Ask me anything: Episcopalian Edition

[berniemcken]

How do Episcopalians justify abortion, contraception, sex before marriage, same sex relations, gender transitioning, interpreting the Bible, etc…?

Because they broke with the fullness of the truth so they have no way to rest in the truth. There is no “truth” because everything is relative and so church “teachings” keep progressive and evolving. Much the same with today’s Catholic Jesuits.

 

[GKMotley]

I’m familiar with it. It occurs once a month, in the Mass in my Anglican parish. The recitation of the Decalogue; the responses are sung. On other Sundays, the summary of the Law/Great Commandment is said by the celebrant.

 

[blackforest]

Are you in the ACC? ACA? Something else?

 

[GKMotley]

Something else of the very same sort. And those you mention, and we-uns, and some other like-minded folk, are working hard for total unity. Imagine: unity in the Continuum.

 

[HopkinsReb]

Something else of the very same sort. And those you mention, and we-uns, and some other like-minded folk, are working hard for total unity. Imagine: unity in the Continuum.

The Calvinists will never let you have unity, with all your popish idolatry.

 

[GKMotley]

Trust me. Not a Calvinist in a carload. Already in sacral communion, joint synods.

 

[HopkinsReb]

Ah, you mean unity between the Anglo-Catholic groups, not within Anglicanism in general?

 

[GKMotley]

I mean most of the major players in the Continuum.

 

[JohnStrachan]

As a former Catholic and now Anglican, I’d say the thing that peeves me the most is the moral relativism. Morality is rarely discussed in terms of individual responsibility but rather it is social. In my 11 years of worship in the Anglican church, abortion was mentioned only once and in the context of the one-child policy in China. This lack of solid moral teaching is a drawback for me. Yet most Anglicans would argue that what I say is relativist is simply “reason.” This being one of the primary tenets that separate RCs from Anglicans.

 

[GKMotley]

Or, you can find such Anglicans as in my parish, which regularly has taken part in anti-abortion activities. Our bishop was at the Right to Life march this year.

 

[AlruwhAlquds]

What does the Episcopalian teaching give you that Roman Catholic church teaching can’t give you? Not talking about people (either followers or church leaders) of the church and their personalities, I’m talking about the actual church teaching. Please explain if you can. Thanks.

 

[commenter]

On the positive side for Episcopalians, I see some local TEC parishes borrowing our established Catholic practice of “Lessons and Carols” during Advent.

 

[QwertyGirl]

What does the Episcopalian teaching give you that Roman Catholic church teaching can’t give you? Not talking about people (either followers or church leaders) of the church and their personalities, I’m talking about the actual church teaching. Please explain if you can. Thanks.

Over the years, I considered joining the Epicscopalian Church. I don’t care for the RCC’s approach about claiming to be right about everything it teaches. I much prefer the Episcopalian approach of not claiming to be 100% right all the time. I don’t have a need to believe my church to be right all the time just because it claims to be. I prefer the honesty of a church that says it doesn’t know everything.

 

[masuwerte1]

Exactly. (10 character limit)

 

[therese1998]

When I was growing up in the Episcopalian Church, there was never any talk of confessing to another person, only to God and even then sin was a very relative thing. I think it was assumed that only very, very serious sins such as murder would ever be “publicly confessed”. Therefore, besides being unusual, there may have been concern about what exactly was going to be confessed

I found the Episcopal Church to be VERY uncomfortable with the idea of sin. We were not to mention ours or others’ sin. It was tres impolite… God loves us all and forgives us all, period. Which is true…but as a convert to the RCC, I know realize that there a bit more detail to the issue. I felt relieved when I entered the RCC that I could finally stop being sin-less

The ECA, in particular, is heterodoxic, leaving one wondering what to expect from one church to the next.

This is true…the experience from one church to the next could be very different.
If we attended a more “conservative” church in the area, my mother would always say “They’re too Catholic for me!” Which always made me wonder…

It’s a funny thing about a liberal liturgical church: they’re fine talking about sin in the context of prayers they’ve said a million times, but try to actually discuss outside of a rote setting what sin is and why it matters, and things change pretty fast.

It gets pretty uncomfortable pretty fast, as I remember. There was a lot of trying to change the subject.

Over the years, I considered joining the Epicscopalian Church. I don’t care for the RCC’s approach about claiming to be right about everything it teaches.

If the RCC’s teachings are the teachings of Jesus, why wouldn’t she be right?

I don’t have a need to believe my church to be right all the time

We don’t believe the Church hierarchy or laity is right all the time. We believe Jesus’ teachings, faithfully preserved by the Church, are right all the time. Individuals within the Church can be wrong, but not the teachings.

I prefer the honesty of a church that says it doesn’t know everything.

There are quite a few things the RCC claims to not know or doesn’t take a position on. Evolution and the dormition of Mary come to mind…Are you sure your interpreting their position correctly?

 

[GKMotley]

I think the borrowing went the other way.

 

[commenter]

care for the RCC’s approach about claiming to be right about everything it teaches. I much prefer the Episcopalian approach of not claiming to be 100% right all the time.

An ancient formula, I think respected by both Churches, is" in essentials, unity. In doubtful matters, liberty. In all things, charity".

I doubt if TEC is less dogmatic about what it teaches, it’s dogmatic about different things.

 

[QwertyGirl]

I find them to be much more “open-ended” about pretty much everything.

 

[commenter]

I find them to be much more “open-ended” about pretty much everything.

Ok, I hope you and others point out and elaborate positive features of TEC. This thread is about them, not defending the RCC.

 

[QwertyGirl]

Ok, I hope you and others point out and elaborate positive features of TEC. This thread is about them, not defending the RCC.

I just answered the other poster who asked:

What does the Episcopalian teaching give you that Roman Catholic church teaching can’t give you?

I just find it to have more of an approach of inclusivity, which is appealing to me.

I don’t think that my answer requires anyone to defend the RCC. We are all entitled to our opinions.