ostonvasi wrote:
I am finding that the bishops and monks who are so strongly opposed and leading the debate against ecumenical dialogue are from Orthodox Countries where everyone knows what Orthodoxy is. In America and some of the newer or secular countries- there are soooooo many religions that very few people know what Orthodoxy is.
I heartily agree.
We don't have Orthodox history
What about all the American saints??
, kings and tsars or chapels and cathedrals to walk by on a daily basis.
True true. Although for a year I lived behind two Orthodox parishes here in Seattle :cool:
15 years ago when I told an Orthodox friend my sister was joining a monastery they asked if she was becoming Catholic! Imagine that! She was joining one of Fr. Ephraim’s first monasteries and unless one traveled to Greece and actually went to a monastery an American in the GOA was not exposed to monasticism. (I think the bishops brought the elders and monastics to America to teach us all about Orthodoxy. ...not because one must be monastic to be Orthodox but because it is such a strong part of our history and how we express our faith.)
There have been Orthodox monasteries in the United States ever since Alaska was purchased from Russia.
In America, the majority of our people are disconnected and ignorant of European history and religion. With dialogue and by opening our doors – not our communion lines- to the non-Orthodox (heretical and heterodox are such harsh words to me.) Orthodoxy has the opportunity to move beyond an ethnic religion, i.e. for just the Greek, Russian and Serbian people, and into a universal Christian faith, teaching and converting the children of God to be enlightened to having a relationship with God using the tools Jesus and the Orthodox Fathers have taught us. We are not called to be selfish with our faith but to preach it to every corner of the world.
I\'ve never encountered Orthodoxy as an ethnic thing.....Orthodoxy is for the glory of God through our Lord in the Spirit!
