Posted on 05/02/2018 6:44:52 PM PDT by EdnaMode
The Church of England is torn over plans by the The Episcopal Church (TEC) in the United States to efface the terms “husband” and “wife” – as well as references to “procreation” – from its marriage liturgy.
The change is meant to make the church’s marriage ceremonies more “gay-friendly.” Gay and lesbian Episcopalians have complained that the language of the current liturgy is offensive and exclusionary.
The move prompted a critical response from Church of England Secretary General William Nye last October, strongly urging the TEC to reconsider. The letter threatened to cut ties with the U.S. church if it adopts the planned gender-neutral, replacing the current wording in its Book of Common Prayer.
“The new service removes the phrase ‘the union of husband and wife’ and replaces it with ‘the union of two people,’” according to a report in the U.K. Telegraph. It also “replaces the section which talks about part of God's intention for marriage being ‘for the procreation of children’ with the phrase ‘for the gift of children’ to make it more relevant for same-sex couples who may wish to adopt.”
Since then, the Bishop of Buckingham, Alan Wilson, along with 30 of the 483 members of the Anglican Church’s ruling synod, have stepped forward to support the TEC revised marriage liturgy, opposing the Church of England’s (CofE) leadership.
An Anglican LGBT advocacy group, One Body One Faith, has also penned an open letter blasting Nye for upholding the immutable nature of marriage as solely between a man and a woman.
The letter states that the TEC in the U.S., which plans to make the marriage liturgy gender neutral, is “courageous, just, and Christ-like” and the CofE’s insistence on maintaining the definition of marriage has produced “anger, frustration and disappointment.”
The letter further suggests that the CofE’s upholding of Church doctrine represents a “refusal to listen” and is “the single biggest missional disaster of our generation.”
“It should not need saying, but it bears repeating,” the letter continued. “No one is attracted to a group of Christians who profess the love of Christ but seem incapable of recognizing it in the loving, committed relationships of two people. These matters are not disconnected.”
“Dating as far back as 1976, the Episcopal Church has engulfed itself in controversy surrounding its goal of becoming a radically inclusive church, regardless of Biblical doctrine,” ChristianJournal.net reported, as it has made acceptance and incorporation of homosexuality and transgenderism a priority.
Currently, TEC in the U.S. permits LGBT clergy members and for gay couples to wed in the church.
Gospodi pomiljoy! x 100 x 5
Once they had split off the purpose for which God made man-woman marriage, rejecting the man-woman definition itself was a matter of almost inevitable logical consistency.
I’ve often heard my dad (over 60 years as a pastor) say, after hearing of a liberal church’s outrage against Scripture, that they should write Ichabod above their door.
Bingo.
You have correctly identified the first slant of the slippery slope.
There are many who do not want to hear, much less ponder the truth that ABC has been the downfall of much of Christianity in North America.
Thanks be to God that the Catholics and Orthodox are attaining “church growth” the good old-fashioned way!
There once was a theory about the “slippery slope” of accepting Homosexual “civil rights” in society. That theory is proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. Our culture is permanently warped. Every corner of society is gayed up and the perverts have come home to roost. I am not directing ire to gay people but like every grievance group is hijacked by the left, it’s used as a weapon against our country.
Jesus later refers to the concept of the glory of God leaving Israel. In His last message to the populace of Israel, His final word to the religious leaders was “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate” (Matthew 23:37–38). That was His final statement of judgment on Israel for the rejection of their Messiah. He has indicted their leaders and, by indicting the leaders, indicted all the people who followed the leaders. And now He says their house is left desolate—Ichabod, the glory is departing.
Notice that He says your house is desolate. Not My house, not My Father’s house, as He used to call it. Now it’s your house because God has left—Ichabod! God is no longer there, it’s not the Father’s house; it’s not My house; it’s your house. The Greek word translated “desolate,” means “abandoned to ruin.” This place is in abandonment. God has left. It’s cursed, devoted to ruination. And they won’t see Jesus again till He comes in full Messianic glory (Matthew 23:39).
It is a terrible thing to experience the loss of the glory of God. And while Israel’s ruin was temporary “until the fullness of the Gentiles” would be brought into the kingdom of God on earth (Romans 11:25), one wonders how many churches today have lost the glory of the Lord, whether willingly or unknowingly. The same things that caused Ichabod in Israel—sin, disobedience, idolatry—are present in many of today’s churches. Christians must never take the glory of God in our midst for granted, lest we wake up one day and find that Ichabod has become a reality among us.
https://www.gotquestions.org/Ichabod.html
Once they had split off the purpose for which God made man-woman marriage, rejecting the man-woman definition itself was a matter of almost inevitable logical consistency.
Great point. Think of all the churches that followed its example. One by one they are joining in on promoting homosexual behavior, in an attempt to be "inclusive."
same
My cousin got married 35 years ago and joined the Episcopal Church because his new wife was a member. He’s watched the church for years sell its soul to devil. I’ve told him he needs to tell her they’re getting out. He hates the direction the church has went. I always thought he wore the pants in the family but she put him in his place and refused to leave. I told to be a man and take control of his marriage. We didn’t talk for a few months, then he cooled off and started speaking to me again. He’s still attending this liberal church. Maybe one day he’ll take control of his house. I hope so.
This.
The DEMO CRAT party is under the control of DEMONS.
Demonrats have no respect for Christians and GODS LAWS.
Agreed. Political correctness destroys everything.
It seems like it gets worse every day.
This country is falling at an increasing pace as more people turn against God’s will. Good is now evil and evil is now good. Satan is a great deceiver of truth.
Romans 1:18-32
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Jesus deletes episcopal church from the Book of Life
The Episcopal church was taken over by sexual deviants and eco fascists a long time ago. I’m surprised it took this long for this to happen.
It’s been over for the loser episocopalz for years
They’re complete liberal losers
This just seals the deal
Presbyterians aren’t far behind
If the Baptists or Catholics adopt this garbage
Christ will find a new home
What’s good and great doesn’t change with the whims of man
There are plenty of true Christians left in the US. What is being winnowed out are the politically correct Sunday morning feel good about yourself prosperity gospel social clubs. There are a core of true believers who will take a stand when necessary. I have long felt that the Christian Church may have to go underground to survive, but survive it will. It doesn’t depend on us after all, it depends on the One we worship, and He cannot be defeated.
Drip...drip...drip...and pretty soon its all gone.
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