Episcopal Church Debate

[Philip]

This is just sad: http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2018/jul ... mon-prayer

[Stu]

So sad to see Churches going down these paths.

Also this:

Besides adding gender-neutral language concerning God, some advocates also want other revisions including, a Christian's duty to the Earth's conservation, adding same-sex marriage ceremonies to the liturgy, (since the church has been performing homosexual weddings for years) and even adding a ceremony to celebrate a transgender person's adoption of a new name.

As the article states, Jesus taught us to pray the Lords prayer with: "Father who art in heaven".

[Philip]

OK, so there are TWO extremes of not understanding God as per genders:

God is clearly described in clearly masculine terms across Scripture - and many are uncomfortable with this. And ALL of God's major judges, kings, prophets and apostles have been men. So, in the minds of many, God is this macho Deity, right? Uh, no, as that's the other extreme and wrong way to think of God - that He is all masculine.

In Genesis 5, we're told, "When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 Male and female He created them, and He blessed them and named them Man when they were created." Notice that both male AND female were created in the likeness of God. Women, also have poured into them characteristics of God's Image - as God is also tender, nourishing, encouraging, gentle, patient - He has many qualities that we more typically associate with the gender of women. So, God poured parts of His attributes across both genders - He has sensibilities and characteristics associated with BOTH genders - so, God is not this one-dimensional, macho Deity - that's a gross misunderstanding of Who He is. But when He created men and women, He gifted them to physically, emotionally and mentally prepare them for roles that would have both similarities but also bring important differences to the roles He desired for them. And while there are most certainly key tendencies that are apparent more in one gender than the other, notice also that there are a range of Godly qualities distributed to across individual men and women.

And yet, WE didn't inspire the writer of Scripture to write what they did about God. HE did! So, it's not up to us to monkey around with how God has described HIMself across HIS word. But so many churches think they have the right to change Scripture to fit modern sensibilities - as if they need to "get with the times" - and think "we need to eradicate these antiquated wordings," so as to make God and Scripture seem more warm, fuzzy and politically, sexually correct and less judgmental. And next thing you know, churches dilute God's word so as to be meaningless - or to mean anything they want it to. God is not a man and He's not a woman. But He did use masculine descriptions of Himself - we don't have the authority change this - nor should we.

[RickD]

Philip the chauvinist wrote:
God is not a man and He's not a woman.

That's blasphemy!

God is a black woman.

[Kurieuo]

Are Anglicans still Christian?

[RickD]

Are Anglicans still Christian?

Only if they're pommies.