and he knows whether you've been to confession? Don't you have confessionals? You can't be anonymous?

I get it now. I mean, it's the same rules, but Catholics don't have the same mechanisms to enforce them (knowing everyone personally, etc.,)

No anonymous confession, no. It's done during service where each person individually joins the priest at an icon of Christ. The priest places his stole over your head and you confess to our Lord. It's private in the sense that nobody could or would eavesdrop on you but it's done within the context of worship. You're not showing up in a closet to confess to a priest - that's weird.

 

[Farmer Brown]

No anonymous confession, no. It's done during service where each person individually joins the priest at an icon of Christ. The priest places his stole over your head and you confess to our Lord. It's private in the sense that nobody could or would eavesdrop on you but it's done within the context of worship. You're not showing up in a closet to confess to a priest - that's weird.

There's an act of contrition, too, during the Catholic service, but the only way to absolve a mortal sin is through the sacrament of confession (the booth). (Or during the act of contrition being resolved to go to confession at the earliest opportunity.)

So you actually recount your personal and specific sins to the priest during service, or is it more of a "I have sinned, I am sorry, I resolve not to do so going forward" kind of thing?

 

[Rutherford_b_Blaze]

There's a Catholic chapel in the mall so sometimes I catch a weekday service there. No Eucharist for me though. I haven't been in a state of Grace since around 2015.

 

[DeadWithoutMyDavid]

Good Lord no it's so goddam boring. They ramble on about shit that annoys them for an hour like a bunch of Father Joe Cumias. Then you have to sing the world's gayest music and jump up and down a bunch of times.

I'll take my chances with the fawken DEVIL DVV DVV DVV

 

[eggfella]

yeah, i worshiped at the altar of your mom’s quaff

 

[Mick_Mickerson]

No anonymous confession, no. It's done during service where each person individually joins the priest at an icon of Christ. The priest places his stole over your head and you confess to our Lord. It's private in the sense that nobody could or would eavesdrop on you but it's done within the context of worship. You're not showing up in a closet to confess to a priest - that's weird.

Are you Russian or Greek ancestry? Are all the people Slavs?

 

[NortheastPhilly]

I just watch Cliff Knechtle videos on Tiktok