Katharine Jefferts Schori
The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopalian religion intones a creed: There are bad people who want to "dominate" the church with clear statements of Christian faith and practice - "true believers." Schori wants an open-minded church defined by which of its insiders are entitled to specific territory, property and bank accounts.
The emerging Anglican Church in North America, to the horror of the good Episcopalian insiders, is "based on theology" rather than titles and geographical boundaries.
But it turns out that Schori's Episcopal Church (TEC) is itself based on a "theology for true believers" who share non-geographical affinity.
In 2006, an Episcopalian insider told a Seminary gathering that TEC is guided by a "theology of inclusion" and that the election of Katharine Jefferts Schori herself came from this belief. And this theology is based on affinity groups rather than parishes or dioceses: "I firmly believe we will continue to see the results of this 'mainstreaming' in the flowering of Asian, Black, Latino and Native American ministries along with the growth of women, youth, gay and all ministries which were once marginalized," said the bureaucrat.
But this "theology of inclusion" serves a much narrower group than the lofty words admit. "Youth ministry" is pretty much non-existent in old, gray TEC. Native American ministry is a disaster. Historic Black parishes are shutting down. Notice that the insider did not include un-sexy, inconvenient special needs people in his list of the "marginalized." In fact, TEC as a whole is withering.
If you do a bit of unpacking, you find that the "theology of inclusion" is about the campaign of one small group of "true believers" to dominate TEC - to rid it of inconvenient people and keep lots of money and property to serve itself.
- Google "Theology of Inclusion" and most of the entries you will find are about giving homosexuals titles in the church.
- Quoted yesterday in The New York Times, another Episcopalian true believer says that TEC's unique "niche" is to be a place to "worship with gays and lesbians."
- The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles is the latest to demand that TEC remove any traditional restrictions on homosexual leadership entitlements.
If you visit the blogs or attend any Episcopalian functions, you know that I could go on and on listing examples.
The point is this: TEC curses what it has become. It is a narrow sect, dominated by true believers.
13 comments:
Just to be really clear: TEC's unique "niche" is to be a place to "worship with" sexually active "gays and lesbians" in positions of leadership.entio
Oops, entio was the word verification. I wondered where that went and why I had to type it in twice.
It is not surprising that you misrepresent what the Presiding Bishop said; it is, after all, what you do. You conveniently left out the word "only." As in you and your ilk believe you are the "only" true believers. You are not. You may think that you are, but seriously, you are not. Rather than rejoice (and admit it, you are) over the decline of the Episcopal Church, perhaps you might be better off searching your soul and discovering from whence your anger arises. Further, one must wonder if you are at all familiar with the concept of idolatry as it relates to scripture worshipers such as yourself. If not, you shoud look into it.
It is not surprising that those who cast stones so often do so under "anonymous."
Dear anonymous:
I do not rejoice over the decline of TEC. I grieve it. I'm a guy, and guys often punch holes in the wall rather than cry. That's where I'm at w/TEC.
I have been a communicant all my life and a priest for 20 years. It has shaped and nurtured (and then betrayed) my soul. Every church/ministry I've served has grown. It is not some kind of inevitable social trend that churches must stagnate and die - it is a leadership choice.
I do not worship the Bible. I am true to my ordination vows: "I believe it to be the Word of God containing all things necessary to salvation." That's what TEC asked me to affirm. That's what the BCP says. That's what I said and still say. How is that idolatry? Idolatry is to put anything in place of God - and LGBT is the idol of TEC.
I did not misrepresent the PB. She is a hypocrite. She calls people strident and simplistic when she is fronting for a single-issue lobby. The facts speak for themselves.
Fr. Tim,
As usual, I couldn't agree with you more. It is nothing short of amazing how illiberal so many liberals are. Their so-called "theology of inclusion" is actually highly exclusive of those who, like me, are aggressively and militantly opposed to the pro-gay agenda or what I commonly call the "gay is OK" delusion.
To those who, like anonymous above, continue to espouse the rhetoric of "inclusivity" and "openness" above all else, I like to say this:
Yeah, an open mind is a great thing. I don't like fundamentalism either. But an open mind is like an open door or window, it needs screens to keep the bugs out.
Anonymous if there is anyone here who is angry it is you. You and the rest of your kind such as TECWW are jealous, angry and fuming that you and the KJS can not control the true Chrisian believers. If you really want to get down and dirty then Ill tell you who is the true church of Christian believers. You and your kind are heretics that will burn for leaving the church. Any church outside of Rome is heresy. So you do not have any room to be shooting off your mouth bout you and TECWW are the true church of any kind.
Greetings in Jesus,
I would certainly hope that the new province will be very stringent on those who are baptized and not baptized of who can and can not take communion. The following is from the list of the Diocese of Central Florida: "Some Parishes within The Episcopal Church currently invite those of other faiths such as Hindu, Moslem, Jew, Buddhist and even Wiccan to receive the Sacraments without Baptism, faith, repentance or salvation."
TECWW allowing this to happen is being disobedient and disrespectful to God and the Bible. I deeply hope the new province will keep a watch on this matter.
+Stonewall
We already do and have worshipped with gays and lesbians.
The Lord speaks of detesting same-sex relationships in the Bible. He made woman for man.
That being said, it is not easy for anyone of us to stay with the word of the Lord, but we will not change it, re-write the rules in the Bible, for our convenience.
Perhaps another group will form putting murders or adulters at the forefront. (I emphasize that Gays are NOT murderers or adulters any more than heterosexual people).
To openly abandon ANY of God's rules is wrong and we all need to ask forgiveness every day. A leader is just a human being, but to openly celebrate and practice that which is not acceptable to God, does not a leader make.
The Novice Oblate
Hey Anonymous, I can show you about 20 places in the Bible where GOD says homosexual behavior is sin. Do me a favor - please point out where GOD says homosexual behavior is NOT a sin in the Bible...maybe I just missed it?
I do not hate anyone, regardless of their beliefs. But if you can't follow the Word of God you shouldn't be in leadership in the church. That includes me - I am twice divorced.
Anonymous - God be with you. TEC needs God now more than ever before. Something tells me that you would not admit it....which of course would only prove me right.
But TEC and its followers will not ask for God to help, heal, or transform - because those within TEC do not respect God...as they will not listen to His Word. TEC and its members worship only one thing - itself/themselves. If following God's Word is "worshipping scripture" (are you attempting to make a moral equivalency between worshipping false idols such as a golden calf with God's Word?) then so be it, I worship God THROUGH His scripture.
TEC is doomed and you seem to even know it. I do not gloat and celebrate the demise of what I loved and miss terribly, but I am comforted that it is extremely obvious that God's Word will forever reign. TEC will not be rewarded by its renunciation of the Word.
Cafeteria Cathoics are not Catholic.
Cafeterian Christians are not Christian.
Simple.
Again, God be with you (if you choose to accept Him). I wish you and those who remain only the best, which is His will.
Side Note to the elves: I sure wish this blog would work in Firefox. You can't make comments on here via Firefox. Have to boot IE to post....ick!
Dear Bryan,
FYI, he word homosexuality does not appear in scripture, which you may not even be aware of.
Dear Lofty,
I love your use of "cafeteria." How ironic. Do you shave? Eat shell fish? Follow all of the Levitical and Mosaic laws? No? Than how do you choose? Hypocracy is rampant in your organization and you know it..And that goes for you Rt. Rev.
BTW...can YOU show me where our Lord and Savior condems homosexuality?
Peace.
Dear anonymous - God bless you. I truly believe that Our Lord is speaking with you through the passion you feel about these matters. But I say that as one who will cling to my own agenda until He wrings it out of me, and I think that is the painful path you will have to travel.
The "argument from silence" just doesn't work. If we make a list of words that Jesus did not specifically use, "rape", "genocide" and many other such words would be on the list.
But Jesus does, in fact, speak to these matters, when he acknowledges and fulfills the Law:
Matthew 5:17-18; Luke 16:17
Within this affirmation, Jesus himself upholds God's design of male-female union:
Mark 10:6
But I suspect you've heard all this before, as we've heard TEC's assertions about LGBT.
So, rather than talk past each other, perhaps we can just pray for each other to know and respond to God's purposes for our lives. I know that I need such prayer as I seek to lead a congregation in these troubled times.
Will remember you at the altar today - no agenda but to ask God to bless you.
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