Posted on 07/26/2014 4:41:46 AM PDT by michaelwlf3
I am coming up on my first year as an ordained minister in a continuing Anglican church, and I have noticed that participating on political forums (even when the topic is religious) I find that my opinions and postings more often than not generate more hatred than anything else. Among the things I often hear are that the laity are the real priests and that I am a Pharisee, that my vocation disqualifies me from offering an opinion on anything Christian because I am too narrow minded, and (my personal favorite) because I look too Catholic I must be a child molester.
Are these people really Christians?
And in the meantime all of your Protestant churches are ordaining and marrying homosexuals - Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and Lutherans, while you complain about the celibacy of Catholic Priests.
You need to clean up your own house before you point fingers, son.
You need a smaller brush, son.
A guy I know moved away. He got up in front of his new choir to announce he was not straight. He was kicked out right then. So, do not ever say all because you will be wrong. It is like my mom told us. Do not ever say you will not do something because that is exactly what you will do. It was a SBC. It seems like Catholics are the ones who try to cover up things.
Which is a desperate specious and illogical fallacy, as it no only employs a broad use of the term "Protestant" which is akin to calling Hitler a "Christian" as many atheists do, to include those who are fundamentally contrary to what basically defined Protestantism, but you assert "all of your Protestant churches are ordaining and marrying homosexuals," which is false, as well as placing your church in that camp, not the ones i ID with.
And rather than being joined with them or Rome, those who hold most strongly to the primary Protestant distinctive, that of Scripture being the supreme standard as literally being the wholly inspired and assured word of God, have been and yet are the most conservative class of Christians (as if there could be another), far more than the fruit of Rome or Anglicans (at least in the West), as has been abundantly substantiated from numerous researchers.
You need to clean up your own house before you point fingers, son.
I am not your son, and at 62 i am more likely old enough to be your father, while it is thee who is playing church against church, yet the glass of your Anglican church is not one you want to throw stones from behind.
Ah yes, the old “invisible church” argument. By all means, go to the invisible church, enjoy the invisible fellowship, have some invisible doughnuts and coffee at the invisible coffee shop, and get some invisible answers to your invisible questions.
I do not see Boatbums advocating what you impute, for your conclusion does not follow the premise. That the one true church is the body of Christ (for it alone is made up of only the regenerate) does not mean an invisible church which has no visible manifestation.
What you need to look for is a church that, among other things ,
preaches to convict souls of sin, righteousness and judgment, (Jn. 16:9) and thus salvation by grace thru faith which is counted for righteousness, (Rm. 4:1-7ff) "purifying their hearts thru faith," (Acts 15:9) but which is confessed in baptism by immersion (if possible) and following the Lamb, (Rm. 10:9,10; Acts 10:47) versus preaching a gospel in which a soul is formally justified by his own righteousness thru the act of sprinkling (usually) a morally incognizant soul.
As the Catholic Encyclopedia>Sanctifying Grace states,
Although the sinner is justified by the justice of Christ, inasmuch as the Redeemer has merited for him the grace of justification (causa meritoria), nevertheless he is formally justified and made holy by his own personal justice and holiness (causa formalis) ,
Thus making him fit for Heaven at that point, but as such later sin, this basis for justification (usually) results in spending time suffering in mythical purgatory to become good enough (and atone for sins) to actually enter Heaven.
And look for a church which ordains elders [presbuteros], not men titled "priest" (hiereus), which the Holy Spirit never does, by which is defended by the use of an etymological fallacy , since "priest" etymologically is derived from presbyteros due to imposed functional equivalence.
And one in which preaching the word is the main pastoral function, not dispensing flesh and blood to gain spiritual and eternal life, which they are never shown doing.
I could go on, but i already provided you with many more contrasts btwn Rome and the NT church for you top dwell on.
But when and how where you born again? That is most critical.
'ALL' Presbyterian and Lutheran churches are doing as you describe? Maybe the 'laity hates you' for your hubris or ignorance. Maybe they figure a leader should have less of both instead of excelling at both.
Nothing; specifically.
Ok; it takes a LONG time to gain back any 'respect' that was lost due to the exposed sins of the higher ups in ANY organization.
Eat your crow cold; as it's better that way.
Not 'yours' specifically; of course.
Haven’t I told you a million times to NEVER exaggerate?
If I can find you ONE it makes my case. Sure, the Presbyterians will just keep splitting until they find one other person who agrees with them and call that their new denomination.
Church splits are very painful, and expensive.
If the Protestants are so lily white that they can criticize the RCC, why does this situation exist?
And don’t talk to me about hubris, dude. All I am doing is pointing out the hypocrisy.
“Ok; it takes a LONG time to gain back any ‘respect’ that was lost due to the exposed sins of the higher ups in ANY organization.”
If you don’t forgive others Christ won’t forgive you, especially when the grudge you carry is against someone who never brought you any harm.
What’s it like to be so perfect in such an imperfect world?
'One' is 'all' now? In what universe? The only 'case' it proves is one of complete lack of prespective.
Sure, the Presbyterians will just keep splitting until they find one other person who agrees with them and call that their new denomination. Church splits are very painful, and expensive.
How much more the price of rejecting the Lord?
If the Protestants are so lily white that they can criticize the RCC, why does this situation exist?
'Lily White' pretty racist. Critcizing for bad doctrine viz a viz the Word of God, pedophile/homo priest shuffling doesn't require 'lily white'.
And don’t talk to me about hubris, dude. All I am doing is pointing out the hypocrisy.
Hypocrisy has nothing to do with your hubris. You make unqualified sweeping generalizations but it is OK, cuz I'm rooting out hypocrites. Heal thyself.
“I am not your son, and at 62 i am more likely old enough to be your father”
Don’t bet on it.
“Which is a desperate specious and illogical fallacy, as it no only employs a broad use of the term “Protestant” which is akin to calling Hitler a “Christian” as many atheists do, to include those who are fundamentally contrary to what basically defined Protestantism, but you assert “all of your Protestant churches are ordaining and marrying homosexuals,” which is false, as well as placing your church in that camp, not the ones i ID with.”
Ah, the “no true Scotsman” fallacy. John Calvin, you may have heard of him. A Protestant. John and Charles Wesley, you may have heard of them. They are generally thought of as Protestants, as is Henry and his reformed Catholic church. I’ll let you figure out what those guys have to do with the churches I mentioned.
And I don’t defend the Anglican church, that’s the difference between you and me. I am a Christian in the Anglican tradition. This is not my club against yours, we are all supposed to be Christians. But you can’t hate your brother and say you love God.
LOL. Oh, I have to tell you about an incident yesterday. I went to get gas, pulled up to the pump. A man started walking toward me from a car out near the street. He asked me if I could use another pump. He added that he had paid $30 for gas but forgot to get it. Now everyone knows I do very odd things but I have not done that one, yet. I can not help but laugh when I think about that.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.