Here is an expanded perspective of Greek History and aspects of both old and Modern Greek history that you would not find elsewhere. Greek and Hebrew languages and writing have nothing in common, yet their alphabets are identical. What does this mean? Where was the Greek language developed? Was it developed in Athens? No, not really. Pythagoras left his country to learn. He learned mathematics to teach us even in our days. But he also found the existence of a true and caring God and wanted his people to know it also. As Pythagoras of old in a similar fashion, the author of this book left Greece and immigrated to the United States to learn electronics. He used to think that religion was the knowledge of stories about good men God loved, but only in the old days, not today. Two young missionaries knocked on his door and taught him that a true religion is a set of principles we needed to strive to learn and follow. How can a person know if a church is true? The author's life combined with the discovery of such principles gave him a happier way of life and his children are blessed because of it also. Faith, humility, honesty, integrity, and many other principles are what our world is in need of today and are well documented in this book. These principles make everyone a better person, a happier person in a better society. Is Salt Lake City a good milestone? It has been for this author and for many other people from all walks of life.

From Pythagoras to Salt Lake City

By John Andreadakis

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2011 John Andreadakis
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4634-2774-0

Contents

CHAPTER ONE............................................1WHERE I COME FROM......................................1CHAPTER TWO............................................4PYTHAGORAS.............................................4CHAPTER THREE..........................................13WHY PYTHAGORAS?........................................13CHAPTER FOUR...........................................24CHURCHES OF GOD........................................24CHAPTER FIVE...........................................33HE TRULY WAS A SAINT...................................33CHAPTER SIX............................................37WHAT IS A SAINT?.......................................37CHAPTER SEVEN..........................................41EARLY MODERN GREECE....................................41CHAPTER EIGHT..........................................46MY COMING TO THE PLANET EARTH..........................46CHAPTER NINE...........................................49THE HOLY LAND..........................................49CHAPTER TEN............................................52THE YEARS OF INNOCENCE.................................52CHAPTER ELEVEN.........................................57HOW DOES INNOCENCE DEPART..............................57CHAPTER TWELVE.........................................66ATONEMENT..............................................66CHAPTER THIRTEEN.......................................76MY FATHER'S RETURN HOME................................76CHAPTER FOURTEEN.......................................81A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF GREECE.....................81CHAPTER FIFTEEN........................................89GREEK LANGUAGE AND WRITING.............................89CHAPTER SIXTEEN........................................94THE EARLY SCHOOL YEARS.................................94CHAPTER SEVENTEEN......................................103NOTABLE EVENTS OF MY SCHOOL YEARS......................103CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.......................................114A YOUNG CHRISTIAN ORTHODOX.............................114CHAPTER NINETEEN.......................................124A YOUNG SAILOR.........................................124CHAPTER TWENTY.........................................160STEPPING INTO A NEW LIFE...............................160CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE.....................................178THE NEW LIFE...........................................178CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO.....................................195A GREEK MORMON.........................................195CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE...................................224THE PENALTY OF MISTRUST................................224CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR....................................237THE DOWNFALL OF A GREAT COMPANY........................237CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE....................................249OUR MOVE TO GREECE.....................................249CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX.....................................258SALT LAKE CITY, THE RIGHT PLACE........................258

Chapter One

WHERE I COME FROM

My father was born on the same island of Samos, Greece as I was, and at the age of 15, he immigrated with my grandfather to the United States in 1920. My father stayed in Chicago, Illinois and my grandfather in Freeport, Illinois. In 1933 they returned to Greece where my father married my mother in 1937. I was born in December of 1940 and by that time the Second World War had started which took my father to the war front in Africa. My father was a mild and pleasant man, but he had one problem and that was drinking. Two things from him influenced my life. First was a big stack of National Geographic magazines he had brought to Greece and second an experience at age 18 when I was interested in studying in the United States, particularly at the Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana, and had received some literature. My father was in the hospital at that time and he looked at the papers I had from the university. When he finished, he looked at me apologetically and said, "Do you really want to go to the United States? I have been there and I don't think that this is the best for you," while tears were streaming down from his eyes. I did not insist, although I was not convinced. One month later he was transferred to a clinic in Athens and several months later without finding a chance to discuss the issue with him again, he passed away. That stack of National Geographic magazines early in my life taught me that out there somewhere was much more of the world—in some respects, better than what I knew and in others, worse. This was exciting for my young mind. I wanted someday to visit and know other places. Then my father's unanswered tears started to haunt me with the desire to know what had happened to him. Many years later I met a friend of his in Indiana who did not have any better explanations. Nonetheless, he added that their young life in Chicago was not always the happiest one. Because of Prohibition, they had found themselves often running to the Indiana border to have some drinks.

Eventually I came to the United States thinking to study electronics at the DeVry Institute in Chicago, Illinois. At the time I was staying in Gary, Indiana with relatives. When I gathered enough courage, equipped with some maps, I took the South Shore train to Chicago to visit DeVry. I left very early that morning from Gary, but having no concept of the distances in that big city, I walked a lot, and wandered around much and did not make it to the school until sometime in the afternoon. Tired and disappointed from that experience in Chicago, I almost the same day made up my mind to return back to Greece. Chicago really scared me and my fathers tears haunted me even more. Fortunately, some friends told me about another school in Valparaiso, Indiana and when I visited that school, I felt more at ease and I stayed. A few years later my younger brother came to the States for his studies and he stayed in Chicago where he met his fiancé, also from Greece. Both of them finished their studies and right away returned to Greece and got married. Both of them felt unhappy with their presence in Chicago. When I came to the States I was 30 years old and when my brother came he was in his early 20's. We both had some relatives to stay with and had someone close. My poor father was only 15 and had no relatives at all. His father was in the same state, but in Freeport which was straight west and close to the border of Illinois with Iowa, while Chicago is in the east by the lake. I can only imagine his difficulties in trying to learn the language, working to make his living alone, and I wonder how many would have attempted to take advantage of him. I felt that I had received my answer about my father and his tears. They were tears of loneliness, of fear, and of disappointment with no opening to escape and find comfort. The only escape he had was to run with his friends to the Indiana border in East Chicago, erasing his unhappiness in drinking. Now I admire him to no end for being able to remain the calm and pleasant man he was.

I will start with Pythagoras as the title indicates and I will end with Salt Lake City. Why will I start with Pythagoras? Already I have stated that I come from Greece but this is not the only reason. Why will I end with Salt Lake City? There are many reasons, but I will let these reasons come out on their own. Between the two there is a span of at least 2600 years. I want the reading of this...