Posted on 03/15/2005 7:46:44 AM PST by sionnsar
A report came out yesterday that the ECUSA House of Bishops is considering eliminating confirmation as a requirement for church office and may be considering doing away with confirmation altogether.
I find this a sad outrage. In Episcopal confirmation, one still has to state one’s intention to follow Jesus “as my Savior and Lord” and must affirm the Apostle’s Creed. It requires a clear public profession of faith. And someone joining the church should want to do that. If someone doesn’t, they have no business holding a church office. A strong case can be made they shouldn’t be considered a full member of the church at all.
But maybe weakening or eliminating confirmation is appropriate for ECUSA. There really hasn’t been any requirement to believe much of anything to hold office in that denomination for some years now . . . except perhaps the Holy Dennis Canon and the rule of bishops, of course.
Also, this exercise on the part of the House of Bishops illustrates how detached from reality many of them are. The Primates are gently but firmly disciplining them and expecting a response. ECUSA is on the verge of being sent out of the Anglican Communion with the kick of a velvet boot. And yet the bishops spend time on possibly weakening the sacraments and the requirements of church discipline – NOT what the current situation calls for.
The Hayride to Hell continues.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. For those who don't understand that remark, from the same source:
Also, from RAFwN: Episcopal Church Denies Reports of Bobble-head Hay Ride
My dear Anglican brothers and sisters -- how much more can you tolerate? These fiends are making your church into a meet-greet and eat gay bar. You MUST break away NOW -- sticking on is useless and becomes a victory for the evil one.
"In Episcopal confirmation, one still has to state one’s intention to follow Jesus 'as my Savior and Lord' and must affirm the Apostle’s Creed."
Ahh..., but that's so... excluding.
It would make all the sincere Druids feel bad.
In Episcopal confirmation, one still has to (state) a clear public profession of faith.
Not quite, churches around here dont require young people to memorize anything and assign only cursory book study on the faith and scripture. Instead kids' participating in the confirmation leader's pet "do gooder" project counts for more.
Further even toddlers may receive communion, why bother. If confirmation has degenerated into this process it is a waste of time.
In my parish..sigh, you don't even have to be Christian to take communion...we view it as snack time..like milk and cookies..
Dont laugh, I was forced to wade through Spongebrains' "Why Christianity Must change or Die" he calls for exactly this. If this is to be I say we have a happy hour and serve heavenly single malt
Well, in my ECUSA parish we still confirm people (and not infants, either), and make a distinction between "confirmed" and "received". All baptized Christians are welcomed (with that phrase; baptized Christians only, please) to the altar rail. Yes, we have an altar rail. You can kneel or stand as you prefer, and while it's a personal choice, said preference seems to be exercised on the basis of how much help and time you'd need to get back up if you knelt. And when the Bishops show up, some of us give them an earful.
Possibly you are correct, I should keep my mouth shut, or rather, I'll leave off from giving what you rightly point out as unwarranted advice. I will say this -- that many good Anglicans have kept thinking that the ECUSA will change and they have stuck on and now they are being tarnished by these Robinsons and Rowanses.
The Eastern Rites still administer confirmation as it supposed to be administered, to adults and infants immediately after baptism. Confirmation is one of the sacraments of initiation.
There are quite a few Catholics who have simply never bothered being confirmed, and have never gotten the graces from it.
"The Eastern Rites still administer confirmation as it supposed to be administered, to adults and infants immediately after baptism. Confirmation is one of the sacraments of initiation."
As does Holy Orthodoxy.
Paul always insisted on "completing" baptism by confirming those he preached to, "as they had not yet received the Holy Spirit," meaning the fullness of the Spirit as expressed through Confirmation.
The new Rite of Christian Initiation for adults teaches the fullness of the initiation rites as we are about to experience at the Easter Vigil.
I can see why our bishops do what they do, as we have no "rites of passage" in the American culture (unless drinking one's first beer qualifies). Still, administering the sacrament of Confirmation at age 17 dilutes the meaning of the sacrament; it becomes a way to coerce parents to make sure their kids keep coming to religious ed classes.
They've already made belief in Christianity optional for bishops, so I don't see what difference this makes.
In other news Frank "Leon Fortunato" Griswold continues his quest for a One World Unified Church of Nothingness, Tattoo and Massage Parlor.
This is from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese website:
"The Sacrament of Chrismation (Confirmation) immediately follows baptism and is never delayed until a later age. As the ministry of Christ was enlivened by the Spirit, and the preaching of the Apostles strengthened by the Spirit, so is the life of each Orthodox Christian sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Chrismation, which is often referred to as one's personal Pentecost, is the Sacrament which imparts the Spirit in a special way.
In the Sacrament of Chrismation, the priest anoints the various parts of the body of the newly-baptized with Holy Oil saying: "The seal of the gifts of the Holy Spirit." The Holy Oil, which is blessed by the bishop, is a sign of consecration and strength. The Sacrament emphasizes the truths that not only is each person a valuable member of the Church, but also each one is blessed by the Spirit with certain gifts and talents. The anointing also reminds us that our bodies are valuable and are involved in the process of salvation.
The Sacraments of initiation always are concluded with the distribution of Holy Communion to the newly-baptized. Ideally, this takes place within the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. This practice reveals that Orthodoxy views children from their infancy as important members of the Church. There is never time when the young are not part of God's people."
Thanks for that. We Catholics have some doctrinal development to work on when it comes to the Sacraments of Initiation. Orthodoxy continues the practice of the Early Church.
No backbone to face the homosexual mafia ... and they've proven they are not in touch with Christ or The Spirit. They are now obsolete.
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