As an 81-year old Greek American I am surprised that, in our day and age, a member of the clergy, our clergy, chooses to suggest that “All Prophets Who Came after Jesus are False” (Letters, Nov. 16).

Clearly, and sadly, Father Emmanuel Hatzidakis fails to see that we live in a whole new world where, because of easy travel, TV and all media, and particularly because of the Internet, people are slowly becoming … One!

The idea that we have true or false prophets is long outdated. And, too, we are no longer so much Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Greek, Mexican, Indian, Russian blacks, whites, yellow, etc. It goes on and on. We are actually beginning to see and no longer ignoring the obvious: we are gaining the insight to see that above all else, we are all human beings!

Rather than the idea that all prophets after Jesus are false, why doesn’t Father Hatzidakis teach that we are all human beings? We must learn that we should care and show respect for one another!

Does this man, surely a well-meaning clergyman expect me or any other Greek-American or any human being to believe and profess that Jesus is the only true prophet? If so, Hatzidakis is asleep in the Fifth Century, and hopefully may one day wake up.

Father Hatzidakis mentions Bahaullah, who was born in the 18th century and was the founder of the Bahai faith. Bahaullah taught that humans are one single race and offered that the time has arrived to have a global society.

Someone once suggested that if we were attacked by aliens, we would suddenly all become one. Perhaps it is time to see that, as Bahaullah offered, we should indeed all be One or, at the very least, begin to see ourselves as One.

Father Hatzidakis may one day see that God is simply a genuine, attainable state of mind. The blessed thing we fail to seek and gain is the mystical experience. It is the onset of the mystical state. Jesus was blessed to gain the mystical experience which he termed the Holy Spirit. The mystical experience is the onset of the mystical state which Jesus termed, the kingdom of heaven. Once it is experienced, there is no greater gift….

Father Hatzidakis may argue that without God, there would be no universe.

How about the argument that the universe was not created! The universe always was and always will be. Hmm… How does one defend this? The obvious is not at all easy to see much less defend.

A number of prominent names offered comments on the obvious. Gibran said, “The obvious is that which is never seen until someone expresses it.” Hegel gave us these words: “Because it’s familiar, a thing remains unknown.” Most of us fail to see that the universe always was and always will be. It was not created. And, in the same way, we must see, that … we are all human beings!

This response to Father Hatzidakis’ letter is not a suggestion that we abandon our Greek Orthodox faith, but let’s keep it personal and something that can be transmitted to our children with a quiet pride.

One faith is not better than another. Each is just different. In the past humans killed one another over religious faith. Father Hatzidakis’ suggestion can only keep us apart.

Emmanuel Karavousanos

Bellerose, N.Y.