Posted on 08/08/2012 10:46:05 PM PDT by WilliamIII
Commentators at the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times may decry the Episcopal Church as a place offering pet funerals but nothing for the faithful or failing to provide anything one cannot get from purely secular liberalism. These traditionalists appear to bemoan the loss of a 1950s-era church that promoted an Eisenhower-era civil religion replete with the cross draped in the American flag.
While they wax nostalgia over a past that largely existed only in TV Land,.the Episcopal Church made history at its 77th triennial General Convention by passing two gender nondiscrimination resolutions. Led by a grassroots coalition including, TransEpiscopal, IntegrityUSA, the Consultation, and the Chicago Consultation, the General Convention granted transgender people protection against discrimination in the ordination process and in lay leadership in the Episcopal Church. Such protections remain unavailable in the vast majority of religious and secular institutions as well as in most states and municipalities (only 16 states have transgender nondiscrimination laws on their books.
In an effort to educate those deputies who would be voting on these measures, prior to General Convention, they received copies of documentary “Out of the Box.” This film puts a human face on this topic by telling the stories of both ordained and lay transgender Episcopalians. Also, the presence of a gender neutral bathroom at General Convention afforded those present the opportunity to engage in a discussion of gender identity and expression
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
“Many have left, including myself.”
Ditto!
I must say in my anger I get a bit too harsh sometimes as there are those who stay and rescue others and God Bless them for their courage!
Mel
It’s a terribly bad, sad state of affairs - I hope you still have some brothers and sisters to fellowship with!
Mel
His response to me was a vehement denial that the Diocese of Texas was on the decline and that it would remain conservative.
DOT now supports homosexual lifestyles and ordination of openly homosexual clergy. So glad to be outta all that mess.
My wife and I were in Sacramento, CA a few years ago for her brother's graduation. The ceremony was in a convention center in downtown Sac right next to the oldest church in town, a beautiful stone Episcopalian church. After graduation we went into the church to check it out--beautiful stained glass, ornately carved wood pews and paneling, truly a beautiful relic of the past. There was a group of people setting up sound equipment on the altar, getting ready for some event. We spoke to one elderly woman about the church, it's history, etc. We asked what event they were getting ready for and it was a "universal church" service that embraced all religions--eastern, western, whatever. She said, "...because we're all praying to the same god, right?" We didn't respond and just left, saddened at how the church had sold out.
Are you sure this isn’t the Methodist church?
You have mail...
Seeing as the largest congregation in Texas pulled out of the Episcopal Church, I guess that is not going too well. I think the Diocese of Ft. Worth may have pulled out also.
Could have been. It’s the stone church next to the downtown convention center.
Hope Pointe in The Woodlands, Texas
Savior Anglican in Magnolia, Texas
St. Timothy's Anglican in Spring, Texas
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