Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States
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I got baptized again to become Orthodox, although many people do not agree with this, as the Holy Bible teaches one baptism, my conscience was ok with it. However, I tend to feel that surely Orthodox are not the only ones who are being saved. What about our brothers and sisters in China and other communist countries, who are regularly tortured for following Jesus, although they are not Orthodox, and many other cases of very genuine believers leading spiritual lives of sacrifice for Jesus?

I know apostolic succession is important, but again, do our brothers and sisters in China have time to find an Orthodox priest when they are secretly baptizing new believers, so afraid to be captured and tortured by communist police, and yet desperate to become members of the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ? You see as much as I see the beauty of our church, I can't help but see divisive politics also, which confuses me, and can leave one feeling alienated from other Christians. Surely the love of God is big enough for all who desire to follow Him regardless of denomination "there is neither Greek nor Jew, slave nor free, male nor female, but all are one in Christ Jesus." Can this not be applied to all the family of Christ? The original split of the Church was a horrible thing, Satan seeks to divide, the very name "diabolical" means to divide, yet the Spirit of God seeks to unite.
 
The dogmas are not church politics; they are the beliefs we received from the fathers and have been preserved until today. If our Church wanted to play politics she would comply with the modern currents and change her position regarding some beliefs just to attract more people. But that would not be Orthodoxy. Our brothers and sisters in China and other communist countries, who are regularly tortured for following Jesus did not hear about the Orthodox faith and were not exposed to the true teaching of the Church. Although, ignorance does not prevent punishment as our Lord said "and that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more" (Luke 12:47-48); but the Lord will guide them to the TRUE faith as He did with St. Paul and Cornelius (Acts 10). It is our duty we, the Orthodox Christians, to reach out to them and evangelize them about the true faith.
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