Yikes, just getting back to this thread. A lot of discussion since my question. Can't really keep up right now, but will save for re-read later. MarMema, it seems your heart, like many other good hearts wishes for God to smile on all good men, even those outside of "the church". I think there are many of us who feel this way, including a few church leaders. However, it is difficult to reconcile that inclusivist thinking with actual church doctrine. I admit i know very little about the Eastern Orthodox church. It just seems to me that when it comes down to the nitty gritty, Constantinian Christianity, is exclusive. I think that thinking ("only Christians are saved" )comes more from the doctrine of the church than it does from the Bible. However, i also recognize the exclusivist claims put in Jesus' mouth by the writer of the 4th gospel. (Noteworthy that those claims are no where in the earliest gospels of Matthew, Mark or Luke.) And once again, i just don't see Jesus and the Constantinian church as having the same focus.
A while back an article came out saying that the Vatican said the Jewish wait for the messiah was valid. (I will see if i can dig it up) What is/was the Orthodox take on this subject?
Heres the link to the article i just mentioned in my previous post. Just wondered if any of you knew of the Eastern Orthodox take on it.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/683007/posts
It's valid only in the narrow sense that the messiah is coming again, but to put that forward as an argument that Jews are not called to convert, or that the Church is not called to evangelise them, is dishonest. I know there are many highly placed prelates who voice this opinion, perhaps because they like to think themselves fine fellows and see themselves smiled upon by the world. But this is not authentic Catholic doctrine.
It's not likely you'd get an official comment from us on this kind of thing. Probably because there's nothing much to say about it.