[Charryith]

Effie wrote: Having said the above, we need to respect other religions. I have no respect for other religions. How can I respect falsehood? What I respect is the freedom of people to choose and practise, within the law, any religion.

The Orthodox have never believed in religious pluralism, hence all the persecution they (we?) have wrought on dissident groups through the centuries and today. I'm trying to think where the Orthodox Church persecutes other faiths. True, Protestant sects are hindered in Russia. But there is a mosque within St Catherine's monastery at Sinai, and the Hala Sultan Tekkesi at Larnaca has remained available to Muslims notwithstanding Muslim desecration of churches and monasteries in the occupied north of Cuprus. Christ commisioned His disciples to preach the Gospel to the whole world and make disciples of all men. I assume 'make' does not mean by force. I have posed this question before: as citizens, are we required to tolerate other faiths? - as Orthodox, are we pleased if, in Russia, the Church is favoured and Protestant groups are hindered? Muslims are, presumably, pleased that in countries such as Saudi Arabia, only Islam is allowed.