Sjs,
Looking back at your question & my answer it seems I may not have been clear in my response.
Your specific question was – do I believe (honestly) that MO misses the boat.
The answer is as follows.
The MO “shittah” was created by an Adam Gadol, R’ Soloveitchik Ztz”l.
However, ALL the other Gedolim of his generation (R’ Moshe, R’ Henkin, R’ Aharon Kotler, The Satmar Rebbe, The Kloisenberger Rebbe, R’ Reuvain Grozovsky, R’ Yaakov Kamenetzky, R’ Ruderman etc. etc. etc.) felt that this hashkafa is incorrect. Some felt that it is “treif mammash” while others were less combative about it, but NONE of them agreed with it.
Being that the consensus of the Gedolim was & is against this “shittah”, it should not be followed.
Same story in EY with R’ Kook Ztz”l.
A quick story to prove I’m not a “fanatic”.
At the height of the whole battle between R’ Kook & the other Gedolim in EY, the Gerrer Rebbe was dispatched to EY by the Gedolim in Europe to try & make peace between the two camps.
After meeting with R’ Kook for many hours, the Gerrer Rebbe stated, “We know that R’ Meir was the greatest of the Tannaim, yet we usually find that when there is a machlokes between R’ Meir & a different Tanna we pasken like the other Tanna”.
“The reason for this is, because R’ Meir’s greatness was so far above the other Tannaim that oftentimes they simply could not understand what he was talking about. Therefore, even though he was so great, the Chachamim understood that we have to pasken halachos based on the understanding & consensus of all the Chachamim – not just R’ Meir”.
“So it is with R’ Kook, After meeting with him & speaking with him, there is no doubt in my mind that he is one of the Gedolai HaDor, however I also must say that I have no idea what he’s talking about. And therefore we must follow the consensus of all the Gedolim who reject his position”.
The “shittah” of “Modern Orthodoxy” has been rejected by the Gedolim & therefore as far as a chareidi jew is concerned, it is WRONG.
Does that mean that every MO person is bad. Of course not.
Some people started off irreligious & worked their way up to MO. That’s fantastic.
Some people were never exposed to any other type of hashkafa.
Some people were chareidi & decided to instead become MO.
Therefore, as you like to say, every person has to be looked at as an individual to see where he stands in HIS OR HER OWN yiddishkeit.
Is he moving up or down the Ruchniyus ladder?
As a MOVEMENT or HASHKAFA, is “Modern Orthodoxy” wrong?
The (honest) answer is YES.
However as I stated before, all Hashem wants of a person is to continually grow spiritually.
Whatever level you are on, you need to strive to be greater. To be a BEN ALIYA.
That’s why I got so upset over the TV thread.
NOBODY on this earth can claim that owning a TV is helpful for spiritual growth.
Whether you lose your Olam Habah or not is totally irrelevant.
A TV owner who is a BEN ALIYA would therefore have to say as follows, “I know in my heart that my TV is a thorn in the side of my spiritual growth, am I ready AT THIS MOMENT to get rid of it”?
If the answer is yes – great. If the answer is no – then he will keep this thought in mind until he feels he is ready to take the jump up to the next level in Ruchniyus.
And when he thinks this way, Hashem is happy.
However when he when he resorts to all sorts of intellectual calisthenics to “kasher up” his TV, (or any other “shtus” – TV is just an example) – he has missed the boat.
When he makes a whole fight out of losing Olam Habah instead of looking at the real issue here – he has missed the boat.
However one who recognizes what helps his ruchniyus & what detracts from it & truly attempts to avoid or get rid of (sooner or later) these spiritual pitfalls, is someone who no matter what the level of his spiritual observance AT THIS POINT IN TIME, is definitly in my opinion very much IS ON THE BOAT!