All:
St. Thomas Aquinas is no doubt pleased that an argument in natural theology
has been elevated to the upper case.
I, for one am not surprised. Most of the controversy against homosexual
fornication is waged by Evangelicals, who, since the days of Wesley, have
mostly lost an objective notion of grace. Hence, the need to talk about the
holiness of a minister, which, as Augustine says, hinders not the validity
of a sacrament.
This deficiency in Evangelicalism is not to be confused with a moral
weakness on the part of Evangleical Anglicans. It registers such in the
culture at large b/c many who call themselves "Evangelicals" do not belong
to an historic Church--nor do they profess to belong to her. It is a case
of the witness of non-Churchmen watering down the witness of Evanglelical
Churchmen. What we see currently as the "culture wars" are being fought by
Churchmen is rhetorical backfill. An Anglican Evangelical reads an article
by a Bapthodisterian and spreads it abroad: he is mindful of the holy Church
he belives in but not the apostolic Church.
And, to be fair to Anglican Evangelicalism, it must be recognized that the
bulk of the C of E in the eighteenth century at the dawn of the Evangelical
movement had precious little notion of the need for grace in their own
lives. Abp. Tillotson's favorite text, remember, was, "My commandments are
not grevious."
It is hence easy to understand why anyone with a cable channel can drown out
those Churchmen who are Evangelicals, who seek to live by the Word of God
and who have a living, working acquaintance with the Church's formularies,
her saints ("friends above," in Wesley's words), and her worship.
Pax bonumque,
Paul Blankinship+
----- Original Message -----
From: "Knox Duncan" <knoxduncan@...>
To: <faithandlife@...>
Sent: Saturday, October 12, 2002 4:21 PM
Subject: Re: [FaithandLife] GROWING OPPOSITION TO ARBP ROWAN WILLIAMS
> MOST STRONGLY DISAGREE! ONE IS AGAINST NATURE, THE OTHER DOCTRINE. WHICH
> IS WHICH SHOULDN'T BE TOO HARD TO FIGURE OUT!!!
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <gdvw@...>
> To: <faithandlife@...>
> Sent: Saturday, October 12, 2002 2:38 PM
> Subject: Re: [FaithandLife] GROWING OPPOSITION TO ARBP ROWAN WILLIAMS
>
>
> > >
> Brethren:
> > It
> > amazes
> > me
> > that
> > those
> > who
> > are
> > contra
> > the
> > designate
> > +Cantuar
> > are
> > so
> > because
> > of
> > homosexuality.
> > There
> > have
> > been
> > homosexuals
> > &
> > heretosexuals
> > in
> > the
> > priesthood,
> > probably
> > since
> > Whitsunday
> > 33Ad,
> > and
> > many
> > have
> > lived
> > chaste
> > lives
> > and
> > been
> > a
> > great
> > blessing
> > to
> > many
> > as
> > they
> > exercised
> > their
> > sacerdotal
> > apostolate.
> > The
> > issue,
> > the
> > great
> > issue
> > that
> > is
> > forgotten
> > is
> > that
> > a
> > woman
> > CANNOT
> > be
> > a
> > priest
> > or
> > a
> > bishop
> > ;
> > she
> > cannot
> > receive
> > Holy
> > Orders
> > and
> > therefore
> > she
> > cannot
> > absolve,
> > bless
> > or
> > consecrate.
> > Thus
> > she
> > cannot
> > perform
> > the
> > central
> > priestly
> > acts
> > (sacraments)
> > and
> > thus
> > cannot
> > bring
> > objective
> > grace
> > to
> > those
> > who
> > seek
> > it
> > from
> > her.
> > None
> > of
> > these
> > things
> > is
> > true
> > of
> > homosexuals.
> > Happily
> > Forward
> > in
> > Faith
> > (the
> > English
> > group)
> > understands
> > this.
> > I
> > wish
> > some
> > of
> > those
> > wasting
> > time
> > on
> > so
> > called
> > 'gay
> > controversy'
> > would
> > understand
> > it
> > as
> > well.
> > Please
> > pray
> > for
> > the
> > repose
> > of
> > the
> > soul
> > of
> > Melvin.
> > Blessings.
> > GDVW+
> >
> > )
> >
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> >
> > Rift
> > within
> > Church
> > over
> > gays
> > deepens
> > > By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent, The Telegrah
> > > (Filed: oct. 3,2002)
> > >
> > >
> > > The rift in the Church of England over homosexuality deepened last
night
> > > when two mainstream evangelical groups joined the growing chorus of
> > > criticism of the new Archbishop of Canterbury's liberal stance on the
> > > issue.
> > >
> > > In a sign that battle lines are being drawn up, the two groups, which
> > > represent several thousand clergy and which are based in every
diocese,
> > > said that concern over Dr Rowan Williams existed far more widely than
> > > among the relatively small "conservative" evangelical wing of the
> > > Church.
> > >
> > > The Church of England Evangelical Council and the Anglican Evangelical
> > > Assembly backed the move by the conservative evangelical network
Reform
> > > to urge Dr Williams to renounce his liberal views or resign, as
> > > reported in The Telegraph last week.
> > >
> > > In an unprecedented move, Reform called on Dr Williams to condemn sex
> > > outside marriage or step down as the successor to Dr George Carey, a
> > > post he will not formally take up until the new year.
> > >
> > > Dr Williams, who has admitted to ordaining a practising homosexual,
has
> > > said that he will not abandon his views but he has sought to dampen
> > > down the row by saying that he has no plans to impose them on the
> > > Church.
> > >
> > > Evidence is growing, however, that a number of senior bishops are
> > > becoming increasingly anxious about Dr Williams's views and the
effect
> > > they could have on the unity of the Church.
> > >
> > > The evangelical wing is also coming under mounting pressure to take
> > > strong action from like-minded Anglican bishops in Africa and Asia.
In
> > > a letter, the two groups said that evangelicals across the worldwide
> > > Church supported the stance of the 1998 Lambeth Conference, which
> > > overwhelmingly condemned the ordination of practising homosexuals and
> > > the blessing of same-sex unions.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _________________________________________________________________
> > > Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com
> > >
> > >
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> >
> >
> >
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