"I don't care how homogeneous a doctrine is . . . even rules and bylaws . . . each congregation will have it's own distintives of greater or lesser importance."
If you mean in areas like friendliness, openness to "outsiders", what they eat, what minor feastdays are celebrated, then yes, I agree there are such differences from parish to parish and certainly from one ethnicity to another. I guess I fail to see what if anything that might have to do with faithfulness to The Faith as delivered.
"I just know that the older organizations are and the larger they are, the more deadly they tend to become--to individuals . . . and, imho, to The Gospel."
I think as a general observation what you say is true. But consider that Orthodoxy has believed the same things and worshipped in the same way since not all that long after Pentecost. There have been conciliar definitions of particular points of theology in response to various heresies through the 7 ecumenical councils and there have been some surface changes in liturgical practice (styles of iconostasia, vestments, the adding or dropping of a prayer here and there) but really nothing of any consequence. The theology of Orthodoxy and its praxis is so fixed and so ancient that itis likely that if I were to be dropped into a church in 2nd century Corinth, I could participate in the liturgy and discuss theology with the people and priest in exactly the same manner as I can this Sunday here in 21st century America. In sum, what you see in orthodoxy is for all intents and purposes what anyone at anytime virtually since Christ would have seen. That can't be said of "Protestantism" at all, and of Roman Catholicism somewhat more, though not to the extent of Orthodoxy.
In your understanding of what God requires of us in the way of belief and praxis, would you say that Orthodoxy has had it wrong pretty much from day one?
In your understanding of what God requires of us in the way of belief and praxis, would you say that Orthodoxy has had it wrong pretty much from day one?
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NO. But I'm not that detailed familiar with Orthodoxy in any comprehensive way.
I can accept what you say to a large degree on faith.
But I have had plenty to disagree with posters hereon supposedly from the Orthodox standpoint. So, I'm not sure where I'd draw any lines.
Theoretically, I could have a problem with the iconography. Supposedly it could be as big a problem as the RC statues etc. But I usually don't have the same cold evil feel about Orthodox iconography in my spirit. It MAY be the case that the Orthodox successfully avoid idolatry more than the RC's. I don't know.
I still have a hard time and cannot accept the praying to departed saints or to Mary. That is just wholesale contrary to my whole understanding of Scripture and of my experience with Jesus, The Father and Holy Spirit. I cannot imagine a common ground on that in the RC or Orthodox directions.
But mostly, LOVE GOD WHOLLY; OTHERS AS SELF; DO UNTO OTHERS. . . . SEEK GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS FIRST, FOREMOST AND ALWAYS . . .
and I'll happily consider someone a brother or sister in Christ--almost always--regardless of A LOT of garbage otherwise.
Not sure how to sort it out more . . . if you care to ask more specific questions about such praxis, fine. Just avoid assuming I know a lot of special terms etc.
In terms of congregational distinctives having to do with faithfulness to the faith delivered . . . It sounds like you are asserting that every Orthodox congregation is balanced and healthy and focused exclusively and wholesale on God, His will etc. I'm exceedingly skeptical that that's true. And, it would likely be the congregational disctinctives that had gotten a given congregation askew.
Sometimes we get in trouble doing what we do best far too much. Sometimes it's a relatively initially small pride that satan gets amplified and then all kinds of evil slid in on. It's usually human stuff that gets rationalized as justified according to this or that belief, tradition or custom of men. . . . and sometimes even true doctines are used to hide all kinds of evil.