FOX NEWS: Rev. Gene Robinson Confirmed As Episcopal Church Bishop

Fox News Live

[Brian S]

Rev. Gene Robinson Confirmed As Episcopal Church Bishop

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[oprahstheantichrist]

"Sola scriptura still means sola scriptura."

"Where's that in the Bible?"

It's a Lutheran thing, originating with the writings of Martin Luther. Not Martin Luther King (sorry, but sometimes I have to specify). It means that God's Word is the sole authority for Church Doctrine, and how we live our lives. The subject of this thread is an example of what happens when God's Word is ignored.

[Honorary Serb]

....I hate to be negative, but I was nearly the youngest person(at 45) in my class about the homosexual issue. I think the pro-gay folks have an advantage in that the culture is conditioning the younger people to not be concerned about this issue. All they have to do is wait for the old fogeys to die off......

I have something to cheer you up. A lot of Generation X people are embracing various forms of Christian orthodoxy!!! For example, see:

http://www.orthodox-christian-comment.co.uk/curiosities-orthodoxy.htm

The ultra-liberal, gay-friendly crowd in the ELCA often talk about "waiting for the old fogeys to die off". But they're LYING to us as usual!!!!

As for the ELCA youth organizations, I saw a chilling report about the recent LYO convention. They took the youth to a GAY BAR "to show that gays are people, too"!!! What is worse, when an unknown youth delegate allegedly made a "racist remark", the leader of the group put all the youth in "lockdown", until the "perpetrator" would come forward. they waited in silence for a long time, and no one came forward. Then they finally dismissed the youth, but cancelled a dance that has been scheduled that night. Not only are they pushing the gay ideology on them, but also some form of fascism or Maoism!! That is NOT the Luther League I once knew!!!

[Lady Heron]

The RC church is ready to welcome all Protestants back.

Still did not look up what that word means? There is a reason they are called Protestants.

We could use them, to replace the liberal heretics we have too many of right now who should be chucked out.

Every main line denomination has these heretics, that is why the huge growth in non-denominational churches, people are leaving denominations in droves(except for maybe the Babtist, the last I saw they were growing,and also I think the Church of God). I have not looked at the growth of the Catholic Church. The Protestant churches closest to the Catholic Church are the most liberal and the ones with the fastest eroding memberships. The more conservative Churches with the strictest reading of the Bible are growing. Funny how that is happening.

[TheWriterInTexas]

Thank you.

[Aquinasfan]

[Sola Scriptura] is a Lutheran thing, originating with the writings of Martin Luther.

That's right. But doesn't it seem at least strange to you that the doctrine of "the Bible alone" isn't in the Bible? That the doctrine is "man made"?

The problem becomes even more obvious when we examine what authorities the Bible tells us to accept:

1 Timothy 3:15

if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

Matthew 18:17

If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

1 Corinthians 11:2

I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions, just as I passed them on to you.

2 Thessalonians 2:15

So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings[ 2:15 Or traditions] we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

So the Bible recognizes three teaching authorities, oral teaching/tradition (Tradition), written teaching (Scripture), and the Church (Magisterium).

This follows logically because before the New Testament was written there existed only the Church and oral tradition. The Church determined the validity of oral traditions and also the validity of written tradition (Scripture), otherwise, how could we trust the canon of Scripture?

It means that God's Word is the sole authority for Church Doctrine, and how we live our lives.

God's Word isn't limited to the Bible. "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." (John 1:1-2) Jesus is the Word, and He isn't limited to the Bible. Even the Bible tells us this, when Jesus tells us, "remain in me," (John 15:4) and when He speaks of the Eucharist:

John 6:56

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.

And Christ abides in those who have been baptized and are in a state of grace:

Romans 12:5

so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

[altura]

Bob the Conservative said that Episcopalians regard the Bible as toilet paper.

That is insulting to an Episcopalian and manifestly untrue as far as most individual members and priests are concerned.

I don't get offended at everything ... just offensive things.

[altura]

Oh, never mind.

[Argus]

I have no argument with honest Protestants - I know why the Reformation happened. To extend an invitation to those who might be so inclined, to return (it would be a return) to the Roman Catholic Church, is as much for our sake as theirs, to revitalize a church that has, especially in America and Europe, grown lax and compromised. There's no serious doctrinal reason why Anglicans, Episcopalians, Lutherans and others shouldn't be Catholics again, given that their denominations are rapidly jettisoning core elements of Christianity.

[Lady Heron]

There's no serious doctrinal reason why Anglicans, Episcopalians, Lutherans and others shouldn't be Catholics again, given that their denominations are rapidly jettisoning core elements of Christianity.

Look you are asking the conserative ones to return to the Catholic Church. All I am saying is that the serious doctrinal reasons they became Protestants in the first place still remain. It is more likely they will form their own conservative branch of those churches giving us more denominations, example: the two synods(sp) of the Prespitarian Church. One being very liberal and one conservative.

[Paulus Invictus]

Oh. It was the Minnesota portion that I find disgusting. The Anglican religion in England, its birthplace, is dead or dying. Many churches are empty or closed. We went to one of the largest cathedrals in England and the only people at the services were visitors from Europe and the US and a few clergymen.

[Darnright]

Bump and thank you for the links

[KQQL]

I BEG ALL EPISCOPALS WHO ARE AS APALLED AS WE ARE...LEAVE THE CHURCH NOW!!! FORM YOUR OWN CHURCH OF THE MAJORITY. I SUGGEST YOU CALL IT THE "AMERICAN ANGLICAN CHURCH", IN LINE WITH THE ENGLISH WHO HAVE REFUSED TO BRING THEIR OWN RELIGION INTO THE GUTTER OF HOMOSEXUAL DEPRAVITY.

Gossipol according to the "Episcopalian Church USA" ..

1)Thy shall allow openly-practicing gay Bishops.
2) Thy shall Bless and approve the Same Sex-unions of thy people.
3) Thy shall choose and pick what thy like in the " bible" accroding to thy needs or wants of thy people.

[bonfire]

Looks like that may be happening in Plano in October. The priest of Christ Church, Plano is "leading" the delegation. He seems to be the most outspoken priest as of yesterday.

Interesting times....

[KQQL]

sure are...

[PFKEY]

Excellent response.

Thanks.

[TaxRelief]

The group leading the charge against the immorality in the Episcopal Church is Episcopal Shield. They have links to the American Anglican Council. Fortunately, there is one branch of the Worldwide Anglican Communion already established in the states, AMiA, the The Anglican Mission in America. See my post here for links to other established Anglican Groups in America. (There are so many choices.)

---

Episcopal Shield is calling for a schism but gives these instructions to the faithful:

Episcopalians Urged Not To Leave, But To Wait For Re-Alignment Plans To Be Worked Out In the Next Few Months.

We have received emails from many episcopalians who are finally fed up and plan to leave their churches on Sunday. We would like to ask them to continue to stand until we can work out the plans for a re-alignment with the Anglican Communion.

We will need many episcopalians in the trenches working to align their parishes with the "biblical" episcopal church as we re-align with biblical doctrine and the Anglican Communion.

We have lost a battle, but we will WIN THE WAR! Please continue to persevere with us through the sacrifices we will have to endure to re-establish our church on biblical foundations. The journey will be hard, but it will be a testament to our love for God.

---

Personally, I would recommend, going either to your closest Anglican church or to your regular Episcopal Church depending on you how strong you feel. Going to your regular church this week, and pretending that this weeks events are "no big deal", would be the worse thing we could do.

I plan to go and whisper to a friend or two "Can you believe what happened. This will mean the end of the ECUSA." or "Have you heard about any Anglican churches in the area?" or "Do you think we can break away before we lose everything?" I probably will let the kids be as fidgity as they want this Sunday (LOL) adding to a feeling of unrest in the air.

There is one thing to consider, though. Should we take communion if the church does not denounce the actions of the Convention? I suppose we can just kneel in prayer, at our pew, if we choose not to go up to the alter rail.

Let's take heart in the knowledge that only 2.3 million out of 70 million Anglicans are Episcopalians. This means that 67 million Anglicans are praying for us in our time of turmoil.

[PresbyRev]

There were three rival popes at one time anathematizing and excommunicating one another. Moral perfidy was the rule rather than the exception among popes during the renaissance era. Roman Catholic brothers and sisters who try to use this crisis in the ECUSA to denigrate other believers in Christ and other branches of His Church seem to be awfully self-righteous and blind to the errors and sins of the Roman Church in the past and present.

No church in the New Testament era was without sin, some were riven through with sexual sin (Church at Corinth) yet they were still addressed as churches by Paul and others. All of our denominations, even "non-denominational" and "home" churches are yet imperfect.

The history of the church is a history of sinners and sin, because those are the folks who make up Christ's body. Like Noah's ark, we might not be able to stand the stench inside the ark if the storm weren't so bad outside.

Rather than killing other wounded Christians on the battlefield, we ought to encourage and assist those in the midst of battling errors.

[altura]

Thanks for the post.

I'm thinking of keeping my church, but giving up reading the papers, watching tv and reading Episcopal threads on the net.