Posted on 05/04/2007 12:26:52 PM PDT by fgoodwin
The nation's first openly gay governor has become an Episcopalian and been accepted into a seminary, according to a published report.
Former Gov. James E. McGreevey, who was raised as a Roman Catholic, was officially received into the Episcopal religion on Sunday at St. Bartholomew's Church in New York, said the Rev. Kevin Bean, vicar at the church.
McGreevey has been accepted to study at the General Theological Seminary in New York, the oldest in the Episcopal Church, school spokesman Bruce Parker said Wednesday. Parker did not know whether the former governor wants to become a priest.
''Mr. McGreevey has been admitted to the master of divinity program and he will be starting in the fall,'' Parker said. ''Where Mr. McGreevey goes with this is up to him. We have a lot of people studying here who are not interested in ordination at all.'' Growing up in Middlesex County, McGreevey was an altar boy and attended Catholic schools. While in office, he continued to practice the religion, but differed from church teachings in several areas, including his support of abortion rights.
Religion has become an issue in his contentious divorce proceedings. His estranged wife, Dina Matos McGreevey, has demanded that their 5-year-old daughter not be allowed to receive communion in the Episcopal Church because she is being raised a Roman Catholic.
The issue of gay clergy has exposed divides in the worldwide Anglican Communion, which includes the Episcopal Church in the United States. Anglican leaders this year demanded the U.S. denomination step back from its support of gays or risk losing its full membership in the Anglican fellowship.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Seven is the age of reason. God will not punish the child but He WILL zap the dad if McSleazy goes against what the mom wants.
Speaking as the mother of young children - the youngest being 5 and 10, I find it hard to believe that God would hold a 7 y.o. in any way accountable for this.
At seven, most children’s religious understanding consists of what their parents tell them and no more. They want to please their parents and have their love - to keep the commandment. The child could be in the middle of a nasty parental tug-of-war; the parents could be total compromisers; religious education classes at this age are not at all rigorous. A child simply doesn’t have the intellectual sophistication to understand the issue at stake.
If there’s any argument the child’s going to go through “Your father’s church is a false church.” “Your mother’s church is a hive of intolerant bigots.”
Mrs VS
Neck.
Sea.
Just to pick a slight nit, when I was Episcopal/Anglican (high), I firmly believed in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, but did not (necessarily) believe the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation.
Transubstantiation is an attempt to explain a profound mystery using scholastic reasoning.
Now that I am Orthodox, I still do not necessarily believe the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation. Transubstantiation does not automatically equate with "real presence." I don't know how the elements become the real body and blood of Our Lord; all I know is that they do.
I was raised Roman Catholic and attended Catholic schools from K-12. Cavalier in my response? Hardly. I might assume from your response that you have very little knowledge of the Episcopalian religion. However, I don’t think it wise to make assumptions based on a post. Have a peaceful night.
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