Of course you realize that movie was just making fun of the obvious correlation within the Greek community of "Greek-ness" and "Christian-ness". But the point is taken. I also feel the need to mention that that movie describes my LIFE.
I do, however, have a question: I'm a cradle Greek Orthodox. Iif I moved somewhere and there were no Greek parishes near me (or a different jurisdiction was closer), would I have to be "received" in some way by that jurisdiction? My instinct is to say no, but some of you are referring to different jurisdictions' practices (preparation for taking communion, confession, prayer rules, etc) as though they are not compatible with all other Orthodox churches, to the point where it sounds like these customs are dogmatized. Are different jurisdictions that incompatible? I've taken communion in my friend's Antiochian church where her father is a priest, clearly that's not "wrong", right?
Zoe,
No, you need not be "received" by another juristiction. If you are Orthodox you are Orthodox regardless of the ethnic qualifier. The "incompatibilities" are often times overblown by the laity. It is perceived that the GOA is more "liberal" by some and ROCOR is "more traditional". *big eye roll*
Honestly, I have not experienced this phenomnen and I grew up in a big ethnic enclave where I experienced GOA churches that were "conservative" and Russian churches were were more "liberal".
Personally, I was chrismated at an Antiochion church and when my job was transferred to another city my husband and I became members of the local Serbian Orthodox church. We decided on the SOC after visiting a Romanian, Antiochian and Greek church. The worst thing was getting aqainted with the old calendar.
The only way you would have any issue with being received into an Orthodox church is if you were to decide to attend an Oriental, Macedonian or something that claims to be an "orthodox" church but really isn't.
