Posted by Elizabeth on July 31, 2001 at 16:11:31:
In Reply to: Re: Secret Schools...Do you believe they really existed? -Nah! The Ottomans never even conquered the Christian lands of the Balkans !!! posted by William on July 30, 2001 at 00:31:55:
:As a convert to Orthodoxy, I feel I have learned more about these important modern Greek (and Christian) heroes than some of the nominal (genetically) Greeks who visit this wonderful bulletin board to burn bridges rather than to build them.
William,
I want to take the time to say something...because you're not the first Orthodox convert I've seen respond in this manner:
Do you realize that you're being brainwashed by these people? You're not the one "building bridges". You're the one being spoon-fed myths, lies and hate...all in the name of God. Look at this wild claim:
"ever taken the time to study the issue of the secret schools in the survival of the Greek language at a time when only a couple of hundred thousand Hellenes could still understand some element of the Hellenic tongue"
Do you realize how completely and utterly preposterous this claim is? Is this something they taught you there in Australia?
...or how about this statement:
"Sure, the Egyptians (a predominantly Muslim nation); the Serbs, the Croats, the Albanians, the Romanians, the Armenians, and countless others amongst us - all willingly converted to Islam - not because of the dreaded head-tax imposed by local Ottoman leaders but because they wanted to also become assimilated."
Egypt was predominately Muslim BEFORE Ottoman rule. Also, did you know that there were many times during the period of Ottoman rule when conversions to Islam were forbidden? The Ottomans were making money off the "jizyah"..and wanted to keep the money coming in. As for the motivation of assilimilation prompting conversions...I've seen the exact same thing happening here in Greece. Immigrants are converting to Orthodoxy not out of belief...but because it's PRAGMATIC.
Do yourself a favor. Look into this issue for yourself...WITHOUT the assistance of the Orthodox Church. Read about the Ottoman empire from well-respected NON-biased historians. You will EASILY see that their arguments don't wash. You're involved in a cult....sorry.