AHHH, THE PITFALLS FOR WESTERN ORTHODOX CONVERTS
With the present surge of converts into the Orthodox faith, which is a good thing - don't get me wrong - there are certain things we have to be careful about. One is media campaigns and political attacks like the one we saw just last week (link), which regrettably needs another update that I will post shortly. Another pitfall is more of a pastoral nature that is not really my business. But I have a blog and I live in a cradle Orthodox country that is teaching me its phronema every day. A controversy erupted yesterday over a recent convert, a woman with a background in fashion design who took a picture of herself in a truly gorgeous gown at a Church. As I now understand, she did it at the direction of her priest (link). She was viciously attacked for posting it on X in terms I don't want to repeat.
Divine Liturgy today ⛪️ pic.twitter.com/N9Yyriq0wd
— Morgan Ariel (@itsmorganariel) November 23, 2025
This vicious judgmentalism is not part of the Orthodox phronema, at all. I don't want to throw Bible quotes around, but I can think of a few.
This is the stuff of the despised Pharisees, a class of lawyers and scribes for whom the words 'bigot' and 'hypocrite' have been invented and who have gone down in history as the conspirators against our Lord.
It is also a trait that was heavily exploited in the West by the enemies of Christianity. It still is, until this day.
So, there is every reason to oppose this attitude towards others that is frankly, very unchristian. Many new converts are often traumatized in all kinds of ways. Read this thread for example (link). Keep that in mind!
Part of the problem is that we are coming from a world in which lewd commercialism and consumerism are using cheap sexual expressions as a means to further their goals. We expect nothing else.
That is the environment the judges of Morgan Ariel are coming from. This is their predisposition. I get it, but this is, not that. Careful discernment is required when we judge others.
If we must judge, judge with care and with a measure of tolerance and leniency, especially towards our own. Be sure of what you are actually looking at! Don't be so rash.
Social media platforms are made for the exchange of opinion of a secular nature and as an outlet for the worldly, daily squabbles people get into on the market square. They are not really designed for theological and religious debate.
Frankly, these should not be discussed at all on social media. I don't see any cradle Orthodox falling into this trap, posting only about news pertaining to administrative matters or legal relations with the state.
As far as Morgan Ariel is concerned, she has issues with faith that are between her and her confessor or her spiritual father (link).
Like a child, she is now not in the mood to heed anything: "I will dress up the way I want", she posts, and "You can kick and scream, not my problem".
Here are some of the positive comments in reaction to her post, detached from the platform for easier reading:
Rachel Wilson writes: "Morgan is no fan of mine and she has not been kind to me in the past. However, I want her to come to the church. We live in a heterodox nation and a ton of people are converting. We cannot require perfection. Orthodoxy takes a long time to learn. A good rule of thumb in situations like this is to let clergy decide what needs to be corrected and let them correct it".
Jay Dyer: "Glad to see you there. When I first visited an Orthodox Church it was 105 degrees and I wandered in from the street with shorts on. I took a picture of myself there and many comments hounded me, and I said the same thing you did. The reality is, people didn’t know the context. Ignore them, because whatever things are out of order will fall into order in time".
Paisios: "The core of the Orthodox Spiritual life isn't prayer, it isn't fasting, it isn't prostrations, it's one simple thing. Good thoughts, Saint Paisios teaches that one good thought is more sanctifying than an all-night vigil, and that an all night vigil without good thoughts about others";
and
"Saint Sophrony said it takes the average convert 20 years to fully adopt the Orthodox mindset so you need to learn to be patient with us".
Peter B: "I am going to be very clear about this. If I have to choose between women pushing degeneracy, only fans, and drowning themselves in dopamine addictions on social media, or dealing with their vanity while they post modest and beautiful imagery of church and God, I will choose the latter every time".
Fr. John Whiteford: "Hardly the first time someone has had a picture taken in front of an iconostasis. The outrage over this is ridiculous".
I love fashion and architecture.It is art.Nobody is going to make me feel bad about it.Too many of you have no life in you.Dull, bland, boring, no zest for life.— Morgan Ariel (@itsmorganariel) November 25, 2025
Speaking about art and zest for life, as providence would have it, a popular singer in Greece released his latest production just last Monday, accompanied by a music video, you guessed it, involving a Church.
No Orthodox Greek in his right mind would consider this video out of order in any way! The video also contains art that might offend certain puritans. But only if you can't distinguish cheap commercialization from the awesomeness of God's Creation.
For the full appreciation of the production, here's an English translation of the lyrics (link).
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