r/coptic

Long shot but anybody have any recs on places to stay or is renting out their place in NYC, around Times Square towards the end of December?

Coptic Orthodox here. First generation American Raised in the church and doing my best (and failing) to bring my kids up the same way... I've always found tarot and tarot readers interesting. I've never done it, but the curiosity is getting the best of me. I know it's not speaking to God or Jesus or any of his saints, but the thought of seeing "what the cards say" or what a lost relative has to say is very intriguing to me.

Sorry for the rambling... I guess my question is: Would doing this be a ticket to hell and damnation?

Just wondering with weddings being so expensive. Has anyone eloped (just had the church ceremony) or considered it and then had a party later?

I’m not referring to things affecting a relationship in the present such as addictions, mental illness, physical illness or debt nor about things a partner directly asks about. I believe those should be disclosed and answered truthfully.

My question is more so about if there is something shameful in your past and no longer an issue you are facing in the present should that be shared unprompted?

For context:
5 years ago during the pandemic I was severely depressed with no friends and no partner. Therapy and meds were not helping. Out of desperation, I decided to pay for sexual services from escorts on a given day. I view what I did on that day as immoral and dangerous and I’m disgusted in myself for crossing that line. I was also only thinking about my pain instead of the fact I was exploiting someone for gain.
I was recently seeing someone for 2 months. We were moving past the getting to know each phase towards a serious relationship. I decided to disclose this information to her and understandably she chose to immediately end the relationship.

Was it unnecessary to share this information with her or did I do the right thing ?

I was an atheist for a while then I realized I was wrong but I can't get into the church Iam attending the liturgy but when It comes to confession and other activities I cant , I feel completely outcasted, I paged the priest many times on WhatsApp and he gave me three appointments and Then he didn't attend, I used to be a deacon and I would like to pick up where I left off.

I say semi-secret as it operates in the back entrance of a Protestant church.

No I am not Coptic (by ethnicity or by church) & I am debating on biking to it next week & need to check a few details so I don't accidentally offend the members of liturgy. I hear the NKJV is popular but lacks deuterocanon or should i bring my NRSV which i hear is unpopular in Orthodoxy (due to supposed liberal bias) as my copy includes the deuterocanon in case they read from the deuterocanon. I only can fit 1 bible in my belly bag (a.k.a. fanny pack) so I need help with what you'd recommend as they lack a phone number to call them & no archived sermons for me to reference. Additionally what are IMPORTANT differences (preferably about doctrine) from the Greek Orthodox I should know before visit (& let me know which is which). Thanks In Advance & God Bless.

Any Coptic Orthodox Christians abroad? Like not in Egypt? Let us meet and know us more, God bless you 💗🙏🏻

The gospels claim to be from eyewitnesses but what’s the evidence for that outside the Bible?

In genesis 41:25 Joseph called the ruler of Egypt “Pharaoh”.

The issue with this is that historically this is inaccurate because the term Pharaoh was used to denote the ruler of Egypt only after the New kingdom period and Joseph lived before the New kingdom period.

The Quran came and corrected this and every single time Joseph calls to the ruler of Egypt he’s called king not pharaoh which is historically accurate

Hi everyone,

I am a catechumen of Indian descent and have been recently exploring Coptic Orthodoxy. As I have been studying it I am now wondering about the differences between Coptic Orthodoxy and Eastern Orthodoxy. For context, I was born and raised as a protestant so I am more comfortable with the dyophysite view. Apart from the Christological differences, what are the other major differences do you see?

I am aware of essence-energies and Hesychasm in EO which I think are more developed explanations of practices also present in OO (I could be wrong). I personally like the Coptic community as they are welcoming and I see a lot of youth and young adults (I am 24F) which I am told are not a huge population in EO churches. Apart of community and diversity, though I am genuinely interested to know the differences and want to choose the most original church of God.

So I appreciate your perspectives.

I’ve been struggling with compulsive sexual habits and consuming sexual content since I was really young. It’s reached the point where I habitually sexualize almost everyone and everything.

Alongside the habits I deliberately chose (which I deeply regret), I also get terrifying, completely unwanted sexual thoughts about God and sacred things. I try everything to reject them, but they won't stop.

I am exhausted and terrified that 7 years of this has permanently changed who I am.

I need wiser Christians to help me understand:

What is my responsibility in this, and what are just intrusive thoughts?

Can God still forgive me after 7 years?

Is genuine recovery possible for someone who started this young?

How do I get out of this without being consumed by guilt?

And please, I am asking for real practical wisdom, not just "pray more" or "don't worry." Thank you...

Coptic Egyptian here 🙋🏻‍♂️
I've recently relocated to Italy (mentioning this to reflect the language barrier), all on my own, for my graduate studies. This is when things started to hit hard, even to vent out.

I actually never figured out my feelings and myself psychologically. I've been doing equations since i was a kid until now literally doing a master's degree.

I understand things only when they're logic. If things don't add up to the level of 1 + 1 = 2 i totally fail. And when i got older, i failed to figure out myself even further, just because I simply can't understand myself psychologically.

Over time, this turned out to be more like disregarding my wellbeing as well. I take decisions based on facts and solid evidence, regardless of anything or how it feels, as long as it's correct. Lately, I've been going through days having no power to even get out of bed.

I know what I'm doing is wrong, and I'm not actually looking for the religious advice rather than discussing my case with people that I can feel belonging to them.

There's a small chance I may relocate to SA, Ryadh for work purposes. and as a Coptic Christian living in Egypt for his whole life I did some research about churches in SA (it's dealbreaker for me) and I found none.

So my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, You don't have weekly communions? what about other church sacraments (repentance and confession)? are there no priests? what do you guys do regarding your spiritual ecclesiastical life?

These are sincere questions I'm not trying to be condescending or arrogant in any way. Thank you!

Greetings in Christ. I am not a Copt myself, but there is an aspect of Coptic ritual practice that I have been curious about for a little while.

At the various points in the Divine Liturgy and the Canonical Hours when the forty-one "Kyrie eleison" are prescribed, how do you typically count them? I know the Greeks and the Slavs make use of prayer ropes when they need to count a number of short repetitions, but I don't know whether that is the case in your church. Is it perhaps just a matter of muscle memory?

Thank you in advance.

I've been drawn to the coptic church for a bit and I look at the Divine liturgy livestreams at my local church and it's absolutely beautiful. I come from a roman catholic background, became Athiest for seven years, and I now believe in more of a monist God. I believe Christ, with every other God, is divine and after looking into different Orthodox and catholic denominations, I've come to the conclusion that Coptic orthodoxy is the one for me. I want to attend their liturgy but the church is a little far, so I need to get an uber (around 40USD for a round trip) and I made up my mind that I can't go every sunday as it would drain my savings and bank. I also wish to speak to the priest there about my stuff and distance myself more from online christianity.

What steps should I take and what should I do?

i know about meet & right and hinge. but i am just wondering if there is an actual active user base from our community there. i’m a man in my late 30s, from what i understand there aren’t as many active women from our community using these apps. is that true?

hi i’m coptic and my fiance is catholic. he got a dispensation from his priest in order to marry in my church, i wanted to know what the coptic church would think of this? do they accept it ?

I was born in egypt, immigrated to the US as an infant, and have always gone to church but been isolated from the population despite physically going. I’ve never felt welcomed or included and it’s caused me alot of strife with my self identity.

Lately I’ve been watching protestant and catholic nun and priest sermons and they basically teach the same thing and I can recognize the holy spirit in many of them that I listen to.

What is there to stop me from going to coptic church just for the sacraments but going to other churches for community and fellowship in christ since with them there are much more opportunities for it with less judgement and exclusion?