Q. Is it true that the Episcopal Church will soon be using pagan fertility rites and occult liturgies?A. No. People have always experimented with liturgies and there are certainly isolated extreme examples of such experiments in every church. One of the temptations we must avoid is to take some extreme anecdote reported in the press and portray the entire church as such. We need to remember that regardless of what happens in isolated places that the Book of Common Prayer is the official liturgy of the Episcopal Church. Ironically enough, one of the problems facing the church in other parts of the world is the widespread (not isolated) participation in pagan and occult practices by professing Christians. Christianity Today reports that nine out of ten Christians in West Africa (including Nigeria) are involved in the occult. That story can be found here -
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/august/8.16.html
You can see all of the Frequently Asked Questions by typing FAQ into the blog's search engine.
7 comments:
One has to wonder how frequently these questions are actually being asked or is the blog master posing the questions himself(and framing them) in order to answer them in a certain way to make a political point?
. . . just a thought
Maybe my profession can provide some more light on this subject.
The other day a teacher was brought up on charges of soliciting a minor. We see, from time to time, teachers who get caught doing things that are just wrong. Some of these include giving students alcohol, having sexual relationships and inappropriate advances (and I'm sure I'm missing a few). Does that make every teacher a sexual preditor? Does that make every teacher a bad teacher? No! There are people who fall short in every profession. The religious aren't any different. If we were perfect we wouldn't need Jesus.
TEC is a human institution run by people and mistakes and wrong decisions will happen. Again, a bad egg doesn't make all the eggs bad.
As the Russians say, Slava Boga!
In response to Mr. Wilson's question - I would refer readers to FAQ #10 posted on the Diocese of Pittsburgh's Parish Toolbox.
http://parishtoolbox.org./media/RealignmentFAQV2.pdf
Jim Simons responds to my query concerning his FAQs by citing that he was responding the Diocese of Pittsburgh's FAQs which were first published almost 18 months ago. Besides, those FAQs were already responded to once by PEP members and Jim's fellow Across-the-Aisle participants Joan Gunderson and Lionel Diemel here,
http://progressiveepiscopalians.com/html/reconsidered.pdf
I would think Jim would agree with his fellow "conservatives" in the Diocese on these questions, even if we are re-aligning --unless of course, if there is a reason I am missing in all this.
Nice Try David. You implied that I was manufacturing politically motivated questions that no one was asking. I never said I was responding to the Diocesan FAQ. Rather I am responding to the questions those FAQs have raised over the past months.I've had two parishioners ask about that particular question in the last week. I'm not sure what PEP has to do with this as I am not a member of the organization and they do not speak for me.
Thanks Jim
I am much relieved to know that none of the things you are posting these days as we approach the realignment vote on October 4 are politically motivated.
Thanks David.
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