dear /his/, i am an ex muslim agnostic atheist. Been an atheist for 5 years or so, but lately I feel like isn't filling this hole I had when I left my religion. It's too sober, depressing, and just empty (i'm a STEM student, so no, I don't see le ebin science as a substitute for religion, but i respect it ofc). I'm drawn towards Christianity because of its beautiful history & Jesus ofc. But i have this dilemma, I don't know enough about the difference between catholicism and orthodoxy.
Can you give me a primer on these two?
ps. I'm not drawn to any protestant denominations whatsoever.
>>1252934
Christianity is the same bullshit as Islam. Don't fall for the meme again. Find peace knowing their is no inherent meaning in existence.
Zen Buddhism m8
>I'm drawn towards Christianity because of its beautiful history & Jesus ofc
grass is greener etc.
>>1252934
Why did you leave islam brother?
>>1252934
False flag
>>1252934
>Not going to the source and embracing Judaism.
In five more years you'll be disillusioned with either pick and wondering what you did wrong.
>>1253257
>afaik thats not open for everyone.
Sure it is. Modern Jews don't go out and proselytize, and you'll be discouraged on the way, to try to winnow out those who aren't serious, but anyone can join, if they show the dedication.
>>1253257
If its hard just remember how incredibly small and insignificant you are in the grand scheme of things. Stop thinking of yourself as the center of the universe and rather as a constituent part OF the universe.
>>1252934
>I don't know enough about the difference between catholicism and orthodoxy.
It's a bad place to ask something like this, "Catholics" of /his/ routinely shit up threads to shill their superiority over other Christians.
>>1252934
Of the two Orthodoxy is more legit.
It can trace it's liturgy almost back to Chrysostomos and overall is closer to the early church.
Catholicism is basically just orthodoxy with additional shittier liturgy, priests not being allowed to marry for no reason, follow the pope because "muh rock" BS (even though in the early church the bishop of rome clearly did not have the authority he does today), and mary being more than just the theotokos and instead being almost the forth member of the trinity saving you from hell as a co-redemptrix as long as you bind a stupid brown scapular around your neck.
If those are your options, go to orthodoxy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHP4Z84a_WY
>ps. I'm not drawn to any protestant denominations whatsoever.
Why not towards confessional Lutheranism?
>>1252934
Either is ok, but truthfully you're going to run it into less people you hate going with Orthodoxy.
will you understand anything about that weird concept called trinity tho
>>1252934
>I'm not drawn to any protestant denominations whatsoever.
So, no heaven for you. No relationship with the living God. No indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Just some nice stained windows and wooden pews.
You might as well have stayed in islam.
>>1252934
>I'm drawn towards Christianity
Leaving Islam for an utter bollocks ideology like Christianity "because of its beautiful history", what a load of rubbish. If anyone leaves Islam and wishes to search for a different religion, I highly recommend Sikhism.
An ex-Muslim wanting to convert to Christianity. Dear god.
>>1253265
>Religious Jews exist.
>>1253475
"Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus" by Nabeel Qureshi.
Highly recommend.
>>1253483
Implying I'd take anything that that meme of a human being says seriously.
>>1253487
Enjoy hellfire then, I guess. Er, which is really not possible.
>>1253492
Make sure you save me a place down there.
You guys do realize this is fake, right?
>>1253504
Me? No, I made sure I avoided being on fire forever, alone and in the dark. Sounded bad.
>>1252934
back to /b/ you retard
>>1253518
But if you wanted to do that, you'd be a muslim.
>>1252934
Christian Mysticism (it's like Sufism).
Rather than taking the parables of the Bible like protestants do, Mystics interpret these stories and try to find the messages that lie within the Bible. Instead of having bureaucratic structures like that of the catholic and orthodox churches, Mystics believe that Christianity is a personal journey that doesn't require a middleman. Furthermore, Heaven and Hell are seen as mere spiritual/mental states to the Mystics. Heaven is an embrace of God and His love, while Hell is the rejection thereof. There is no condemnation within Mysticism.
The important part of Mysticism that you should heed is this: religion is not supposed to be fairytales and stories. Religion offers meaning and direction to the world through poetic literature. The difficulty is in finding this meaning and direction in life.
>>1252934
Ismailism, esoteric "heretic" sub sect of Islam, look into it
>>1253537
>Heaven is an embrace of God and His love, while Hell is the rejection thereof. There is no condemnation within Mysticism.
>There is no condemnation within Mysticism.
>Mysticism knows no hell.
Jesus Christ. You didn't even read all those books in that smug picture of you, not even to speak of the really great mystics of the medieval age.
A LOT of them described journeys to hell, and how during them god told them to warn people.
>>1252934
You get the exact same shit you had before but with white people instead of brown
>>1252934
If you're a real Jesus fan, secular or no, you'll enjoy learning about early church schisms, gnostic sects, gnostic gospels, the council of Nicea, the messianic Jews, the 1st century Jewish notion of a coming military messiah, the messiah claimants, the artifacts manufactured by medieval monks, notably the shroud of turin, and how it may be an early example of photochemistry, the various people who have claimed to be Jesus returned. The ongoing discussion over whether revelation has already happened, the notion that Christianity is a 3rd century religion manufactured by the same government that killed Jesus to quell the populous by giving them a God they could relate to... etc. etc.
It's a fun rabbit hole to go down, and very few Christians go down it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_messiah_claimants
