Postby Hammer » Thu Feb 08, 2007 1:47 pm
Faith= Christianity
Flavor = Cradle to grave Episcopalian unless this gay bishop and priest thing runs me off...
Little background on this issue for those that are interested:
There are 77 MM Anglicans in the world, 3 MM of them are members of the Episcopal Church USA...This is the church started by Henry VIII when he wanted a divorce and the Pope would not allow it...Also known as the Church of England...Services are very similar to Catholic services (we have communion at virtually every service including funerals and weddings)...Anglicans worldwide are middle of the road, in the US, Episcopals just keep getting more and more liberal...
The overwheliming majority of Anglicans throught the world are against gay priests and bishops...But the ECUSA persists in the rights of gays to serve in these capacities as evidenced by the nomination and confirmation of Eugene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire...That confirmation has stirred a big fracas in the EC USA with some prominent congregations leaving the church in favor of serving as missionary churches of the Diocese of Rwanda which has set up a missionary program in the US...Hows that for a change of pace: An African church setting up a mission here?
The Catholics recently described homosexuality as a condition that made a person unfit to be a bishop or priest...I agree with that...I am a sinner and unfit to sit in judgement of any man but I do have the right to decide who is and is not fit to work in the church that I support with my time and money...I view it as a job description issue and I would no more hire an openly gay priest than I would hire an open heroin addict or alcoholic...I think these conditions have a lot in common...You can rehabilitate an addict or an alcoholic or gay person but not if everyone is tellign them its okay so they stay in denial about their issues...For every butch woman there is a feminine man...She plays the man, he plays the woman and they live as a heterosexual couple...I believe that- like addiction- there is psychological damage undermeath homosexuality...In other words, homosexuality is a symptom...Address the underlying cause and the symptom goes away...THat never happens if everybody tells the gay person- its okay...
The other side of the argument within the Episcopal faith is that Jesus loved everybody and we should to and that discriminating against some one over who they have sex with is wrong becuase it is not "WWJD"...
I dont see it that way and remain hopeful that the Anglican Communion will intercede, tell the EC USA that they are free to form their own denomination but there association with the Anglican COmmunion will be terminated...This would force individual churches to decide to stay with the EC USA or go with the Anglicans...I would hope that my church would go Anglican...IF not, we would change congregations....
In conclusion, at this point in time, I would like to be known as an Anglican and not an Episcopalian...If the above does not happen at some point in the near future, we will look for a missionary church of the Diocese of Rwanda...That would be a very sad day because we love our church but you gotta do, what you gotta do...
Your thoughts on the aobve are appreciated.
HAMMER