" Well, in part, but also your comment that Orthodoxy understands human nature."
I am not usually so obscure that my meaning isn't clear. Apparently here I was obscure. My apologies. My point is that the Orthodox doctrine of economia, along with the attitude that the canons were made for the people not the other way around, is an example of how the Church understands human nature, that humans screw up all the time and sometimes a strict application of the rules hinders, rather advances theosis.
Applause. Applause.
There is another concept that I have heard articulated that has some wisdom in it, challenging the idea that economia (ameliorating the strict interpretation of the canon) and akrevia (strict application of the canon) are in opposition.
Another way that this can be looked at is that akrevia is simply another form of economia. We are being condescended to by God, no matter how we look at it -- he certainly gains no benefit from our keeping of rules. A wise priest is going to apply akrevia when it is to the benefit of a parishioner's soul and he is going to apply economia when it is to the benefit of a parishioner's soul -- so what's the difference?
In each case, the theme is the same: through the judicious application of the guidelines of the canons, one is helped to continue to walk down the path toward salvation. In general, the more one follows the guidelines the more one benefits, just as the more one follows a map, the faster one gets where one is going. To extend the analogy, there are some non-direct routes that less-experienced drivers are better off using if the goal is to actually get to the destination. One can keep every canon strictly and lose one's soul (just as one can follow a map perfectly and then fall asleep at the wheel and drive off a cliff and kill oneself just before reaching a destination), so they are not saving in and of themselves...