very nice article.
although i had to laugh at the idea that orthodoxy was more liberal than 'fundamentalist protestantism'.
i was a very strict (no need to date, certainly no time at home with young man and parents away...) protestant.
so i suppose not so different from the north american 'fundies'.
not until i entered the big bad world of university, did i meet some strange anglicans who believed in evolution
but my parents made wine, and we were all invited to sample it! this had a beneficial effect, that i never saw a drunken friend
till university (a Christian who drank too much!
) as alcohol was definitely not a big deal, as long as u didn't drink the whole bottle.
i suppose maybe it was good that the orthodox church i joined wasn't more liberal, i might have not known what to do with all the 'freedom' like the writer says.
but i invite all those shocked at the excesses of orthodoxy and unable to quite control themselves to visit our (mainly) non drinking, heavy Bible studying brigade over in the coptic orthodox church for a few months. at least till the end of the Christmas fast, so maybe they will have learnt how to channel their freedom with a bit of old fashioned cultural pressure from the natives!
or maybe it's a problem specific to certain countries. i suppose if u have too much freedom, a long, foreign working holiday (only spending as much as u earn) in the 'old country' may reign it in.
