This is a tiring conversation for me - unlike the intellectually stimulating and productive dialogue that I have with my Roman Catholic brethren.  Not to say that the Protestants cannot have intellectually stimulating discussions (look at C.S. Lewis or even Martin Luther for crying out loud), but it is the case that we usually find ourselves arguing points from completely different world views, at least in regards to ecclesiastical issues.  The point was made to me that all of us in the 21st century have these same philosophical, cultural, sociological predispositions.  But this is simply not true.  When you submit yourselves to the authority of the Church, Roman Catholic or Orthodox, you begin to see things from the viewpoint of that ancient body.  You elevate the letters of St Ignatius of Antioch, who was appointed by St. Peter himself, and the words of the Great Councils above those of, say, some recent conference discussing new ways to exegete Scripture for our times.

All of the issues that were taken up with me this weekend have been dealt with since the beginning of the Reformation.  And they were dealt with by me years ago while I was confronting the claims of the Orthodox Church.  Dialogue between Orthodox and Roman Catholics seems, to me, a quite natural thing.  But because of the stark differences between us and Protestantism, and because of the offensiveness of our claims to them, I have no desire to take up that issue in a venue like this.  I would much rather do it in a private setting where I can ensure that my friendships are not being damaged in some unnecessary way..

rushed to the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit where he was on a ventilator for seven-and-a-half weeks.

He fought off lahana kapsüü several life-threatening infections and severe lung disease and was allowed home after seven biber hapı months.

I cannot wait to hear this child’s views on a woman’s right to choose in 20 years or so.  Come to think of it, I wonder if his mother’s have now changed.

I am left to wonder then on what grounds is it possible for the Orthodox to dialogue (generally) with protestants?  Shamefully, I have found myself becoming mute as to the particulars of my own faith when religious discussions are taken up because I feel utterly incapable of translating it into a language most protestants would understand (and not be offended by!).  I have marveled at some Orthodox clergy who have been able to bridge the gulf between Orthodoxy and protestantism, though I have also felt strong reservations about whether or not that bridge typically entails some “watering down” of the Orthodox faith.  My own youthful biases coupled with the good natured skepticism of a learned, adult mind compels me to worry that a number of the damaging attitudes that have come to exemplify modern protestant Christianity will tunnel their way into Orthodoxy (including fundamentalism).  While I have certainly come to know some *amazing* protestant Christians with a faith which shines brighter than the stars on a summer night in rural Michigan, I cannot say that I am anything but cautious/nervous in how myself or other Orthodox approach them in dialogue.

The fact of the matter is that both Orthodox and Catholics share a core set of beliefs that are diametrically opposed to many of the assumptions of protestantism.  At the same time, we all hold as truth that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who came into the world to save sinners.  Except with the extreme fringes, all Christians hold a Trinitarian understanding of God.  Even though the protestants have deleted books out of the Bible, it is certainly not diminished in any way with regards to their willingness to adhere to it.  But is that enough?  No protestant is going to likely accept that St. John Chrysostom hit the nail on the head for the Church when it came to understanding Romans or endorse Thomistic thought as the official Christian philosophy.  How important are these differences?  And heck, are there not even more fundamental ones I haven’t even touched upon?

I would take it even further to say that it is impossible to present the faith of either Orthodoxy or Catholicism in a non-offensive way to Protestants without either compromising our own faith or at least withholding parts of it.

This is why I believe great care and discretion is needed.

Although it is certainly true that Roman Catholics and Orthodox share so many fundamental assumptions that discussion can really get underway with far fewer clarifications, I believe the chief problem in dialoguing with Protestants is not differing ecclesiologies, vocabularies and soteriologies, so much as the inattention paid to Protestant assumptions. Roman Catholics and Orthodox, since they share so many of these fundamental assumptions can get right to the nitty-gritty of papal supremacy (over against Orthodox papal primacy) and infallibility, the differences between created and uncreated grace, and so forth. With Protestants, the entire process must begin with the pervasive rejection of the Tradition.
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I don’t know about you, but from the age of about three I saw the immense problems in using a Christian Bible from a Jewish translation, and was demanding to my parents that someone undertake an English translation from the Septuagint. I guess my voice was heard.

At the risk of sounding silly, I sometimes wonder if a “miracle” will in fact be imposed on us, and I sometimes imagine its vague outlines to be like this: The Orthodox, confronted with full-fledged western individualism, find themselves increasingly unable to “hold things together” and begin longing for a central authority to maintain tradition …. while the Catholics, for their part, long for the spirit of Orthodoxy to help them rid their church of the secular spirit that too often invades it. By sharing our strengths with each other, we then “grow” into a unity beyond our divisions.

Aside from how this might play into a “miracle,” as you say, towards our reunification, I think that we can acknowledge that the issues of secularization and individualism are ravaging forces that are already showing the potential to do much damage to both Churches.  The Orthodox are indeed worried about the devastating effects that parts of Western individualist culture will have on its faithful, and it seems obvious the toll that “the secular spirit” is taking on many Roman Catholic parishes.

I think that, at least in regards to these two issues, both ancient churches would do well to join forces and fight together.  Just how that would happen or what it would look like I don’t know.