It's not enough to have a few intellectuals speaking the truth on this and a couple of other web sites while the population is totally confused watching the staged fights between the old communists and the former trotzkiists.

" ... and for a while I considered the Orthodox Church. However, being of western European extraction, I simply could not get past the idea that I did not truly belong in any Orthodox congregation."

That Orthodoxy is "eastern" and Catholicism "western" is simply an accident of history. Neither church is inherently one or the other -- each understands itself to be, in full, the church of Jesus Christ. Your argument would suggest that neither a Greek nor a Russian should consider converting to Roman Catholicism, if conscience indicated such.

Rome has accepted entire Eastern communities into communion while maintaining the Byzantine rite and the traditional creed (no "filioque"). In the United States, two Orthodox jurisdictions have admitted a few Anglo-Catholic, even a few some Roman Catholic communities, into communion while maintaining the Western rite, with a few tweaks -- no "filioque," the addition of an explicit epiclesis.

Some U.S. Orthodox have agitated for "reverse uniatism," i.e., the promotion of traditional Western rites (Gregorian, Sarum, Tridentine) in order to bring disaffected RCs and Anglicans into Orthodoxy. This approach has been rejected by almost all bishops on the grounds that two wrongs do not make a right, i.e., the RCC's opportunistic uniatism does not render Orthodox uniatism an appropriate canonical practice.

Some of us think that that before Rome proposes to undertake the "conversion" of Russia, it would be a good idea for Rome to undertake the "conversion" of Italy and France.

...

"... it’s representative government has not met the high standards of Massachusetts ..."

corrupt,

... , Vermont ..."

corrupt,

"... and Louisiana. ..."

corrupt.

Why are Americans so conceited and stupid? (Apparently that's why)

Though baptized a Catholic, I was not raised in a particularly religiously orthodox environment, and it was not until around age 19 that I felt a drive toward apostolic Christianity. The Papism and the ease with which the post-conciliar Catholic Church conceded to modernist corruption initially made me rather cold toward Catholicism, and for a while I considered the Orthodox Church. However, being of western European extraction, I simply could not get past the idea that I did not truly belong in any Orthodox congregation. Gradually this made me more open to listening to intellectual arguments in favor of Catholicism, which I eventually rejoined.

Now, ethnocentrism can be a problem among Catholics, particularly in certain North American parishes, and it is quite true that all of the apostolic Churches lack an essential missionary zeal these days. That said, ethnocentrism and lack of missionary enthusiasm seem to be particularly rampant among the Orthodox, and this combined with the open acceptance by most autocephalous Churches of artificial contraception will likely ensure that they continue to bleed in terms of numbers. I have a great amount of respect for Orthodox Christians, but I simply cannot believe that their current path is entirely helpful even to themselves. (And I commend those courageous Russian bishops who spoke out against the demographic menace threatening their country.)

Thanks, Caper, for the honesty of this response. It justifies every reservation that today's Orthodox have about continuing the process of "ecumenical dialogue" with the Roman Catholic Church. If this is indeed what Rome has to say to the Orthodox after 40 years of "dialogue," it's clear that the Orthodox have no reason to stay at the table.

And this is all I have to say because the religious issues that ~you~ raised, more or less gratuitously, are not directly relevant to this discussion.

IC XC NIKA

It is always pleasant of course to see sanity ‘reimposing’ itself…

Here is the maxim under one pseudonym or another I have always reminded us of: ‘Absolute or perfect balance in the world is rigged to be not possible (the world is alive and dynamic, not hypothetical); and for this very reason on the other hand approximate balance is Requisite.’

Children or more specifically ‘adolescents’ “think” or more accurately in this regard ‘believe’ in terms of absolutes … they take a non-dynamic [or absolute] wish or fantasy and ‘believe’ in it ‘as if’ they are actually ‘thinking’. There’s is nothing wrong with ‘belief’ indeed it is in human or conceptual creatures a BIOLOGICAL necessity. We do it and will always do it all the time. The mistake is to confuse it with thought. A belief [wish or idea] is open-ended, and good in that regard. Apparently even mother Nature has proven to be paradoxically in some NARROW regards open ended in allowing for creatures (ourselves) who are not only aware and thinking unconsciously…but aware of being aware and also thinking consciously as well. A thought in comparison with beliefs or a wish or an idea is not open ended. Rather it is something complete in itself and something we can Do. Here’s a thought - ‘don’t confuse motion with action.’

‘In 2003 and 2004 came the U.S.-supported and financed “color-coded revolutions” in Georgia and Ukraine, the geopolitical equivalent of Putin engineering anti-American regime changes in Mexico and Canada.’ -Trifkovic

The ‘belief’ in American right to hegemony or the cultural underpinning of a jewish notion in their being ‘chosen’ … is adolescence. Putin argued in the past let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. Now he is acting, based on our adolescent belief that an untenable IMBALANCE toward ourselves in the world is a good thing, by his instead having to become the sane responsible parent…in noticing Approximate Balance is Requisite.

I have also written in the past of noticing his courage and sanity, and am glad to see it continues to be the case. Of course perfect or absolute balance is NOT possible…only the temptation to act in one’s own interests in tipping the balance/s…too much toward oneself. We can Hope once it is Russia’s or china’s turn to make that mistake they do Not choose to. Or if they do then perhaps in the future America may have its own Putin. That would be ‘nice.’
___________________________________

I heard of it on

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIIEmISJzyg