Tidings
Church Divorce Done Right
When I asked Orlando Sentinel religion reporter Mark Pinsky if he'd covered the February meeting where as many as 150 Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations made plans to leave the denomination, I wasn't terribly surprised when he answered no.
The New Wineskins meeting was within walking distance from his office, Pinsky said, but "we sense some fatigue among general readers on the 'maybe this mainline denomination will split' story. Editors are saying, 'Get back to us when there is a split.' It's the Lucy and the football thing from Peanuts."
It's a sentiment shared widely by religion reporters, including many of us here at CT. Rarely does a week go by that we don't hear rumors of denominational departures. But discussion and dissatisfaction typically trump actual decisions to leave.
Not that the mainline exodus is a myth. Within the past year, entire regions of the American Baptist Churches USA, representing hundreds of churches, dropped their ties to the national body. Due to a few dramatic votes, the departures got more attention than 225 congregations that left the United Church of Christ (UCC). They left after the UCC adopted a resolution in July 2005 that endorsed same-sex marriage. The 67 "Faithful and Welcoming" orthodox churches who work from within the UCC face an uphill battle for mere tolerance: The denomination's official blogger, on the UCC's site, characterized one such group as dedicated to destroying the UCC from the inside.
Though not universal across the mainline, the exodus seems to be happening on a scale not seen since the fundamentalist-modernist battles of nearly a century ago. That's fundamentalist in the historical sense, referring to the group of orthodox Protestants who opposed the rise of scientific ...
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Tidings
Ted Olsen
Ted Olsen is Christianity Today's managing editor for news and online journalism. He wrote the magazine's Weblog—a collection of news and opinion articles from mainstream news sources around the world—from 1999 to 2006. In 2004, the magazine launched Weblog in Print, which looks for unexpected connections and trends in articles appearing in the mainstream press. The column was later renamed "Tidings" and ran until 2007.
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Pam Mathews
I am an Episcopalian who was raised in the Evangelical Covenant Church and appreciate the contributions both denominations have made to my faith. Like Josh Oxley, I found the last couple of sentences in the article to be simplistic, sterotypical, and pompous. Without getting into my own views, I wanted to say that I know liberals, moderates, and conservatives in the Episcopal Church who are devout Christians. Just because a liberal person might feel called to proclaim a more inclusive gospel does not necessarily mean that they reject the Creeds (which to me means rejecting Christianity). You may believe that these "liberals" are misguided or downright wrong. However, I would suggest that as a Christian, you might want to refrain from judging the faith of others on a group basis. That's treading on very dangerous ground, and I think that many conservatives I know would agree.
Ben
I'm a former Baptist who struggled for years with homosexuality. My childhood Baptist minister wouldn't even discuss the matter with me and gave the typical Baptist response of making me the villan. I gave up my church membership and faith 17 years ago and have come to realize I never missed church to begin with. Consequently, I have no sympathy for any minister or deacon who now lives in fear that gay marriage wil become lawful. Through it all, I've managed to go on with my life with the help of counselors and advisors but the church still wants my money???? They can kiss my ass.
Rev Falak Robson
My Dear Brothers and sisters Please just read the Holy Bible and think about the Lot and the city . Sadom and Gomera. What Happened to them . God made man and woman for each of them . God is vry strick on it . who rebel against HimHe certainly punish them. Look back in to the history . what happened to the countries and places ,went against the Lord. It is my prayer that people turn from their wicked ways of life and save them. May The Lord Bless you all. Rev Falak Robson Emmanuel Memorial Church and Ministry Lahore Pakistan