The Orthodox tradition of preaching is in fact no poorer than the Protestant one, it provides even richer opportunities for missionary work than the Protestant one.

And the fact that we misuse these opportunities is our sin, but not of Orthodoxy. "A careless, sluggish will, a heart alien to living pastoral zeal, a superficial and lazy mind try to see in all more or less persistent calls for the most active and intense evangelism something 'inspired from outside' and 'alien to our ancient foundations', 'you know,' they say, 'there is a little smell of the West here...' Does it smell like the west here?! West?! So does the "West" say that evangelism is our necessary duty, that in the absence of a real organization of church preaching, the religious life of the people will die out? That without the serious catechesis of the flock, our divinely beautiful divine services will remain in vain, misunderstood, unexperienced, and the holy mysteries will be marked like beads under the feet of pigs? So, I ask, is this "the West"? – What, then, is meant by the "East," what is the organization of pastoral work? Tell. No, no, gentlemen uninvited defenders of the "East," do not slander Orthodoxy, do not impose on it a pagan attitude towards the people in matters of knowledge of God, do not elevate your carelessness and your soft head pillow to the dogma of Orthodox pastoral practice. I do not argue that this may correspond to your temperament and your routine of life, but it is terribly contrary to the essence of Orthodox Church pedagogy... Never forget that since the Tsar Bell fell and stopped ringing, it has turned into a simple historical antiquity-curiosity... As is known, the Ustav indicates up to 7 occasions at one all-night vigil when it is necessary to address the people with this or that instruction," wrote the missionary priest even before the revolution.107

Protestants also see the defect of Orthodoxy in the fact that the Orthodox have somewhat devalued the Gospel by seeing in the works of the Holy Fathers and in the conciliar deeds a kind of continuing revelation of God.

The Gospel is sufficient for salvation, and if someone adds or subtracts even a word from it, he sins mortally. The study of the Gospel is the only way to resolve theological questions.

Yes, Orthodoxy does believe that God did not cease to reveal His will to people after the last Apostle put the last point in his book. Yes, although it is impossible to speak of the Divine inspiration of the books of the Fathers, we still feel the Divine enlightenment of the pages of the Holy Fathers. Through consonance with the Gospel, we establish whether the Holy Father wrote something from himself or whether he was moved by the same Spirit that acted in the apostles.

But does not Protestantism build its own "tradition"? Are not Ellen White's books, with her thousands of fully spiritualistic visions (very similar to the voices of Helena Blavatsky and Helena Roerich), accepted by Adventists as the foundation of their faith, as obligatory and authoritative doctrinal literature‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡

And was Protestantism itself born simply from the study of Scripture, and not from some mystical experience? A word to Luther: "How often has my heart trembled, how often have I been tormented, and have made to myself the only very strong objection of my adversaries: Are you the only wise one, and all the others have erred for so long? And what if you err and deceive so many people, who will all be condemned to eternal punishment? And this continued until Jesus Christ strengthened me with a certain Word of His and strengthened me to such an extent that my heart no longer trembles, but despises these objections of the papists."109

So the religious life of Protestants is not limited to the study of the Bible.

It is said that Orthodoxy, with its "conciliarity," extinguishes individual religious initiative, does not allow man to stand before God one-on-one.

In fact, it is easy to see that the Protestant community has much more control over the lives of its members. An Orthodox parishioner is more likely to complain about his abandonment, about the fact that no one is interested in him, that he is not being led along the path of salvation. And if a Protestant misses one meeting, the next morning there will be a series of calls from "brothers and sisters": why wasn't he there?

They say that Orthodoxy and Catholicism are "expensive" religions, and Protestantism is "cheaper".

The argument, of course, is not theological, but it is still false.

Orthodox churches are supported by free donations from people and by payments for one-time services. Moreover, those services, for the performance of which a payment is given in a fairly significant amount, are performed by a person once in a lifetime: baptism, wedding, funeral. The sacraments to which an Orthodox Christian most often resorts – confession and communion – are performed free of charge. And only a memorial note with a prosphora and a candle leave a barely noticeable trace in the wallet.

In the majority of Protestant communities, there are strictly defined monthly fees – "church tithes". Often, "tithing" is understood literally, as a requirement to put 10 percent of all income at the disposal of pastors. In a number of Protestant countries, a "church tax" collected by the state (for example, Germany and the Scandinavian countries).