What, is there a strong push to not step on the toes of the Papists?
Catholic doctrine is wrong.
They view Christ in terms of "The Atonement".
Meaning that the Christ that they know, is fundamentally different than the Christ that the True Church knows.
They have no concept of Theosis.
Even if they weren't separated from the grace of the True Church (and they are), they STILL would hold nothing any more Salvific than say, the Mormon church. (Which is nothing Salvific at all, mind you)
It's not a matter of hurt feelings or politeness, it's just the truth.
You'll find many that try to disagree.
You'll find many on the wrong side of every discussion.
You found many well-intentioned Orthodox on the wrong side of the Iconoclastic controversy, and they suddenly found themselves heretics and cut off from Grace.
I'm sorry, but that's the way it is.
Get over it, renounce Catholicism and become Orthodox.
Salvation is here. The Vatican can do nothing for you.
This sudden push for "Union" is simply a fulfillment of prophesy, I don't expect it to go away.
Elder Joseph said flat out that the Spirit of Antichrist is pushing for a False Union in preparation for his coming.
The True Church will probably be underground by the time my children are grown.
Sad. But those days are upon us.
That is patently untrue. We have a very strongly developed concept of deification (the Latin word for the same thing).
As for the comment about Mormonism - well, I know some Mormons. Lots of Mormons, actually. I went to Sacrament Meeting today to bid farewell to one of my friends who is about to leave on his mission, and went to a party this evening to greet a friend who just returned and say farewell to yet another friend leaving on his mission.
Yeah, their religion is wrong - really wrong. But I know men who do have not valid baptisms who show forth evidence of the grace of Christ in their life. Is it sacramental grace? No. It's not. But I recognize the fruits of the Holy Spirit when I see it.
The reality is much more complex than your post reveals. Mormonism doesn't have sacramental grace - the Catholic Church does - in fact, it has the fullness of it. Obviously, we disagree on this point.
But even Mormonism teaches the Resurrection. They teach charity. They teach love of neighbor and of God. Yes, their concepts of the One True God are severely warped - but there are the vestiges of truth within it - and those vestigies, while I have no idea if they will effect the salvation of some of my close friends, they at least bring forth true spiritual and Christian fruit which can only be the work of the Holy Spirit.
So many sheep without, so many wolves within. The issue is so much more complex than you seem to believe.