2023 Forum Attendees Receive Results of Orthodox Convert Survey

interesting, thanks!

Much of the survey seems encouraging.

I partook in that survey and I find the results interesting, some more surprising than others.

This one:

“a need to always set Orthodoxy as in opposition to ‘the
west’ to the point that if a western person says “the sky is
blue” we must say it’s green so as not to be western.”

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All I can say is this: AAAAAAAMEN!

Just because it is "Western" does NOT mean it is automatically un-Orthodox, anti-Orthodox, or heretical.

This here:

“We’re increasingly presented with two alternatives -
liberalization akin to what occurred in mainline
Protestantism or rigorism that robs its adherents of the
easy yoke that comes with following Christ.”

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I think is a result of our own Culture Wars. I mean, it is possible to just be Orthodox without being a liberal ecumenist or a pharisitical rigorist. I hope that this survey can help priests be a little more informed on what sort of things they need to teach converts when they're coming in. The casual antisemitism mentioned is NOT Orthodox, and yes, it does exist in some jurisdictions more than others. One priest friend of mine is finding that he's having to tell new catechumens that racism and antisemitism are wrong. How many out there are not?

E.C. said:

Just because it is "Western" does NOT mean it is automatically un-Orthodox, anti-Orthodox, or heretical.

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this

"Virtually all recent converts were significantly influenced by online podcasts, websites, and other online personalities."

Yay! for the internet I guess.

I got a kick out of this response:

Q: What motivated you to first become acquainted with the Orthodox faith? How did you become acquainted?
A: I was in trouble with the law.

I guess in a larger sense we are all in trouble with the Law.

Chesterton said:

Q: What motivated you to first become acquainted with the Orthodox faith? How did you become acquainted?
A: I was in trouble with the law.

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haha, that’s funny