>>509646612
>Why are there separate Orthodox churches?
What a stupid question. Why are there separate languages? Separate nations? Separate tribunals,sets of law,customs,everything?! Because not everyone has to be the same. The catholic church believes that but even they cannot cope with the way in which all those nations in south america and the philippines interpret the bible with their own national customs,traditions,saints,icons etc.
On paper we are all the same even within orthdoxy but its not true. We are different and even have an ecumenical patriarchate in constantinople/antioch whatever they call it. Thats why it exists,to foster some unity between all of us but theres very little unity.
I think its a good idea for every nation to have its own christian church specifically for its people. Why would I want to have bosnians or serbs or even worse the ukrainians who murder and beat our people in june 2025 buried next to my family relatives and cityfolk? Thats bullshit. Or the treacherous moldovans with their own idea of a state.
>Doesn't this suggest that many Orthodox churches are effectively state-controlled institutions, serving cultural or nationalistic purposes rather than purely spiritual ones
There is no difference between a people,its faith its institutions and its leaders or there shouldnt be one. The former reflect the latter and the latter an image of the former. Its a very long story but we pray for different things. Do you think a frenchman,a brit and a german want the same things when praying? Do you think they foster the same values? Do you think they know the same things and are equally familiar with the mystic spiritual aspects of their faith that fo beyond simple prayer? No. When praying one is usually selfish in so much as they want whats good for them and their nation and their folk and their city ,not for strangers. Only priests should want that as they are "alter christus" and embody such virtues.
