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As a Catholic I have to agree with the US Church moving towards the ECUSA... The US Catholics are becoming more liberal and less abiding to Rome's rules... there are adaptations that seem to be made by modern day Catholics in this country... so much so that Rome is furious with much of it. I also have to say if there was a branch off- perhaps the RCUSA- I think I would join that branch of the Catholic Church as I feel the politics are quite different here in the US than in Rome, or even in the other more conservative parts of the world like African RC Churches or S American ones. These churches are much more conservative and follow the Catholic teachings to a T... not as much seen in the US as Rome would like.
Same is true of the Anglican faith. There is a huge controversy brewing because conservative bishops from (especially) Africa are pressuring the Archbishop of Canterbury not to seat the primate of the ECUSA at the next convention. Partly because she is a woman, and partly because of the ECUSA's position not only on ministering to gays, but on permitting gays to serve in the clergy.
I really have to take issue with the Catholic lite remark. Episcopalians do not consider themselves as psuedo-Catholics. In fact, in every concordant between the two churches, it is the Catholic church that has moved closer to the ECUSA and not the other way around. My husband does not think of himself as an x-Catholic. He sees himself as an Episcopalian.
Sorry if I offended you please accept my apology it was not my intent.
Having said that the term "Catholic Lite "is a common term that has been used in mix company of Catholics and Episcopalians without anyone taking offense, I have hung out at a Catholic discussion board over at Belief Net for about 5/6 yrs. we have several Episcopalians that are regulars there and none of them have ever been offended by the term in fact one of the mods at that board is a Episcopalian. All the term means from my understanding is that the Episcopal Church as a sacramental church is very similar to the Catholic Church minus the pope and guilt as the saying goes.
You are correct about there are those such as your husband who do not referring to himself as an X, but there are many that do.
Don't know why the Catholic church would see him as Catholic, he doesn't. I think you may have missed my point, my parents didn't necessarily want him baptized Catholic (they had no intention of raising him Catholic, the nuns knew our family is Anglican). The nuns offered to have him baptized because he was not expected to live more than few hours, and there was concern that an Episcopal priest could not be reached in time. I don't know anything about a priest or a certificate. I have never heard my mother mention either one.
Just to clarify things, any Episcopalian can in fact become Catholic without having to be re-baptized. The two churches recognize each other's baptisms, each church 'recieves' baptized members.
As if a loving God would withhold Heaven because a baby wasnt baptised!!! how utterly rediculous!!!! As George Carlin said--"welcome to Limbo!!"
Perhaps I over-reacted. When I hear the term Catholic-lite, I always think of lite beer (which is strange because I don't drink beer). Nobody likes lite beer. It is a poor imitation of the 'real' thing. I always wonder if people who don't know the Episcopal church think that too, when they hear the term.
That was really interesting article! Thank you so much for sharing it, I had not heard about the Pope's concern. Not only that the split may spill over into the Catholic church, but also that dissatisfied Anglicans may flock to the Catholic church. While I am sure that Catholic congregations, like every other church, would love to fill up its pews on Sunday, I am also sure they would prefer they be filled by people running towards something, not running away from something else. Sort of a any-port-in-a-storm effect. How unfair is that to the priests of those parishes? Where would they even begin to minister to the spirtiual and emotional needs of a great influx of people who are hurting so terribly. Would there even be enough priests to go around. My understanding is that barely enough men in the priesthood currently. The possible repercussions to both our churches should a schism occur are actually kind of frightening. I pray for both churches that it does not come to that.
The thing that really saddens me about the whole affair is that IMHO everyone is forgetting to ask one simple question- WWJD? I think that to not minister to someone because of their race, their gender, their ethnicity, or their sexual orientation is to deny the example set by Jesus. He made a point of welcoming the outcast into the fold, and I think to the best of our abilities, we should do the same instead of treating others as pariah. He also encouraged, indeed, challenged us by His example to minister to others. To say that we may only minister as laity and not in any official capacity because of our gender or sexual orientation or any other superficial reason is hypocrisy at its fullest.
As if a loving God would withhold Heaven because a baby wasnt baptised!!! how utterly rediculous!!!! As George Carlin said--"welcome to Limbo!!"
What can I say, it was the 1940's, height of the war. Maybe the nuns weren't taking any chances that he might get lost in the crowd because of all the brave soldiers going to heaven. They were responding to a difficult and frightening situation within their belief system. My parents respected their sincerity and graciousness by acquiesing to the request/offer.
I was baptized Catholic and went through communion. I was about halfway through conformation when my priest told me I was going to hell for the sins of my mother (I was concieved during an affair and born out of wedlock).
I walked out and haven't set foot in a Catholic Church since, nor will I ever. This was in 1994 so it wasn't that long ago.
I was baptized Catholic and went through communion. I was about halfway through conformation when my priest told me I was going to hell for the sins of my mother (I was concieved during an affair and born out of wedlock).
I walked out and haven't set foot in a Catholic Church since, nor will I ever. This was in 1994 so it wasn't that long ago.
I don't want to turn this into a Catholic bashing thread, because I understand that the Catholic church has been a positive influence for so many for so long, but I have noticed that some priests are terribly high-handed and arrogant, just completely out of touch with their parishioners. I feel this drives many away.
Case in point? I went to a funeral of a guy who died in a plane crash. The funeral was held in a small Catholic church. The priest began his eulogy with, "Well, before the funeral Anthony's mother told me that he was once an acolyte here in this church." He paused for a moment and then said, "Well, I don't remember him." And then he blithely continued on, not thinking for a second that maybe, just maybe, he had affronted a family in its hour of grief.
I left the Catholic church 11 years ago. I was just starting to really "get into" my faith and was reading the Bible on my own for the first time. I started questioning things I had been taught all my life that didn't line up with the Bible. To make a long story short, I didn't know what to make of this. I started really praying that God would open His word to me and show me the truth. I did a lot of Bible study, research, and praying. I tried so hard to "prove" to myself that the Catholic church was exactly what it said it was - the true church. I didn't want to leave because it was what I knew. It was where I was raised. It was where many uncles and aunts who were nuns, priests, and brothers dedicated their lives. That was my heritage if you will, and I certainly didn't want to be the first one in our huge family to walk away from it. God wanted different for me, though, and through a lot of prayer and Bible study He led me out of the Catholic church. It was a difficult thing, but I knew it was the right thing. My family shunned me for a while afterward. They've sort of accepted it since but pretty much avoid the topic now.
When I first left the Catholic church, my family insisted I just didn't understand the Catholic faith or I was rebelling. In reality, they didn't understand the Bible, and I wasn't rebelling. They don't realize how much I wanted the Catholic church to truly be the one true church.
My sister over the past few years has asked me numerous questions about this and has since left the Catholic church, also.
I was baptized Catholic and went through communion. I was about halfway through conformation when my priest told me I was going to hell for the sins of my mother (I was concieved during an affair and born out of wedlock).
I walked out and haven't set foot in a Catholic Church since, nor will I ever. This was in 1994 so it wasn't that long ago.
Very interesting! A friend of mine told me the same thing happened to him and he was mortified! To this day, he is still disgusted that such a thing was said to him!!! And here I was wondering if it was just the Johny Walker Black doing all the talking. Go figure! They actually DO tell people that!
You know what? The Bible says nothing about such a thing, so "send it to China in your mind" and don't invite it back. It's unscriptural. Point blank. Hope you will find your way into forgetting about this and enter into a closer walk with God, without the past memories to haunt you. Let go and let God deal with whomever said that to you.
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