I've gotten another jury summons

[Ben Kenobi]

I tend to wonder if the Orthodox Church is also having these issues. I mean, there are number of conservative Protestants who are jumping to Orthodoxy due to a desire for liturgy, but not liberal Protestantism or Catholicism.

Some, but there's more doing what I did. Conservative Protestants swimming the Tiber. Mostly because the Catholic church is much more prominent in the West, and also because Orthodoxy has issues surrounding church organization. I don't really see much point in conservative protestants coming over and facing the same national divides that you find in many protestant churches.

it seems conservative Protestants have a much greater mistrust than liberal Protestants

You're labelling me a liberal protestant? That's not at all what I'm seeing. Liberal protestants have exactly zero interest in conversion to the Catholic church notably because they've already acheived what they wanted in most of their own churches. Why leave if you're being catered to. Some conservatives are leaving because of where the Catholic church stands on social issues, and the intransitence of their own churches, most notably the Episcopalians.

I wonder if people who were raised Orthodox have to have these discussions with some of these converts; that there are some parts of the deal they have to submit to that those folks may not be all the keen on.

I would be surprised if converts comprised a significant portion of any particular Orthodox church as opposed to the general lines of those who have been born into it and grown into it. As many have come over to Catholicism is a drop in the bucket compared with the Cradle Catholics. I know it's generally thought of that many leave the practice but that's just a numbers game - there's many who stay and even those who stay are far larger than all the protestant groups combined. There's really only the Baptists in the south, and even then - it will depend on where and when.

[Ben Kenobi]

Jon Miller

[Imran Siddiqui]

Liberal Protestants aren't converting, but while they ARE still Protestants, they are more willing to work with Catholics than conservative Protestants. I'm not talking about conversion, but willingness to work with or believe they have interesting stuff to say . There are still conservative Prots who consider Catholicism to be "non Christian". I've never heard a liberal Prot take that POV.

Also, the Orthodox Church in the US is much smaller than the Catholic Church in the US. 1 million in total. So Protestant converts can be more of a voice there.

[Elok]

They're just trading the pope for the political system of whatever country their particular branch of Orthodox Christianity is sourced from.

Even in Russia, the state does not wield anywhere near the same power over the church as the Pope has over Catholics. I gather the Patriarch there is Putin's cheerleader and occasional attack dog, but if the state is doing anything to control church doctrine or practices I haven't heard it.

Imran: There has been an influx of protestant converts; my church was founded twenty years ago by a group of rebel Episcopalians. The priest, and nineteen members of his parish, just came over en masse. My experience with these and others has been that these converts, and converts in general, are far more likely to adhere to every single point of doctrine. Until I was sixteen I went to a largely Arab church where they tended to do things like serve chicken during the Nativity Fast. None of that here.

Now, there is a certain amount of cross-contamination, with attitudes they had as protestants carrying over. They hold fast to Orthodox doctrine, but in some ways they still think like whatever they were before. Not always a bad thing, mind you. But I've met a priest who used to be a Pentecostal minister. You can tell every time he does a sermon or anoints the sick; he extemporizes passionately. That's not bad at all, it's just a little funny if you're used to sober recitation. I have met people who do the aggressive-personal-piety thing you see among some protestants (i.e., working Jesus into every single conversation somehow, even the ones you have with your handyman about reshingling your roof), and that's very irksome. Yes, we get it, you like God. So does everyone else, it's why we're in church now, stop being a diva about it.

As to twice-a-year, there is something of a C&E crowd at every church. The ratio of C&E to regular depends on the health of the church, I think.

[Ben Kenobi]

Liberal Protestants aren't converting, but while they ARE still Protestants, they are more willing to work with Catholics than conservative Protestants.

Again, as a conservative protestant who worked with many Catholics, that's not what I saw either. It was generally, Catholics + Baptists. Catholics + Baptists. Everywhere you went, Catholic plus some brand of low church evangelical. I had a lot of fun working with Catholics.

I'm not talking about conversion, but willingness to work with or believe they have interesting stuff to say . There are still conservative Prots who consider Catholicism to be "non Christian". I've never heard a liberal Prot take that POV.

I don't really see it. Liberal protestants really, really, really, do not like the Catholic church.

[Ben Kenobi]

So Protestant converts can be more of a voice there.

Elok would know more about this, so I'm going to refrain from commenting on this.

[Nikolai]

I have several friends and aquaintances who are conservative Protestant who think Catholics are not genuine Christians. I think they're wrong, but that thinking is not unheard of. And it was much, much more prevalent only a few years back.

[Ben Kenobi]

Sure, there's some, but the folks willing to work with Catholics generally are conservative evangelicals. That was my experience and the Mennonite church isn't exactly known for being liberal.

[Ban Kenobi]

I don't really see it. Liberal protestants really, really, really, do not like the Catholic church.

Does anyone other than people who have been assimilated into the borg?

[Ben Kenobi]

Does anyone other than people who have been assimilated into the borg?

Given as I willingly entered the collective? Absolutely.

[kentonio]

Which is why he's cursed me with living in Texas, teaching children for excellent pay. I see.

Hmm..

TANF + SNAP is 263 + 428 = 700/month or 8.4k for a year. More than my take home last year, FWIW.

[kentonio]

It bothered me that what my family chose for me was a core part of how Jesus saw me. In the end, that is a teaching I had to come to understand and it's helped me eventually come to peace with some of the things my family has done.

Hmm..

Nice, so your parents pay for most of your post secondary education, help pay for living expenses, transportation, and groceries, and you want to trade them in for parents that are religious bigots like you. Maybe when these much better parents give you a gift for Christmas, it won't be something you hate and whine about on Apolyton.

[Ban Kenobi]

That explains why they hired him... he'll work for next to nothing.

[Ben Kenobi]

TANF + SNAP is 263 + 428 = 700/month or 8.4k for a year. More than my take home last year, FWIW.

Yes, and? July of 2011 to about March of 2012, I made about 500/month steady pay. I had other clients who were in arrears by about 2k or so. Things are better now, but that was a rough patch back then. That was also about what I made when I worked up in Canada. Enough to scrape by every month, but I had to find additional work every month in order to keep afloat.

I've been very open about my budget here. I don't make that much money, but life right now is going well.

I knew coming down, the first few years are always lean ones, as you have to deal with relocation expenses. This year I finally got caught up on most of my bills which had been neglected over the past 3 years or so.

[Ben Kenobi]

That explains why they hired him... he'll work for next to nothing.

To do a job I love and enjoy and to work in Texas, for what was then, the same as I was making where I was at, with the possibility of pay raises and promotions as time went on?

Sign me up. It was an opportunity, and I've got no regrets. I waited 3 years just to get that opportunity through job applications, etc.

I had to pay my dues. I had no formal teaching experience when I started and now I have some. I have enough that I have options if and when I leave.

Everybody's gotta start somewhere.