cs193bah@unm-la.UUCP (02/10/85)
It is interesting to note how reactions to proselytism change when
those accustomed to doing it have the tables turned on them (are
you listening, Charley Wingate?).
Below I have enclosed a quote from the Archbishop Michael of the
Greek Archdiocese of the Americas who denounced Western proselytizing
to his church. This is especially ironic to Semites since they suffered
greatly at the forced conversions in the 4th Century by Constantine
and the very same Eastern Orthodox Church.
*********************
Archbishop Michael speaking in a World Council of Churches meeting:
"We orthodox were rather astonished to read a few months ago in several
periodicals that certain churches are reportedly preparing missionaries
whom they would dispatch to the lands beyond the iron curtain, once the
curtain of course has fallen, especially to Russia, whose population
belongs practically in its entirety to the Eastern Orthodox Church.
"Permit me to say in the name of my orthodox brethren that this concern
shown by some churches IS MOST DISQUIETING AND SADDENS US PROFOUNDLY.
"We orthodox believe that every measure of proselytism on the part of
one church at the expense of another comprises one further reason for
the deterioration of relations amongst the various churces and
denominations AND FOR THE DETERIORATION GENERALLY OF THE HAPPY STATE
AMONG MEN.
"For this reason we orthodox have never encouraged and we shall never
encourage Christians of other churches to come and join our own. It
is an entirely another matter, of course, if someone of his own accord...
should wish to join our church or some other. But there is a tremendous
distinction between this and the existence of organizations whose members
SYSTEMATICALL TRY TO WIN OVER THE MEMBERS OF OTHER CHURCHES THROUGH THE
USE OF PROPAGANDISTIC BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, SERMONS, EVEN THROUGH PERSONAL
VISITS FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE."
**********************
But as Charley Wingate would say, "Are Eastern Orthodox childrens' minds so
fragile that they need to be protected from proselytizers?" How ironic!
Maybe the final solution is to let all the proselytizing churches proselytize
themselves into oblivion, and leave the rest of us alone.
----
bill peter
cmcl2!lanl!wkpmangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate) (02/11/85)
In article <253@unm-la.UUCP> cs193bah@unm-la.UUCP writes: >It is interesting to note how reactions to proselytism change when >those accustomed to doing it have the tables turned on them (are >you listening, Charley Wingate?). > >Below I have enclosed a quote from the Archbishop Michael of the >Greek Archdiocese of the Americas who denounced Western proselytizing >to his church. This is especially ironic to Semites since they suffered >greatly at the forced conversions in the 4th Century by Constantine >and the very same Eastern Orthodox Church. > ********************* >Archbishop Michael speaking in a World Council of Churches meeting: > >"We orthodox were rather astonished to read a few months ago in several >periodicals that certain churches are reportedly preparing missionaries >whom they would dispatch to the lands beyond the iron curtain, once the >curtain of course has fallen, especially to Russia, whose population >belongs practically in its entirety to the Eastern Orthodox Church. > >"Permit me to say in the name of my orthodox brethren that this concern >shown by some churches IS MOST DISQUIETING AND SADDENS US PROFOUNDLY. > >"We orthodox believe that every measure of proselytism on the part of >*one church at the expense of another* comprises one further reason for >the deterioration of relations amongst the various churces and >denominations AND FOR THE DETERIORATION GENERALLY OF THE HAPPY STATE >AMONG MEN. [Emphasis added by CGW] >"For this reason we orthodox have never encouraged and we shall never >encourage Christians of other churches to come and join our own. It >is an entirely another matter, of course, if someone of his own accord... >should wish to join our church or some other. But there is a tremendous >distinction between this and the existence of organizations whose members >SYSTEMATICALL TRY TO WIN OVER THE MEMBERS OF OTHER CHURCHES THROUGH THE >USE OF PROPAGANDISTIC BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, SERMONS, EVEN THROUGH PERSONAL >VISITS FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE." > ********************** >But as Charley Wingate would say, "Are Eastern Orthodox childrens' minds so >fragile that they need to be protected from proselytizers?" How ironic! >Maybe the final solution is to let all the proselytizing churches proselytize >themselves into oblivion, and leave the rest of us alone. [Sorry to have quoted the entire article, but the archbishop's statement is rather important to my reply] I entirely sympathize with the archbishop's complaint, and I might add that members of non-evangelical denominations in the USA are also subjected to such treatment. This kind of behavior can only imply that the Eastern Orthodox (for example) are not to be considered christian-- hardly the way one wins ecumenical friends. Notice, however, that the archbishop did not demand rules to prevent these proselytizers from continuing in their practices. There seems to be a problem in this newsgroup in distinguishing moral persuasion (what the archbishop is doing) and moral coercion (writing "morality" into law). I should also point out that the Eastern churches, like the Anglicans, are by and large national churches, and indeed tend to be far and away the majority christian denomination. In such a situation, a heavy emphasis on conversion and evangelical activities makes little sense. Charley Wingate umcp-cs!mangoe