www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Can Western People Ever REALLY Convert to Orthodoxy/Eastern Christianity???

Originally posted by A Still, Small Voice/Tammy:

Dear Sister in Christ, Tammy,

I scratched my head when I read your post that said that *I* said that the Western Church went too far in Westernizing.

I know that as I get older I get a bit forgetful, but this really stumped me!

So I did a little sleuthing and realized what happened!

This statement was made by JW10631, who has the same Avatar as me. You probably saw the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and assumed it was me.

Mystery solved!

With love in Christ,
Alice, who wishes she could have exclusive forum rights to that Avatar, but that wouldn't be fair!

Man, that site cracked me up. I love the original satire site "The Onion". this one almost knocked me to the floor:
http://www.theoniondome.com/2005/01/07/guest/

Yeah, thanks for the humor, Alice!

While I commend the Latins for being able to unite Roman Catholics under one ideology that is not necessarily tied to ethnicity, this also saddens me. When an ethnic church closes, we lose all that rich ethnic heritage that's been preserved for generations. Who will make the pierogi on Fridays?

They say a family loses their ethnic heritage in something like 3 generations. I'm generation 3 for my Polish side, but now both my brother (who lives in Poland, I mean Chicago) and I are learning Polish and learning how to make the ethnic foods. This is known (linguists?) as a heritage language for us.

So, what I mean is that I think the Eastern Churches have to protect thier ethnic identity and "ethnic soul" but also adapt to modern America. Can it happen? I think so. I think it's ok if converts don't ever fit into a parish like a cradle son/daughter would. Remember, converts tend to be more zealous, anyway; the cradle members take all of it for granted, but for (we) converts, it's a choice to worship this way, it's the end to a search for a home. Well, we should get involved, learn the tradions, raise our children with them, and add our own backgrounds in, not necessarily conforming to the "old ways". As the older generations die, some of the traditions die with them, which can be both positive and negative -- now is the time for small changes that will give our Eastern Churches a more American feel. Maybe some bold musician writes tones that fit English better, maybe one Friday we have a tofu and rice dinner (ok, maybe not...), but you get my point. If we don't find a way to adapt, then the parishes will continue to close. We have to convert (at least slightly alter and add to) Eastern Christianity as it converts (and alters and adds to) us.

Dear Alice,

You are absolutely right! I'm sorry for putting words in your mouth that you didn't say.

I plead guilty to the foggy mind of premenopause, and too many family distractions!

Peace to you in Christ,

Your sister in the Orthodox/Catholic reunion quest,

Tammy

Alex, why did this remind me of those contestants on "American Idol" who walk onstage loudly proclaiming their love for Simon, Paula and Randy before attempting to sing?

HEHEHE ROFL

Dear Dolly,

The Administrator is so humble, though, that he always rejects my plaudits in advance, as a rule . . .

Now let me clear my throat . . .

Alex

To get back to the original topic. Do they need to convert? Why not have the conservative Evangelicals become movements within the universal Christian Church?

I say this from experience because I have noticed that the most devout Orthodox, are either from the old country, where they were immersed in their faith, or have passed through the Evangilical experience.

This has proven to me that to be a true Christian, one must go through a growth process. The Evangelicals do a wonderful job when it comes to reaching unbelievers. We are only taking the believer that they have nurtured.

But the only way this can happen, is by the Orthodox uniting with the RCC. Once they get their differences solved, and establish the true foundations of the Churches, then they can try to accomodate the conservative Protestant Evangelicals.

Of course they would have to accept the sacraments and the true tenets and teachings of the universal Church, but they do not have attend a worship service that would not make them feel uncomfortable. Rather, they can have a bishop come once a month, providing the spiritual nourishment of the sacraments.

To me, what the Antiocians are trying to do is rediculous. They are trying to convert the Protestants to Orthodoxy by liberalizing our faith, and making the Orthodox Church; Protestant. Triumphalism; that's what it is.

Now the Greeks, they do things differently, they merely convert through marriage. Shame on them too!

Zenovia