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The Eastern Orthodox Church did not "loose" the Middle East to Islam. In every part of the world, heresies have sprung up in every generation. Syria and Lebanon were Orthodox Christian nations, and still to this day, they have significant Orthodox Christian populations. There are other faiths as well, but so are there many different faiths in most countries. The Orthodox Church could not possibly be construed as "loosing" the Holy Land to Islam. That's an absurd notion. If you'd ever been to the Holy Land, you'd know 3 major religions are represented there: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Islam is no more powerful or important there than Christianity or Judaism...and the three co-exist fairly peacefully, for the cramped quarters. The Orthodox Church has as many holdings there as either Judaism or Islam. You don't seem to know your history or geography very well to make such a skewed and inaccurate statement as your question poses. You know most of western Europe became Roman Catholic when it separated from the traditional teachings of Christianity found and kept in the eastern Christian world. Are you going to say that the Eastern Orthodox Church "lost" Europe because people fell away from it's right and true teachings? People apostatize. That is their choice, and surely the Church is not to blame. And surely you realize Orthodox Christianity has many many many many Churches in Europe. Orthodoxy is not lost in the Middle east or Europe. It's there. Perhaps you just don't know where to find it. I've been in the Middle East, the Holy Land and Europe, and I had no difficulty at all finding all the Eastern Orthodox people and Churches and holdings I needed. It's there. It's not lost. You just have to go find and see it for yourself. Then you'll know it's still there...as always.
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