Pithless Thoughts does it again! I have people just like the apocryphal subdeacon in my mission church. They are both cradle and convert. At best, they are an annoyance in that they go around quoting obscure practices and, yes, canons and councils with little understanding of canon law, its development, and its commentaries. Worse, they forget the role of the hierarch in Orthodoxy and that he has the authority to decide how and what disciplinary canons are applied. In their mind, they have an Americanized version of Orthodoxy in which “everyone” is under the Rule of Law. While that may be a good expression of American constitutional government, it is not that way in Orthodoxy.
But, at worst, those who hold this attitude are not only judgmental, they also drive people out of the Church. Thinking that they are upholding “true” Orthodoxy, they separate themselves more and more from the Body of Christ. Sadly, some of them end up in groups that besides not being in communion with many other Orthodox, also usually have the name “True” somewhere in the title of their “Church.” Usually these groups also have long explanations as to why their bishops are true bishops in the apostolic succession and why they are not part of worldwide Orthodoxy, nor in communion with any of the patriarchates. And so, at worst they become simply another splinter group on the American scene. Not surprisingly, the Orthodox splinter groups move into and out of communion with each other, in a dance that is determined by their current hot topic.
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