Life Cycle Events In Greek Orthodoxy

The ancient Greeks with their brilliant and imaginative spirit created a complete order of things that functioned harmoniously in the infinite world that contained them. Although its exact origins are lost in time, Greek religion is thought to date from about the 2d millenium B.C., when the culture of Aryan invaders fused with those of the Aegean and Minoan peoples who had inhabited the region of Greece from Neolithic times [1]. The beginning and the genesis of this world occupied the ancient Greeks in much the same way it did the early people of every civilization. Greek religion was at the beginning a blend of Minoan, Egyptian, Asian, and other elements, but it subsequently evolved along with Greek thought.

Infant Baptism is a manmade tradition, within a misrepresentation of justification and sanctification, where water can purify one’s soul for eternity without the admission or acceptance of Christ Jesus as God. Even Spurgeon “quoted from the Catechism of the Church of England, proving that the church teaches that it is through infant baptism the infant is made a member of Christ, a child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven. He quoted from the liturgy of the ceremony itself to further prove that the church did indeed teach that children are regenerated though baptism.” “Spurgeon also pointed out that no outward ceremony can save anyone. This can be easily proven by the facts: thousands who were baptized as infants have lived wanton, godless lives, proving that they were never children of God. Nor does the Bible teach that someone else can have faith for another; parents cannot

Rituals and ceremonies are the practical aspects of Christianity, which involve customary acts of special, deliberate and repeatable patterns of behaviour through the use of words, actions and symbols (Coleman, 2006). Rituals and ceremonies solidify the relationship between Christians and God as they present a practical, symbolic and comprehensible expression of their underlying beliefs (Morrissey, 2010). Baptism is the ritual of initiation into Christianity, which in essence, is initiation into a life of positive living modelled on Christ. Baptism is held within a congregation of the body of Christ where they vow to spiritually nurture the child or adult being baptised (RCA, 2012). The symbology of the water in baptism encompasses the cleansing of an individual, and it is a practical element of the ritual, which underpins a broader idea of initiating a living adherent into the religion. Another ritual present in all Christian denominations is prayer, which the baptised

Ultimately, when an individual responds to their baptismal call, a community of Christian believers are united under the goal of guiding the initiated. Thus, this attained unity allows the faith to prosper like a living religion. Furthermore, re-birth from sin is intrinsically connected to the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is a fundamental belief throughout Christianity, though it is practiced differently. “Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.” (CCC, 1213). Regardless of the denomination, all baptism rituals symbolise beliefs in the Christian faith, all involves water. Some denominations, like Lutheran practice the sprinkling of water over the head of an initiate, while Pentecostals, practice immersing the head of the initiate in the water. Thus a reminder that, “Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”, for individuals who have been initiated that they made a commitment to the teachings, practices and life of of the community. The baptised should live a life of faith as modelled on the example of Jesus, who forgave their sin. The last belief derived from Baptism, is the believed in the Trinity. Through the guidance and support of the Holy Spirit, an individual's is able to carry out God’s word, and evangelise and spread the message of Jesus. “One will come more powerful that I, and he

Greeks thought about their gods more often than most people do nowadays. Over the course of the day the Greeks would think about the gods often. if they wanted something such as death of an enemy or a good harvest he would give a offering to a temple of the of the gods domain in which he wanted help in.

There were many different aspects to the Spartan cultural life which ancient sources and evidence have provided insight and knowledge for our modern societies. These features include art, architecture, writing and literature, and Greek writer’s views of Sparta. The Spartan cultural life also gives us knowledge into other aspects of Spartan life and the society in which they lived.

In the year of 1906, the Holy Trinity-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church was established in Birmingham. When first created, the church’s population was minimal, but has continued to grow ever since. The Greek Church focuses on creating a personal relationship with God and discovering what the Orthodox faith has to offer. Throughout the years that the church has been open, many people from across Alabama have come to listen to unique services and participate in an unforgettable experience.

Most denominations baptise ‘in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy

This is the equivalent of confirmation in the Catholic church, however, this occurs immediately after the baptism. In Catholicism, confirmation occurs sometime during early adolescence. Although there is a difference in age and degree of understanding, the method is the same for both branches (Fisher 338). The priest anoints the child with Holy Oil on numerous parts of the body and says “The seal of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” This practice conveys the idea that the members of the church are blessed by the Holy Spirit, and is a reminder that the body is a part of the progress in salvation (Fitzgerald).

Therefore, it is easier for Baptists to hold full immersion for baptism over the regularly known process of sprinkling water. The symbolism of water being used it that water is seen as pure and having the water in a baptism symbolises purity of a new life and the death of the old life. Children are not baptised as they will not fully understand their beliefs and connections with Jesus. Adults are baptised by full immersion only after they had proclaimed their faith to the church and to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. The ritual provides opportunities for the adult adherent to understand and express their beliefs and commitment to the religion and to Jesus Christ. The term ‘baptism’ means ‘a burial’ and this is believed to be a personal resurrection. The person is lowered to symbolise their death, they are under the water to symbolise the burial and then they are risen to symbolise the resurrection. In the New Testament, the new scripture states that baptisms should be done only by full immersion. This is said by Baptist Churches of NSW & ACT. “Baptism is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a public declaration of a person’s faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. In accordance with New Testament Scripture, it should be administered only by total immersion, which symbolises the believer’s identification with Christ in death, burial and resurrection, the remission of sins and the believer’s dedication of himself to God to live and walk in newness of life.” (ACT, 2016) While this being said, it is an individuals’ responsibility for them to have their own understanding of the Bible and only then can they receive salvation through faith alone, one of the 5 Solas’, though it does prove that the Baptist Community do use initiation rituals to a very high extent of the

The word baptism derives from the Greek word baptizo meaning to immerse, hence the action of immersing or the term that most people are familiar with ‘dunking’ into water. Today the Church follows two rites of baptism, one for children and one for adults. The Church sees

The meaning behind the Greek words for baptism are the most helpful when understanding the concept as a whole. Both words have several meanings with varying levels of clarity. Βάπτω means to "(1) to dip (2) to dye by dipping (3) to dye without regard to the mode in which it is done: as a lake is said to baptized (ie. Dyed) by the blood shed in it."1 The third option makes the most sense which indicate that to be baptized is to be dyed by blood. So when a person is baptized they are dyed by the by the blood of Christ. Now βαπτίζω which could mean "(1) to immerse or submerge (2) to overflow or to cover with

Baptism is an important demonstration of faith in both the united and trinitarian pentecostal church. In both the oneness and trinitarian church you are baptized to separate yourself from the past person you no longer want to be. In the oneness pentecostal church baptism is held differently from the trinitarian church. In the oneness church before going underwater, the preacher will baptize you saying “in Jesus’s name” representing as if he is one in three. Oneness people believe performing in this baptism will then prepare you a step closer to salvation. Trinitarian churches baptize very similarly. Trinitarians also baptize under water, but before being dunked underwater the preacher will baptize you saying “In the

He stood before everyone, perched on the ledge of the baptistery. He stated, “I so much appreciate Keith and Ann’s ministry to my wife and me, but I do not accept any human authority, so I baptize myself.” Then he knelt, white linen suit and all, rolled over on his back and plunged in the baptistery with a splash. He sank to the bottom, where he remained for what seemed like minutes. When he surfaced and stepped out of the water, I beheld a sight I’ve never seen before, a man wearing a soaking wet suit and tie. After he dried off I visited with him about how baptism represents surrendering to a relationship with Jesus. If we assign our own meaning for baptism it loses its biblical meaning.

In many Christian traditions it is customary to do a “baptism” of an infant, rather than a dedication. But the biblical practice of baptism was limited to those who are old enough to choose