The recent conversations about abortion have me flustered

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JohnStrachan

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I am passionately pro-life - thanks to my Catholic upbringing. There are so many things I love about Anglicanism but your lack of a moral imperative is painful. Why is sin so often defined in social terms as opposed to personal? It’s enough to want be return to the faith of my birth.
 
I’m honestly not sure what you mean by that. Sin isn’t defined in social terms in Catholic morality, it’s defined in terms of acting against God’s goodness and the natural order he’s established. This has social implications, of course, in that every sin affects the whole Body of Christ. But the social is a consequence, not the root of the definition of sin. Since it is defined in terms of God and his goodness and our own having been created in his image as a reflection of that goodness, with sin being anything that acts against that goodness or demeans it, then it’s precisely in personal terms that Catholic morality defines sin.

-Fr ACEGC
 
JohnStrachan said:
Why is sin so often defined in social terms as opposed to personal?
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In Anglicanism, sin is so often spoken of in the context of society. We talk a lot about social ills, like homeless, poverty, food and income insecurity, the human impact on the environment, LGBTQ issues and women’s inequality. It is infrequent to ever have a sermon on personal short-comings. In ten years in the Anglican church I have never heard one mention of abortion. Ever!!!
 
Ah okay. I was reading you wrong. I thought when you said “your lack of a moral imperative,” you were speaking to us Catholics. Reading you rightly, I see that we are in agreement.
 
If I understand correctly, you were brought up Catholic and now practice the Anglican religion. You don’t like how Anglicans define sin, so you came to a Catholic website asking for Anglicans to explain themselves? We all due respect, should this question be posed on an Anglican website?
 
There is nothing like this site in the Anglican church. Anglicanism is not a religion… it is a denomination of Christianity. Just like Roman Catholicism.
 
I left the RC church in 2008 and joined the Anglicans. I was an “all-in” Catholic - even went to seminary in the late 80’s. Got married and started using NFP - used it for seven years and timed the conception of 4 children (though first one miscarried).

Around 2005/6 I began to feel “empty” in my faith. As a Grand-Knight with the K of C I was subject to back stabbing and personal attacks that were very hurtful. My parish priest did not stand up for me. I felt abandoned.

Some deep-seeded animosities I had toward the church also came to a head. I was angry that the church did not accept any responsibility for clergy abuse of minors and that the RC church in Canada would not accept responsibility for abuse of first nations people. I was troubled by the way the church rejected people in same sex relationships as well.

In addition, my own experience of abuse in the seminary by a fellow seminarian still caused me pain. When I brought the abuse to the attention of the seminary rector he was dismissive - suggesting that because the activity didn’t involve penetration that it wasn’t really abuse. His exact words were “Patrick was just letting off a little steam.” I put the experience in a little box in my brain and forgot about it.

People in the church have let me down. And leaving the church has impaired relations with my father who claims I have “lost the faith.” I have not lost my faith. I go to church, am engaged in ministry, teach Christian ed. via Alpha, study and read the bible, pray, and try and bring my children up to be good Christians. I feel I am a better Christian now then when I was RC. And yet, I miss the RC church.
 
yes but you posed a question to Anglicans. Do you think there are a lot of them on this site? How can Catholics answer for Anglicans??? If there is no equivalent site, then you really don’t have a place to post this question (meant in a polite way)
 
I am terribly sorry for the abuse you suffered. However, we are called to imitate the saints. St-Rita forgave the man who killed her because he couldn’t rape her. If you had animosity, you still needed to work on forgiveness. And (coming from a Canadian) what exactly does the church in our country do that is unfair to homosexuals?
 
cmscms said:
what exactly does the church in our country do that is unfair to homosexuals?
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It doesn’t bless their relationships. Yet, at least the RC’s have s strong moral case for why they don’t. Their commitment to supporting the family is beyond measure.
 
Of course the Catholic church would NEVER bless a homosexual relationship. The Catholic church thinks it sinful. That is not a mistreatment
 
Yeah, there are a fistful of us.

Me, personally? I’d much rather see someone be RC than a Reform or via media Anglican. So I’m usually agreeing with the Cat’lics 'round these here parts.
 
I am so sorry. May God bless your faith journey and bring you to a place of peace. I share some of your hurt and humbly ask for prayers.
 
JohnStrachan said:
I am passionately pro-life - thanks to my Catholic upbringing. There are so many things I love about Anglicanism but your lack of a moral imperative is painful.
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What branch of Anglicanism are you? I was raised in a fiercely pro-life ACC (Anglican Catholic Church, for those who don’t know). In my experience, some Anglicans are strongly pro-life and others are spineless on the issue.
 
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