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Sunday, June 17. 2007

Those groovy, progressive Episcopalians

From Scott. Moslem Episcopalians?

This is indeed a reason why the Episcopalians are not thriving: their hierarchy doesn't seem to believe in anything, which means, as Chesterton said, they will believe in anything.

I suggest that they focus on magic spiritual crystals and leave Jesus to those who seriously want to know Him and who want to be lead by His gracious but demanding hand. If you don't seek that, fine. It's a free country.

There is no reason to fake it, other than for social reasons, and it's not the 1950s anymore. You don't have to pretend to be a scotch-drinking Episcopalian to get into the country club anymore. Been there, done that. I golf (badly) with Jews, Methodists, Presbyterians, and even a select few Roman Catholics (just kidding). We're in the post-Ice Storm era now. And yes, I am a recovering Episcopalian. Episcopalians, on the whole, are really nothing more than American Anglicans - and look at the poor Anglicans!

(My apologies for my unpleasant comments to any remaining, believing and Christ-seeking Episcopalians - it's all in fun. Sunnis and Shias, American style: good friends, with minimal beheadings - outside of the tennis court or golf course. Those two places are always covered with fresh blood.)

Photo: A magical, mystical, highly-psycho-spiritual and cosmic-energy-focusing, fully organic chemical-free quartz crystal. Actually, a nice one.

Posted by The Barrister in Our Essays, Religion at 13:44 | Comments (21) | Trackbacks (0)

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Ugh. Following the doings of the Episcopalians is like watching a train wreck. I may be swimming the Tiber (again) or hanging out with the Ugandans or something. We shall see.
#1 Skookumchuk on 2007-06-17 14:21 (Reply)
Yes it is. If you want Jesus in your life, a real church can help.
#2 The B. on 2007-06-17 14:36 (Reply)
That is the general idea, yes.

It has become completely parodic as it dies. It is like listening to the earnest young student customers of a 1960s university area hippie coffeehouse expound on politics as they sit around dressed in ecclesiastical robes. And every now and then they try to perform pretty and ancient music that contains words they no longer believe. There is, as has been said in another context, no there there. It is so pitiful I have stopped being angry about it.
#3 Skookumchuk on 2007-06-17 15:11 (Reply)
As they say in NYC, "the beauty part" is that it's not my problem.
#4 The B. on 2007-06-17 15:14 (Reply)
Or mine.
#4.1 Skookumchuk on 2007-06-17 15:19 (Reply)
Nice chunka SiO2, though.
#5 Skookumchuk on 2007-06-17 15:16 (Reply)
What happened? How does a church die? The easy answer is that half-assed cookbook leftism is the kiss of death--but that's a description, not a reason.
#6 buddy larsen on 2007-06-17 18:28 (Reply)
How does a church die?

Ah, if we knew the full answer to that...
#7 Skookumchuk on 2007-06-17 20:26 (Reply)
For an answer to that question I would contrast and compare the demise of the Episcopal Church alongside of that of Antioch college. The humongus ego of one generation: to say to all other we are gonna throw a renaissance and tear down all of your infra structures, all of your ethical guideliness, because we think we can do better without working so hard. Ohh s----don.t get me started!
#8 apple pie on 2007-06-17 21:50 (Reply)
The mention of the "Ice Storm" and the wife swapping of the 1970's reminded me of an experience I had. I lived in No. California and worked out of SFO. I was considering returning to school and had started to date a professor from Berkeley. It was, I think, our third date. Pulled up to one of those grand big old Berkeley houses up on the hill by the campus. Lots of cars parked in the street let us know the party was well on its way. Rang the doorbell and a voice hollered "come on in", so we did. Small foyer led to a three step drop down to a very large frontroom. The frontroom floor was covered with folks from their mid thirites to the mid sixties-- all lying on the floor feet to shoulders and trying to make some sort of snake chain thing. There was about thirty bodies--all naked. I looked straight ahead and sighted the sliding door on the other side of the room--I strode straight through that damn mess--never looked back, I walked down into town to get a bus home. I'll be there is a strong link between those naked fools on the carpet and the demise of the Episcopal CHurch.
ARROGANCE
#9 apple pie on 2007-06-17 22:04 (Reply)
The "Church" dies when the people quite believing in it.
#10 Rufus on 2007-06-17 22:49 (Reply)
Interesting story AP. And arrogance springs from certainty. Of which no one knows, really. But many delude themselves that they are the repository of all truth. A man without doubt is a man I wonder about.
#11 Luther McLeod on 2007-06-17 22:50 (Reply)
Good story AP. I'd have done the same thing. I probably would have peeked at some of the men, but I'd be gone.

A church dies when it starts fighting within itself and modifying its orginal tenants. Soon, no one receives comfort from its hallowed altars.

Or when it asks more than its parisioners can give. In this case, acceptance they don't believe in.
.
#12 Phoenix on 2007-06-18 10:17 (Reply)
Siding with such a howlingly obvious demon as Yassir Arafat is what did it for me (re the mainstream legacy Protestant churches involved in divesting Israel). Too stupid, too convenient, too grandstanding, too hypocritical, too sanctimonious, too EVERYthing wrong, as a church act.
#13 buddy larsen on 2007-06-18 16:43 (Reply)
Too stupid, too convenient, too grandstanding, too hypocritical, too sanctimonious, too EVERYthing

haha. right.
#14 BD on 2007-06-18 17:27 (Reply)
I am a "collapsed" Episcopalian. 7th generation and furious with my church. What happened? Poor seminary education after WW2, changes in church attitude toward divorce, changes in church attitude toward abortion, the ordination of women, the change over from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, the change in the hymnal to make it more PC, etc. The Vatican self-corrected. The Episcopal Church, careening toward the abyss, now embraces "Clown Masses." What a profoundly revealing metaphor. Clown Masses, indeed.
#15 Lesley on 2007-06-18 18:46 (Reply)
Oh, and one more thing.

I took an EFM (Education for Ministry) course through Swanee. I was reading through my material and instead of BC/AD, this material used BCE/CE for historical dating purposes. I ask you, why the heck does a Christian Church need to use BCE/CE to educate its own parishoners? Guess its because we don't want to offend our Muslim priestesses.
#16 Lesley on 2007-06-18 18:56 (Reply)
That's pretty telling, alright. Ecumenicalism, like multicultism, has that second ('real') aspect along with the abstract ideal.

This is good--it's about the Sunday:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118188016993336540.html?mod=taste_primary_hs
#17 buddy larsen on 2007-06-18 21:56 (Reply)
In one of my comments, I made reference to a "Clown Mass." I realized my example was probably obsure to non-Episcopalians. Here is a link to a blog showing pics of said Eucarest at Trinity Episcopal Church in NYC. I find it appalling. Perhaps I have no sense of humor, except to be reminded of Frost's little poem:

"Oh Lord, forgive my little jokes on thee
And I'll forgive thy great big one on me."

http://www.expagan.info/blog/?p=123
#18 Lesley on 2007-06-19 20:58 (Reply)
"Ice Storm" reference--very, very good, B.

Lesley, right--appalling.
#19 buddy larsen on 2007-06-19 22:08 (Reply)
What, no golfing with LDS? (Mormons)

p.s.: golfing... golf-ing... no doesn't look right... golf games... aw skip the correct spelling, I'm sure my meaning comes across...

- malcolm tent
#20 Malcolm_Tent on 2007-06-29 16:39 (Reply)

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