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Wednesday, August 20, 2003

Money Well Spent
A recent study (probably funded with our tax dollars) at Columbia indicated that bored teens with cash on hand are at risk for drug use. The fact that we needed a "study" to determine this speaks volumes about the current state of psychology/sociology in this nation. We've spent so much time discarding received wisdom - now we're spending lots of money discovering it again. Remember the old saying "idle hands are the devil's playground"? Gee, I could have told them this one without spending any money!

Wednesday, August 06, 2003

Uh, Definition Please?
“I believe that the spirit that was here at the convention … will continue in the church, and that spirit pulls us together,” Bishop-elect V. Gene Robinson said on NBC’s “Today” show.

“I’m certain there will be a few for whom this will be so troublesome that they cannot stay, but I will be doing everything I can and I believe the entire Episcopal Church will do everything we can to work with these folks,” he said, adding that reconciliation is in the church’s “very best tradition.”



Reconciliation? How can you reconcile with someone, anyone, who continues in the behavior that caused the conflict in the first place? Can a married couple truly reconcile if the husband continues to have affairs? Continues to abuse his wife? Continues to ...?

What Gene Robinson is talking about here is capitulation.

If we are to stay within the ECUSA, then we must accept that Gene is a validly consecrated Bishop, and that the faith that he holds - a faith that celebrates divorce and celebrates disordered human relations - is somehow the historic Christian faith. Although he, and others of like mind, would disagree, we are perilously close to arguing that a faith with no truth is the same as the historic faith that was based on he who is truth.

Sure, for now, we will be allowed to teach that his consecration is not valid, that he is not upholding the traditions of the Church. But that will change, just as it did over the issue of women's ordination.

Scripture uses the relationship between man and woman as a vibrant symbol of the relationship between Christ and his Church, between God and man. Scott Hahn, a theology professor at Franciscan University, loves to say (and I love to quote): "God writes the world the way we write words." God expresses fundamental truths about Himself, and our relationship to Him in the world itself. Within traditional marital relations, we find all sorts of subtle, yet beautiful reminders of the incarnation, of salvation, of theosis. The becoming of one flesh two beings who in their natures are different, the bringing forth of life from this union, these are some of those reminders. God has protected ordered relations in Scripture because these relations speak of God and man, and man's salvation. To argue that Gene's lifestyle is acceptable is tantamount to arguing that man may save himself (a form of Pelagianism), or that God is not interested in man (some sort of Deism?).

It is to this new teaching we must ultimately submit. Even if investigative teams are not dispatched to diocese that do not accept openly gay clergy, even if I am permitted to catechize with the historic faith, I will ultimately be forced to answer a question from my children. I know I will, because children see through the fog that well meaning adults can often cast around things. They will ask why we have a bishop who is effectively married to another man. They will ask why he is bishop even though it would seem to contradict Scripture and Tradition. They will ask why we even claim to be in communion with him. They will see, I fear, my tacit approval of his form of the faith. It is at that point I will realize that the capitulation has come. Of course, it could be worse. My children may never ask the question, they may only see that Christianity really doesn't stand for anything. And Gene, and those of like mind, will have led one more little one down the garden path to perdition. And I will have assisted. I will have capitulated.

Mark 8:35-38
For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life?

For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

'nuff said

Tuesday, August 05, 2003

Ask Me About Gene
Gene Robinson has been confirmed as the first openly gay bishop of any Church (claiming apostolic succession) in the history of Christendom. This was done at the General Convention of the ECUSA being held in Minnesota.

I understand that Mr. Robinson is a very personable and apparently caring man. This is the word from the various people wearing "Ask Me About Gene" buttons at the convention. However, I question how caring he really is, and I most certainly question his ability to serve as an overseer of Christ's flock.

I argue that anyone who, by example or otherwise, teaches things contrary to that which God has revealed to us through Scripture or the Tradition of the Church is teaching a lie (let's not mince words, if it's not the truth, then its error. If its propogated intentionally, then it's a lie, right?). So Gene teaches that divorce is okay. He teaches that its acceptable to celebrate the ending of a marriage with the Eucharist. He teaches that homosexual relationships are not normal, but rather are ordained by God. He lives all of this. It takes enormous twisting or ignoring of Scripture to assert that this is not contrary to Scripture. By leading people into lies, is not Gene leading them away from Christ, who is truth? If you believe (as I do, BTW) that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, how can you lead people away from him? Is that really caring?

As far as being an overseer, soon Gene will be faced with saying the following:


In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit, I, Gene Robinson, chosen Bishop of the Church in New Hampshire, solemnly
declare that I do believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and
New Testaments to be the Word of God, and to contain all
things necessary to salvation; and I do solemnly engage to
conform to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of The
Episcopal Church.



I suppose Gene is saying that per the doctrine of the Episcopal Church that divorce is not only okay, but God inspired? I guess so. However, I can find nothing in the Catechism, in the Constitution of the Church, or in the historic documents that could lead me to believe that this represents the doctrine of the Episcopal Church, and is not, in fact, contrary to it.

So Gene fails part 1.

Later on, he will be posed the following question:

Will you accept this call and fulfill this trust in
obedience to Christ?



To which he will answer:

I will obey Christ, and will serve in his name.



Then later he will be asked:

Will you guard the faith, unity, and discipline of the
Church of God?



To which he will answer:

I will, for the love of God.



By his actions, if not his words, Mr. Robinson has clearly indicated that he will not live in obedience to Christ. He has clearly indicated that he will not guard the faith, the unity, nor the discipline of the Church. He has already failed to do so, and is proud of the fact.

Ask me about Gene. Ask me, and I will tell you that there is a man not suited to be a bishop in Christ's Church. Ask me, and I will tell you that this branch of God's Holy Catholic Church has finally declared itself apostate. I pray that the rest of the bishops in this communion will rescue us all.



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