Those Durned Espiscopalians

The problem with Protestantism is that, by claiming that the Bible is the sole authority, they make each man his own interpreter of the sacred word. It should come as no surprise that Protestantism has disolved into so many sects. After all, contrary to popular wisdom, Christianity is a very complicated faith, and even extremely intelligent and educated men have disagreed as to the meanings in different passages. Indeed, in City of God, which I am currently reading, St. Augustine corrects Origen; years later, St. Thomas would respectfully correct a few of Augustine's assertions. Such is the wonder of theolgy.

Yet while the early Church Fathers and Doctors of the Church differed on points of doctrine, the disputes always took place on seemingly unclear Biblical turf. Scripture does not make it explitly clear, for example, just when Angels were created, and this can logically lead to dancing on pins--if we're none too careful. Strangely, modern Christians have forsaken honest debate to become disreputable historical revisionists. This time, the blame falls squarely on the Episcopalians.

Newly elected leader of the U.S. Episcopal Church Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said on Monday she believed homosexuality was no sin and homosexuals were created by God to love people of the same gender.

Jefferts Schori, bishop of the Diocese of Nevada, was elected on Sunday as the first woman leader of the 2.3 million-member Episcopal Church. the U.S. branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion. She will formally take office later this year.

Interviewed on CNN, Jefferts Schori was asked if it was a sin to be homosexual.

"I don't believe so. I believe that God creates us with different gifts. Each one of us comes into this world with a different collection of things that challenge us and things that give us joy and allow us to bless the world around us," she said.

"Some people come into this world with affections ordered toward other people of the same gender and some people come into this world with affections directed at people of the other gender."

There are several interesting observations for a fellow to make. First, Schori does not once reference the Bible in her defense of homosexuality. The Bible makes many modern Christians
uncomfortable as it reminds them that they are sinners. Yet we are all sinners, and the Bible has some Good News about how we can escape the death we so deserve. It's worth looking into.

Schori is the leader of the Episcopal Church within the U.S. Her choice of remarks is indicative of a growing disease in modern Christendom. Anyone who has studied the Bible even remotely knows that neither Jews nor Christians looked fondly upon homosexuality. It is bizarre to pretend that thousands of years of tradition are insignificant in painting a truer portrait of Christianity. No, bizarre is not the right word. It is insidious and irresponsible; it is like suggesting that the ancient Greeks were actually homophobic.

For lingering doubters, I bring you Paul's letter to the Corinthians. My guess is Schori's sermons will be avoiding certain of the Apostle's passages.

Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God.
- Corinthians 6:9-10

Note how Paul tells us not to be deceived. It seems that some--Christians perhaps--were trying to convince the church in Corinth that certain practices were acceptable to God. Nothing new under the sun--to borrow from another book of the Bible.

The strange thing, to me, is why people are so hellbent on making Christianity into something it has never been and never will be. Christianity is dogmatic. The Old Testament was more legalistic than the New, but both are saturated with rules for good living, things a Christian can do, and things he cannot. These rules are not constricting, and indeed, it is only an adherence to the design of our Designer that we can be free to work properly at all.

But the curious thing is that so many wish to tear down a few choice rules. This shows an over-abundance of pride and a shortage of wisdom. No doubt there are rules we do not like, but religion is not meant to be a collection of sayings a person can agree with and easy maxims any fool can follow. Religion is meant to propel us to higher heights; it is designed to make us paragons of virtue, to separate the believers from the heathens by raising them above the masses. If one feels that a particular religion cannot and should not be followed, the prudent thing to do is to find a religion which can be adhered to, and, equally important, will compel a person to change for the better.

There is a good reason, I think, for the large number of Christians who wish to reform, but not leave, the ancient faith. Deep down they know, or perhaps only fear, that it is true. A wholescale rejection leaves one without an excuse, but an amendment, however improper, allows the now repentent sinner to exclaim that he was trying. Indeed, but hell is not paved with good intention, but with bad action, whatever the intent.

In the words of Becoming the Archetype, "Wide is the which leads to destruction. Wide is the pathway to the pits of despair."

Asked how she reconciled her position on homosexuality with specific passages in the Bible declaring sexual relations between men an abomination, Jefferts Schori said the Bible was written in a very different historical context by people asking different questions.

"The Bible has a great deal to teach us about how to live as human beings. The Bible does not have so much to teach us about what sorts of food to eat, what sorts of clothes to wear -- there are rules in the Bible about those that we don't observe today," she said.

"The Bible tells us about how to treat other human beings, and that's certainly the great message of Jesus -- to include the unincluded."

I will leave it to Schori to make her case before the Judge. It seems to me that the "great message of Jesus" was not to include the unincluded, but to pick up one's cross and follow Him. Including homosexuals--or fornicators, or liars, or murderers, or theives--will not help one get to Heaven. Seems to me, that was the point of Christianity--something about eternal life.

What do I know? I'm not an Episcopalian Bishop. God help their poor church.