http://www.orthodox.net/articles/against-ecumenism.html
It is tragic that Orthodoxy has not remained completely free of ecumenism. The ecumenistic spirit has permeated almost all of society, and even some jurisdictions of the Orthodox Church have adopted it. There are Orthodox involved in the World Council of Churches. When some Orthodox joined the WCC, they said it was in an effort to convert those of other faiths to Orthodoxy; however, this has not happened, and the faith of these ecumenistic Orthodox has been watered down. The ecumenical patriarch and the pope have prayed and worshipped side by side in services. There are Orthodox who fully consider the Roman Catholics our brothers and sisters in Christ. With this disregard for the importance of theology, practice is diminished, fasting is often not observed, and the rigor of the Christian life is rarely taught, and the list goes on and on. Much of this is done in the name of brotherly love, on the pretext of acceptance of all people as brothers and sisters in Christ, excluding no one and offering the same love and acceptance to all without discrimination due to theological differences -- but this is not so. It does not work this way. By being involved with those of other religions, and accepting their beliefs as alright if not true, Orthodoxy is weakened and the line between it, the true faith, and other religions blurred. Of course true Orthodoxy will always remain pure and unaltered, but the faithful can be weakened by seeing ecumenism spread like wild fire, gathering momentum and appearing to be good in the midst of all the destruction it leaves. We cannot even appear to accept other doctrines and faiths that differ from our own divinely revealed Orthodoxy! The word Orthodox means "true belief" (and, according to its Greek roots, "correct opinion") - we must not corrupt this true belief or correct opinion by mixing it with false beliefs and personal, human opinion.
It is tragic that Orthodoxy has not remained completely free of ecumenism. The ecumenistic spirit has permeated almost all of society, and even some jurisdictions of the Orthodox Church have adopted it. There are Orthodox involved in the World Council of Churches. When some Orthodox joined the WCC, they said it was in an effort to convert those of other faiths to Orthodoxy; however, this has not happened, and the faith of these ecumenistic Orthodox has been watered down. The ecumenical patriarch and the pope have prayed and worshipped side by side in services. There are Orthodox who fully consider the Roman Catholics our brothers and sisters in Christ. With this disregard for the importance of theology, practice is diminished, fasting is often not observed, and the rigor of the Christian life is rarely taught, and the list goes on and on. Much of this is done in the name of brotherly love, on the pretext of acceptance of all people as brothers and sisters in Christ, excluding no one and offering the same love and acceptance to all without discrimination due to theological differences -- but this is not so. It does not work this way. By being involved with those of other religions, and accepting their beliefs as alright if not true, Orthodoxy is weakened and the line between it, the true faith, and other religions blurred. Of course true Orthodoxy will always remain pure and unaltered, but the faithful can be weakened by seeing ecumenism spread like wild fire, gathering momentum and appearing to be good in the midst of all the destruction it leaves. We cannot even appear to accept other doctrines and faiths that differ from our own divinely revealed Orthodoxy! The word Orthodox means "true belief" (and, according to its Greek roots, "correct opinion") - we must not corrupt this true belief or correct opinion by mixing it with false beliefs and personal, human opinion.
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