Please pray for the Episcopal/Anglican Church.

[elshiva]

Archbishop Robin Williams is on a retreat to help heal the divisions in the Anglican church. Pray for true unity and acceptance of all people in the ministry of the Episcopal/Anglican church.

[Padraig18]

1. May Christ's love and mercy unite you once again.

Some day, God willing, we shall all unite as one church in Christ's service.

:hug:

[kwassa]

2. I think you mean Rowan Williams, not Robin

unless he has recently become a comedian

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/ANGLICANS_GAYS?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=HOME


Anglican Church Asks U.S., Canada to Leave

By ROBERT BARR
Associated Press Writer

LONDON (AP) -- Anglican primates agreed Thursday that the U.S. Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada would withdraw from a key body of the global Anglican Communion after failing to overcome internal church disagreements about the election of a gay bishop in the United States and the blessing of same-sex unions there and in Canada.

(jump)

The U.S. church precipitated the most serious rift in the communion's history when it affirmed the election of V. Gene Robinson, who openly lives with a male partner, as bishop of New Hampshire. Both churches have been criticized by conservatives for sanctioning blessings of gay unions.

The two churches would temporarily step away from the Anglican Consultative Council, a key body for contact among the national churches and one of the four so-called "instruments of unity."

(jump)

The Anglican Consultative Council is the body through which leaders of the national churches meet and consult in between the once-every-10-years Lambeth Conferences. The U.S. and the Canadian churches each send three delegates to the council, which is the only global Anglican body which includes bishops, priests and laity, said James Rosenthal, spokesman for the Anglican Communion.

(more at this site)

[elshiva]

3. Sorry I mistyped it is Rowan Williams, archbishop.

May they (bishops) become enlightened and stop discriminating against the gay faithful.

[Maat]

4. I agree.

I pray the bishops will become enlightened and stop discrimination against the GLBT faithful.

But what if certain factions want to persist in being bigots?

Isn't it better they split off and bother the loving and accepting ones no more?

They are going to lose the property battle. They won't be able to take their property with them - those conservative factions in the States - at least by and large.

[elshiva]

5. I wish we could stay together, really.

This is a dumb issue to waste so much time over. How about doing something about AIDS in Africa? That is much more important. We are a wealthy church and we are wasting our time and money on this.

[Maat]

6. Oh, Elshiva, you are so pure of heart.

That would be nice, but not likely.

If only we could get the World to stop its nonsense and solve AIDS and world poverty.

But, many like to fight and feel superior to others.

I really can relate to how frustrated you are - at the wasting of the money.

All I can say is ... I think that it will be better to part in the long run ... actually, the sooner, the better ... certain individuals will never give up their bigotry. They need it to survive (yes, they could change, but they won't).

[elshiva]

7. I'm young and naive, but come on, the Episcopal

church survived the women ordination "crisis," we can survive this "crisis." I'm still an Episcopalian because I believe that we are, in many cases, a very open denomination. I'm so proud of our women priests and bishops. I also am proud of V. Gene Robinson, the openly gay bishop. He is a great guy, a good leader and a good family man.

I just wish I could shake some of the Conservative anti-gay Anglicans and say: "Wake-up! These are God's children. There are great queer ministers of God and we need all the ministers we can get!"

Queerness is a gift from God. That is just the truth and I don't buy any of this "religious" anti-gay rhetoric. All the Biblical stuff on "homosexuals" is all about gay ritual prostitution that the Hebrews and Paul wanted to the people to break away from because it's exploitive and idolatrous. Episcopalians should know this, we are not fundamentalists! We do Historical Critical Method. It has nothing to do with today's queers.

[Maat]

8. The change you seek will come.

The Church will survive the crisis, as you say, and will have GLBT (already has) and women (already has) priests and bishops.

I'm proud of your church too (the brains - people like you). Never give it up.

I just think that you are going to have to cut the rotting limb off to save the body; let those conservative Anglicans go. You can survive without them.

Shaking doesn't work with people who choose to be idiots; trust me, as a social worker, I tried. These people have dedicated themselves to rigidity and bigotry. It is now to the point where they wouldn't be comfortable without it.

Let them go off and make fools of themselves. Take their power away. Once they go away, don't take them back. People will eventually ignore them (that's what I'm hoping anyway).

[elshiva]

9. I don't shake people, it's just an expression.

I like the way you write. You are very positive. It is a great internalizing of the CRS teaching. That is a beautiful denomination that you belong to.

Do you believe we are all one Body? I do. All one in the Body of God. I wish eyes would stop critizing the feet for not being able to see. That seems to be some of the problem. That in the denial that we are all one Body.

I don't belong to an organized religion; I'm an Episcopalian.

[Maat]

15. LOL! I knew you were just expressing yourself!

It's just that I used to want to change people; now, I'm old. If someone's determined to be an idiot, I just walk away now. Not enough time in a day, or a lifetime.

YES - I do believe that we are all one Body.

Although, sometimes (and this is what I have to work on), I do not even want to think of Cheney as a human being ... or part of being the One. Icky! Icky! Icky! Working on it.

You're bigger than any one religion, Elshiva! You're very enlightened, and I learn quite a bit from your posts!

I'm glad to have a life again (post-Cal-Bar-exam). Three months, and I'll know the results.

[elshiva]

17. Thank you and bless you Maat. Cheney is a human (maybe?)

so he is in God's image. I do not like him, but God loves him! Even Cheney could turnaround and shape up. We can pray for Cheney that he stops worshipping mammom/Halliburton. I know it's almost impossible, but we can't give up on anyone.

I am of least two religions: Christianity and Judaism. But people must try to learn from all religions.

How is your CRS group going?

I'll pray for your Cal-Bar-exam. You'll make a great lawyer.

[Maat]

18. Thanks.

It's what I work on.

I sometimes visualize me holding hands with fellow progressives. There's a part of me that knows that people like Darth Cheney should be allowed in the group too, but I just try to think of him as being way, way down the line.

You're so right. I have to pray for his enlightenment.

I know you - you DO learn from all religions. And I am too lately.

CRS is going fine.

I felt good energy at the exam - from my friends. Thank you so much.

I feel enthusiasm about being a lawyer when I think about helping others. That helps me - I forget about ME - and think about THEM - those outside myself. It is a positive experience.

My friends with parents of different faiths are the neatest - because - they were forced to take a step outside of the box, so-to-speak, and ANALYZE what was important. I can see that you are quite the critical thinker, and that is so cool!

Take care!

We can have fun now discussing theology/religion/belief-systems.

I'm really getting involved with my local Democracy for America; we have mini-groups. I'm interested in Church and State issues (and the separation thereof). It is fun.

As I said before, I like to think of DUers of faith as one big progressive interfaith alliance.

[elshiva]

19. Democracy For America is great!

I am an internet member of DFA. We can claim Dean as a progressive person of faith. Interesting article....

http://www.americandaily.com/article/956

Yep, you are going to help a lot of people as a lawyer. I wish more lawyers were concerned about helping people than making mucho dinero. Actually, one of the careers my college said Religious Studies majors make great lawyers because of honesty and the service ethic.

Are you interested in the 10 commandments in public places debate?

[Maat]

20. Yes, Ma'am.

That's going to be a very interesting opinion, one way or the other (actually, they're hearing two cases, which the High Court may or may not consilidate).

Thanks.

You'd make a great lawyer.

Remember, there's plenty of room, and plenty of things you can do with it!

[elshiva]

21. I wish they wouldn't post the 10 commandments like that.

It's fine on Church property or in your house, but it is just posturing to display it like that. We are not a Christian/Jewish nation!

Thank you, but I don't want to be a lawyer.

When you are a lawyer you will always strive to love and help others especially the "weaker" citizens...gays, women, and children.

I wish you well. Blessings for a job well done on your Bar Exam. Trust in God's Energy.;)

[RevCheesehead]

10. While you're at it, would you pray for us Methodists, too?

Many of the same divisions exist in our denomination. The conservative branch (the "Good News" people) have done more to divide than to unite us, and it seems we are more hateful than ever.

Lord, have mercy on us all!

[elshiva]

11. Oh, so you are a Methodist? Okay, that's great!

Who are the "Good News" people? In my denomination the anti-gay fringe is called "confessing clergy."

[RevCheesehead]

12. Same stuff.

Their magazine, "Good News" is quite a misnomer, for all it does is complain about everything that Methodism does is wrong. They are behind the "confessing movement" of the UMC - and are the chief head-hunters of gay clergy. Ugly, ugly people - for whom Christ died (as my dad would remind me).

[elshiva]

13. Christ lived, died, and resurrected for everyone!

I wish the anti-gay groups would actually meet with actual gay human beings.

[regnaD kciN]

14. That's hysterical...

Just as you have a "Good News" magazine that is constantly declaring everything about Methodism to be "bad news," we Episcopalians have "The Living Church," which has spent the past thirty years predicting that we are becoming "the dying non-church" because we have become captive to liberalism...

:eyes:

[Maat]

16. That's funny, RegnaD Kcin!

'Captive to liberalism.'