u/MourningMeatloaf

Hello everyone.

Coming from protestantism, I fell in love with Orthodoxy 2 years ago after doing my research on the true origins of the Church. Since then I have been following the traditions to the best of my abilities.

My wife who is still protestant, wanted to learn more about Orthodoxy. We came across the Holy Fire ceremony, which ashamedly, I did not know too much about. We came across the overwhelming evidence that the priests performing the ceremony had been lighting the candles themselves and no actual spontaneous fire actually appears. The priests say this themselves. At one point someone says in the interview “turn the camera off!”

I understand that scandals happen in the Church and I am okay with that. But my problem with this is that it is a direct claim of a miracle by Christ himself. That really bothers me. This ceremony has gone on for hundreds and hundreds of years, and it is presented as an actual miracle of fire.

This makes me wonder “what other false claims are there? Are the Saints miracles fabrications as well? Was the bible itself amended?”

I have concluded through my months of reading and digging the protestantism just falls flat, and Roman Catholicism made their own changes away from the Church, and Orthodoxy really is the true continuation from the Apostles. But if Christ’s miracle of fire is fake. What else has been fake in the Church?

I know some people say “well the miracle is symbolic of of the light and resurrection of Christ.” I would have been okay with that. But the problem is, is that it is literally presented as an actual spontaneous combustion by God with no human intervention. Until recently, they revoked that claim after being pushed on it.

I am not coming to slander, but I am really bothered by this. Thank you to anyone who can help. I hope that I can come to terms with this and eventually be set right with the Church again.

I will share a link to a clip of one of the interviews. The one being interviewed worked directly with the patriarch. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=brLln4yJ4mI&pp=ygUpcHJpZXN0IGFkbWl0cyBob2x5IGZpcmUgaXMgZmFrZSBpbnRlcmNpZXc%3D&ra=m