The Orthodox Church is the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church professed in the Nicene Creed, which guards the “faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). While such a statement can indeed be received as an arrogant one, we are the Church by grace, not by triumph or merit, and seek only to share the fullness of the Gospel with all who will hear it.
Is the Internet a Dangerous Way to Learn About the Church?
The internet is not (always) the best place to learn about Orthodoxy. Because the Orthodox Church is, to the average American, so different, it is most helpful simply to go to Church and meet the priest and people. Allow yourself to soak in the environment a bit. Hear the chant. Smell the incense. Observe the Icons. Pray. Then poke around the internet, though with the guidance of the local priest. As with any topic today, there is much which is unhelpful (and frankly incorrect) on the web. So, take caution!
We have found the following article to be quite a helpful read. Have a look. Then come visit us or contact us.
Becoming Orthodox in Spite of the Internet
by Richard Barrett
The Internet provides an unprecedented amount of information on virtually any topic, all at the click of a mouse. Fly-fishing, comic book collecting, the history of woodcarving, how to knit sweaters for your dog - it's all out there. Some of it is even useful. Not only that, it so happens that there are a huge number of websites out there devoted entirely to Orthodox Christianity. Sounds like a wonderful thing, doesn't it? Well, maybe not. The Internet has the potential to be the biggest stumbling block over which an inquirer might trip. As somebody who was recently received into the Church after a two-year period of inquiry and instruction, I certainly found this to be the case.
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