"Western" Means "Legalistic"

[patricius79]

This stereotype is rampant. From another forum:

And a response from historian Stuart Koehl:

Maybe a bit harsh on the analysis of motivation. I think that most internet Orthodox only repeat the stereotypes that they have been taught. They have little of no sense of legalism that characterized their own history, and likewise have little or no knowledge of the mysticism of the West,.

I think there is some truth here–much, in fact, though I likewise am not interested in judging their motives.