A followup to our post from a few days ago. From the Washington Post:
Why We Left the Episcopal Church
By The Rev. John Yates and Os Guinness
Monday, January 8, 2007; Page A15When even President Gerald Ford's funeral at Washington National Cathedral is not exempt from comment about the crisis in the Episcopal Church, we believe it is time to set the record straight as to why our church and so many others around the country have severed ties with the Episcopal Church. Fundamental to a liberal view of freedom is the right of a person or group to define themselves, to speak for themselves and to not be dehumanized by the definitions and distortions of others. This right we request even of those who differ from us.This is God's House, not Karl Marx's!
The core issue in why we left is not women's leadership. It is not "Episcopalians against equality," as the headline on a recent Post op-ed by Harold Meyerson put it. It is not a "leftward" drift in the church. It is not even primarily ethical -- though the ordination of a practicing homosexual as bishop was the flash point that showed how far the repudiation of Christian orthodoxy had gone.
The core issue for us is theological: the intellectual integrity of faith in the modern world. It is thus a matter of faithfulness to the lordship of Jesus, whom we worship and follow. The American Episcopal Church no longer believes the historic, orthodox Christian faith common to all believers. Some leaders expressly deny the central articles of the faith -- saying that traditional theism is "dead," the incarnation is "nonsense," the resurrection of Jesus is a fiction, the understanding of the cross is "a barbarous idea," the Bible is "pure propaganda" and so on. Others simply say the creed as poetry or with their fingers crossed.
(Excerpt only: Be sure to read the rest of the letter, it's well worth it.)
The Rev. John Yates is rector and Os Guinness is a parishioner of The Falls Church, one of several Virginia churches that voted last month to sever ties with the Episcopal Church.
My prayers are with the Churches who have elected to do this. The Episcopal Church was invaded by scores of communist sympathizers in previous generations, both in the Red Diaper boom of the 1930's and during the "Anti-War" years of the 60's and 70's, and it's high time that those who are believers in Christ stand up and reclaim the Church that is His from the radicals that are trying to ruin it.
To the ECUSA: Is money all you care about? Or do you care about Christ's Word? Your priorities will be patently obvious by the actions you pursue. And I guarantee you I will be watching your actions.
A stand for FAITH and THE WORD. When the WORD is changed to that which makes us more comfortable, then that word is changed and no longer the inerrent word of GOD. It becomes man's religion. When we break one iota from the scriptures, it is heresy and GOD weeps because our backs have been turned to him. Our grasp to him becomes weakened. How can one have faith in GOD and in the word of GOD, when the word has now become not OF GOD.
Once heard, when the church changes to become more "acceptable" to more people in order to increase seat-counts, then that church turns further away from GOD.