Mmm... well, sort of, but not really.
All of the Orthodox patriarchates follow the same 7 ecumenical councils, and share the same interpretations and traditions of the same early fathers. The main differences between the branches are cultural, not theological.
While it is true that the church rejects the Roman Catholic style of central rule, and there is more of an appeal to think for yourself than in many religions, there is a core of belief that is distinctly Orthodox, and you cannot reinterpret it for yourself without engaging in heresy. This is why Eastern Orthodoxy doesn't split into thousands of denominations like the Protestants.
That core is shared by the Russians, Greeks, Antiochians, etc. etc., regardless of the cultural differences in the details.
Well yeah... but no. There is a central set of shared beliefs, yes. And in a way we are all very similar because of that. But as an Orthodox, if you had ever moved across the country and looked for a new church you would know what I am talking about. The GOCoA is not the same as the Greek Orthodox Church which is not the same as the Greek Orthodox Church of America etc. Even at the Archdiocese and Diocese level there tends to be a lot of variation in how liberal or conservative they are. We use a completely different scale here though... if Catholics were on the same scale we would consider them progressive. Conservative Orthodox means the women wear head scarves and are not allowed in the inner sanctum, or not even in church at all when they are bleeding. As a baptized Orthodox I am very welcome in just about anywhere that calls itself 'A Orthodox Church' because of those core beliefs you refer to... we all get along. But the experience parish to parish is VERY different, and if I don't like it I can GTFO and find a different one. This is the American's Orthodox experience. In other countries the church is much more homogeneous typically but still varies country to country.
This is why Eastern Orthodoxy doesn't split into thousands of denominations like the Protestants.
lol but we did. There are like 4 different overlapping Archdiocese where I live. Everyone just is blind to this because we all get along and all call our selves 'Orthodox'. And the fact that we are all to the right of Catholics, well to the out side we all just look the same.
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