>>Don’t forget about the ancient chr*stian churches who pray towards the east. <<
Traditions of men die hard. The Haitian Christians still have a hard time shaking of Voodoo customs.
Their country was destroyed because they prayed facing the wrong direction? Wow. Your Protestantism is more demanding than anyone's "works" religion.
I suppose it's a good thing that everything you folks do is prescribed in detail--from the pointy roof to the wooden pews to the shape-note songbooks to pulpit the preacher stands behind (all prescribed in detail by Paul, no doubt). Wouldn't want to be like those awful Haitians who added to the Word of G-d by praying facing the wrong way and got their country destroyed because of it.