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Church Vs Orthodox Church

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The Orthodox and Catholic Churches began about 100 years apart, in worlds that were much the same. They had leading figures that both came from positions of power. Yet the thoughts, beliefs, and actions upon which they were formed were quite different. The Orthodox Church was formed by the emperor Constantine. Constantine built the Orthodox Church on the firm basis of his intellectual and political strategies and for these reasons, the Orthodox seems to have a much more concrete and logical foundation than that of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church is based largely on stories from different stories. The foundations of the Catholic Church seem to be almost mystical due to the lack of certainty, without belief, that these stories are even …show more content…

The differences made it difficult to consolidate the church into a central body of power of Christianity. In addition to the problem of what the core message of the religion was and who the leaders should be preaching to, there was the argument of who should be head of the church (219). Several candidates were nominated for this position, including the bishop of Rome who believed he had the right to rule as a successor of the primary apostle, Peter; though this had no avail at the time, this argument would later become important in the formation of the Catholic Church.
Constantine was the first emperor of Rome to openly support Christianity (244). In 313 AD, he issued the Edict of Milan, which legalized the new religion (245). This edict was the beginning of a central organized church, making him the founder of the Orthodox Church of which he also named himself head. Constantine paid for the training of priests and the building of churches and other Christian practices (245). Additionally, Constantine provided special tax breaks for Christians. Under Constantine, Christianity began to spread at an increased speed …show more content…

The Nicene Creed was henceforth to be the official doctrine on the beliefs of Christians. The Nicene Creed stated that the Christians believed in only one God and that the Holy Trinity is one and the same, finally putting an end to that most decisive debate (Nicene Creed). The Nicene Creed further stated that the word of God came to the people through God’s messengers, the prophets (Nicene Creed). According to the Creed, Jesus was crucified and rose on the third day after his death then went to heaven (Nicene Creed). The Creed layed forth several advantages for those who died Christians. Those who died could look forward to a spiritual afterlife and when the Day of Judgment came, the good Christians would go to spend eternity with God in heaven (Nicene Creed). The main purpose of the Church was to baptize new Christians and forgive sins for God (Nicene Creed). Constantine also included in the Creed that there was only one Church, thereby making himself the supreme power in the entire Church, wherever the religion spread (Nicene

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