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Pirate77
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/3/2009 at 1:58:18 PM
I’m glad he was not elected. Then again, what does it matter. The Episcopal Church (at least in the United States) is one of the most misguided so-called Christian religions.
FrankWHaw
thorne
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/3/2009 at 2:18:04 PM
Nothing like the lonely misguided calling the many freely guided“misguided.”
I on the other hand (as an Episcopalian not of Rev. Spark’s congregaton) was thankful for his effort.
Many are called, but few are chosen.
beekeeper
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/3/2009 at 2:27:23 PM
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to proclaim Good News to the poor; He has sent me to announce release to the prisoners of war and recovery of sight to the blind: to send away free those whom tyranny has crushed.”
Not the message you hear from Joel Osteen or Robert Shuller. But you can hear it every Sunday in Father Spark’s church.
Pirate77
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/3/2009 at 2:46:00 PM
Well, beekeeper, you’ll be shocked to know that I think Joel Osteen and Robert Schuller are fools. Please feel free to add Rick Warren to the list.
I would like to know if Frank really believes the Bible doesn’t make the Episcopal Church’s stance on homosexuality problematic. I’m a firm believer in loving my neighbor as my, which means treating everyone with respect regardless of religion, sexual orientation, Obama infatuation, etc. However, people, organizations and religions, like the Episcopal Church, that condone and embrace sin have nothing to offer people in matters of faith except lies and half-truths, and are an abomination to God and the Bible.
Pirate77
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/3/2009 at 2:46:47 PM
Should read… “I’m a firm believer in loving my neighbor as myself,”
beekeeper
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/3/2009 at 4:50:21 PM
That’s fine, Pirate. You have your opinion, and I have mine. We just don’t agree.
FrankWHaw
thorne
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/3/2009 at 7:56:28 PM
Uh-oh. They want to know what’s going on In the bedroom again, even as they screechingly proclaim “Government Out of our lives” in every other sphere of human existence!
Must be empowering (sort of) to be sufficiently self-righteous to condemn millions of your unknown fellow man—some for Private behaviors that you consider “sinful,” and others for merely accepting those differences as reflective of sexual orientation, separate from religious conviction.
Naturally, if the degree of your fundamentalism prevents you from recognizing modern medicine’s understanding of such concepts as normal sexual differences, then God Help You. Perhaps yours is a “devolutionary” path (and someday You will be featured on “Nova“).
It’s trite; but I say Let He who is without Sin (or a relational, non-cyber personality) cast the first stone.
And “Pirate” [now there’s a pleasantly evocative avatar] also posed an unanswerable question re the national Episcopal Church’s contemporary, compassionate stand on persons.
I say unanswerable since the God-inspired-but-man-fallible Christian Bible was written long before its inception. [We also weren’t very nice to non-caucasions in those “good old days.“]
While we do accept the Bible as the inspired word of God, we (just like Pirate I’ll bet, whatever he calls himself) also recognize it as an historical, cultural document, containing strictures which few persons alive today could follow.
So okay—For starters, suppose we Episcopalians did start condemning homosexuals (as we did for centuries, till recent times).
What else is there in the Good Book that we’ll have to toe the line regarding...How about:
“Don’t let cattle graze with other kinds of Cattle.”
“Don’t have a variety of crops on the same field.”
“Don’t wear clothes made of more than one fabric.”
“Don’t cut your hair nor shave.”
“Any person who curses his mother or father, must be killed.”
Ahh—Here’s one I can accept:
“Don’t let friends vote Republican.” --AMEN!
Pirate77
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/4/2009 at 5:22:25 AM
I’m disappointed, Frank. But, then again, I’m really not surprised. I would have thought that going to church you would have heard the messages of Jesus regarding the laws and the Pharisees. That must be the part of the Bible the Episcopalians are never told about. I wonder what reading the entire Bible would do for their souls?
I don’t condemn anybody. Pointing out sin is not condemnation. Now, there is the small matter of the lake of fire which I am concerned about for all those ensnared in sin. So is Jesus, which is why he tells people he encounters who are sinful, “go and sin no more.” The consequences are in black and white, go ask your bishop/reverend/pastor/priest for confirmation.
Frank, I’m amused and entertained each time you try to spin a “courageously anonymous” avatar whilst decrying right-leaning spin in the media. Please continue!
FrankWHaw
thorne
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/4/2009 at 8:15:03 PM
“Pirate” obviously knows even less about Episcopalians than he seems to know about the love of Christ.
If he bothered to check, he’d know that we read the Good Book every Sunday, and then some.
The difference between us and other followers of The Word is that we use it to enrich our lives in communion with others-- They use it to exclude, demean, and shame anyone who doesn’t follow Their literal version of same.
