Episcopal Church promotes paganism?

Christianity Today Weblog ^ | October 26, 2004 | Ted Olsen

[fgoodwin]

Weblog: Episcopal Church Officially Promotes Idol Worship "Women's Eucharist" calls for worship of pagan deities specifically condemned in Scripture.

Compiled by Ted Olsen | posted 10/26/2004

Imagine for one moment that you're a leader in the Episcopal Church USA. You know that within the next few days, a global commission is going to release a report on how the global Anglican Communion should respond to your church, and is likely to be critical of the ordination of an actively homosexual man as bishop. You know, and have said yourself, that the debate isn't just about sexuality: It's about how one views the Bible. And you know that all eyes will be on your denomination over the next few weeks. What do you do?

What the real leaders of the Episcopal Church did was to take an action that makes ordaining a homosexual man as a bishop almost a non-issue. They started promoting the worship of pagan deities.

This is not a joke nor an overstatement. In all truth and seriousness, leaders of the Episcopal Church USA are promoting pagan rites to pagan deities. And not just any new pagan deities: The Episcopal Church USA, though its Office of Women's Ministries, is actually promoting the worship of idols specifically condemned in Scripture.

"A Women's Eucharist: A Celebration of the Divine Feminine" is taken almost completely (without attribution) from a rite from Tuatha de Brighid, "a Clan of modern Druids … who believe in the interconnectedness of all faiths."

[fgoodwin]

[forgive me if this has been posted already -- I searched and didn't find anything]

The women's "liturgy" that Olsen refers to has been removed from the ECUSA webpage, but it lives on here (at least for now):

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/41685_52038_ENG_Print.html

Here are followup articles by Olsen:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/143/31.0.html http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/143/41.0.html

and the ECUSA response mentioned above:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/143/31.0.html

As blogger says, "you can't make this stuff up!"

Fred Goodwin Diocese of West Texas

[mlmr]

Let's see. I left the Episcopal Church in 1984 for this reason. This is news?

[fgoodwin]

After I posted this, I found at least seven other threads covering this story -- my apologies.

[Rome2000]

The bottom line is that the "Protestants" left the Catholic church justifiably over indulgences back in the 1500's but what is going on amongst them these days makes the reason for leaving seem pale in comparison.

Unless Al Sharpton is your idea of a Holy Man.

[RMrattlesnake]

Are you surprised for a Church that ordains homos and says the bible is just an interesting historic document

[sionnsar]

Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams.

FReepmail me if you want on or off this list.

Resource for Traditional Anglicans: http://trad-anglican.faithweb.com

[BelegStrongbow]

I'm shocked, shocked I tell you: gambling in that casino??

[Grampa Dave]

Don't apologize.

Often reposting of threads or another version helps to see something we missed.

[Grampa Dave]

My wife and a few conservative Episcopalian friends really like your term Episcopagans.

[xJones]

Thanks for posting those links, I'd quote from some of them but what they're doing is Old Testament blasphemy, the kind that really grieved God. Obviously they don't believe in the Christian God or they'd run from this. Name them all Icabod for the glory has truly departed.

[sionnsar]

My wife and a few conservative Episcopalian friends really like your term Episcopagans.

Thanks, but that actually comes from one of the bloggers. Christopher Johnson of the Midwest Conservative Journal, I think.

[secret garden]

Thanks for the pings, even if they're depressing.

[desherwood7]

This shouldn't be suprising to any watchers of the Episcipoal Church. Since they've started blaming Israel for everything, It's anything goes for this church. I'm suprised that the Church hasn't split into two yet.

[secret garden]

I think parts have already split. The orthodox have nothing to do with the revisionists and vice versa. Some of the faithful are determined not to give up and are staying to fight for their church.

[kaehurowing]

One of my Catholic friends has been calling us Episcopagans for many years. A few years ago I agreed with him and got out of the ECUSA.

FYI--my understanding is that "Episcopagan" was originally used to refer to a certain type of Wiccan, one that engaged in elaborate ceremonies with "bells and smells."

[sionnsar]

Thanks for the pings, even if they're depressing.

I have been thinking the same of late -- too many downers, especially for the Episcopalians among us. I need some good news to ping from time to time...