6.20.2006 | No longer Christian?

The Episcopal Church, USA, has not just withdrawn (at least symbolically) from the Anglican Communion. They've declared that they are no longer bound by Scripture. Hence it becomes an open question as to whether they remain Christian.

This one paragraph says it all (from USA Today):

The Episcopal Church USA's election of a female presiding bishop who supports gay bishops and the blessing of gay unions may stress the centuries-old global Anglican Communion to the breaking point.

My reaction to this is, "hmm, do you think so?" That's sarcasm; the html coding for it doesn't seem to be working at the moment...

The serious issue is, how far may a group declare that it's social views negate black-letter Scripture? It takes some fancy lawyering to justify women as priests. We're not Druids, after all. But, in the end, it comes down to simply ignoring Paul's admonition in 1 Corinthians 14:33-34, "women should keep silent in the churches."

Paul may have been the founder of what we call "Christianity," but he was just a man. So perhaps it's acceptable to ignore what he wrote, or twist it beyond recognition. Fancy lawyering in the church is needed; Episcopalians have no shortage of theological lawyers, it would seem.

Much harder to ignore is the actual word of God in Leviticus 18:22: "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination." To call homosexual acts worthy of blessing places one outside of acceptable interpretation of Scripture. That isn't exegesis; it's the triumph of ego over God.

I can only conclude that those in ECUSA who support their new presiding bishop don't much care about Scripture. Or God's will.

| technorati tag | Episcopal Church|