Bigotry and the AOI

a consequence for free speech should not be censorship or a smack down. i take responsibility for my actions and commentary both here in the real world. but to speak in such a totalitarian tone that there will be or should be consequences to what i have said short of a debate is a dangerous slippery slope. chrys spoke quite well about the cost of slander to the church. as for andrew, he has already begun the attacks prior to an event. first character assassination and bigotry by his term "Phanariot lunacy.....of GOA buffoonery". I feel strongly father that these are the comments which should be strongly condemned not removed but condemned. they do not open dialogue but in inflame the senses. All the that Greek American money that is sent overseas goes to charities and legal assistance. For examples hospitals in Georgia for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer spearheaded by Andrew Athens. We have Greek from Greece who paid to renovate the Phanar. but to assume that monies have given His All Holiness some life of luxury is improper. Much of the funds go a defense fund for appeals made to the EU and for charitable needs in the City. The GOA as you frequently refer to that jurisdiction has created many vital worldwide charities like the IOCC under Alexander Rondos, The Philoptochos under the vision of Archbishop Iakovos, OCMC etc. I am glad to see that other jurisdictions a have joined such efforts and began their own. But to imply that the Greeks are nationalists who don't welcome non-Greeks is untrue. Case in point Met. Iakovos of Mytilini establishes churches throughout the world like Cameroon where the services are conducted in English and locals where worship with traditional sounds and sights. He for decades had taken children from Serbia every summer to feed them and give them respit from there war torn country. These are only small examples of the love and charity of one man in a few instances. Please refrain from attacking entire groups for matters which you do not have all the details and which is destructive and misleading. We have not spent countless hours discussing the theft of the OCA for years and years. We have nto discussed that also thank God the OCA has opened many parishes in the Dio. of the So. they often come from priests who were converted int he Greek Orth. Church went to seminary and then set of mission parishes blocks from the Greek (Hellenic) churches. The OCA churches seldom number more then 15 which the GOA parishes easily number in the hundreds. I myself am not impresses with numbers necessarily but they are telling. Also when you have church leadership who are over 75% (a conservative estimate) are converts the community or church can be top heavy. there is something to be said for cradle orthodox who remain faithful. there is a marinating that occurs where you are shaped and molded as a child in the faith. We are all constantly going through a purification of fire removing impurities under the guidance and leadership of the clergy. If however the clergy themselves are new to the faith and only recently finding the path themselves it is more difficult to have the discernment necessary for such a task. Let's discuss these issues and not develop this into a cult of personality or a boys club.