The Church of England

[OrangeTsar]

What the absolute heck????
Church of England approves 'prayers for God's blessing' on same-sex couples: 'A long road'
well, it IS a church created in response to the to Henry VIII being unwilling to accept Church Teaching on marriage so I guess this is totally par for the course.
But it has been a solid and steadfast church until recently.

 

[utvolpj]

Allowing the 'blessing' of same-sex relationships is essentially enabling the blessing of sin; that is dark

So do they refuse to bless all relationships between sinners or just the gay ones?

 

[GroverCleveland]

What the absolute heck????
Church of England approves 'prayers for God's blessing' on same-sex couples: 'A long road'

Apparently they are intent on killing the Anglican church, as if it and the Episcopal Church in the United States were not already on life support.

I am Episcopalian, converting almost two decades ago and after being raised Southern Baptist. Haven't attended a service in a couple of years now because of this flight to wokeness without having honest (and tough!) conversations about it. Most of my fellow conservative Anglican friends are not happy with the direction of the church.

I do not claim to know all the answers. But I do not like there are no real conversations taking place because they may very well make a lot of people uncomfortable.

 

[Vol8188]

So do they refuse to bless all relationships between sinners or just the gay ones?

With the gay ones you’re blessing the sin itself. That’s the difference.

 

[Vol8188]

Apparently they are intent on killing the Anglican church, as if it and the Episcopal Church in the United States were not already on life support.

I am Episcopalian, converting almost two decades ago and after being raised Southern Baptist. Haven't attended a service in a couple of years now because of this flight to wokeness without having honest (and tough!) conversations about it. Most of my fellow conservative Anglican friends are not happy with the direction of the church.

I do not claim to know all the answers. But I do not like there are no real conversations taking place that will make a lot of people uncomfortable.

This is why I love the Eastern Orthodox Church. It’s an unmoving rock

 

[OrangeTsar]

This is why I love the Eastern Orthodox Church. It’s an unmoving rock

And at least as ancient as the Roman church. Of course they have had their own schisms but still a very solid Church

 

[OrangeTsar]

Apparently they are intent on killing the Anglican church, as if it and the Episcopal Church in the United States were not already on life support.

I am Episcopalian, converting almost two decades ago and after being raised Southern Baptist. Haven't attended a service in a couple of years now because of this flight to wokeness without having honest (and tough!) conversations about it. Most of my fellow conservative Anglican friends are not happy with the direction of the church.

I do not claim to know all the answers. But I do not like there are no real conversations taking place because they may very well make a lot of people uncomfortable.

I have a very fond place in my heart for the COE as it was the home of my favourite Christian apologist CS Lewis. He would be absolutely dismayed

 

[utvolpj]

With the gay ones you’re blessing the sin itself. That’s the difference.

The sin is marriage? The fact is the church allows those engaged in sin to be blessed all the time. They just happened to hold a certain sin above the rest. Heck, some hold it above child molestation.

There's a reason people have stopped going

 

[OrangeTsar]

Looks like the Church of Uganda is severing ties almost immediately

 

[GroverCleveland]

This is why I love the Eastern Orthodox Church. It’s an unmoving rock

Catholic friends of mine are becoming unenchanted with things in their church. Good friend of mine has even recently allowed he is about done with the current Pope and this guy is/was about as solid a Catholic as anyone I've ever known.

 

[GroverCleveland]

Looks like the Church of Uganda is severing ties almost immediately

I would not be surprised to see the Nigerian Church do so as well and they are the largest Anglican church in the world.

 

[OrangeTsar]

The sin is marriage? The fact is the church allows those engaged in sin to be blessed all the time. They just happened to hold a certain sin above the rest. Heck, some hold it above child molestation.

There's a reason people have stopped going

If a church adjusts its teaching to prevent people from leaving, it is no longer a Church.

 

[DuckInAPen]

This is why I love the Eastern Orthodox Church. It’s an unmoving rock

I agree wholeheartedly, with the caveat that individual bishops associated institutionally with the Orthodox Church can go grievously astray in their teaching (consider, for example, the heresiarch enthroned in Moscow).

 

[Vol8188]

The sin is marriage? The fact is the church allows those engaged in sin to be blessed all the time. They just happened to hold a certain sin above the rest. Heck, some hold it above child molestation.

There's a reason people have stopped going

The relationship itself is a sin. Why would you bless sins? It’s not “putting one sin above others”. If you refused to allow them to attend service, you’d be putting on sin above another. But like all other sinners they’re allowed to attend.

But we should not bless the sin itself

 

[OrangeTsar]

Catholic friends of mine are becoming unenchanted with things in their church. Good friend of mine has even recently allowed he is about done with the current Pope and this guy is/was about as solid a Catholic as anyone I've ever known.

Hope he doesn’t prefer the Latin Mass or the FBI might peg him as a White Suprematist

 

[davethevol]

The relationship itself is a sin. Why would you bless sins?

The Bible is very clear that marriage is between a man and a woman, not two individuals of any kind. People trying to twist it are sad.

 

[utvolpj]

The relationship itself is a sin. Why would you bless sins?

So a sexual relationship of any type outside of marriage is a sin. Does that prevent a blessing as well?

 

[OrangeTsar]

The relationship itself is a sin. Why would you bless sins? It’s not “putting one sin above others”. If you refused to allow them to attend service, you’d be putting on sin above another. But like all other sinners they’re allowed to attend.

But we should not bless the sin itself

One thing I have been pondering of late are all of the popular opinions about Christ accepting everyone. Which of course is true. But no one is pointing out the rest of the story, that everyone who had a genuine encounter with Christ NEVER left unchanged. Christ never told anyone, you are just fine the way you are.

 

[Vol8188]

So a sexual relationship of any type outside of marriage is a sin. Does that prevent a blessing as well?

Are you trying to argue that the gay marriage may be one of abstinence?

With a couple there’s a presumption of abstinence. That presumption is not part of a marriage. Surely you’re intelligent enough to see the massive difference here

 

[GroverCleveland]

The sin is marriage? The fact is the church allows those engaged in sin to be blessed all the time. They just happened to hold a certain sin above the rest. Heck, some hold it above child molestation.

There's a reason people have stopped going

First, I know of no one who thinks child molestation is a lesser sin than others. Have there been some really, really bad decisions by leadership in the churches? Absolutely. But I guess one could find an outlier who tends to classify sinners in some form of Dante's Inferno levels.

And you are right. People are stopping going to church across the board and it is not all due to this issue. However, the precipitous decline in the Anglican communion in America, I believe, has been revved up do to the unresolved questions around the alphabet people.

EDIT: I am fully aware that Jesus himself stated at least one sin is greater than others, but I do not recall a full categorization

 

[DuckInAPen]

So do they refuse to bless all relationships between sinners or just the gay ones?

What's being blessed when a same-sex union is given an ecclesial blessing? A bond of friendship or a union of flesh (or something else)?

 

[davethevol]

So a sexual relationship of any type outside of marriage is a sin. Does that prevent a blessing as well?

Many churches meet with couples getting ready to get married and have counseling in which they discuss having sex outside of marriage is a sin. They tell the couples to stop having sex until after they’re married and to ask for forgiveness. That’s not exactly endorsing sinful behavior.

 

[GroverCleveland]

So a sexual relationship of any type outside of marriage is a sin. Does that prevent a blessing as well?

Have not heard a blessing of those types of relationships, but I could have been asleep I guess.

 

[utvolpj]

Are you trying to argue that the gay marriage may be one of abstinence?

With a couple there’s a presumption of abstinence. That presumption is not part of a marriage. Surely you’re intelligent enough to see the massive difference here

It could be but they go on the assumption that it's not. Just as a hetero is given the benefit of the doubt.

That church will be fine in 100yrs so no real skin off my back. Just pointing out the hypocrisy required to conduct one and not the other

 

[utvolpj]

Many churches meet with couples getting ready to get married and have counseling in which they discuss having sex outside of marriage is a sin. They tell the couples to stop having sex until after they’re married and to ask for forgiveness. That’s not exactly endorsing sinful behavior.

And if they don't?