Greek Orthodoxy: We fast 12 hours before Communion to better appreciate the Gifts
We have (at least) an hour and a half long service
We stand for about 80 minutes of service and offer our pain to God.
We have no opinion for our service: go at 8:45 or no Bread or Wine.

Catholics: No fasting
Hour long service
sit for 50 minutes of Mass
have 9:00, 12:00, and 1:00 options for Mass

I have been to both, and I personally think that the Catholic way is too laid back and easy, at least on the followers. Do you think that the strict route is more rewarding, or is the easy one exceptable?

Yeah, a lot off topic.
But while we are off, I will always be defending another schooling system. You do realize that when high school starts, I will be defending private schoolers, right?
And, by the way, this isn't school, and you aren't paying for it, so I can talk all day on this subject.
And for all the rest of you, I would like to say again it is cool to learn about other religions, and I would loike to take a class like the previously mentioned one someday.

Hey art, I'm gonna say this on youthnoise and not bitch you out in public. I'm not saying it's wrong to try and inform people about your religion, but in class (btw remember we go to a CATHOLIC school) everything somebody says you go into a huge explanation about your church, most of the time it can be really interesting. We get it. Your %50 Greek and proud of your religion, but most of us are getting pretty tired of hearing you freak out about it all the time. I loves you dearly but we pay extra for this school to learn about OUR religion. Complaining all the time about how we always talk about going to the private highschool isn't gonna help your case. You could always go to a public school where they talk about going to the public highschool.

Please forgive me if I seem harsh but, hey its the truth

(sorry I got off topic there too)

quote:

Originally posted by clpo13:
I did take a Comparative Religions class back in high school that covered all the major religions...

That is really cool. I would like to do something like that.

I did take a Comparative Religions class back in high school that covered all the major religions, but we never went that in depth in any of them. It was only a semester long, after all. I think I may take more classes like that in college, though, because I agree that it's important to know about all the different religions and the different groups within each (i.e. Shiites and Sunnis in Islam, different types of Buddhism, etc.)

quote:

To tell the truth, I didn't even know Greek Orthodoxy was like that. Well, I really don't know much about Christian sects other than Roman Catholicism and the various Protestant denominations.

I think people should learn more about the different sects of Christianity. It is important to know not just your own portion, but also how other religions in your religious "family" practice.

Catholics? Laid back? Speaking from a Protestant (Lutheran, even) standpoint, let me say I never thought I'd hear those phrases in a sentence together.

To tell the truth, I didn't even know Greek Orthodoxy was like that. Well, I really don't know much about Christian sects other than Roman Catholicism and the various Protestant denominations.

Anyways, I'm with amp: I don't think the way you worship matters at all. I can't remember the last time I went to an organized religious service...

It was just a thought that I had, and I woundered if anyone shared my opinion, and possibly if any Catholics shared my opinion.
I am NOT saying anyone is wrong here.

quote:

And I still say the Catholics get it too easy.

Sounds like your just bitching to me. How about you suck it up and either convert or stop whining about how easy everyone else has it. Seriously putting yourself up on a cross because of "how hard it is to practice faith my way and surely god loves us more for it" is extremely annoying and pride of a very high order

Religion, even closely related ones like Catholicism and the Orthodox church are not compare and contrast things, just because someone does something different doesn't mean it's wrong and it's really not your place to criticise about it. Same as it's not my place to critcise the orthodox church, respect everyone else's practices and leave'em be life gets much easier.

I am not saying that Catholicism is the easiest, but it and Orthodoxy are the only two religions I know enough about to post on.
And I still say the Catholics get it too easy.

quote:

I personally think that the Catholic way is too laid back and easy

Ever been to a contemporary Lutheran Service? Now that's laid back and easy.

At least it was for me. Less than an hour, most days, everything except for the Apostle's Creed printed in the program, and only stand for the singing and the Gospel.

I don't even think we fasted...

quote:

Catholics: No fasting
Hour long service
sit for 50 minutes of Mass
have 9:00, 12:00, and 1:00 options for Mass

actually one hour minimum fast before communion and given eevryone goes in the morning (7:00, 8:00 and 9:00 are way more common then noon and I've never heard of 1:00 except 1 AM) we end up doing the 12 hour+ fast as well (that's why breakfast is called what it is, break fast or "breaking your fast" if you want the exact root and meaning of the word)

and at least at the masses I go to we're either standing or kneeling, sitting down is rare and usually only during the homily

In the end it doesn't matter and I really doubt God cares as long as people accept and belive in him it really doesn't matter what form your worship takes. Hell I say mass myself to myself out in the middle of the wilderness when I can because I follow a "tower of bable" law for churches.