The Jewish people of ancient times, before Jesus's incarnation, could not have belonged to Christ's One True Church (assuming there is such a thing this side of heaven). Yet God did not forsake them. In fact, He doesn't forsake anyone of any time or place without access to what other humans have decided is "the" way. Jesus is the way and the truth and the life, not any one church representing Him.
If I live in an area where I can best follow Christ in an Orthodox church, then that's what we'll do. If we are ever in a place where the best place for us to follow Christ is in a different church, we will discern that then.
Church affiliation is not the same thing as commitment to Christ, even though the ancient churches like to think so. The idea that there is no salvation outside the church is a manipulative statement that does not come from Christ.
Living in Christian community is exemplified in the New Testament... and it is locally-based. There is communication between the churches, and the overseers visit the churches they had planted, but the church is a local phenomenon in terms of the daily lived experience of the faithful.
My experience lately in the Catholic church has been lacking in this regard. I am done making excuses and feeling bad for where I believe I'm being led. I will not take advice from anonymous people online. Even what my local priest advises, I will take to prayer before following through. I am prone to manipulation, and so I must guard myself against blind obedience to any human authority.
God knows my heart and He knows the autistic brain He gave me. I fear no human naysayers who would want to scare me into submission. That's not how I "do" religion. I do religion as an outward expression of my faith in Christ. My faith in Christ supersedes any denominational affiliation.
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