U. S. Episcopal Church defrocks conservative bishop

[HappyRevert]

I know it is quite naive, but one of the reasons I am interested in the Episcopal church and what is happening there, is in the back of my mind, I think maybe our brothers and sisters will come back to us in our Catholic church. This is only because I can’t imagine being happier anywhere else and want them to come be with us too. I hope that the interest you see has more to do with the desire to welcome you to our beloved Church (I know you love your church as well so you can understand that sentiment) than a desire to see ill come to any Christian Church. I’ll pray that God will continue to work His miracles in however He sees fit to bring about His purpose. He loves all of us and will work through our love of Him to bring about what is right and necessary.

I’m sorry that so many devout Episcopalians are being caused pain by the problems in their church. I remember well the pain we felt with our Catholic scandals but I pray that the pain will bring about God’s purpose.

 

[Contarini]

I know it is quite naive, but one of the reasons I am interested in the Episcopal church and what is happening there, is in the back of my mind, I think maybe our brothers and sisters will come back to us in our Catholic church. This is only because I can’t imagine being happier anywhere else and want them to come be with us too. I hope that the interest you see has more to do with the desire to welcome you to our beloved Church (I know you love your church as well so you can understand that sentiment) than a desire to see ill come to any Christian Church. I’ll pray that God will continue to work His miracles in however He sees fit to bring about His purpose. He loves all of us and will work through our love of Him to bring about what is right and necessary.

I’m sorry that so many devout Episcopalians are being caused pain by the problems in their church. I remember well the pain we felt with our Catholic scandals but I pray that the pain will bring about God’s purpose.

I understand that many zealous Catholics will see things that way. When these sentiments are expressed courteously and graciously, as you just did, I do not find them offensive. I can even put up with the view “the Episcopal Church is an evil, heretical institution and I pray for the day when it collapses altogether.” I just want people to be honest about what they are doing.

Edwin

 

[grandfather]

I understand that many zealous Catholics will see things that way. When these sentiments are expressed courteously and graciously, as you just did, I do not find them offensive. I can even put up with the view “the Episcopal Church is an evil, heretical institution and I pray for the day when it collapses altogether.” I just want people to be honest about what they are doing.

Edwin

We are all, I hope, sorry for the pain of any soul. We desire and pray for the good of all. If someone gets cancer after smoking all their life we do not feel happy that they had it coming. We want to do everything possible to comfort and cure. But if everyone on earth stopped smoking I would not feel a bit sorry for the tobacco companies that caused all the pain.

 

[emeraldcoast]

I was just looking over my old Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina and read Bishop Daniel’s account of Bishop Duncan.

Here is just a bit of Bishop Daniel’s statement…

“I need to note, too, that my vote to depose was not cast with an eye to Bishop Duncan’s theological views, which he shares with various other bishops in the House. Rather, the patience the House of Bishops extended to Bishop Duncan over the past 10 or so years wore out due neither to his conservatism nor theological views, but due to his disregard of the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church and his breaking of his ordination vows to remain loyal to the discipline of The Episcopal Church.”

Here is the link to read the full statement …
diocese-eastcarolina.org/page.aspx?id=349485

 

[Contarini]

I think that’s true. My problem is not that I think the bishops are intolerant of Duncan’s theology, but that their assertion of the authority and integrity of the Episcopal Church (over against the Anglican Communion, let alone the Catholic Church as a whole) presupposes an ecclesiology which I can neither accept nor respect, since it seems to me fundamentally idolatrous and heretical.

Edwin

 

[SIA]

When the Primate of the Anglican Church of Nigeria declares his church to be out of communion with a vast number of members of the US and Canadian Anglican churches, that is hardly a viewpoint of mine. And he has done that, so it’s a fact, not anybody’s viewpoint at all.

I will admit to one “viewpoint.” The staying away from a Lambeth conference on the part of hundreds of Anglican Communion bishops is a sign of fission, not fusion.

The assertion that I would deny that Bob Duncan is in Anglican orders is quite baseless. It’s hardly a matter of concern to me at all. It is to be noted, though, that there is a body of opinion in the US TEC that he is outside Anglican orders.

As for delight, this is another fantasy. There is no basis for delight at all. I said it’s no joy among Christians, and prominent members of the Curia have essentially expressed very much the same sentiment. So the statement that either I, or the Church, “delights” in the situation is utterly baseless.

In summary, the reply was clearly misposted, because it was clearly not to the statement quoted before it, as a reading of that statement will show.

Gerry

You can say whatever you wish sir, the proof is right here in these forums that many Catholics just bask in the glory of what they perceive as Anglicanism with the wheels coming off. Spare me all of your condescendment, I was directly and deeply involved when we in the Church of Uganda decided against Lambeth. It was an act of faith and obedience to God and his holy Word to decide to reject it. You are right, it was fission. Fission with the world; but it was fusion with Christ.

 

[elts1956]

Out of curiosity I went to hear Spong when he was in town speaking at some sort of interfaith dialogue at our local synagogue. My neighbor, a Methodist, really wanted to go. I knew pretty much what everyone has said about him, but I went in with an open mind, or maybe just to be humored. Most of what he said was just ludicrous. I did find it interesting that he told the group that after the Crucifixion the early “Christians” were Jewish and that the Church came from Jewish traditions. Sad thing, people didn’t seem to know that in the audience.

The only interesting part of the night was the Sabbath Service.

Well, let’s see, Christ was Jewish, so were Peter, Andrew, James (both of them) Paul. So the Church DID begin in Jewish Traditions, check “sedar” and the books of the Early Fathers.

Don’t know a thing about Spong, nor do I necessarily want to. But history is distorted enough without our taking the truth that WE know of out of it.

 

[flameburns623]

I think that’s true. My problem is not that I think the bishops are intolerant of Duncan’s theology, but that their assertion of the authority and integrity of the Episcopal Church (over against the Anglican Communion, let alone the Catholic Church as a whole) presupposes an ecclesiology which I can neither accept nor respect, since it seems to me fundamentally idolatrous and heretical.

Edwin

My sense is that bishops, in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Epsicopal Church come down much harder and faster on errant conservatives than on errant liberals. I suspect this is because the bishops realize that errant conservatives are more likely to ultimately come to heel–and that if they don’t, they are less likely to command a following that will follow them into schism. After all, for most conservatives ‘rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft’. Whereas for most theological liberals there is a serious question as to whether Scripture is even inspired when it calls witchcraft a ‘sin’, let alone if it is correct in likening witchcraft to rebellion.