I shouldn't write this and will surely regret it but I don't always exercise the best judgment so here goes...
I suspect that greekischristian is being deliberately provocative and that some time in Thessaloniki will do him a lot of good but I can't help but be offended by at least half of what he writes. I've had very little exposure to the GOA so I don't know what 'normal' GOA parishes are like. However, I read GisC's posts and I wonder if he is representative of the GOA as a whole.
I don't want to get into jurisdiction bashing here but I can't but be concerned about the GOA knowing that GisC is a graduate of their seminary. Several things strike me from reading his posts.
1) Ethnocentricism (a better term would be that phrase that starts with a "p" that I can't remember how to spell) - The Greeks came up in a conversation with some other Orthodox Christians and I told them about how GisC had written that it was blasphemy to serve the liturgy in any language other than Greek. One of our priests asked "Such a person exists?" Every non-Greek Orthodox seems to have a story about the "chauvinism" of the Greeks. I personally feel that I would not be welcome in a Greek parish.
2) Papism - I must confess that I was shocked to read about submission to the the "Oecumenical Throne." I've never heard an Orthodox Christian use that kind of terminology. I have a hard time believing that this is representative of real Greek Orthodoxy.
3) Disdain For Tradition - Despite GisC's claims to be traditional in his personal practices, many of us here sense a kind of underlying disdain for traditional Orthodox Christians in GisC's posts. When cornered, GisC tries to explain but it seems to me that only someone who doesn't like traditional Orthodox would write that those who think women should cover their heads in church would be happier in Islam. Now he tells us that those of us who cover our heads would be talked about behind our backs if we attended a Greek parish. His recent posts about pietistic cultism go too far IMHO.
4) Disdain for Monasticism - His posts about bishops being better than monastics seem consistent with his other posts. His posts make me wonder about the hysteria over Elder Ephraim's monasteries. Now I'm beginning to wonder if those in the GOA who warned that they were cults simply didn't understand or respect monasticism.
Without getting into jurisdiction bashing (if that's possible), does GisC represent the 'mainstream' of the GOA?
I suspect that greekischristian is being deliberately provocative and that some time in Thessaloniki will do him a lot of good but I can't help but be offended by at least half of what he writes. I've had very little exposure to the GOA so I don't know what 'normal' GOA parishes are like. However, I read GisC's posts and I wonder if he is representative of the GOA as a whole.
I don't want to get into jurisdiction bashing here but I can't but be concerned about the GOA knowing that GisC is a graduate of their seminary. Several things strike me from reading his posts.
1) Ethnocentricism (a better term would be that phrase that starts with a "p" that I can't remember how to spell) - The Greeks came up in a conversation with some other Orthodox Christians and I told them about how GisC had written that it was blasphemy to serve the liturgy in any language other than Greek. One of our priests asked "Such a person exists?" Every non-Greek Orthodox seems to have a story about the "chauvinism" of the Greeks. I personally feel that I would not be welcome in a Greek parish.
2) Papism - I must confess that I was shocked to read about submission to the the "Oecumenical Throne." I've never heard an Orthodox Christian use that kind of terminology. I have a hard time believing that this is representative of real Greek Orthodoxy.
3) Disdain For Tradition - Despite GisC's claims to be traditional in his personal practices, many of us here sense a kind of underlying disdain for traditional Orthodox Christians in GisC's posts. When cornered, GisC tries to explain but it seems to me that only someone who doesn't like traditional Orthodox would write that those who think women should cover their heads in church would be happier in Islam. Now he tells us that those of us who cover our heads would be talked about behind our backs if we attended a Greek parish. His recent posts about pietistic cultism go too far IMHO.
4) Disdain for Monasticism - His posts about bishops being better than monastics seem consistent with his other posts. His posts make me wonder about the hysteria over Elder Ephraim's monasteries. Now I'm beginning to wonder if those in the GOA who warned that they were cults simply didn't understand or respect monasticism.
Without getting into jurisdiction bashing (if that's possible), does GisC represent the 'mainstream' of the GOA?
It will be interested to see what others say, especially those in the GOA or who have spouses in the GOA.
