tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18762198.post8309846101642835663..comments2023-12-02T06:33:50.847-08:00Comments on Notes from a Common-place Book: Two Views of American OrthodoxyTerry (John)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07523479530843509695noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18762198.post-27664791085183132192012-06-15T18:40:12.997-07:002012-06-15T18:40:12.997-07:00When I visit fellow Orthodox parishes in the Unite...When I visit fellow Orthodox parishes in the United States I am fascinated by the politics, although the few I've been to are exemplary in keeping politics in the background. <br /><br />I'm under the impression that the strong political atmosphere in the United States may be an advantage. The suffocating atmosphere of politics has made some Orthodox Christians so desperate they've given up on everything but their faith. <br /><br />With good results!<br /><br />If one can retain a sense of humour there are few people I like visiting more than my fellow Orthodox Christians in the United States.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18762198.post-23923124002747329782012-06-14T09:10:04.874-07:002012-06-14T09:10:04.874-07:00Thanks for the post! Enjoyed it.
Owen, I wish y...Thanks for the post! Enjoyed it. <br /><br />Owen, I wish you lived in NE, so I could make an afternoon trip to buy you a few rounds. Really.Abba Poemen the Ubermenschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03915169381392100130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18762198.post-85975221411040994872012-06-13T15:47:25.504-07:002012-06-13T15:47:25.504-07:00http://www.ranker.com/pics/N1000170603/ron-paul-an...http://www.ranker.com/pics/N1000170603/ron-paul-and-mr-burns-politicians-photo-u1Ochlophobist https://www.blogger.com/profile/13751003558600087713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18762198.post-51850187620498469362012-06-12T11:50:09.487-07:002012-06-12T11:50:09.487-07:00I should probably let Owen speak for himself (I th...I should probably let Owen speak for himself (I think he follows this blog), but it's pretty clear why he doesn't like Ron Paul: Owen is a Marxist and there is not too much common ground between Marxists and libertarians.Chris Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03220498656377282715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18762198.post-54949550721588855692012-06-11T09:25:46.371-07:002012-06-11T09:25:46.371-07:00Kirk,
I am embarrassed that I have not yet read F...Kirk,<br /><br />I am embarrassed that I have not yet read Fr. Meletios' book. It has been on my "to read" list for some time.<br /><br />You will have to ask Owen about Ron Paul. No doubt he will tell you why. (I greatly appreciate RP when he is in "bring the troops home" mode. Once he turns to domestic issues, his doctrinaire libertarianism leaves me as cold as most ideologies do.) <br /><br />Glad to hear y'all are tackling the big issues at the CoC up in CO. How did they come down on wearing crosses? (Let me guess--it was kinda sorta okay, as long as they were not seen, maybe.) BTW, is one of the elders named McGinty?Terry (John)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07523479530843509695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18762198.post-13674913704209177472012-06-10T20:00:44.970-07:002012-06-10T20:00:44.970-07:00John, I read Fr. Jonathan's post, and I have t...John, I read Fr. Jonathan's post, and I have to agree with you that his thoughts are superior to the other guy's. I realize that you are not a defender of Dreher's writings and ideas. I've subscribed to Tobias on my GoogleReader, and I will make an effort to more closely follow his writings.<br /><br />Things here in Coldarado (ha) are picking up. You'll be glad to know that the local CoC doesn't have any religious symbols in the auditorium, other than the American flag, of course. (snicker.) We had a talk a few weeks ago about whether it was okay to wear crosses around your neck. Alas, the discussion never made it to flag lapel pins. Take care.Kirknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18762198.post-86120829228200689382012-06-10T19:17:04.876-07:002012-06-10T19:17:04.876-07:00By the way, why does your friend Owen hate Ron Pau...By the way, why does your friend Owen hate Ron Paul so much?Kirknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18762198.post-77476100542594233072012-06-10T19:15:31.693-07:002012-06-10T19:15:31.693-07:00John, I'm going to look at Fr. Jonathan's ...John, I'm going to look at Fr. Jonathan's position next. In the meantime, I commend to you Meletios Webber's "Bread & Water, Wine & Oil," which was recommended to me by the local priest. Fr. Stephen Freeman recently quoted the book in his blog, and he describes Webber's distinction between the mind (thoughts and emotions) and the heart better than I can. See http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/the-true-self-and-the-story-of-me/Kirknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18762198.post-91317689277792586912012-06-10T18:05:59.706-07:002012-06-10T18:05:59.706-07:00Kirk, don't hold back--you need to learn to sp...Kirk, don't hold back--you need to learn to speak your mind-ha! I am largely in agreement. The article is self-serving and inconsequential. But what a contrast it is to what Fr. Jonathan Tobias writes. That's mainly why I used it. Hope things are going well in Coldorado.Terry (John)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07523479530843509695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18762198.post-69803709997431553382012-06-10T13:23:27.976-07:002012-06-10T13:23:27.976-07:003. Understand this: Dreher's motivation for ...3. Understand this: Dreher's motivation for this article is his self-justification for leaving the Catholic Church. He shows his true colors in the out-of-place swipe at St. Nicholas OCA Cathedral for allegedly promoting a pro-homosexual agenda. Fault me for judging, but I don't consider Dreher a true Orthodox convert so much as he is a displaced Catholic. According to him, he became a displaced Catholic when he studied the priest sex-abuse scandal in the early 2000's. <br /><br />If you've read Dreher like I have (I used to regularly follow his Crunchy Cons blog when he was in Dallas), you'll know that Dreher has an obsession about sex. I don't know whether the attitude about sex is merely a hang-up, or some form of Puritanism, or merely homophobia. I suspect it is more than homophobia, because he would regularly rant about Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus; although it could be that he is fixated on them in the same way that some gays have have fixations over Judy Garland.<br /><br />But whatever it is, Rod spends an inordinate amount of time dwelling upon what other people do in their own bedrooms. And I don't just say this as a mild curiosity: sexual purity is the primary reason that Rod Dreher attends the Orthodox Church today. That, and the fact that the Really Smart People worship under the onion dome.Kirknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18762198.post-68330463163939772732012-06-10T13:05:58.025-07:002012-06-10T13:05:58.025-07:002. About whom is Rod referring when he discusses ...2. About whom is Rod referring when he discusses the "tradition-minded conservatives [who] have found themselves looking past Rome to the churches of the ancient East"? Let's count: 1) Dreher; 2) Larison; 3) ???. Is it these other people he has quoted in his article, the people I have never heard of (not that I am anybody)?<br /><br />We know that six U.S. Supreme Court justices are Catholic; how many are Orthodox?<br /><br />If Orthodoxy is so compatible with elite intellectual conservatism, then there must be a great number intellectual conservatives who are cradle Orthodox, right? Name a few for us, Rod. What's that I hear? Crickets?<br /><br />The article reveals a great deal when it acknowledges Frederica Mathewes-Green as "perhaps the best-known American convert." I've read a few of Frederica's books; I've listened to her podcast; and I've even corresponded with her. I would hardly call her a household name. (But maybe she is among intellectual conservatives, how would I know?) And the other thing is, I would hardly call her a conservative. In my book, she is quite liberal. Sure, she is pro-life, but is that all there is to being conservative these days?Kirknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18762198.post-65872699122731443622012-06-10T12:52:32.554-07:002012-06-10T12:52:32.554-07:00Thank you, John, for reminding me what an idiot Ro...Thank you, John, for reminding me what an idiot Rod Dreher is. Not that it is an easy fact to forget, mind you; but I enjoy periods of time when his existence never crosses my mind, and for that I am truly grateful. A couple of thoughts on his publicity piece:<br /><br />1. Rod loves to consider himself part of the conservative intellectual crowd. By writing this article, he gets to tacitly add his name to the "growing list" (eyeroll) of conservative intellectuals who have left Rome for Constantinople. It would be one thing for, say, a Baptist to write about all of the conservative intellectuals who have joined the EOC; but it is another thing entirely for a member of the EOC to opine thereon. (Yay, us!)<br /><br />Hey Rod, I get it. It is neat to think of the EOC as a hangout for the RSP--Really Smart People, kind of like the Chess Club in junior high. But what you are really engaging in here is a bit of self-confirmation. It goes like this, "I am smart; I believe the EOC is right; other smart people have joined the EOC, too; and that further confirms that I am right!"<br /><br />Whether he realizes it or not, Dreher is a bit of an elitist, believing that Orthodoxy is for people "in the know" and that it couldn't possibly attract uncouth liberals and the uneducated. Maybe we can justify to ourselves that American Orthodoxy's lack of growth is because it is an acquired taste, much like caviar and Pate', and that we can't expect Joe American to appreciate such cultured experiences.Kirknoreply@blogger.com