Surely, an average middle of the road person raised under the American system will not be a likely candidate for a True Orthodox convert !
Under what criteria is the "average middle of the road person"?
That person, if ever interested in Orthodoxy, will be shuttled into the OCA or some place very general / vague / liberal like that. I was that "average middle of the road person".
I didn't even know that Orthodoxy existed back then . But, when I was told about it, my heart wanted to know more. I was led, by God, to the Old Calendar Greeks. I don't think that it's fair to make such a general assumption. It sounds too condemning. Everybody has a chance to know the truth.
Exactly, it is not an intellectual quest, but the grace of God that leads people into Orthodox Christianity. It is His quiet still voice that guides meek and humble souls and ultimately leads them to salvation.
I would add that even if the person is not meek and humble, at the start, his/her need to know the truth will bring him/her to the truth and he/she will develop meekness and humbleness. St. Mary of Egypt is a great example. With her, it was not His "quiet still voice" that guided her, but His rejection of her that made her realize her sinfulness and her realization brought her to repentance. But, of course, I agree that in all cases, it is the grace of God that guides all. But, I don't see any "meek and humble souls". We are all pretty much full of pride.
Truly it has to be a person who SEEKS for the DEEPEST and most FULL truth
Barbara, REPENTANCE is the FULL TRUTH. It's our spiritual struggle. When that (repentance) is realized, within a person then they can move on to the next level of the DEEPEST and most FULL truth.
There aren't clearly defined ideas or beliefs in liberal jurisdictions the way that they ARE sharply defined in the True Orthodox Church
What is your understanding of the "clearly defined ideas or beliefs" of the True Orthodox Church?
