Posted on 04/02/2005 11:47:11 AM PST by babylontoday
Over 50 million Anglicans out of roughly 77 million worldwide, with whom the U.S. Episcopal Church was formerly in communion, have declared either broken or impared communion with the ECUSA.
At about the same time that the House of Bishops of the ECUSA voted 62 to 43(hit link and scroll) to ordain Robinson, they also overwhelmingly (news wires) approved by voice vote a document(hit link and scroll) which said "We recognize that local faith communities are operating within the bounds of our common life as they explore and experience liturgies celebrating and blessing same-sex unions."
"But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." Rev 2:6 "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate." Rev 2:15 The term "nicolaitan" comes from two Greek words which mean "victory over the laity". http://www.babylontoday.com/episcopalians.htm
Does a bear eat berries?
I fully understand the attempts to maintain unity within the Anglican communion (note: I'm Catholic, not Episcopalian). There comes a point, though, when zeal for orthodoxy must override zeal for unity. From what I've seen, the ECUSA is not going to back down from Gene Robinson's ordination, and it's had a long time to reconsider its position. Seems like it's time for the rest of the Anglican world to sever ties with the ECUSA and declare that ECUSA is in schism.
“All God’s Children” is the title of the feature story appearing on the Internet home page of the Episcopal Church of the United States. If you delve deeper into its homepage and review the Church’s newswire, The Episcopal News Service, for 4 November 2003, you find featured stories celebrating the consecration of the Church’s first, openly gay, homosexual Bishop. What do these stories tell us about the meaning of “All God’s Children” and the state of the Episcopal Church in America?
In spite of the fact that I have not been a devout Christian, as a deeply spiritual person, who derives his faith from Christian teachings, I would like to offer my thoughts. Let me start by saying I believe the Episcopal Church of the United States has somehow lost its way by confusing the fact that though we are all God’s children, we are not all in a state of grace with our God. There is a difference and that difference provides the definition between that which can be tolerated by society and what can be accepted by followers of the Church and those who wish to join together in celebration of their striving for grace with God through communion. The Church is not obligated to accept what a secular society will accept and if it were there would be no need for the Church.
There is no doubt we are all God’s children. God is life and God celebrates life through procreation. We, all human beings, are part of that plan. His plan for procreation and the celebration of life lies in the union and bonding of man and woman. There is no other natural way consistent with God’s plan for life. Each of us came into this world as the result, whether in a state of grace or not, of the union between a man and a woman. As a product of that procreative act, as children of God, we are not responsible for the state of grace of those that brought us forth. We are however, responsible for our own state of grace with God.
What is a state of grace with God? I believe a state of grace with God is the recognition of our humanity and the use of the special gift of consciousness that God gave us, and that separates us from common beasts, to worship God through our love for God, each other and our personal striving to abide the laws of God. It is not enough to love God and each other and acknowledge the laws of God to be in a state of grace. We must love God, each other and strive to obey the laws of God if we are to remain in a state of grace. Perhaps this is what Islam means by Jihad, or the striving.
What is the Church? I believe the Church is the common place where those who acknowledge their belief in God come to celebrate their love for God, each other, to reaffirm their faith in God’s plan for us and gain the collective strength to continue striving together, helping each other, to maintain a state of grace. It is where we celebrate our joy in being in a state of grace. As such, the Church is a spiritual house where the family of those who strive to maintain a state of grace, gather to celebrate in communion, their love for God.
What is sin? Sin is the conscious, willful disobedience of the laws of God. It is sin that separates those that are in a state of grace from those that aren’t in a state of grace with God. Can sinners be part of the Church? Of course they can. But, they are only welcome in the communion of the Church if they renounce their sin, ask God for forgiveness and reaffirm their desire to maintain a state of grace without further sin. Otherwise, they are not part of the Church but a disruptive force that serves only to disrupt the communion.
God’s law includes the laws of nature for it is through nature that God has provided his plan for procreation. And, it is the law of nature that no procreation of human life consistent with God’s plan can be realized other than through the bonding of man and woman.
Who should lead the Church? Should it be those whom we consider the nicest? Should it be those whom we consider the most articulate? Should it be those whom we consider the most welcoming and inclusive? A leader is one who shows the way. The leaders in the Church should be those that provide the best example of the way to attain and live in a state of grace with God. We would hope they are the nicest, most articulate, welcoming and inclusive people but the most important criteria is that they are an example of God’s intent for how our lives should be lived in a state of grace.
I have not been a devout Christian. I have not spent my life studying the teachings of the Church, my God, or Christ. But, as a deeply spiritual person I somehow, firmly believe the Episcopal Church of the United States has lost its way and has confused “All God’s Children” with its responsibility to lead those who believe in a state of grace with God. I believe a Bishop who openly demonstrates contempt for God’s celebration of life through procreation and the laws of nature cannot be in a state of grace with God and can therefore never lead others to a state of grace. To believe otherwise is like saying Satan can lead you to the gates of heaven, but he just can’t get through. That is called subversion and I believe the Episcopal Church of the United States has succumbed to subversion.
In closing, I just want to quote one of the greatest movie lines I've ever heard, "Satan's greatest victory was to convince the world he didn't exist." My meaning? There is no greater subversive power than that which you refuse to acknowledge.
Thank you for the very thoughtful response.
I have now been a full Catholic for one week, and an EX-Episcopalian for the same amount of time. My prayer today is that all struggling Episcopalians out there will use this time of prayer and reflection following the death of our Holy Father to contemplate a return home to the Catholic Church. As I watch the moving images coming to us from our television sets, with tears streaming down my face, I give thanks to God for the life of John Paul II and for my conversion.
Keep the faith...as we all must.
I had a professor in college who was an Ex Episcopalian as a child and young man, an athesist in his early 20s and then finally became a catholic. He was a wonderful man and one of my favorite professors.
I'm personally a Southern Baptist and very particular in my beliefs. However despite some theological differences with catholics we generally are similar when it comes to many issues. Though I was not under the authority of the pope I believe that his stands on the issues today was a Godly one, something that each and every one of us should be doing.
No Jesus = No Salvation
The deeper concern among orthodox Episcopalians in the USA isn't the homosexual issue, but the way the Episcopal Church seeks to impose it's social engineering on the wider Communion. ECUSA has been working its social agenda for 30+ years and has enshrined much of it in the 1979 Prayer Book which departs in both theology and structure from the true Book of Common Prayer which is fundamentally catholic. ECUSA is the culpible party in this mess, not only by introducing heresy and lax morality, but also by attempting to blackmail the worldwide Anglican Communion. Essentially ECUSA is saying: "If you want to maintain unity, you'll have to accept our innovations." The faithful cannot accept this revisionist theology which has not the power to save.
Welcome home!
No wonder that many intelligent persons who happen to be connected with the Episcopal church through sentiment, or the force of circumstances, shrink from liturgies celebrating and blessing same-sex unions.
Jesus said, "God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." - John 4:24.
"Salvation is by the grace of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ."
Even those that voted for it shrink from it. Bishop Leo Frade voted in favor of the ordination and marriages but NIMBY (not in my back yard) by saying he wouldn't approve them in his own diocese. Coward or hypocrite, take your pick. Bishop Frade heads the Southeast Florida diocese and was one of the Bishops who voted in favor of the ordination of Bishop Gene Robinson and also supported the resolution passed by General Convention that states: “We recognize that local faith communities are operating within the bounds of our common life as they explore and experience liturgies celebrating and blessing same-sex unions” (Frade also serves on the board of Food For the Poor). He had intended to abstain from voting but later said that one of the reasons he was influenced into voting affirmatively for the ordination and "liturgies celebrating and blessing same-sex unions" was because of the young people that spoke. Thus he was swayed, in part, by young people who have the highest rates of personal sexual uncertainty, running as high as 26% for 12 year olds.
Welcome home!!!
You are more inspiring than a lot of devout Christians. Thanks
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