“Now, is this BECAUSE of the NO Mass? Or is this because of other, extenuating circumstance? Such as poor catechisis, poor stewardship by priests and bishops, the invasion of modernism and liberalism into the faithful, and so forth?”
The NO liturgy so far as I can see teaches nothing but how important the people are. The praying has become defective and thus the teaching. You speak of catechesis and yet the greatest tool of catechesis are the various liturgies and devotions which Rome scraped because they wanted something they thought would be “relevant”.
“I don’t know where you live, so I cannot make comments on WHY Protestantism has not spread throughout your community. I would presume that Orthodoxy is largely a cultural way of life for people who live in Russia or Greece and “converting” to Protestantism is, in effect, a rejection of your culture.”
I don’t live in Russia or Greece; I live right here in America, about one mile from where I was born. The reason Protestantism has made no inroads into our Orthodox community is that it has absolutely nothing to offer us. Its that simple!
“Places like Serbia and Russia do not have that cultural mobility, so it is not surprising to see people born and die Orthodox. I hightly doubt it is because of their “rite”.”
But in fact it is because of the “rite” in many ways. The “rite” is where we learn The Faith in the way that it has been successfully taught for 1700 years at least.
Untrue. The NO does emphasize the community and the Paschal Banquet teachings, but that doesn't mean that the Sacrificial aspects are removed. Perhaps you should listen to (or read) the NO Missal yourself. The Great Amen continues to be the high point, theologically, of the Mass, as all is offered to the Father in union with Christ and the Spirit.
I live right here in America, about one mile from where I was born. The reason Protestantism has made no inroads into our Orthodox community is that it has absolutely nothing to offer us. Its that simple!
Yes, you live in an Orthodox "ghetto" (there is no negative connotations to that word, I presume you know what I mean by "ghetto", my friend). I would posit that you do not have the experience I have in this regard. If you didn't live where you live now, who knows what "inroads" you would have seen.
If I had remained in my Polish neighborhood of my birth, very strongly Catholic, I am sure I could say the same about Protesant inroads. Mass was said in Polish and this time of the year was especially pronounced with Polish traditions and such. I returned this summer to help bury my Dad, and I didn't see a lot of inroads of Protestantism there. The community is smaller, my former local church has closed and consolidated with another due to financial problems and lack of priests. But Polish hymns are still sung. There still is a Catholic "ghetto", albeit smaller than before.
But in fact it is because of the “rite” in many ways. The “rite” is where we learn The Faith in the way that it has been successfully taught for 1700 years at least.
That is true, I cannot deny that we do learn during the Liturgy, but it is not the only place we learn about God. Retaining the same rites without proper catechesis is a "dead" church, a la US Catholicism, 1960. "Follow the motions and you'll go to heaven". The Latin Mass was not, nor is enough, my friend. With Modernism, the Church needed some fresh air. Now someone needs to close the windows, the bugs are coming in...
Regards