I was just looking at the comments posted on Devin's "Mountains out of Molehills" blog entry and frankly I am saddened. The Catholic comments exhibit much insularity and if this is the manner of the Catholic approach to dialogue with the Orthodox, then it isn't going to go anywhere.
We are crudely accused of "not getting it" and even "deliberately not getting it."
Really, does it never cross the minds of such narrow commentators that we do indeed "get it" but we have our own viewpoint, our own theology and we do not agree with the Catholic position. If we can understand the differences between our positions, why can't the Catholic commentators? Apparently "getting it" means agreeing with the Catholic position. What can I say? If this is the quality of the dialogue between us, it's doomed.
+1
In my understanding after nearly 17 years of Internet communication with Orthodox faithful and reading Orthodox saints and theologians that "getting it" means understanding what the Catholic Church means in her teachings, actually re-presenting the teachings with sensitivity to Catholic meaning and not some sort of Orthodox over-lay, which omits some things and adds things that are not there...THAT is what I would say is NOT "getting it"...and after 17 years and repeated corrections, I do not think it is unfair to say that some of the falsifying of Catholic teaching is purposeful on the part of some Orthodox communicants and believers.
M.
If you take a look at the thread we are being accused of being deliberately obtuse (not "getting it") about the Roman Catholic teaching on the procession of the Spirit. The attitude towards us is contemptuous. See for yourself.
Seems to me that for those of you there who are active here there should be no difficulty at all mocking and grinding those detractors right into the ground. Professor Cut'n Paste is there so all's well for the Home Team!!
And yet that is NOT happening! None of the Orthodox are mocking and grinding. Instead, as we see, this is what the Roman Catholics are doing.
Dearest Fr. Ambrose,
Having read your comments, I have to say that your complaint rings a little hollow. You will probably note that not
all Orthodox are painted with that same brush, though you could choose, incorrectly I would say, to interpret it that way.
From what I read there (Devin's website), that is absolutely nothing compared with some of the comments on
this website disparaging, denigrating, and insulting Catholics, the Catholic Church, Catholic theology and teaching, the Pope, and the Vatican. I find I must ask you, where were you in complaining about
that over the years? I most certainly am not accusing you, of course, but your silence about it does imply some degree of complicity or agreement. That, to me, indicates that perhaps you hold Catholics to a higher standard than Orthodox. I hope that I'm wrong about that, but it sure seems that way from what you write and what you have not written.
There are some on this board who are
nothing if not contemptuous of Catholics or things Catholic, but I don't see you censuring them. Why is that?
"Mocking and grinding"? Do you read some of the posts on
this board by Orthodox "Christians" directed towards Catholics?