Posted on 12/19/2007 10:13:23 PM PST by iowamark
THE leader of the world's Anglicans has described the Christmas story of the three wise men as nothing but a "legend" and has said not all followers must believe in the virgin birth of Jesus.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams has picked apart elements of the Christmas story, including how a star rose high in the sky and stood still to guide the wise men to Jesus's birth place.
Stars simply don't behave like that, he told the BBC during an interview.
Dr Williams said there was little evidence that the three wise men had existed at all. Certainly there was nothing to prove they were kings.
The archbishop said his approach was to stick strictly to what the Bible says.
(Excerpt) Read more at theaustralian.news.com.au ...
“Stars simply don’t behave like that”
I know, so true! and planets don’t get spoken into existence either. In fact, I am not sure the the fine and proud Mr Rowan Williams even exists.
But WHY was the Mother of God a virgin, Dr. Williams? Can't you even bring yourself to articulate THAT?
He said the virgin birth was "part of what I have inherited".
Oh, well I guess that settles that, then...
But Dr Williams said almost everyone agreed on two things - that Jesus's mother was named Mary and his father Joseph.
Ugh... I guess when the Canterbury club peels away all "non-essential" doctrine, this is all they are left with: Some guy was born and he had a mom and a dad. And the whole "mom and dad" thing is probably too much for TEC to bear...
“But WHY was the Mother of God a virgin, Dr. Williams? Can’t you even bring yourself to articulate THAT? “
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Bravo, Zero Sum!
The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, whose cause for beatification is well underway, once stated that just by her willingness to be what God made her vis a vis her “fiat,” the Blessed Virgin Mary (the Mother of God/”Theotokos”) protects us from the most dangerous heresies that directly attack the Person of her Son Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Mary’s humanity bears witness to the humanity of Christ.
Mary’s virginity bears witness to Christ’s divinity.
This is precisely why new Christians DO NEED to leap over the “hurdle” of belief in the Virgin Birth before joining the (Christian) church.
Moreover, if these “new Christians” are serious and sincere in their desire to join an authentically Christian church, they might also be well advised to leap over the anti-Nicene “hurdle of heresy” being constructed by the “hireling” Archbishop of Canterbury!
Not to worry, the focus is quickly shifting away from the See of Canterbury.
There are others in the world wide Anglican communion that has had the Holy Spirit set their feet in motion.
These leaders will be instrumental in preserving this beautiful expression of love to the Lord.
I’ve only “known” one Anglican, online, but he was a fine and Christian person.
This Archbishop is a disgrace to everything Christ stood for.
He’s enough to scare anyone away from the Anglican church.
Yes, I understand and thank you for the kind words.
The overwhelming majority of the 70 million member World Wide Anglican communion are very orthodox and conservative in their beliefs.
We strictly adhere to the faith passed down by the Apostles over two thousand years ago.
Christ is purging this limb of his body of all who blaspheme his name and spirit.
We have been in the midst of a struggle to be sure. God’s faithful will prevail.
Prayers are in order.
Blessings.
“Stars simply don’t behave like that”
Meanwhile, liturgical chr*stians (like Anglicans) and mainline Protestants continue to insist that just because the Torah says that HaShem created the world in six days, that doesn't mean that HaShem created the world in six days . . . and then somebody has the intellectual honesty to be consistent and they scream bloody murder.
Oh no, evolutionism and a "myth"-filled Bible have absolutely nothing to do with the way your churches are collapsing! Oh, certainly not!
Just keep repeating that.
This certainly seems to suggest that the Archbishop has drifted even further around the bend that it previously appeared. However, the article is heavy on paraphrases and light on actual quotes.
I’ve heard that you can roll a bowling ball down the aisles of an English Anglican church on any given Sunday and not hit anybody. Perhaps this “leadership” is the reason.
The funeral is for the Anglican Church and the man delivering the eulogy is the Archbishop of Canterbury. He's explaining why the Church died and his own part in its demise. The article is an eloquent exposition of apostasy and lack of Christian belief. Basically the archbishop is saying that the Church lost it's raison d'etre.
Someone should frame it.
It's like an anti-credo. What I don't believe. As an example of leadership by a leader of a major Christian denomination, this is about as bad as it gets.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see...” (Heb. 1:1)
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see...” (Heb. 1:1)
Doesn’t make sense to me. Hedging?
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Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15
I’m puzzled by people who think the Virgin Birth, or miracles such as feeding thousands or raising Lazarus, or the Eucharist, are “a stumbling block to faith.”
If you can’t believe facts that are clearly stated in the Gospels, why would you believe anything about Christianity at all? Okay, the Romans crucified an annoying Jewish guy. Who cares? They did that kind of stuff all the time.
Thankfully, most Anglicans don’t believe in the Archbishop of Canterbury either...
Let me suggest to one and all that perhaps it would be better to read what the ABC actually said -- in full context -- before believing this Australian paper's spin on what he said.
So, as a present to you, Here is the transcript of the interview.
Do yourselves a favor and get informed first. I have not read it yet, and so have no opinion on what he actually said.
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