Posted on 06/15/2006 5:10:50 PM PDT by monkapotamus
COLUMBUS, OH: Episcopal Convention Condemns Bible as 'Anti-Jewish'
By Hans Zeiger
VirtueOnline Correspondent
www.virtueonline.org
COLUMBUS, OHIO (6/15/06)-The 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church today passed a resolution essentially condemning the Bible as an "anti-Jewish" document. Not only does the resolution aim to address perceptions of anti-Jewish prejudice in the Bible and Episcopal liturgy, but it suggests that such prejudice is actually "expressed in...Christian Scriptures and liturgical texts."
Originated in the Committee on Prayer Book, Liturgy and Music, Resolution C001 directs the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music to "collect and develop materials to assist members of the Church to address anti-Jewish prejudice expressed in and stirred by portions of Christian scriptures and liturgical texts, with suggestions for preaching, congregational education, and lectionary use, and to report to the 76th General Convention."
Both houses of the Episcopal Church Convention passed the resolution, including a 68 percent approval in the House of Deputies on Thursday.
The Rev. Ruth A Meyers of the Diocese of Chicago, Secretary of the Committee on Prayer Book, Liturgy and Music, explained to the House of Deputies why her committee had expanded the wording in the language to include not only prejudice in "liturgical texts," but also in "Christian scriptures."
"We did have a question about whether Scripture itself uses anti-Jewish prejudice," Meyers said. Referring specifically to the Gospel account of the crucifixion, she added, "That scriptural text...has in fact stirred anti-Jewish prejudice and resulted in significant violence toward Jewish people."
Canon Kendall Harmon, Diocese of South Carolina, Deputy on the Education Committee, proposed an amendment on the floor of the House of Deputies to restore the original language of Resolution C001 without condemning "Christian scriptures."
A deputy from Massachusetts argued in favor of Harmon's amendment, "I believe it is so important to deal with the question of the liturgical text and those that may promote or maintain anti-Jewish prejudice, and I am not prepared to deal with the larger question of Scripture."
The Rev. Adam Trambley, rector of Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church and a deputy from Northwestern Pennsylvania, declared, "There is an issue with perceived anti-Semitism in the New Testament...The amendment seems to be more interested in separating the liturgical texts we use from the Scriptural texts."
The amendment failed by a vote of 424-387.
Virtue Online interviewed the Very Rev. Dr. Peter Cook of the Diocese of Western Louisiana, a member of the Committee on Prayer Book, Liturgy and Music, following the final vote of the House of Deputies to concur with the House of Bishops. Cook attempted to dissuade his committee from amending Resolution C001, but his vote was far outweighed.
Resolution C001 "in effect smuggled in a critique of the Scriptural text instead of the liturgical text," said Cook.
Underlying it all was a terribly flawed understanding of God's Word, Cook suggested.
"I think it reaffirms the belief amongst many that our culture is entitled to critique the Scriptures." Cook said that the liberal view of Scripture had triumphed in the passage of the resolution, based on the belief that the Bible is "a document produced in a certain time with limitations, and because of that it may not be relevant for all cultures at all times."
The orthodox view, according to Cook, is that "the Scriptures were written at a particular place in a particular culture, and that they are relevant to all cultures."
But "if Scriptures were only communicated by men, which means that they were man's best efforts to interpret what God is saying," they will inevitably miss the mark, Cook concluded.
That is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard considering it is almost totally Jewish to begin with! What is wrong with these people????
This is satire, right?
Liberal political correctness perhaps?
Are these idiots referring to the TaNa"Kh as "anti-Jewish?"
This is from The Onion....right?
This is nothing but a placement of the camel's note under the tent. If Scripture can be disregarded or marginalized because it is "anti-semitic," it's a small leap to disregard and marginalize the sections of Scripture that speak against homosexuality, divorce, and other sins. It's appalling that the delegates to this Convention were so dumb to fall for this!
This is all so distressing. An Episcopal church brought me to Christ, but I cannot countenance what this Church is doing now. It is rapidly losing its right to even call itself a Church, in my opinion.
I think that you hit the nail on the head - exactly my thoughts.
The Bible is not anti-Semitic if correctly understood. This was the problem with the critique of the movie the Passion (actually a critique of the Gospels themselves) as anti-Semitic.
Hmmmm....one has to wonder what they're going to use to preach from now that they've condemned the scripture and their own liturgy. Hallmark greeting cards perhaps?
As is often the case, issues of sexuality are mere smokescreens that the Enemy uses to distract us from the deeper problems. This occurs to us both individually and collectively. Hence the person who thinks their real problem is an addiction to pornography may really be struggling, on a much deeper level, with issues of trust and obedience to the Lord. Collectively we find the titillation of discussing same-sex marriages and gay bishops to be more interesting than what are, without question, far more serious and foreboding concerns.
So it is with the Episcopal Church. We are riveted on the information coming out of Columbus and keep waiting for a decision on the homosexuality issue. In the meantime, bigger problems receive far less attention.
52% of the House of Bishops believe the Bible is "anti-Jewish" (at least the New Testament). But it is worse in the House of Deputies where the resolution passed by 68%. The bottom line here is that the problems of the ECUSA have little or nothing to do with anti-Semitism or homosexuality. The bottom line is that more than half of the leadership of the Episcopal church believes that the Bible is subject to man's judgement and not the other way around. They have turned Biblical authority on its head, placing themselves on God's throne. As it says in Romans, "professing themselves to be wise they have become fools". It is only then that, as Chapter 1 continues, that the issue of homosexuality is raised. Homsexuality follows the real problem, it does not precede it.
If the ECUSA chooses to pay lip service to the Windsor Report (and at this point I fear it will be only lip service) it will only be because collectively they do not have the courage to stand apart from the Anglican Communion and form their own non-Christian denomination. At this point I wish they would simply allow the ECUSA to dissolve, the orthodox remaining in communion with world-wide Anglicans and the rest joining the pagans. It is heartbreaking, but that is the choice the progressives are making.
There are some Religion Forum regulars who believe the same thing. If they haven't already posted to this thread, I'm sure they will be along shortly.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. "There are some Religion Forum regulars who believe the same thing"
Pure, unadulterated nonsense. I have never read anything of the sort. (Although, now, I am sure a certain "Catholic deacon" will emerge to state such a thing...)
What's with the quotation marks? Is he not really a deacon?
We were in a very liberal ECUSA diocese, couldn't stand it any more, became Catholic (we were very "high church".) And I was sixth-generation Episcopal/Anglican, it was a big decision to leave. But the leadership has gone stark staring mad.
For a long time the loons at 815 didn't affect the folks in the pews, you could sit in your own conservative/orthodox parish and ignore the national church, but those days are over. The national church controls the seminaries, so once an orthodox rector retires, you're done. That's what happened to our former parish.
But we're very glad we crossed the Tiber. The more I read and learn about the Catholic church, the more I wish we had made this move long ago.
I don't know if he is or he isn't. I know he claims to be.
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