'As people change, liturgy has to change' (Bishop Spong says Christianity must change)

ottawa citizen ^ | May 8 06 | ottawa citizen

[Salvation]

**Rev Spong**

Maybe he and Dr. Spock or even Dr. Seusss, could have formed one. Spock and Spong! Seuss, Spock and Spong! What a piciture!

[chesley]

"Spock & Spong".

Sounds faintly dirty, don't you think?

[kingcanuteus]

No, it sounds more like a kitchen floor cleaner

[nmh]

Perhaps you need to read the history of the Catholic church. Change is incorporated in your history as a matter of fact. For example, early on Priests married, add ons for Mary that were VOTED in place to name just two major changes.

[Gingersnap]

The last time we heard from this old fraud, he was writing an advice column for a pornography website.

Maybe he'd like to explain why the more traditional churches are gaining members and his own ECUSA and the United Church of Christ are withering away?

[Lilllabettt]

Not to draw attention away from the actual subject of this thread, (the article is absolutely hilarious, by the way,) but re: change in L'eglise Catholique ... change is different from development.

Imagine you're sitting on a stool in a dark room, and one by one, lights start to turn on. Suddenly, you see Grandma's ratty old chair, a nightstand, a table, etc. If enough lights go on, you'll see that Grandma's chair is a certain delightful shade of green, the nightstand has a coaster on it, and the table is three feet tall.

All of this was true before the lights came on. Its just new to you, because you didn't see it before.

I recommend reading Development of Christian Doctrine by that most excellent of deceased gentlemen, John Henry Newman. In fact, you can read it here. It's involved writing, so make sure you eat some beef first.

[nmh]

I find the Bible to be the best book for me to read and objective church history, though nice of you to reply to me.

[NYTony]

Note to Spong: You tried your best to kill off the Diocese of Newark, but you were only successful in running off about a third of the diocese during your time. Your successor has had to close a high number of churches, but the Diocese is still functioning, albeit at a lower level. Is seems that the closer the Diocese of Newark comes to be to your liking, the less chance it has to survive. The truth is, after years of Spongism in Newark, the diocese must change or die. Thus far, there are not many indications that it is willing to change, and so it is slowly dying. How sad.

[GiovannaNicoletta]

Because Jesus Christ is the only real, true threat to Satan; in fact, when Christ died, Satan was defeated for all eternity. Therefore, Satan intends to keep as many people away from Christ, and Christianity, as possible and in doing so thwart God's plan for redemption of man and destroy the opportunity for salvation for as many people as he can.

Part of the way he does that is through lies and deception, and he uses "useful idiots" like Bishop Sponge to spread deception in the knowledge that there are those, not knowing Christ, who will buy into the deception and believe the lies because they have either never been told Truth or heard it and rejected it, and will die in their sins and be robbed of an eternity with Christ.

Satan knows his fate and he intends to take as many of God's greatest creation, humankind, with him as possible. Look for the blasphemy, outright lies about Christ, and deception to continue and get worse in the near future. Christ's coming is very close, and that means Satan's time is wrapping up and his day of accounting and of meeting his doom is imminent. It's going to get pretty bad.

[Campion]

I find the Bible to be the best book for me to read and objective church history

Your sentence doesn't parse.

The Bible is a wonderful book. However, its coverage of church history (not to be confused with prophecy about it) ends at about AD 60 at the latest.

[Campion]

Change is incorporated in your history as a matter of fact.

Living things change and grow. What doesn't change is their nature, just as the nature of truth doesn't change.

The Church is a living thing. Her mission is her Spouse's mission. You remember how He described His purpose to Pilate: "The reason I was born, the reason I came into the world, is to testify to the truth. Anyone committed to the truth hears my voice."

[Diamond]

Vosper believes that all religions are human constructions — attempts to explain life or best guesses at what God is. She doesn’t believe that God answers prayers, or that the Bible is the word of God. She doesn’t accept the divinity of Jesus, or know what happens to us after we die."

Well then, I suppose her unbelief must be a human construction, too.

Cordially,

[fallan]

look.this guy Sponge no matter what he calls himself is not a Christian.To deny 99.99% of the bible would rank him in my book as an atheist of the highest order.So why does he persist in calling himself a "bishop"? a bishop of WHAT!! I ask. I have respect for atheists and agnostics who at least stand outside the church when they criticize it but this guy Sponge seems unable to release himself from the fold obviously because of the financial benefits he aquires for remaining in the church what a hypocrite.