Posted on 01/08/2007 7:06:05 AM PST by shrinkermd
When even President Gerald Ford's funeral at Washington National Cathedral is not exempt from comment about the crisis in the Episcopal Church, we believe it is time to set the record straight as to why our church and so many others around the country have severed ties with the Episcopal Church.
...The core issue in why we left is not women's leadership. It is not "Episcopalians against equality," as the headline on a recent Post op-ed by Harold Meyerson put it. It is not a "leftward" drift in the church. It is not even primarily ethical -- though the ordination of a practicing homosexual as bishop was the flash point that showed how far the repudiation of Christian orthodoxy had gone.
The core issue for us is theological: the intellectual integrity of faith in the modern world. It is thus a matter of faithfulness to the lordship of Jesus, whom we worship and follow. The American Episcopal Church no longer believes the historic, orthodox Christian faith common to all believers. Some leaders expressly deny the central articles of the faith -- saying that traditional theism is "dead," the incarnation is "nonsense," the resurrection of Jesus is a fiction, the understanding of the cross is "a barbarous idea," the Bible is "pure propaganda" and so on. Others simply say the creed as poetry or with their fingers crossed.
It would be easy to parody the "Alice in Wonderland" surrealism of Episcopal leaders openly denying what their faith once believed, celebrating what Christians have gone to the stake to resist -- and still staying on as leaders. But this is a serious matter.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I'm in Salem. Thanks for all the responses so far from everybody on this thread. So far the closest seems to be McMinnville and Springfield.
I met an orthodox minister (Episicopal) at my Catholic Bible Study -- introduction to Catholic Bible Study -- tonight. I will get his name and church for you.
I'm in the Salem/Keizer area and attend St. Edward Catholic Church in Keizer.
Bump to read later...
A friend here in Grants Pass says there's a conservative Anglican church here in town...
Ed
The Lutheran Church - Canada considers sodomy to be a sin, and does not consider Biblical teachings to be irrelevant. To the contrary, they consider the Bible to be the perfect Word of God.
After your note, I checked and found that I had attended an Evangelical Lutheran Church -- decidedly liberal:
National Church Council 1999
CC-99-182 As a long-term goal, the ELCIC strive to create an environment to enable the development of policies and ministries that will assist the church in becoming a more inclusive and welcoming place for gay and lesbian people.
According to Google:
ANGLICAN CHURCH OF SAINT ANDREW, 503-391-9705
3042 HYACINTH STREET NORTHEAST, SALEM OR 97303
and
St Swithun's Church
4820 Labish Garden Rd NE
Salem, OR 97305
(503) 393-4527
I agree completely, Basheva. Thank you for speaking out to us. Christianity, like Judaism, is under attack and must be defended. The situation in Europe is disheartening, to say the least. I recently visited the church in Paris where my great grandfather was baptized. While the church was full of visitors, when Mass began few people lingered to participate. A few "regulars" (about 35 or so) occupied the front rows of chairs. It was a moving experience for me in many ways, but what affected me most was the emptiness of the Madeleine and the other churches I visited in Paris. They tell me that Evangelical Christianity is "growing" over there, but I saw no evidence of that, nor was there ven a trace of Christian values in public life. Alas, France! Perhaps Europe is paying the price for the sins of its missionaries?
This is a big deal. Oz Guinness is well known in Evangelical circles.
*****Perhaps Europe is paying the price for the sins of its missionaries?*****
I think not. Were events predicated upon "paying the price for sins" - Islam would not be ascendant. Islam's missionaries have been murderous with little to no humanitarion motivation.
I think the empty churches of Europe are a result of socialist governments. A government which provides everything, causes its people to accept everything. There is an end to individual striving, no need to call upon heavenly strength and sustenance.
We say: "G-d helps those who help themselves."
This is precisely the opposite to the message from socialist government. It says - depend up gov't to supply everything.
Socialism - operating under a variety of names - didn't die with the Soviet Union or Mao. It lives and breathes all over the world and here in the Congress of the United States of America. And already more than half of our people believe that message. The left - democrats - are in the process of killing America's ability to defend herself. Despite the rhetoric the goal of the left/democrats to emasculate our military. We are losing the battle from the inside.
The socialist message works even with religious people because it seems to echo their desires to "help."
It's a subversive but siren call to those who don't read beyond the headlines.
Truly righteous people don't depend upon gov't to help either themselves or others. It's no accident that the first thing socialist governments do is get rid of religion. Dependence upon government is a form of enslavement - in Europe it may be at this point in time a comfortable enslavement but they will pay the price.
That price is the loss of their European culture and the eventual enslavement to an alien ideology which will surely overwhelm them.
I thought the Anglican & Episcopal church's are the same.
How are they different.
I stand corrected. Socialism is a real evil in that it robs people of their freedom, their faith and their G-d given individuality. Europe has forgotten what it means to struggle to survive. I am afraid the United States has also. I fear for this country of ours. However, as long as there are people here who think as you do I have hope. Thak you again.
Right on my friend!
You have some good points. However, I think that throughout all the ages till the dark ages, God lead his people with prophets and apostles- he has even promised to do so in these days- "and I will give power unto my two witness, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth" Rev. 11:3 (see also versus 4-12, Rev19:10). While I agree with alot of your ideas, I think that the Heavens must open again, the question then is how do you recongize a true prophet from a false one? Prophets teach the true doctrine of Christ, how many different doctrines of baptism are there among the churches today? How many different ideas of salvation? If the bible is the standard, then there must be "one faith, one baptism"? Just an idea.
When most people speak of switching from Episcopalian to Anglican, they are talking about switching to orthodox Anglican churches such as the Province of Rwanda, led by The Most Reverend Emmanuel Kolini , or the Province of Nigeria, led by The Most Reverend Peter Jasper Akinola -- NOT to the moribund Anglican Church of Canada or the Church of England. The African bishops are constantly attacked as "homophobes." In reality, they are obedient Christians. The Nigerians are especially suffering from attacks by their Islamic countrymen, whose hatred of Christians is partially fueled by the Western church's lax morals.
Please consider www.anglicancatholic.org and read the Affirmation of St. Louis for an idea of our theological content.
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