Posted on 05/11/2006 8:23:14 AM PDT by FerdieMurphy
Once again, a ‘mainline’ protestant denomination will be revisiting the topic of homosexuality at a national meeting this summer. The Episcopal Church’s triennial general convention is to meet this summer in Ohio, and opponents and proponents of openly gay people serving as bishops expect the question of acceptance of homosexuality in the Episcopal Church to be a major topic at the convention.
To add fuel to the fire, the California diocese is seriously considering electing a homosexual as their bishop prior to the convention, meaning that this would be the second gay bishop in the Episcopal Church. Several things concerning this: First, why do people refer to the Episcopal Church as a ‘mainline’ denomination, when out of approximately 200 million self-identified Christians in America only 2.3 million are Episcopalian? Not only are their numbers in a minority, but their ever-changing theological views are drifting towards a minority view among Christians.
Second, why do they keep dragging up the topic of homosexuality, as if this issue is an unsettled matter, theologically speaking? As I once heard an old north Texas Baptist pastor say, concerning the Methodists meeting at the time on the issue of homosexuality, “I don’t know why they are meeting on the topic. The Bible is quite clear on the issue of homosexuality. That settles it, and there’s nothing to discuss.”
Third, why does this problem within the Episcopal Church have to drag on, creating not only problems for Episcopalians, but getting the Christian community and society as a whole worked up? Episcopalians, through their leaders, made their position quite clear back in 2003 when they ordained a gay bishop. The general leadership of the Episcopal Church has chosen to disregard any tenet of God’s Word that they find inconvenient, or doesn’t fit with their humanist world-views. They have openly rejected the Christian world-view. It appears that the majority of Episcopalians are okay with these actions, as there hasn’t been a mass exodus from the denomination. I’d suggest that those who disagree with the humanist leadership depart from the Episcopal Church and start their own Anglican body.
Under the current arrangement, the Episcopal Church will continue to chaff under this ‘forced union’ of biblical followers and apostates until an amicable separation is found. Based on the public positions of the larger Anglican communities around the globe, a separate, more orthodox, American Anglicanism would find itself welcomed into communion with fellow Anglicans around the world. The remaining Episcopalians (the humanists) would find themselves ostracized by the majority of the world wide Anglican body. Only the Archbishop of Canterbury would view this as a problem, as he’s as much a humanist as the current Episcopalian leadership.
I’m quite sure that the Archbishop of Canterbury would struggle over whether to cleave to the majority of the Anglican community, or to the humanists. Mostly this would be because he shares the views of his fellow humanists, but also he doesn’t want to go down in history as the man who presided over the collapse of the Church of England (as if that wasn’t already happening). Clearly, the money is with the less orthodox segments of the Anglican Church (England, Canada, and the U.S.), which would obviously influence the Archbishop’s position. That isn’t meant as a dig against the Archbishop; it’s just that being human, he would be tempted by finances like any other person (and he would hardly be the first member of the clergy to let money influence his actions).
Those who are seduced by money and the views of this world will continue to hang onto the dying Episcopal Church. Those who truly have a heart for God will cling to His Word and find themselves compelled to either look for a new church home or make one for themselves with their fellow Anglicans who have not forsaken God’s dictates.
Now, I know that there are those who will castigate me for calling pro-homosexual Episcopalians humanists, but a person is being contradictory if they embrace worldly views and still call them self a Christian. The two world-views are contradictory. One must choose either God’s way, or the world’s way. To play both sides is to truly choose the world’s way. To clarify the Biblical position on homosexuality, I suggest those that are critical of my position concerning the humanist Episcopalians look at the following scripture:
Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13; Deuteronomy 23:17-18; Romans 1:21-32; I Corinthians 6:9-10; Jude 1:7; Galatians 5:19-25
All that said, there is one key aspect of all this I believe the Episcopal Church is missing, and most Christians in general are missing. Sin is sin, whether one tells a little white lie, engages in homosexuality, or commits murder. God’s view of sin is not the world’s view of sin. In God’s eyes, there are no varying grades of sin (with the exception of the ‘unpardonable sin,’ in Matthew 12:30-32). Therefore, to ostracize homosexuals in a mass, blanket form from the church is an incorrect solution. However, embracing the actions of homosexuals, allowing or encouraging them to continue in their sin while participating in the social and liturgical aspects of worship is incorrect also.
Homosexuals should be welcomed into the church to seek healing, just as should every other sinner seeking to be healed through the Holy Spirit. However, the church shouldn’t endorse homosexuality, as the church surely wouldn’t endorse adultery, theft or murder (at least not yet anyway). God’s truths are absolute and eternal. All the modern contortionistic arguments to justify ‘monogamous gay relationships’ do not change the fact that God’s Word is clear and unambiguous on the subject of homosexuality. There should be no debate on whether or not to endorse homosexuality in the Christian body. If there is a debate at all, it should be on how to approach homosexuals on their sin.
Anyone who has entrusted their salvation to the Grace of Christ’s sacrifice should understand that we all, as sinners, will stumble on occasion. It is only through Christ that we are acceptable in God’s eyes. But as Paul pointed out in Romans, chapter 6, verses 1&2, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” and verses 11-14, “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.”
The Episcopal Church is beating a dead horse and dragging it around. This issue of homosexuality is settled theology for Christians. To pursue the course they’ve set is to divorce themselves from Christianity. All the rationalizations in the world, given to justify their living in sin while claiming salvation, will not change the truth, as truth is eternal. By embracing worldly, humanistic views, these members of the Episcopal Church are demonstrating that they have not allowed the Holy Spirit to work a change in them, and are apparently embracing this world and forgoing the world to come.
This would complete the sorry saga of slapping true Episcopalian believers in the face and driving them to a church that is not in serious schism against God.
It's all about the Homosexual Agenda and why homosexuals want to trash Christianity.
I have a hard time believing this was an accident...
The homosexuals get a vicarious kick out of dressing in clerical vestments. Makes them feel like they're in reality portraying "Charley's Aunt."
Ummm.... this is way out of date. That election was last Saturday, and they didn't.
The very idea that many WANTED a homosexual bishop is anti-Christian and purposely designed to bring more havoc into the EC.
Actually, it has been communist atheists using sexual depravity and undermining Christianity as means to destroy Western Christian culture, or at least Gramsci proposed it that way in the 1920s.
The Episcopal church was born out of the sin of King Henry the 8th, and it looks like it'll die in sin.
That is how to destroy a society. And it has been going on for a long time. Treating these people with special laws, the same way we are allowing illegals to get special treatment. If you are a law abiding American who works, pays taxes and loves God the way it was intended, your screwed. We are not loud enough in our opinions, the squeaky wheel always gets the grease.
Figure of speech! (nyuk nyuk) Figure of speech!
Well said.
I second your comment.
Note Carry_Okie's comment.
WRONG! The Episcopal Church was not "born" until the American Revolution. And If you're speaking about the Church of England, it wasn't really born until after the "Glorious Revolution". Henry VIII didn't really consider himself "protestant" but an excommunicated Roman instead...it is true that Elizabeth I did consider herself protestant, but before her there was Henry's first daughter, Mary (a RC), then Charles I (a RC), Charles II (a RC) and James II (a RC)...how do you explain all these Roman monarchs?
WHy can't they just shut up and stay to themselves?
Because they are driven by a desire to dominate and control. They are mentally ill.
"The Episcopal church was born out of the sin of King Henry the 8th, and it looks like it'll die in sin."
That's a bit of an urban legend.
The Anglican Church predated Henry VIII by quite a bit and was well on its way to re-division (it was largely formed from the Celtic Church, which became part of the Roman Church at the Synod of Whitby but really was never very comfortable, as well being influenced by the various monastic orders) with Rome long before Herny came along --- typical protestant issues and, in particular, the printing of the Bible in English.
Henry merely globbed on to the winning side for political purposes and made it "official."
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