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To: Cicero
but it could be a dangerous precedent if a heterodox congregation decides to resign from the authority of a good and lawful bishop.

I disagree with that one. You are better off without the cancer in the body. Let them have the building and furniture, and tell them to get lost. (Or, more theologically accurately, to stay lost).

Of course, I belong to a denomination where one of the founding principles was that a congregation could leave with its property any time that it wants. We lost a large congregation to liberalism about 3 years ago, but everyone is better off with them where they are now.

13 posted on 09/20/2005 3:07:50 PM PDT by PAR35
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To: PAR35

I feel uncomfortable with the idea of churches running to the secular authorities to sort out what are essentially religious quarrels. But I guess there's no alternative. And in this case it was the liberal bishop who brought the lawsuit.

I see your point. As a Catholic, I hate to see other Catholics falling into heresy, but it's better that they leave than that they stay and poison the Church. Indeed, that's been the principle problem in the Catholic Church since Vatican II--that so many people want to be heretics but at the same time want to stay in the Church and leach off of it.


15 posted on 09/20/2005 3:33:16 PM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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