Wrong Again
Well, let’s have a look at Episopalian because for me Humanist was a good idea but apparently you have to be atheist or at the very least seriously least agnostic. Other than that they got pretty welll everything right.
I still maintain that you can’t walk around this world with open (wondering) eyes and flat out say; “There is no God!”
Everything I have looked at has some great ideas and relly inspired messages, and then all of a sudden they get to one area where you least expect it and totaly fuck-up!
It’s like you’re doing a check list and you go.... good.... good....  good.... good.... good.... good..... oh shit, where the hell did they get that from?Your ever frustrated scribe;
Allan

Unitarians aren’t bad, either.

No, they are running #1 right now; If love means never having to say your sorry, being Unitarian means never having to say your wrong! I kind of like it!!!

The Catholics have also affirmed evolution on many occasions.

But they’re still lacking in the female clergy department.

I’m still waiting for the pope to lean out the window and yell “Heeeeeeeeeeyyyyyy”

Not only do they have a gay bishop

They are the American branch of Anglicanism [(c) Henry VIII].  The whole gay clergy thing is causing quite a stir with the more traditional African branch, and there is likely to be a major split if doesn’t stop going around denying the teachings of the bible (apparently not just Leviticus, but Peter had stuff to say about this too).

I’m afraid I don’t know that quote from the bible. Just what did Leviticus have to say about his peter?

moses: I still maintain that you can’t walk around this world with open (wondering) eyes and flat out say; “There is no God!�

I still maintain that you can wonder about nature without leaping to conclusions

At the very least, you have to accept both the pleasant and the not so pleasant, which in total is not compatible with the deity or deities many people like to believe in.

Last Wednesday, US Episcopalians showed how bigoted they really are.

On Wednesday, Jun 21st, the U.S. Episcopal Church adopted a resolution to avoid the consecration of gay bishops.  This betrayal of the gay members of the US Episcopal Church occured during 75th General Convention.

Until this act of treachery, US Episcopalians seemed to be a decent group of folks.

At the very least, you have to accept both the pleasant and the not so pleasant, which in total is not compatible with the deity or deities many people like to believe in.

That’s absolutly right, and that is what started me wondering about what makes people so “nutso” when it comes to religion!

That’s absolutly right, and that is what started me wondering about what makes people so “nutso� when it comes to religion!

Let me know when you figure it out.

My relationship with the religious is a struggle gaining in intensity. Clearly (to me), the Holy Book literalists worldwide are a few lightbulbs short of a chandelier. I’m fast running out of reasons why I shouldn’t call them all guilty by reason of insanity.

Those that use their books as a guideline only or even better, those that make do without a reference manual I can sort of dig. Not infrequently, I can agree to disagree with them without compromising my own principles. And yet, the religionists amongst even them make for bitter enemies.

Well, enough ranting…

Just putting in a plug for the Unitarian Jihad, and subscribing to this thread

Oooh a unitarian jihad? I like that! I’m in. What dos one wear to a jihad?
I was married in a unitarian church, biggest mistake of my life. Well not so much the venue, that was actually rather nice.
The episcopalians seem to be partial to St. Stephen, who was stoned to death. I feel an affinity there.

The Episcopalian Church in the USA ceased to be a Christian church in any meaningful sense years ago.

Their consecration of a gay bishop has made quite a few headlines recently, but they also continue to offer “blessings” for same-sex couples.  And as of this year, some of the money you put in the collection plate will go to fund the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice—an organization desperately trying to keep infanticide legal here in the United States.

In other words, they have joined a long tradition of people who wish to commune with God on their own terms, rather than God’s.  Here is what the Bible has to say about these people:

Woe to you that call evil good, and good evil: that put darkness for light, and light for darkness: that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter. Isaiah 5:20

Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy about you when he said: “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.� Matthew 15:8

The Center for Bioethical Reform has a line of signs and posters specifically for picketing and shaming churches which tolerate abortion.

Putting a cross at the front of the nave and a few words about Jesus in the prayer book does not make a church Chrisitan.  A Christian must be willing to accept the the gentle mastery of Christ: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

Make no mistake: when a Church refuses to submit to God’s law, Christ will withdraw from it.  Here is the judgement passed on churches who abandon the faith:

Realize how far you have fallen.  Repent, and do the works you did at first.  Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Revelation 2:5

Yep, that’s pretty much what I expected you to say. Kinda sad really.

Les, I think there is a general concensus that the bible is not to be taken literaly, so why do we continue to let people quote from it to make a point.
There is a term for it in physcology that I don’t remember but it means starting with a false assumption or statement and running with it from there as if it were the truth, and then use it to prescribe a logical train of though from there.
Pretty hard to describe, let’s say you use a true and logical line of reasoning to justify a statement that’s flawed to begin with so it makes the whole thread irrelevant.
Sort of like how some of the threads here go! 
know what I mean. Don’t quote scripture to justify bullshit!

Spelling and grammer realy bad when I try and just hammer something out, eh!

Moses,

There is a term for it in physcology that I don’t remember but it means starting with a false assumption or statement and running with it from there as if it were the truth, and then use it to prescribe a logical train of though from there.

The word you’re looking for is theology

In other words, they have joined a long tradition of people who wish to commune with God on their own terms, rather than God’s.

Being a mackeral snapper instead of Episcopalian, I’m not generally inclined to rush to their defense.  Nevertheless your certitude about the “judgment” that shall be passed upon Episcopalians brings to mind this:

If anyone supposes he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.

The word you’re looking for is theology

Well, then I think someone should have a serious talk with Theo. 

Awwww, Daryl . . . even if we accepted the premise that the bible tells anything remotely resembling the truth, makes you think you have the right to pass judgment on other people’s (e.g., the episcopalians/anglicans) interpretation of it?

As a former fundie myself, I can toss a bunch of verses right back at you but you’d only come up with some garbage about how YOUR verses should be interpreted literally but mine metaphorically. The inconsistencies kill any argument you might make based on the bible.

The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man [sic] looketh well to his going. Prov. 14:15 [/i}

Hmm, looks like runaway italics. Let’s try some closing tags: 

Did that work?

My mom is a black Episcopalian priest who served in the confirmation of Gene Robinson, the gay bishop. If I had to pick a Christian denomination, Episcopalian would be a pretty strong contender; it´s got all the high ceremony of Catholicism without any of the guilt. Most Episcopalians I´ve met also have an unsurprisingly British attitude towards religion- it´s all well and good for a Sunday, but no reason to get your knickers in a twist. Plus, it still amuses me to say “Father Mother”.