Posted on 11/24/2012 6:49:50 AM PST by marshmallow
Channel 4 offers a reflection today from a clergyman of the Anglican Church who quite openly states a complete and sincere disbelief in God. He is an atheist who considers the scriptures nothing more than human literature. What are we to make of him?
Personally I find this sort of liberal wooliness in a clergyman not only absurd but frankly dishonest. What an affront to those who do believe, to the faithful in the pews whose giving pays his stipend! How does he stand at the altar with a straight face I wonder? Little surprise he opts to be filmed wearing secular clothing. Perhaps the clothing of the wolf would be more appropriate though given his place sowing seeds of doubt amongst the Christian fold!
Of course there is nothing new in this sort of bunkum which became popular with the infamous Sea of Faith movement sparked by Don Cupitt who came to believe that there was no God when serving as Anglican chaplain of Emmanuel College Cambridge in the 1960′s. One might actually argue that this sort of wooly theological position has become normative in the modern Church of England and that it is now much easier to progress through its ranks holding these views as opposed to proclaiming the Creed in full.
One might want to ask why any church would allow for this sort of nonsense to be possible though? I mean the vegetarian society would hardly elect the leader of the hunt as its local representative! But more important than questioning why is the need for us to see in this man further evidence of what I posted earlier. Namely that we have become luke warm in the West and have lost the zeal and passion and belief that made Pope Saint Clement an........
(Excerpt) Read more at tunbridgewells-ordinariate.com ...
Much more dangerous than this athesit clergyman is the organization that allows him to be in this position. At least he is open about his lunacy.
“It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble.”... guess he never read that one...
I watched the video. I couldn’t believe my ears and eyes. This guy spent 40 years as an impostor! I guess he couldn’t get a decent job anywhere else.
When the Anglican Church looks for the mole (double agent) in their midst, they won’t have far to look.
Why would one "eek out a pathetic existence within a church one does not believe in"? I don't know but some people like the respect afforded to ministers. I agree they are enabled by a lukewarm church, but I believe the one behind this mockery cannot be anybody but Satan himself!
Common today for a large portion of the Anglican Communion. The High Priestess of the Episcopal Church and most of her clergy don’t believe a word of their vows. The Churches of England and Canada are following suit. Socialism is their new god, Marx their bible, and abortion their sacrament.
Oh, he believes, alright — or, at least as much as it takes to preserve his tax-exempt paycheck.
Back in the ‘60’s Jules Feiffer wrote the play, “Little Murders” with an atheist minister who included in his homily the rhetofical question, “Jesus died for our sins, dare we make His death meaningless by failing to commit them?”
It was blackly humorous at the time; now it is real
Sounds like he needs to get another job.
“Come out from among them . . . “
Tragic for him. But worse for the people who go to his church seeking God. (There is a large problem in the Episcopal/Anglican, also Presbyterian and a few more of the socalled “mainline” churches as they’ve gone off the Christian path and embraced all sorts of pagan or “worldly” or “modern” fads instead. People seeking honest teaching about God go to these “churches” only to be misled. Either into believing the bs being preached there, or if they discern its futility- then to condemn “Christianity” (being that’s what they were told was being preached there).
How much provocation does it take to defrock a priest or pastor? Church authorities are way too lenient.
“Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,” Romans 1:12
There are those that have never once bothered to look beyond the physical world and see with their spirit, this world is everything to them,
The young for a little season may have an excuse to fail to consider, and we should all thank God for any trials and hardships that brought us closer to him humbled and in prayer.
Its truly sad that this Vicar, exposed to the word of God daily, is old enough to go to sleep tonight and never wake up due to natural causes, its a passive-aggressive arrogance that blinds those like him,
Pray for those like him,
More accurate to say it is a problem in the English and American (Episcopal Church of North America) representatives of the Anglican Communion. Which is why Christ-centered Anglicans have recently, via sponsorship from the global south, planted the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) as a refuge for those fleeing the heresy of the ECNA.
Unlike the ECNA, ACNA churches retain financial independence, so leftists who take control get nothing, unlike where ECNA leftists have made destitute long-standing parishes who up and leave.
A friend of mine attended Wake Forest’s seminary. He was convinced that more tan half of his professors were atheists.
It was all outlined many years ago in the episode of Yes Prime Minister called the Bishops Gambit with the following
James Hacker: Humphrey, what’s a Modernist in the Church of England?
Sir Humphrey Appleby: Ah, well, the word “Modernist” is code for non-believer.
James Hacker: You mean an atheist?
Sir Humphrey Appleby: No, Prime Minister. An atheist clergyman couldn’t continue to draw his stipend. So, when they stop believing in God, they call themselves “Modernists”.
James Hacker: How could the Church of England suggest an atheist as Bishop of Bury St Edmunds?
Sir Humphrey Appleby: Well, very easily. The Church of England is primarily a social organization, not a religious one.
James Hacker: Is it?
Sir Humphrey Appleby: Oh yes. It’s part of the rich social fabric of this country. So bishops need to be the sorts of chaps who speak properly and know which knife and fork to use. The sort of people one can look up to.
James Hacker: So, the ideal candidate
[for a bishopric]
James Hacker: from the Church of England’s point of view would be a cross between a socialite, and a socialist.
Sir Humphrey Appleby: Precisely.
The episode can be viewed here
http://www.veoh.com/watch/v21040454DwcnkhBy?h1=Yes+Prime+Minister+1.7+-+The+Bishops+Gambits part of the rich social fabric of this country. So bishops need to be the sorts of chaps who speak properly and know which knife and fork to use. The sort of people one can look up to.
James Hacker: So, the ideal candidate
[for a bishopric]
James Hacker: from the Church of England
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.