Posted on 07/15/2006 8:43:24 AM PDT by Teófilo
Tidbits from hither and thither. Onslaught of the terrorist "god"; a Mormon President? Troubles in Anglican and Presbyterian churches; gay "marriage" judicial defeats.
Folks, this is another of my irregular roundups of news, opinion, and commentary catching my attention lately.
No rules, just right, another strong, lucid column by Cal Thomas. Paragraph of note:
These occasional successes we hear about in the anti-terror war (and one hopes there are many more about which we don't hear) are helpful reminders that no matter what happens in Iraq, the conflict is nowhere near an end and probably won't be for years, perhaps generations, to come. How can it end when so many believe their "god" requires them to act without rules and without conscience under their brainwashed doctrine that only they are right and everyone who does not agree with them deserves to die? Holding such a belief leaves no room for them to negotiate with Western diplomats whom they regard as "infidels."Exactly. He also wrote this other column, Can a Mormon be President? which I also found thought-provoking. This an excerpt:
Consider the following scenario: four candidates are running for president in 2008. One is a pro-choice Protestant who believes in balanced budgets and would cut spending and lower taxes, but is divorced and remarried to someone who has also been divorced. The second candidate is a Catholic, who is pro-life, but who believes in tax increases and more government spending to help the poor. This candidate is married, but during the '60s he smoked dope and lived in an ashram with two women. The third is Jewish and supports the Iraq war and Israel against those who wish to destroy it, is married to a gentile and thinks same-sex marriage is OK. The fourth candidate is a Mormon, who is married to the same woman he started out with, is pro-life, opposes same-sex marriage, wants taxes and government spending cut, would put more conservatives on the Supreme Court and appears consistent in his private and public behavior.I differ theologically with Mormons profoundly. I think that their religious doctrines are wrong in whole or in part. Yet, Mr. Thomas' article is food for thought. I'll rather vote for a practicing Mormon for President than for a Catholic-in-name-only. A Catholic running for President won't get my vote if he or she holds an inconsistent Life ethic. I've already voted that way. Last time, John Kerry didn't get my vote. So, sure, I would vote for a Mormon for President.
Anglicanism at the Crossroads from Zenit.Org continues the close scrutiny that the movement inside the Mother Church of Anglicanism to ordain women as bishops. The Associated Press reports the latest developments, as reported the Lowell Sun On-line, Church of England backs installation of women bishops:
Appointing women as bishops is "theologically justified," the Church of England's General Synod declared July 8, moving toward a decision sure to create contention in the international Anglican Communion, which is already divided over gay bishops and clergy.Read the full spread of news on this subject from Google News here.A final decision is not expected until at least 2012. Among other things, church laws need to be rewritten.
Synod delegates voted 288-119 on a motion by Archbishop of York John Sentamu declaring that women bishops are consistent with the faith.
Sentamu acknowledged that women bishops would strain relations with the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.
The Church of England has ordained women priests since 1994. Of 38 national branches in the 77 million-member Anglican Communion, only Canada, New Zealand and the U.S. Episcopal Church currently have women bishops.
I frankly don't know why we are still talking to the Anglican Communion. What we should be doing is talking to those Anglican jurisdictions individually that still hold to traditional Christianity and historical Catholicism (i.e., us). The rest of the Anglican communion is just destined to become a minor sect holding nice--though invalid--liturgies in the developed nations. Clearly, our ecumenical strategy toward the Church of England must change.
Similarly, in the Presbyterian Church, Group Says Presbyterian 'Plunge into Apostasy' Cannot Be Reversed. This is the entire news report as published in the Christian Post:
LENOIR, N.C. (AP) – A major organization of lay members says the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) "crossed a critical line of demarcation" last month by allowing local congregations and regional bodies some leeway to install openly gay clergy or lay officers who live with same-sex partners.I wonder if we still have an ecumenical dialogue with Presbyterians. If we don't, we should, at least with these more orthodox believers who decry their denomination's "abandonment of the church universal." That's something that happened almost 500 years ago, but it is nice to know that they are noticing it just now.The Presbyterian Lay Committee's board said in a statement that fellow conservatives "are not capable of reversing the denomination's plunge into apostasy" any longer - so now they must find a way forward.
The long-standing committee, which has a mailing list of 450,000, objected to the actions in June of a national assembly of the 2.3 million-member denomination.
A 2005 poll released by church headquarters shows that 26 percent of Presbyterian members and 44 percent of pastors "definitely" or "probably" favor allowing sexually active gay clergy.
The Presbyterian Lay Committee statement also denounced the assembly for failing to reject a paper on worship of the divine Trinity that proposes gender-neutral alternatives to the traditional "Father, Son and Holy Spirit." It said the paper conflicts with the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer as taught by Jesus.
The committee said the assembly "invited schism" by separating the denomination from "historic beliefs and practices" of Presbyterians and by "abandonment of the church universal."
The statement urged supporters to "explore fellowship with other like-minded Presbyterians," among other steps.
Pro-family advocates in Tennessee and Nebraska have won victories against gay "marriage" advocates in those states last week, with a federal appeals court reinstating Nebraska's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage and the Tennessee Supreme Court ruling that voters should have a say on the issue. Also last week, an effort to expand civil unions in Conneticut suffered a set back in a lower court. Read what the gay press is saying about this season of defeat at this Google News compilation.
These are indeed good news for pro-family advocates, but the fight is not yet over. Those who want to destroy the traditional family are still intent in carrying on their little judicial jihad to impose their will by judicial fiat. Traditional marriage protections must be strengthened across the nation via legislation or via constitutional amendment, less social engineers and activist judges have their way.
That's it from this round-up! God bless you all!
PING!
Which was the other one?
Such troubling times we are witnessing! The Israeli-Arab/Palestinian conflict has renewed with a vengeance, Islamic terrorism and militancy remains a continuing threat, and older Protestant denominations are being torn apart with their theological adventurism. The Catholic Church must stand firm.
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