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To: Forest Keeper; kosta50

"I don't understand the difference. Even in a cynical sense, aren't we all "selling something" from our POV? :) You would also try to convince a seeker of your doctrine, just as we would, right? Are we not all in a marketplace of ideas? :)"

I can't speak from a Latin Church perspective, but froma Greek Orthodox one, well it really isn't a selling job. People come to our parish all the time, especially fundamentalist Protestants interestingly enough. Most of them have read themselves into a place where they feel the need to check out Orthodoxy. I think many of them are a bit disappointed that we don't give them any pitch. We are happy to have them attend the Divine Liturgy and we will answer their questions, but beyond that, it has to be between them and God. Most of them don't stay, but a good number have. If they disagree with us, that's just fine. We offer them anoter cup of coffee and a piece of baklava. For those who stay, it usually takes about five years for them to really come to understand the metanoia which Orthodox Christianity effects in people. Orthodoxy, FK, is the most counter-cultural sort of Christianity. Those conservative Protestants come into The Church sincerely believing that they have found what they were always looking for, the True Church. And they have, but five years later they have discovered that the True Church they found is really quite a different True Church than they had originally believed.

There's no way to "sell" or even evangelize that, FK. One has to live it...for years.


2,405 posted on 02/08/2006 5:15:49 PM PST by Kolokotronis (Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated!)
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To: Kolokotronis

Exactly. I wrote my 2407 at the same time and we have very similar observations. It is funny.


2,409 posted on 02/08/2006 5:32:16 PM PST by annalex
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To: Kolokotronis; annalex; jo kus; kosta50
You would also try to convince a seeker of your doctrine, just as we would, right? Are we not all in a marketplace of ideas? :)"

Thank you for all of your answers on this, they are very consistent. As I was thinking about this I slapped my head and said "Forest, you idiot! You're an evangelical!" :) It's funny, at this very moment our Youth Minister has a small team in Torino for the main purpose of riding around on shuttle buses, wandering through the Olympic Village, etc. and striking up conversations with whomever. He's been doing this every two years since 1996. He then blogs back to us how it's going and they really are interesting stories.

Even in every normal Sunday service, we will ask that any visitor tear out a portion of the worship guide, write down their contact info, and leave it in the collection plate. One of the staff will then follow up with a phone call to visit with them and answer any questions, etc. It's a pretty "soft sell". :)

2,506 posted on 02/11/2006 10:49:10 AM PST by Forest Keeper
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