Diocese of Episcopal Church proposes making God Gender-Neutral

[Sy_Noe]

Yeah, I think the Catholic Church overall would be better off with half the membership number but with the half that are left being really committed to their faith, then having double the number but most of those not caring about their faith and just sort of showing up at church on Sunday, or not.

Perhaps but then how do you go about that without the Catholic Church changing Her teaching on who She claims as Catholic?

 

[commenter]

Tis_Bearself:

Yeah, I think the Catholic Church overall would be better off with half the membership number but with the half that are left being really committed to their faith, then having double the number but most of those not caring about their faith and just sort of showing up at church on Sunday, or not.

Perhaps but then how do you go about that without the Catholic Church changing Her teaching on who She claims as Catholic?

The previous poster did not say the Church would take action to make that happen, he or she said that would happen anyway. In any event, people are confusing 2 different things, being “in the Catholic Faith”, and “being in the Catholic Church”.

Those 2 are related but not identical. I have known many Cradles who are “in” the Faith but left the Church, sometimes once a year or so. But 90% of their religion is still Catholic, even if they gravitate to the pentecostal chapel. I have known others who are in a Lutheran or Anglican tradition, but their hearts and minds are deeply affected by the Magisterium, especially the 2 prior popes. They are kind of “in” the Catholic Faith.

I know others who are “in” the Church - some even in the convent - but have mostly abandoned the Faith. This generation is dying off. Some young adult Catholics (like Episcopalians) are now moving in together, not bothering with Church wedding or baptisms. So eventually all that will be left is the solid core. But I don’t see the TEC having that solid core, long term.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Good response.

The only thing I’d add is that the Church claims “Catholic” very broadly because for them, “in communion with the Catholic Church” is one of the keys to salvation. So somebody who is an avowed Protestant with no interest in self-identifying with the Catholic Church is still seen as being in communion with the Catholic Church because they had a Church-approved form of baptism, for example.

This is different from what commenter called being in “the Catholic faith”, which is also what I was referring to. I myself was “in the Catholic faith” but an irregular churchgoer for many years.

 

[ConstantLearner]

I know others who are “in” the Church - some even in the convent - but have mostly abandoned the Faith. This generation is dying off. Some young adult Catholics (like Episcopalians) are now moving in together, not bothering with Church wedding or baptisms. So eventually all that will be left is the solid core. But I don’t see the TEC having that solid core, long term.

I think that’s all that’s left now, it just keeps dwindling. I don’t think the Church is going to cease to exist, but I do think it’s going to grow smaller and smaller. I’m thinking of leaving myself due to the lack of charity (kindness and just rudimentary decency) among its members. And if anyone thinks that lack doesn’t exist, I invite him or her to examine this board. (Not this thread, but the board as a whole.)

 

[commenter]

commenter:

I know others who are “in” the Church - some even in the convent - but have mostly abandoned the Faith. This generation is dying off. Some young adult Catholics (like Episcopalians) are now moving in together, not bothering with Church wedding or baptisms. So eventually all that will be left is the solid core. But I don’t see the TEC having that solid core, long term.

I think that’s all that’s left now, it just keeps dwindling. I don’t think the Church is going to cease to exist, but I do think it’s going to grow smaller and smaller. I’m thinking of leaving myself due to the lack of charity (kindness and just rudimentary decency) among its members. And if anyone thinks that lack doesn’t exist, I invite him or her to examine this board. (Not this thread, but the board as a whole.)

Lack of charity is widespread across all the denominations. I tend toward the conservative end of the spectrum (RC), but I am saddened by fellow conservatives sometimes, in their attitudes to other denominations, to bishops and the pope, not to mention those darn liberals. I realize this is a reaction to the rampant nonsense in the larger society, but we have to resist that temptation. Keep affirming what is right, but love all persons. What is most lacking is a good healthy sense of humor, to take ourselves lightly while taking our faith very seriously.

 

[ConstantLearner]

Yes, I realize you are right. The lack of charity, among all, is just emotionally draining at times.

 

[eatpraylove11]

I see the Episcopal church in my neighborhood. But I do not think I have ever met an Episcopalian.