www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall nationalities

What is your nationality? What is your religion? This is not a survey to be racist it's just to see whose the majority here

This poll is just for fun but please be serious in your responses[I don't expect a Rael to come or something]

What is "a Rael" please?

Have you noticed ikons of the Virgin Mary, especially the one on my avatar,Matka Boska Czestochowska, looking at you and watching as to keep you from harm?

RP

From the standpoint of nationality I am part Irish, and part Rusyn. (it would depend on what boundary my grandfather considered his nationality. His birth certificate indicates Austria-Hungary which is a region that has had multiple boundary changes as the result of two major wars and communism as well as changes in the post communist times.) Therefore I could only put <b>other</b> as my nationality. Being born in America, I would have to say that I am an American of mixed ancestry. I suspect there are many on this board who would be in a similar position.
Nationality is a difficult thing to qualify in thisway with the migratory changes of the past few centuries thrown in. If it (nationality) serves to enlighten us as to our heritage, it is good. If it is used to mark iniquities (particularly of other nationalities) it is not good.

As to religion, <b>I</b> definitely consider myself a cradle Greek Catholic. Though some see that as being more "latinized". Perhaps "orthodox Greek Catholic" might be a better description? Just little "o" orthodox as to not create waves for those who cannot see Orthodoxy and Catholicism as having some common ground.

Having said that......

Ja Rusyn byl, jesm i budu....
(forgive the lack of diacriticals)

Steve

Tomasz,

I suspect that some searches of past polls will give you some good indications as to our religious mix here, which we tend to proudly distinguish (rightly or wrongly :rolleyes: ) to a finer level of detail than your poll offers. Personally, I think our reasons for defining ourselves more precisely err on the side of positive - we are proud of the heritage that each of us brings here, whether we were born into it or have come to it. We are very aware of and, I believe, rejoice in the rather extreme diversity of our fellow members (many of whom we call friend, though we've never met except on this screen), Catholic - of every stripe, Orthodox - similarly distributed across the spectrum, and Protestants.

The nationality factor hasn't previously been explored, as far as I know, and I'm unsure how important it is. I haven't seen anyone making a secret of theirs; certainly there are a few who are over the top and whose ultra-nationalism occasionally makes others of us cringe. Your groupings are not all those which I would have chosen, seeing that you didn't separately specify one major ethnic group represented here and that, in other instances, you choose to group nationalities that have some inherent historical issues between them. The requests for specific identification in posts of nationalistic/ethnic/racial characteristics in certain instances (e.g., Asians) - although unlikely to reveal info that folks haven't previously revealed or isn't already known - smacks a bit of latent racism that doesn't auger well for your poll or its intentions.

All in all, I'm unclear as to your intentions and don't think the poll will settle well with folks whom you've already agitated muchly in the week just past.

Many years,

Neil

All in all, I suspect that your poll will not be

I am "none of the above"

However, my name is Polish from recent migration and I have British protestant ancestors that arrived in North America before 1700.

I defy categorization, so I didn't vote!

I do not think a poll of this type is very useful. It seems to make assumptions about people that really tell us more about the questioner and less about the facts.

We can carry on friendly discourse without it.

Michael

A "Rael" is a member of the cult that claimed it cloned a baby. I think the proper term is Raelian.

http://www.rael.org/

As for the "fun" poll, the categories not only make little sense, they are unintentionally (I hope) divisive.

You can identify yourself as "Irish or British" as a single choice? That's like having a category that says "Cat or Dog."

"Polish or Slovakian" as a single choice for two West Slavic ethnicities separated by a thousand years of history?

And there's no place to identify yourself as a Rusyn, an ethnic identity wrapped up in the Byzantine Catholic Church and at least one Orthdox jurisdiction (ACROD)?

No, I'm not saying those churches are Rusyn, but rather that they have been a crucial part of a traditional expression of "Rusyn" identity (whether you use that term or any of its other forms).

--Tim

I really cannot fit into these categories either and so I can't vote.

But really - I am beginning to wonder if Tomasz does know how to construct a poll.

This is not going to be fun - and may well prove very divisive again.

Under 'religion', I can't find the button for JEDI.

Voted "Asian", but I've got Han Chinese, Mongol Chinese, bits of Byzantine (heaven knows that probably includes Greek, Roman, Levantine, Asian Minor...) and Slavic blood in me... where's the "Mongrel" button?

btw, anyone notice my resemblace to Genghis Khan? =p

Dear RP,

I'm "Ukrainian-Polish-Lithuanian-Romanian-French-Russian-Scottish-Italian-Austrian" - on my father's side . . .

And I'm a particular Byzantine Orthodox Greek Catholic in communion with Rome of the Ethiopian/Old Believer/Celtic amalgamated tradition.

Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to get that off my chest . . .

Alex

Where is this "Rome of the Ethiopian/Old Believer/Celtic amalgamated tradition"? Sounds like their services would be fun!

Let's see. So I'm Old-Rite Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic in communion with Rome of the Sarum tradition :p

Dear Patriarch Edward,

Or perhaps a "Mongroldbeliever?"

If so, I raise two fingers for you!

What do you mean you don't know where that tradition holds services?

It is precisely that tradition that consecrated you a Patriarch!!

And I see by your avatar that you hold to ALL the ancient canons concerning facial hair!

You are a man with a lot of pull!

As we Ethiopian wannabe's say, it is so difficult to find good staffs these days . . .

Alex

And I am a carbon-based life form.


Sharon