Rethinking The Lost 60%

http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles-2009/Salaris-Concerning-The-Sixty-Percent.php
- Fr. Salaris, Orthodoxy Today

There's no need to further beat on the ethnic Church and internal strife dead horses any further. I'll add two of my own:

1) Secular Progressivism: By the time every American youth gets through college, they've been beaten down with presumptions that Christianity is outdated, bigoted, unenlightened, and a barrier to one's personal self fulfillment (read: guiltless, consequence free sex). Christianity has been depicted as unintellectual and in enmity with the principles of modern science. The Church hierarchy is ill-equipped to arm its laity with the tools necessary to engage the "world" and each individual has de-prioritized inherited faith in favor of career, relationship, and the vague and nebulous "college experience."

2) Lukewarmness: It seems that getting a priest in my jurisdiction to say that Christianity is the fullness of Truth requires serious arm twisting. I've learned about ecumenism in my 26 years than I've learned about the Trinity. Gandhi has been mentioned in more sermons by far than St. John Chrysostom. I've come to the conclusion that mentioning Mahatma Gandhi in a sermon is a sure sign that priest has officially run out of ideas. We have lost the courage to confess our faith without fear of offending people of other churches or religions. Note: preaching is usually done in the Church...full of people who are ALREADY Orthodox.

-Steve K.