Man's revisions of God's church (Cal Thomas)

Tribune Media Services ^ | 08/08/03 | Cal Thomas

[bedolido]

An Episcopalian friend of mine, reacting to the elevation of an openly homosexual priest to the office of bishop, said to me: "If you're a heterosexual clergyman and you're having sex outside marriage, you can be expelled. But if you're a homosexual clergyman having sex outside marriage, they rejoice."

Most denominations that call themselves Christian take the Bible as their text for spiritual and relational instruction. Some in the Episcopal Church take a liberal view of the Bible, just as some do of the U.S. Constitution -- it must be constantly updated to suit cultural trends. This view lends itself to constant misinterpretation and confusion. Eventually, it leads to religious or political heresy.

Excerpt

[newgeezer]

Most denominations that call themselves Christian take [at least bits and pieces of] the Bible as their text for spiritual and relational instruction.

There. That's better.

[Aeronaut]

Ancient scripture sets out the parameters for all human sexual expression. In order to get around the restrictions that limit sexual activity between a man and a woman within a marital bond, liberal theologians have had to construct a theology that says the Bible does not really mean what it clearly says. It is the same with the Constitution, which is interpreted by liberals to allow for the use of God's name in vain as an act of protected speech, but prohibits the favorable use of his name under the same First Amendment.

Now this is a paragraph to spread around!

[ravingnutter]

Who gets to decide, God or man?

In the end, God will decide...and it ain't gonna be pretty!

[Piquaboy]

They interrupt the Bible so as to bring in the most parishoners. Money!

[KDD]

Consider this fine passage from St. Augustine’s Confessions:

“And what is this God?” I asked the earth and it answered: “I am not He,” and all the things that are on the earth confessed the same answer. I asked the sea and the deeps and the creeping things with living souls, and they replied, “We are not your God. Look above us.” I asked the blowing breezes, and the universal air with all its inhabitants answered: “I am not God.” I asked the heaven, the sun, the moon, the stars, and “No,” they said, “we are not the God for whom you are looking.” And I said to all those things which stand about the gates of my senses: “Tell me something about my God, you who are not He. Tell me something about Him.” And they cried out in a loud voice: “He made us.”

The Episcopal Church has forgotten the face of God.

[ibheath]

The funny thing is, when denominations begin pandering to special interests like the gay lobby, they begin to see a decline in membership and giving. The methodists, the presbyterian church, the episcopals and the evangelical lutherans have all implemented "gay friendly" policies. As a result, all of them are in decline. It is the churches that hold true to the scripture that are growing. People are hungry for truth.

[ibheath]

If you want the biblical description of what is going on in the liberal churches, read Romans 1:18-32. Especially v.32

[Tax-chick]

Once compromises are made (and I'm not talking about stoning adulterers, though such a practice might be one way to implement term limits in Washington), all things become not only possible, but probable.

Great line!

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

Anytime you see a homosexual priest or bishop you are looking into the face of satan.They are created in satan's own image.

[msdrby]

ping

[Roughneck]

"**Anytime you see a homosexual priest or bishop you are looking into the face of satan.They are created in satan's own image.**"


Indeed. Many will be fooled because Satan can appear as an "angel of light".

[LiteKeeper]

SPOTREP

[banjo joe]

They've certainly been decieved by satan. After God commanded us to be fruitful and multiply, this was a great ruse for satan, after all, what else could he do to counteract a command like that?

[Hat-Trick]

I have this suggestion for conservative Anglicans in the coming weeks. Instead of putting your normal tithe in the collection plate, place a pair of scissors with a note on them requesting that they be sent to the local bishop so that he can cut out all the parts of the Bible that the church doesn't agree with or will tend to ignore. After all, if you are going to disagree with the literal interpretation of certain scriptures, why have them in there at all - if the scripture is now deemed to be subjective?

I sure wish they'd quit treating His Word like an Ala Carte menu.

Hat-Trick

[Hat-Trick]

I have this suggestion for conservative Anglicans in the coming weeks. Instead of putting your normal tithe in the collection plate, place a pair of scissors with a note on them requesting that they be sent to the local bishop so that he can cut out all the parts of the Bible that the church doesn't agree with or will tend to ignore. After all, if you are going to disagree with the literal interpretation of certain scriptures, why have them in there at all - if the scripture is now deemed to be subjective?

I sure wish they'd quit treating His Word like an Ala Carte menu.

Hat-Trick

[sharkhawk]

Are there other divorced bishops in the Anglican church? Do they even allow normal hetero priests who are divorced? This seems to me to be an even bigger issue than the fact the guy is a homo. How can the church allow divorced people to lead their flock on a spiritual journey.

[xzins]

If a man can't rule his family how can he guide the family of God.

Thomas is right on the money.

Robinson is unfit to be a bishop based on that one common-sense biblical statement above.

[IndyPatriot]

It is the churches that hold true to the scripture that are growing. People are hungry for truth

How true. I left the Episcopal Church several years ago and joined the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod. Our church is growing year by year and has been a blessing for my family and myself. The Episcopal Church is a parody of it's former glory.

[TheFrog]

Re: "The funny thing is, when denominations begin pandering to special interests like the gay lobby, they begin to see a decline in membership and giving"

It is much worse than that lets look at what Christ said in Matthew "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." If Jesus were here today, would he rephrase the another warning he gave in Matthew to "How is it that you fail to perceive that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Bishops and Sadducees." Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Bishops and Sadducees."