Religion has been defined by the Swiss Center for Intercantonal Information on Beliefs as "the group of beliefs, rituals, practices and ethical rules which constitute, for their members, a means of entering into contact with supernatural realities and of obtaining answers to questions concerning the fundamental problems of life, as well as questions concerning the origin of the world or the finality of existence" (author's translation of brochure "D'Eglise en Ashram").
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Undeniably a 'religion', Orthodoxy as the one true religion differs from the others in that it does not cripple man in its rigid system, but liberates him. It does not offer fleeting well-being, but eternal life and love with the Source of life and Creator of all. It does not offer practices and beliefs which put one in contact with fantastic or even demonic supernatural forces, but rather with the Personal Light of God. The bold assumption of 'one true religion' must be reserved for but one system, provided the obvious divergences and contradictions in the paths of the world's religions. And we boldly confess it to be Orthodoxy, not merely because we were born Orthodox, for we must all be born again (John 3:3), or because the word Orthodoxy translates as such, but because of the endless proofs of experience and miraculous signs given to us. This is sealed with faith and expressed in the Tradition of the Church. In the Tradition, in the lives of the Saints, and in the Church we read about, we see and hear of these proofs, and we experience them for ourselves. This experience, and the undeniable logic of the Logos in his Gospel, allows us to make such bold assertions concerning the singular truth of our religion.
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Undeniably a 'religion', Orthodoxy as the one true religion differs from the others in that it does not cripple man in its rigid system, but liberates him. It does not offer fleeting well-being, but eternal life and love with the Source of life and Creator of all. It does not offer practices and beliefs which put one in contact with fantastic or even demonic supernatural forces, but rather with the Personal Light of God. The bold assumption of 'one true religion' must be reserved for but one system, provided the obvious divergences and contradictions in the paths of the world's religions. And we boldly confess it to be Orthodoxy, not merely because we were born Orthodox, for we must all be born again (John 3:3), or because the word Orthodoxy translates as such, but because of the endless proofs of experience and miraculous signs given to us. This is sealed with faith and expressed in the Tradition of the Church. In the Tradition, in the lives of the Saints, and in the Church we read about, we see and hear of these proofs, and we experience them for ourselves. This experience, and the undeniable logic of the Logos in his Gospel, allows us to make such bold assertions concerning the singular truth of our religion.
