A Statement of Fact ROCOR always had a strict ecclesiology!

[TomS]

Wake UP! You people (assuming the majority here) are AMERICAN -- NOT RUSSIAN -- NOT Greek --- NOT SYRIAN...... etc.

Work towards creating an AMERICAN ORTHODOX CHURCH!!!!

[Natasha]

In all seriousness Tom, what would an "American" Orthodox Church be here? All of our church traditions and even the way we celebrate services come down to us from one culture/ethnicity or another (you know what I mean, the Greeks do things a bit different from the Russians etc etc). I don't know how we would pick and choose what way to carry on....what do you think? What would we even call the Matushka-I mean afterall, "Matushka" is a slavic term...I know that is a small example, but the complexities are enormous....

I am sure that one day there will be more of an "American" content in Orthodox churches here...the OCA is so far the best example of this. The farther down south you go in the states, the more American the Orthodox Churches become due to fewer ethnics in these areas and the higher percentages of converts. However, what worries me is that when we "go" American, it often has Protestant overtones.

I believe this is the way the Orthodox Churches in the US will go, eventually. But I am just going to have to be a stickler because I consider myself Russian-American, and I want to continue celebrating services in the way I have for my entire life, in the Russian Orthodox faith.

[ania]

Personally I think people who break away from a church should get busy governing themselves, rather than keep confirming to themselves their church's reason for existance. When ROCOR was formed, it didn't spend much time yapping about why they did it, they went on to minister to their flock. Now that ROAC is outta ROCOR, go & get down to the business of saving yourselves. If you consider us ROCOR-ites heretics, leave it at that. Give us the Anathema and get outta our faces. Your not in ROCOR anymore, deal with your own politics, not ours.

As for John the Russian... I take great offence that you imply that one of the most pious God-fearing monks I know is the devil... or perhaps your just implying that Met. Lavr is possessed by the devil, and so is not leading ROCOR...??? Please specify.

[Joseph D]

Should I start digging up the dozen or so other official documents I've posted here which support this?

Bogoliubtsy,

If you have the time, would you please? I doubt anyone would object as long as each exerpt or passage is presented in its respective context: so many insulated facts related to the subject are floated here as general argument that a little contrast for the sake of comparison might be refreshing!

Post on this thread, or perhaps start a new one if you have just a mountain of evidence...

Sincerely,
Joseph

[bogoliubtsy]

Started a new thread for this.