What should have happened
a Swiftian catena
The General Convention should have listened to the clear directions of the Primates and repented and repudiated all that had been done to offend.
The Episcopal Church should have ignored the tradition of national church polity and remained as a missionary arm of the Church of England even after the Revolution.
The Church of England should have listened to the pope and never separated from Rome.
The Eastern Orthodox should have done the same and submitted to Rome so as not to sever communion.
The martyrs should have followed Saint Paul’s advice to obey those in civil authority.
Saint Paul, in the interest of not tearing the fabric of the early church, should have acceded to the circumcision party instead of trusting to his own private interpretation of Scripture.
The Jerusalem Council should have ignored the anecdotal evidence of Paul and Barnabas — which could only serve to make Law-abiding Jewish converts uneasy.
Saul should have ignored his personal “experience” on the road to Damascus and followed his orders from the Sanhedrin.
The other apostles should have ignored Peter’s “dream” and stuck to the letter of the Law.
Jesus should have heeded Peter’s advice and turned back from Jerusalem.
He might also have considered more seriously the various options presented to him in the Wilderness Report.
Joseph should have ignored the “personal revelation” he received — again in a dream, no less — and acted in accordance with the Law, and when he found Mary to be with child by someone other than himself, had her stoned to death, and her unborn child with her.
Then we wouldn’t be having all these problems with the Anglican Communion.
—Tobias S Haller BSG
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9 comments:
Yes,,, I agree.
We honor Constantine more than we honor Jesus.
Peace and thanks for all your work
Bruno
Bravo!
Oh I agree - and while we are at it - we should continue in the tradition of Japhthah and make oaths that result in killing our daughters - that would solve the whole problem!! Or maybe God should not have provided a ram for Isaac either.
But when in the course of Divine Providence, these American States
became independent with respect to civil government, their ecclesiastical
independence was necessarily included; and the different religious
denominations of Christians in these States were left at full and equal
liberty to model and organize their respective Churches, and forms of
worship, and discipline, in such manner as they might judge most
convenient for their future prosperity; consistently with the constitution
and laws of their country.
The attention of this Church was in the first place drawn to those
alterations in the Liturgy which became necessary in the prayers for our
Civil Rulers, in consequence of the Revolution. And the principal care
herein was to make them conformable to what ought to be the proper
end of all such prayers, namely, that ?Rulers may have grace, wisdom,
and understanding to execute justice, and to maintain truth;? and that the
people ?may lead quiet and peaceable lives, in all godliness and honesty.?
But while these alterations were in review before the Convention, they
could not but, with gratitude to God, embrace the happy occasion which
was offered to them (uninfluenced and unrestrained by any worldly
authority whatsoever) to take a further review of the Public Service, and
to establish such other alterations and amendments therein as might be
deemed expedient.
It seems unnecessary to enumerate all the different alterations and
amendments. They will appear, and it is to be hoped, the reasons of them
also, upon a comparison of this with the Book of Common Prayer of the
Church of England. In which it will also appear that this Church is far
from intending to depart from the Church of England in any essential
point of doctrine, discipline, or worship; or further than local
circumstances require.
And now, this important work being brought to a conclusion, it is hoped
the whole will be received and examined by every true member of our
Church, and every sincere Christian, with a meek, candid, and charitable
frame of mind; without prejudice or prepossessions; seriously considering
what Christianity is, and what the truths of the Gospel are; and earnestly
beseeching Almighty God to accompany with his blessing every endeavour
for promulgating them to mankind in the clearest, plainest, most affecting
and majestic manner, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our blessed
Lord and Saviour.
Philadelphia, October, 1789
(Dave) A cute approach to a big problem, but in the end, not very helpful. It proceeds from the assumption that TEC (or at least some parts of it at some particular times - but, not always- witness B033) must necessarily be right. The rich, self-indulgent people of the West are most assuredly the bearers of God's truth and the inheritors of the mantle of righteousness - not those in the persecuted church who put their lives daily on the line for the sake of the Gospel! What arrogance! Oh, I forgot, the only reason they object is because some well-funded fundamentalists bought them with a couple of chicken dinners. They could not possibly have discerned the leading of the Spirit. The Ugly American is alive and well and can be found wherever TEC is at prayer.
Dave,
When it comes to matters of truth, either TEC is correct in (some of) its actions, or it is not. I have never suggested it is always right. On the contrary, I know only too well the kinds of mistakes the Episcopal Church has made, and continues to make.
But surely whether one is rich or poor is no indication of whether one is right -- or righteous. I know many self-indulgent and well-off religious conservatives, and many poor and struggling liberals -- and both sorts exist in the Global South as well as in the US. You are engaging in an ad hominem attack which has nothing to do with the truth of any propositions.
You also appear to be unaware of the many people in the US and throughout the world who put their lives on the line every day in defense of the faith and in ministry to others -- and do so without condemning or demeaning their brothers and sisters in Christ.
I welcome your comments, but I do wish they were more to the point and less structured as a rant.
(Dave) You were the one who analogized TEC's actions to those of the pillars of the faith and the reaction of the Global South (and conservatives)to those who would thwart the will of God. I apologize for the style of my reply, but not the substance.
I love the "Wilderness Report" notion--that is really sticking with me.
the reaction of the Global South (and conservatives)to those who would thwart the will of God
...that's the reaction of the bishops of the GS, Anon/D (and by no means all of them).
But the rest of it?
Yes.
So help me God, that's what I believe.
Am I not supposed to believe what I believe, just to make you happy Anon/D? Am I not supposed to follow my conscience, as (continually) formed by Scripture, Tradition, and Reason, just because you object?
How do live as a person of integrity, by your lights, Anon/D? How do I read the Bible to say something I believe it doesn't? When conservative arguments don't convince me, how would I act as if they do?
How 'bout instead of just sniping, you say something with which we could actually engage? :-/
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