Visit a simple reformed church and you will see what is different.
First off, why do you assume I’ve never set foot in a reformed church?
Second, I’m basically already “attending” one right here on this forum. The “church” isn’t just a building—it’s a gathering of people, as the Greek word ecclesia in Scripture literally means. And honestly? This forum isn’t much different from a reformed church. The only difference is that here, “all moves are recorded.” I can link my friends to these threads and show them that what happens in reformed churches is exactly what’s happening here—same vibes, same arguments.
From what I’ve seen, reformed churches are packed with Christian Zionists and fans of Darby’s dispensationalism. In the 19th century, John Nelson Darby dusted off the condemned idea of chiliasm, spun it into his dispensationalist system, and threw in his own inventions: the Rapture and a hard split between Israel (Jews) and the Church (Gentiles). None of that’s in the Bible. So why do you call Gentiles who convert to Judaism—or even atheists who now claim to be Jews—“Jews,” while Christians who believe in Jesus as Messiah and Savior are still labeled “Gentiles”?
In the US, constantly called me a “pagan” by Christian Zionists. It shocked me at first.
My parents are believers. My grandparents, under Soviet oppression, stayed devout. My grandmother hand-copied the Gospels into notebooks and shared them, risking 3 to 10 years in prison under Soviet laws like Article 70 (“anti-Soviet agitation”) or Article 190-1 (“spreading false fabrications”). Printing or sharing the Bible was illegal, yet she did it, facing arrest and losing everything. My great-grandparents were Orthodox too. My family’s been faithfully Orthodox for generations.
And yet, I’m a “pagan”? For what?
I mentioned in post #507 to
@Lizbeth:
I’ve lived in Western countries dominated by Catholicism and Protestantism, where Orthodox churches are rare. Orthodox economia allows confession and communion in Catholic churches when there’s no Orthodox option nearby. I’ve attended Catholic services, openly saying I’m Orthodox with no church around.
Never once was I turned away—just welcomed, no judgment.
But because of attitudes like yours, I’d never step into a Protestant church, even if it’s the only one in town. I’d drive to another city, another state, or fly to an Orthodox country first. Every Protestant church feels like Russian roulette—one minute you’re a “pagan,” “unspiritual,” or accused of antisemitism.