I specifically said that you were NOT insulting me - with the addition of the smiley faces you added, I recognized that.
However, me bringing it up alerts you to the fact that one COULD take it as a subtle slap at "those changing Catholics". What would be your reaction if I made some sort of comment about the Orthodox "being fossilized and static, incapable of addressing the issues of today", but added a smiley face at the end? I take it that, you knowing me, you would understand it was not an insult, BUT, you would not be happy about it. I would expect a kind word of reprovement towards me to be careful. Please take my comments on this as a kind reprovement, not that our friendship has suffered or I have been insulted. The manner we last parted was not unfriendly and I have no intent to change that now.
We have discussed much together and have generally sided with each other throughout. If you believe I have changed for the worse as a result of my more recent "pen-pals", I apologize. By the grace of God, I believe I have been quite successful elsewhere in a very anti-Catholic setting - however, not without a price, apparently.
Brother in Christ
Not the second time around, Jo. It doesn't matter. I was actually being honest. The smiley face was there to let you know that my intentions were not to insult you. But I was trying to think as I think a Catholic would think, clumsy as it may be.
What would be your reaction if I made some sort of comment about the Orthodox "being fossilized and static, incapable of addressing the issues of today", but added a smiley face at the end?
I think there is a difference between what I said and your statement, Jo. But if you said "I am trying to think like an Orthodox" while stating something we don't believe, I would have simply pointed out the error to you and probably say something like "you're not there yet, Jo. :)"
We have discussed much together and have generally sided with each other throughout. If you believe I have changed for the worse as a result of my more recent "pen-pals", I apologize
We still do agree on a lot of things, and even more so when we demystify our concepts in plain language. But we also disagree on very profound levels, even if they may seem almost trivial to someone outside the Church. There is nothing trivial or simple that managed to split the Church for one thousand years!
I am sorry you came out wounded from some other threads. Rest assured that we Orthodox (well, the majority of us) are not your adversaries. We have discussed many a topic and we have agreed on many more than disagreed. We have also been very frank and open with each other even if we vehemently disagreed. Families argue, but it doesn't mean they are not families.