Goodbye ACNA --> Hello TEC

Again, varying opinions, but no one ever says that a heterosexual having sex outside of marriage or in addition to, isn't a Christian, nor do they say they can't be saved. While I believe it to be contrary to God's design for humanity, we on the hetero side have very little to boast of with a 51% divorce rate inside the church. We make a fatal mistake to say there is a rating system on sin, usually with our own particular one low on the list.

 

I have to say you have missed the point.

Do you know of any other sin besides homosexual sex where there is an advocacy group pleading to have it accepted in the church as a blessing from God and a good thing, and the church actually doing that? There is no one doing that for divorce, murder, alcoholism, gluttony or any other sin -- except abortion, which by the way, I would say advocacy of this also makes a church apostate.

Calling good evil and evil good is a sign of the times.

 

Not really, but it is an uncomfortable conversation for most. Every Sunday we sit arm in arm with people struggling with alcoholism, drug addiction, domestic abuse, pedophilia, pornography, extra marital affairs, hatred, racism, etc, and we have no issues with them, but we isolate homosexuals as unclean and/or unsalvageable. Don't misunderstand this as an approval of their lifestyle choice, but it is an indictment of our hypocrisy and misunderstanding of scripture.

 

I hear what you are saying and I agree with you. What I don't agree with is those who are pushing for same sex marriage in the Church. Jesus teaches us that marriage is between a man and woman.

 

I don't think that homosexuals, even practicing homosexuals, are not Christians. If they have faith in Jesus Christ and are baptized, they are. Any act of intimacy outside of Christ's definition of marriage is sinful, whether it be by homosexuals or heterosexuals or even divorced persons, as Jesus very clearly teaches in Matthew, Mark, and Luke's accounts of the Sermon on the Mount. The scriptures teach that we are saved, if at all, by our faith in Christ. We are damned, if at all, by our rejection of Christ: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." (John 3:16-18). Homosexuals should be welcomed as should all sinners in need of forgiveness. But we do no service to them if we twist the Gospel as we have received it so that sinners feel more comfortable living the lifestyle they are in. Paul says that if anyone, even angels, preach a Gospel different from the one we have received, they will be eternally cursed. Would you condone the church blessing relationships of polygamists? Of zoophiles? Necrophiles? Would we change the gospel so that serial killers could happily go on on murdering with the false notion that Jesus approves of it? Would we change the Gospel so that kleptomaniacs could go on stealing with the false assurance that Jesus approves of it?

Divorce, the acceptance of intimate homosexual relationships, intimate unmarried relationships, and abortion are symptoms of a much bigger issue. The church is to be a faithful witness and keeper of Holy Writ and may not ordain anything contrary to the word of God. Thus, in its approving of a rite to bless same-sex unions, in its embrace and support of the Religious Coalition of Reproductive Choice, in its condoning of remarried clerics, in its espousal of new age universalism and religious relativism, in its silence in the face of the heterodox theologies of Bishops Spong, Schori, etc.; in all these ways, and I say this with a broken heart, TEC evidences that she has fallen far from the biblical catholic church she was once a part of. I pray for her restoration to her former place. But, I for one, cannot remain with her until she does. Doing so implies I agree with her on these issues. I don't so I can't.

 

This quote from Pastor Rick Warren seemed appropiate.

"Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate." --Rick Warren

 

I absolutely agree with this. However, I believe that TEC has compromized in a number of key areas that I've mentioned above. There is trouble on both ends of this issue. It's wrong to reject or belittle anyone, but we must remain faithful the Gospel as it has been revealed, both the easy parts and the hard parts.

 

Jeff, I was referring to KJS, and her calling Jesus "A Way" instead of "The Way"

 

When I see organized groups marching, protesting, and advocating for these sins to be accepted, approved, and blessed by the church, I'll concede that you have a point.

 

Sadly, they already are. Our Bishops, Priests, Deacons, and parishners are not without sin, and every category I mentioned is a struggle for someone. Some have become public, but most are hidden sins that are a part of every day life.

 

We all struggle with sin, but do we confess and ask for pardon. Or do we pass off sin as normal living?

 

That's completely different from organized groups marching, protesting, and advocating for their sins to be accepted, approved, and blessed by the church.

 

But they don't champion those sins --- alcoholism, adultery, etc -- as normal. But they do strive to insist that sodomy is proper and normal, that is the biggest problem. They don't apologetically apologise for it, but glorify and even devilishly proudly champion it. I have known some to say that a homosexual state is a better more noble state to a heterosexual one, no exaggeration. Pure unmitigated sin.

 

Bishop Duncan Gray of Mississippi has stated that homosexual relationships can be "vehicles of grace." That, folks, is a blasphemous statement.

 

Again, let me reiterate that my presence in the ECUSA is to combat these same unscriptural errors, but with dignity and grace. Our decade of running to safe corners has accomplished nothing for the mother church..........in my opinion.

Jeff

 

True Jeff. I applaud your strength and resolve, and what I said wasn't intended to diminish or weaken it. In fact I hope that your strength helps fix some of these problems!

 

I understand and wish you the best, in doing what it seems I can't do.

 

Indeed.

 

The Episcopal Church's Civil War on its Orthodox Members

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=17179

 

Wow! Where are these outcasts going though, from what I can see around here the ACNA and REC are dying as well.

Jeff