There is nothing centralized about the Eastern Orthodox Church, FK.
Being Orthodox is either 100% or nothing, personal views and errors notwithstanding, FK. You can't say I am Orthodox "a little bit." It's like being married or living; either you are or you are not.
Being a Calvinist is different. You can pick and choose those parts of John Calvin's theology with which you agree in principle and if they dominate your personal convictions you can say that you are a Calvinist (a little bit, a lot, mostly, etc.).
Herein lies the rub, FK. God is not relative and his Church is not a man-made institution that is subject to relativity. One cannot say I believe in God a little bit, or I agree with Him on some things. The Church is not-man made. One cannot agree with the Church a "little bit."
Your thinking is of this world. You are of this world. The Orthodox/Catholics are not.
I understand that when one decides to become Orthodox, that he must be "all in", but that isn't by accident is it? Of course not. I know you are not centralized like the RCs are, but in order to be 100%, it has to come from a central authority, "the Church" (as you understand it). I didn't think you were "allowed" to disagree with any of the 100%. Isn't that right? If you do you could be thrown out, right? That's what I'm talking about. In Protestant churches, there is simply more leeway, but of course there is a line which may not be crossed. If I went around my church proclaiming Mormonism, for example, I could be thrown out.
Being a Calvinist is different. You can pick and choose those parts of John Calvin's theology with which you agree in principle and if they dominate your personal convictions you can say that you are a Calvinist (a little bit, a lot, mostly, etc.).
Well, anyone can call himself anything he wants, but that doesn't make it true. In comparison, you have what amounts to a contract. "I promise to believe in this, this, and this, and you will agree to let me be a member of an Orthodox church". That is fine with me. If you want to be a member of my church, you have to be baptized as a believer.
Anyway, my point is that you seem to be comparing what Calvinists CALL themselves with what is required for membership in your church. There simply is no "Calvinist Church of God" (that I'm aware of) where one must hold 100% to everything Calvin believed. Why does this matter? Calvin didn't teach that his views were the authority, he taught that the Bible was the authority. I don't remember what the Orthodox view on excommunication is, but Calvin never taught "believe everything I say or I will take your salvation away from you". :)
Herein lies the rub, FK. God is not relative and his Church is not a man-made institution that is subject to relativity. One cannot say I believe in God a little bit, or I agree with Him on some things. The Church is not-man made. One cannot agree with the Church a "little bit." (emphasis added)
Oh, come on! :) I agree that God is not relative and that God's Church is not man-made. However, bazillions of people believe in God "a little bit" and agree with Him on "some" things. They are called lost people. :) That is why one is not either a man of faith or a murdering zombie. The lost do plenty of things we would normally call "good".
I'm afraid I do not understand what your "rub" is.
You are of this world. The Orthodox/Catholics are not.
Sometimes, in a very certain sense, I couldn't agree with you more! :)