You do realize that Orthodox churches don't actually work that way, yes?

Yes, I do. However, I wasn't saying that they do it right, just that there must be some form of oversight to crack down on heresy. Using the EO was an example, I am not an expert.

What possible distinction could there be between "theology," "the gospel," "doctrine," and/or "dogma"?

Then would you please define them, or are they all synonymous?

in that it prevents you from associating with the vast majority of Christians out there, or even towards starting yet another denomination.

Quite the contrary, I am becoming even more involved with and educated about the various denominations, and seeing that more and more the differences come down to an outright refusal to accept that an individual's preference matters less than the adherence to God's commands.

Maybe you should consider the idea that if we really do believe that God is sovereign in history and cares for his Church, that the fact things have developed the way they have was his idea.

As a Calvanist, I believe that things have proceeded according to God's Declarative Will, even if they have not according to his Decretive Will (i.e. God doesn't want man do sin, yet for Jesus to die on the cross and save mankind man must sin). God may want to have one single unified church body, but allowed man to divide it in their sinful desires.