[ahadams2]

You wrote: "Okay, please bear with me in my ignorance of your church's teachings with regard to scripture.

Do the Episcopal and Angligan churches both support 'sola scriptura'? (I am still amazed at the christian apologetics web site www.christianlesbians.com!)

Someone posted a thread the other day and I can't find it right now. The question raised was an excellent one! Is the ECUSA decision the result of 'sola scriptura'? What do you think? "

Good questions! First off, the 'Christian Lesbians' site does not engage in valid apologetics from any orthodox Protestant perspective...though it does once again demonstrate that ignorance can be bliss right up to the moment one stands before the Judgement Seat.

Anglicanism (of which the Episcopal Church was until recently at least putatively a component) holds to a 'three legged stool', or perhaps a better image would be a 'tricycle' approach to theology. If we use the latter, then Holy Scripture, as the inerrant Word of God written, is the big wheel in front with the pedals attached. If anything is NOT supported or if it is contradicted by God's Word, then the front wheel is missing and theologically it ain't going anywhere. *If* something is supported by Scripture, or if Scripture is moot on the topic, then one next checks to see what Church tradition holds with regard to the topic in question. Now here's where *many* of us (though not all) differ with our Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic brothers, in that it is the responsibility of those involved in a particular decision to insure that there is no conflict between the Traditions of the Church and Holy Scripture - this is an individual responsibility before God, and not one which can be, well, foisted off on the Church Fathers, or someone someplace with a mitre. Finally if neither Holy Scripture nor Tradition speak to a topic (space travel, as an example) then careful, educated reason, which also considers on Scriptural principles and seeking to be consistent with the *Biblical* traditions of the Church are to be used to determine the proper course of action. In ALL of the above situations, it is imperative that prayerful consultation, and the prayerful seeking of God's Will is always the first priority in the process of making any decision.

Now if you consider all of the above, you'll see that the heretics in ECUSA tossed the entire tricycle out a window and simply decided that anything that they thought felt good was of God and anything which made them even slightly uncomfortable (like, oh say, accountability for one's actions before God) was not. Also they may hve been influenced by some spirits, but obviously not by the Holy Spirit, since God never contradicts Himself.

did that clarify things at all?

[Credo]

The Book of Common Prayer contains a section called the Articles of Religion.

Basically the following is the Historical Anglican approach to Scripture.

Article 6 - The sufficiency of the Holy Scripture for Salvation

Holy Scripture contains all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation.

Article 20 - The Authority of the Church

The Church has power to decree rites or ceremonies and authority in controversies of faith; and yet it is not lawful for the Church to ordain anything contrary to God's word written, neither may it so expound one place of Scripture, that it be repugnant to another. Wherefore, although the Church is a witness and a keeper of Holy Scripture: yet, as it ought not to decree anything against the same, so besides the same ought it not to enforce anything to be believed for necessity of salvation.

The key word is the historical anglican understanding is that the Scriptures are "God's Word Written."