Riddle Me This (for ACNA People)

I'd like all of the ACNA people on this forum to answer one simple question for me...

What good has come from your schism?

 

What good has come from TEC's apostacy?

 

Nothing, but that's not the question.

 

Let us remind ourselves that TEC that excommunicated Bishop Duncan.

 

I think those of us having to make the painful decision to move away from TEC, feel that we are not leaving TEC but rather TEC has left us. Schism is in the eye of the beholder Hackney. The reckless actions and unbiblical stances taken by TEC have pushed the AC you so highly esteem to the breaking point and has done, I fear, irreparable damage to Anglicanism's ecumenical causes with the larger church catholic. In the bible, when people had to choose between seperating themselves from certain leaders and members of a faith that sought to distort and damage it or risk seperating from the faith itself, the faithful remnant chose what some might call "schism" over apostacy. And rightly so.

lol! I guess if I were trying to defend the indefensible, I wouldn't want that to be the question either.

 

I'm not asking for you to justify your schism but to answer the question. I'm sick of hearing "TEC left us, we didn't leave TEC" blah, blah, blah. It's schism, pure and simple. Since you've left, the burden is on you to convince us churchmen why we should consider leaving, what good has it done?

 

Sadly, I know very little about the ACNA, we had one small parish close to our rural home that dissolved some time ago, and the closest Parish now is 40 miles north of us. Are their beliefs/practices similar to the ACC with strict adherence to the 1928 Prayer Book and old hymnal?

 

The ACNA is a mixed bag, both liturgically and theologically. You have everything from old-school RE dispensationalism, to a Continuum-esque 1950's Episcopal Preservation Society or 2002 Episcopalianism.

 

There can be no justification for making a Schism in the Body of Christ. No matter how desperate the situation, the LORD always preserves "seven thousand" left to Him. To run from TEC, ACoC, C. of E., et. al. because "they're apostates" and "schism is in the eye of the beholder" is sheer Donatism. Despite how vile and ridiculous TEC had mostly-become, there were still good men - but all the conservatives ran away to preserve their precious little opinions, thereby undercutting the holy clergy who wanted to reform TEC.

Those orthodox Christians who left TEC and now smile as they see it falling apart should not say "I told you so", but rather should be ashamed. Our duty is to build up the body of Christ. I certainly intend, lonely as I am, to do what is possible for the Canadian Church, even if it takes years. I'm surrounded by rubbish, heresy, and apostasy - but so what? Athanasius the Great never decided to found his own Communion, but stayed in the (by-then 70% Arian) Church to revive Her.

A revolution is in order, but they begin with the citizens of the oppressed nation, not outside it.

 

The thing that really has me concerned is the similarity in rhetoric I hear from ACNA people and clergy to 17th century Puritan and Separatist rhetoric.

 

Obviously unity with Rome became untenable because of her insistence on the infallibility of mere wives' tales & hearsay - which she titled Sacred Tradition - among other things. Legends, tyranny, extreme authority, and impossible odds united to make the English schism an unfortunate exigency. TEC, however, does not declare itself infallible, nor does it necessary destroy the faith by its admittedly horrible bishops and new ideas. There is a fundamental need for some schisms, but this one seems superfluous... just like the conventicles and dissenters, who were simply too proud of their Calvinism to be obedient to bishops.

What matters is the foundation-stone, the Creed, and the Articles ... it's a difficult time... but running instead of standing like a Christian seems the worst thing to do.

 

then why arent you Roman Catholic or Orthodox?

 

See my next post after that. There's a difference between hopeless "Infalliblism" and simple heresy.

 

LOL the ACNA.....

 

That's so arbitrary Consular. You're smarter than that.
"Schisms are always bad...except in cases where I say they aren't"?? Pulleeez. Besides your argument makes no sense. You refuse to commune with a church that believes the Holy Spirit preserves it from error according to Christ's promises only to join a church that says it's fallible and works overtime everyday to prove the point.

 

Lol! Excellent. While I haven't made the commitment to ACNA, I'm through with the TE so-called C.

 

You'd be at home in ACNA, which should be called ECNA, "Ex-Episcopalian Church in North America" that's a better description.

 

I could live with that.

 

Funny Joke!

 

Scripture disagrees with you. 2 Cor. 6:14-18