Posted Elsewhere.

In response to somebody who insisted that conservative Anglicans were more like the Orthodox than Catholics were, I pointed out that most of the ones I knew were quite Evangelical [especially true on the world scene, see Africa]. Perhaps even "39 Articles" Evangelical. Then he backtracked, saying, no, he meant traditional ones, and gave one example where he had a theological discussion with his girlfriend's priest and could only find one minor theological disagreement with him. Whereas he, when he was ever-so-recently a Catholic preparing for seminary, obviously had to have enough theological differences with Catholicism that he had to leave. My response to those "playing up" the differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism:

I agree with you that Catholicism is not Orthodoxy and has quite a ways to go until it approaches. But a counterpoint has to be made to those who insist traditional Anglicanism is closer than Catholicism. It's the sort of thing only a recent Catholic convert who doesn't know much about Anglicanism could say. I mean, certainly, there are some Anglicans who are closer than some Catholics and some Catholics who are closer than some Anglicans. No denying that. There may even be some decent-sized pockets which are like that. ... But, seriously, the only things most types of conservative or traditional Anglicanism has in common with Orthodoxy to the exclusion of Catholicism is antinomian tendencies in the name of not being legalists like the Catholics, a secret yearning for schism, an occasional love of vagueness rather than definition in the name of "mystery", and not being popish.

Though I bet most of those differences don't have much truck in Nigeria, except maybe the last. But, in America, with western converts...

Of course, I wasn't being completely honest. I believe Orthodoxy isn't Catholicism and there are several things that would have to change, but it doesn't have "a ways to go". I believe I've commented in the past on this matter, so I'll leave it at that.