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"If it's that complicated that one has to read all the Fathers, understand the Ecumenical Councils, have a full grasp on the scriptures and live it at least a year, it's amazing that the Orthodox converts anyone."

I agree. It never ceases to amaze me because it is so hard. Add to it the ethnic gloss which is usually found in Orthodox parishes and it is nothing short of astonishing. Two groups seem to take to it. First, traditional Episcopalians/Anglicans. My suspicion is that at base Anglicanism really is a sort of pre-Council of Whitby Catholicism. There is of course a whole lot of Protestantism in Anglicanism, but at base and historically, it has great similarities to Orthodoxy. They seem to slide into Orthodoxy without a hitch. They get it very quickly. Interestingly, as I write this I am listening to an internet broadcast of Ancient Faith Radio which is an Orthodox site with chanting and sermons. They are speaking about a conference to be held this month specifically for Anglicans in the US and Canada to discuss Orthodoxy and Orthodox life.

The second group are evangelical Protestants, and they, by the way, make up the overwhelming majority of our converts. They usually arrive with a knowledge of scripture that simply blows us away. One convert (I am the godfather of one of his daughters) we used to call our "walking concordance". he is now at the seminary in Boston. In fact, before he went off to Iraq to the fight, he was sort of active here on FR. Anyway, they have also usually read a good deal of the Fathers. Often their first taste of the Fathers was in Protestant seminary. Their catechesis almost always takes a year or more and that period is spent "living the Faith", experiencing it as I and others have said. Orthodox Christianity is fully a way of life and HD, it is a very countercultural one here in the West. One generally doesn't learn and embrace an entirely different life and worldview overnight.

"I find it's a weak argument to say "We can't explain it, you have to experience it."

Taste and See that the Lord is good, HD! :)

Kolo, I will tell you one thing that troubled me with a Protestant friend at work. For a couple of sessions, he visited our noon Bible study. He was a convert to Orthodoxy and a Chanter in the church. When asked to pray, he didn't seem to know what to do. The next time when asked, he pulled out a written out prayer that was very formal and clearly a part of a liturgical service. Do you all pray informally in your services or in public? Everyone who isn't used to praying out loud stumbles a little. But he didn't seem to know what to do at all.

There is of course a whole lot of Protestantism in Anglicanism, but at base and historically, it has great similarities to Orthodoxy. They seem to slide into Orthodoxy without a hitch. They get it very quickly....The second group are evangelical Protestants, and they, by the way, make up the overwhelming majority of our converts. They usually arrive with a knowledge of scripture that simply blows us away.

Are you trying to tell me that all these people read the Fathers, understand the Ecumenical Councils, have a full grasp on the scriptures? I doubt it. The reason most of these people are moving to the Orthodox Church is for the mystacism, not the theological logic. You can't make a logical choice on what you don't know.

BTW, as we have discussed in the past, the very early church fathers came from pagan backgrounds carrying that baggage with them. While their writings are interesting and beneficial I wouldn't put too much stock in them when comparing it against scripture.

Taste and See...

Thanks but no thanks. You will never convince me there is no original sin or Christ didn't atone for our sin through His sacrifice. I want nothing to do with this religion but don't be offended. There are some Protestant denominations that I want nothing to do with either.