Dale, the EP’s PC opinions are one of the primary reasons few accept the leadership of the GOA here in the U.S. The eyes not only ‘bat’, but the voices say NO. Most simply don’t know how far the EP has strayed from Orthodox doctrine. He has imbibed the spirit of the age–drunk on worldly wisdom rather than on the Holy Spirit I’m afraid. That is the fruit of 1600 years of dimminutude that he inherited with his office-he simply does not have the strength to overcome his inheritance. I believe that much of the disorder and weakness of the Church here in the U.S also has its roots in that same dimminutude. As yet we don’t have the strength to overcome either. It is far easier to live in the past and complain about the ‘gators in the moat that keep us in our castles.

The only thing that will make us strong again, I believe, is oppression, i.e., when it becomes obvious to all that worldly power hates Christ and those who follow Him. Then we will see who is really a follower of Christ and who is a follower of the great liar. Surely we will all be surprised espeically by our own decisions.

We cannot ‘protect’ the Church or purify her. We can only do the best we can to guard our own hearts and submit to the love of Christ and allow Him to purify us. It is either that or surrender to the sweet velvet darkness of the great nothing.

Of course.

I really disliked the news piece on St. Anthony’s Monastery.

There is nothing “mysterious” about St. Anthony’s. Most monks/nuns are “disconnected” this isn’t brainwashing. IF these sorts of stories are odd to you, pick up the book written by St. John Climacus on Ascending the Ladder and see what sorts of feelings and thoughts some of the images from the Syrian Monasteries conjure up.

It is nothing new for some parents of monks/nuns who leave for monastery to feel as if their children are being brainwashed, or were kidnapped, or somehow influenced into joining outside of a calling.

I’d like to ask the news reporter how many monasteries she’s visited or how much she knew about Orthodoxy prior to making this piece in order for her report to be considered objective.

It fits into the notion that we have promoted at http://WeAreOrthodox.com that the GOA is in a crisis. Our perspective is to highlight that this crisis of definition and identity is being exploited.

Hopefully all of our efforts will move the GOA and its faithful into a better understanding of who we are. Unfortunately this does not preclude the possibility that the situation may denigrate to the point of a schism before it gets any better.

Perhaps God’s Grace will allow us remedy before something like this happens.

YP

Thanks for your comments, including the original post. It prompted a thoughtful discussion that has lead to this article I posted today: http://orthodoxnet.com/blog/2012/02/the-gospel-the-cure-for-mankinds-suffering/

I might suggest that if the Greeks (the ones in Greece) don’t listen to the Church there (which has been teaching the same thing for 2000 years) that the Orthodox *here* (same faith) have little to add?

Chris, I don’t disagree at all!

FrGOA, thank you for responding as you did. I wonder how many other GOA priests feel as you do? (I know quite a few myself.)

My point is we have been supporting both self-created bankrupt ecosystems, without calling to account, without witness to the Gospel. Why? Because the GOA, where we (or at least I) are is utterly lost amidst this confusing sea. It doesn’t know if it is Greek, as understood by the Holy Fathers, or Greek as understood by the Exterior Ministry of Greece (tourism, the Parthenon, et. al.). It doesn’t know if it is Constantinoplitan, in the sense as the inheritors of the True Faith, as defended and witnessed in the martyric witness of the Saints, or merely institutionally, a propped up relic. So the good priests, as Fr. JJ rightly says, strive to steer their local parishes with a right understanding of both, while the Center in New York, tosses the entire ark this way and that, sometimes rightly, more times wrongly, creating confusion, fear, uncertainty as to the right course to take.

What is the answer? The Gospel, of course, as has been said. But, we are also witnesses, and as such, we must speak out, in humility!…without acerbic wit, biting sarcasm (as I am wont to do out of frustration), so that we can be heard without a fussy covering. Clearly speaking, openly proclaiming, the things we have received. The cultural inheritance received is precious, but has been denigrated and misused, even the language, and all it’s artifacts, to say something it does not mean to say. So if we are one race, the race of Christians, how shall we support our brothers and sisters, suffering here, acting badly there, those who are just men and women without power as well as those who occupy thrones. The answer is always the same, Jesus Christ, and him crucified and risen from the dead.

Pardon the “anonymous” posting, but unfortunately, for many of us, Constantinople is not the only place in captivity. As priests in the GOA, many of us cannot even speak openly or sign our names publicly.

Chris, wise words. But I don’t think that this was Bob’s objection. If anything, he was just pointing out the irresponsibility of the Greek people. Has the Church of Greece let them down? Yes. Has the Greek gov’t let them down? Yes. The people of Greece bear collective responsibility for their actions (and this means infidelity to the Gospel, pridefullness in a pagan past, etc.)

Also, I simply don’t understand what the attitude of those few Greek-Americans who think it’s the job of the GOA to “do something.” Anyway, they’ve proven themselves incapable of doing anything meaningful in the past.

Now are we here in America next? you betcha.

Andrew, regarding your point about neutrality, yes, absolutely. The reason is that neutrality does not exist. It’s a fiction. So I would strengthen your point even more: taking a neutral stand (Orthodoxy-lite as you put it, others call it Vichy Orthodoxy) means you will be swallowed up by the secular culture that you hope to appease.