It seems that the oddity of an Episcopal congregation and diocese billing those who left two years before for an unmet benevolence with the diocese is NOT the strangest oddity of the unraveling drama of the Episcopal Church. This just in: Episopalians prefer Muslims to conservative Anglicans. You heard it here first!!
When the Church of the Good Shepherd in Binghamton, N.Y., left the
Episcopal Church over disagreements about what the Bible says about
sexuality, the congregation offered to pay for the building in which it
worshiped. In return the Episcopal Church sued to seize the building,
then sold it for a fraction of the price to someone who turned it into a
mosque.
Thus begins an article in the Wall Street Journal
about the morphing of the Episcopal Church (the one that "Welcomes You"
unless you are a traditional Anglican). What do you call a "Christian
Church" that punishes people who adhere to what was believed by the
people who built the church building in which they worship? Well,
everything was done according to the rules.
I'm afraid this is not an Anglican peculiarity. In Finland, the Luther Foundation, a confessional group that organises mission congregations across the country, cannot hire or buy premises from the Ev. Luth. Church of Finland for love or money, even though most of its members are also members of the ELCF and pay their church tax. At the same time, the bishopess of Helsinki, Irja Askola, suggested in a newspaper interview that Lutheran churches could be lent to Muslims should they require worship space.
ReplyDeleteWhen another bishop, Wille Riekkinen, was asked on national TV whether it really was preferable to share premises with Muslims than Luther Foundation, the answer was an instant and unhesitant "Yes".
In the meantime, the Lutheran bishops are very cross with the Finnish Orthodox church for allowing Luther Foundation to use one of their parish halls for an ordination service.
O mores, o tempores, indeed!
"When another bishop, Wille Riekkinen, was asked on national TV whether it really was preferable to share premises with Muslims than Luther Foundation, the answer was an instant and unhesitant "Yes"."
ReplyDeleteMakes sense. They both serve the same master.
Anyway, I read about this last year, so I am not hearing of it here first.
http://accurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2010/03/dog-in-manger-ii-good-shepherd.html
Anon, both serving the same master is as good an explanation as any. If the position on human sexuality was THE issue, the Episcopal church should have even more problems with the Muslims than their faithful brothers. I tend to not assign malice when simple stupidity will suffice, but I suspect the zietgiest going on here is that Christians confessing the one true faith faithfully is hateful, and evil, making the opponents of Biblically faithful Christianity one's friends. No, the Muslims are not the Episcopal Church in America's friends, they are just useful idiots. Proverbs 1:7
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