Why is it, that many "Christians" have no clue about Ancient Chrisitanity?

Question

I am Eastern Orthodox, and many have never heard about it. Many times beliefs modern christians hold to, have never been a part of the Ancient Christian Beliefs, yet they hold onto them as if they were. Why do we assume we know what the Ancient Christians believe?

Answer 1

As a fellow Orthodox Christian, I completely understand where you are coming from.

In all honesty though, I don't know if I can give you a complete explanation. It seems to be a horrible case of "ignorance is bliss". Just look at 80% of your 50-ought answers so far. How many times did I read something to the tone of, "what does history have to do with faith"? Or when you see all these people answering who don't understand why the correlation is made between Eastern Orthodoxy and ancient Christianity. It makes me a little sick( though I have to be sympathetic, as I was in the same boat at one time) to think that people don't understand that while the Church is more than history it also can't be separated from Her history. Christianity is not a set of abstract ideas found by dialectical reasonings based on the KJV(without Apocrypha).

If you are not organically united to the HISTORICAL Christian Church then you are like a man standing on thin air, or grasping at smoke. Yes, the Church is a present reality, but if it is other than the Reality of the Church 19 centuries ago, then you're probably in the wrong place.

Answer 2

The Great Split happened in 1054AD when the eastern and the western parts of the church each excommunicated the other, and both the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholic church were official born. So I have heard of you...

To try to answer the question...

One of the fundamental "ideas" of the Protestant Reformation was that every man should be able to read and understand the scriptures for himself. That those scriptures should be the basis of all beliefs, and not any traditions that have come down for the Catholic, Orthodox, or any other church. Good in that it helps to purge out many false teachings that were going on in the church at that time. Bad in that also flushed out 1400 years of people who have studied, learned, debated, and developed much of the true teachings about the scriptures.

Face it, the Bible is long enough and complex enough that nobody is going to understand it all on the first time through. After 50+ years of studying the book, I still find thing that make me go "I never read THAT before..." :-)

So there is absolutely a place for the traditions and teachings of the Orthodox and Catholic churches. You are welcome to share them here. You are right that many Christians are not as familiar with their history and heritance as they could be. But even those still have to be weight against the scriptures themselves.

False teachings had already began to creep into the church as early as the time of the apostles. So why would it be any different now? The only standard we have for judging the truth are the scriptures.

Answer 3

As we all know, religion goes through an evolutionary phase, much like the rest of humanity.

The ideas evolved from the developing issues produced by not only internal issues and corruptions of the Church but that of other religions questioning what was held to be the "Only Religion" of the early times.

As the corruption continued, Christians branched out into different directions, giving Christianity the many divisions it has today. The reason why there are so many branches is because one religion may believe many of the things other Christians do, but disagree on a select few critical points, and therefore, create their own religion. Whether the religion is real or not is completely up to the faithful of that religion.

The reason why people haven't any clue of "Ancient Christianity" is because of the evolutions of the Christian Church.

It's hard to say "we assume", but more so we think of Ancient Christianity as what we know already because no one has ever denied what we already believe.

But the statement that many do not know what it is but hold beliefs to it is very much correct in your statement and quite a contradiction to the fact that there is more to Christianity than what is given attribution to.

Hope I answered your question correctly
:)

Answer 4

Because people tend to live in a vacuum. They believe that what they have is their's only. What was written 2,000 years ago, was written exclusively for them in the 21st. Century. And that their way, is the only way.

Beliefs modern Christians have are a result of 'religions of convenience' founded by a pastor who tells his congregation what his congregation wants to hear, rather than the truth. They confuse fellowship for worship. They don't notice that when the pastor passes the collection plate around, instead of sprouting angelic wings and a halo, he will climb aboard his brand-new Learjet and fly off somewhere to continue spreading 'his version of the truth,' instead of using that money to feed the hungry, cloth the needy and help the sick. You may, or not, be familiar with the writings of St. Jerome who in 400 A.D. wrote: "Beware of the clergyman who is also a businessman."

The beliefs you mention, which have never been a part of the Ancient Christians Beliefs, come also from 'self-interpretation' of the Bible.

It is a pity, a crying shame, that our government neglected to define Religion before granting the people religious freedom. Sad but true.

H

Answer 5

The King James Bible

The Old Testament contains

Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 King
2 King
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Ester
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Ssolomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amous
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi

These books from the old testment. There are many Christians still practice the laws and beliefs that were establish then. Since this the christian foundation it will continus to flourish forever.

Answer 6

Do you know what the ancient Christians believed? How? Did you happen to read the Bible? Seems like the best way to me. Don't criticize others for not knowing what Eastern Orthodox is. Maybe you just haven't been wittnessing so people can figure it out.

Answer 7

Why be Eastern Orthodox for that matter? Do you know all the beliefs? 'Cause from everything I've read, Eastern Orthodox made up just as much as Catholics and Protestants. The vast bulk of ALL Christian religions is made up of tradition.

Besides, if you met someone who followed only what was in the bible, you'd think they were a monster.

Answer 8

You live Christianity. Why should you bother about the ancient christians - Its a hitory and people interested in history will be interested to learn history.

Christainity is always a young matured religion which adopts itself to the scientific growth.

As a Catholic Christian, I never felt it is necessary to learn the history of Christianity, as I practice it in my day today life as per the law of the land I live and ancient christians might have practised the religion as per the work nature at those days which may not be suitable to follow in these days.

Christianity says, respect and love others. Even if you look at a lady with a bad thought, then you are doing a sin. Just adhre these basic things which are applicable at all times.

Answer 9

We don't know what they really believe or what the bible really said either. The romans collected all of the origianal bibles (since they were only given out in one town at the time it was easy) and burned them. And recreated what the bible is now. They did this because the original contained things like rebirth, and other ideas the romans didn't aprove of.

But mostly I think they hold on to the lies they have is because they don't know how to research, christian churches have brain washed so many people into not looking deeper. Or trying to find the truth.

Answer 10

We know what the ancient Christians believed through historical records, scriptures, and revelation. We hold to these beliefs because we think they are right. That may not be what you're looking for, but that's the simple answer.