George Australia wrote:GOCTheophan wrote: Do you honestly believe that the vast majiority of modernists and false ecumenists stay away from the True Church because they believe it is false and driven by "wackoness"?
I am neither a "modernist" nor a "false ecumenist", but I can tell you that I for one stay away from the so-called "True Orthodox Churches" because of the wackoness I find in so many of their members, both online, and personally met.
Well, I find that a bit extreme George. You talk to me and I am "True Orthodox"
In all seriousness, in real life I have never met wacko True Orthodox. I beleive that your experience was with the Cyprianites in Australia, unless you have more experience than I know of (which is entirely possible), and that might account for some of your negative real-world experiences. I have a friend from Australia who was tonsured by Met Cyprian himself, who really likes the Cyprianites in general, but who nevertheless joined ROCOR rather than be sent back to Australia to be in that diocese. Of course, I am speaking from his experience, not my own and I know nothing about goings on there. But from my experience, the Cyrpianites like the Matthewites are much smaller and therefore more prone to ideaologicalism, whereas my Synod, the canonical and majority by far GOC, that of Archbishop Chrysostomos II, is more prone to normalcy (although every group has its crazies!)
Lest you think I am in the business of knocking my own brothers in the faith, though, in all honesty I must say that my negative experience with the wackiness of New Calendarists played a part in my decision not to join their Church (the major reason was the positives I experienced in the GOC, though--I am not a disgrunlted "negative convert", ie. someone who converts to something just because they don't like something else!) But to go on about my negative experiences with New Calendarists would be beside the point.
Of course, I fully admit all of this is my personal opinion and from my experience, and I have no doubt others will disagree.
Anastasios