RateItAll: The Opinion Network

As far as gays are concerned, my thought is that Jesus loves and respects them as much as he does anyone else so, in essence the Episcopal Church is closer to true Christianity than some of the radical right wing churches, leaders and organizations are.

I like High Church Episcopalians. This is one of the founding religions of our republic and has been important in American History. I don't have much use for the low church mopes. Why don't they just become Methodists and get it over with?

Episcopalians are the American members of the Anglican Communion, of which the Church of England is the historic founder. Although the Church has an interesting history, which you can probably find in Wikipedia, there is a yearning these days to restore Communion (which, as you might guess, does include "taking communion") with the other two Churches who claim their succession to the original Apostles - that is, the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Differences in doctrine, besides the gay clergy issue, include the Immaculate Conception (Mary's being born without inheriting Adam's original sin), the ease with which one can dissolve a marriage performed in the Church, whether the bread and wine actually transform into the real body and blood of Jesus Christ during the mass, and the oath of celibacy for priests who are not already married. Interestingly, the other Protestant Churches in America are more accepting of gay and lesbian clergy, but adamantly opposed to special treatment for Mary or the communion bread and wine. Also, they much more readily accept civil divorce as well as gay or lesbian clergy.
If there is one shameful aspect about the Anglican Communion, it is the severely impoverished state of most people in Africa who are Anglican Christians (as well as the AIDS crisis there). It's also the African clergy who are most vocal in their criticism of the Episcopal Church's new policy of accepting gay priests. It kind of makes you wonder who really ought to be "kicked out" of the Anglican Communion.

My Mother is Episcopalean and is very active in her church.She is the most compassionate Christian I know.She is always helping out some poor soul out of the goodness of her heart and faith,and she does not JUDGE people or use her Religion as an excuse to spout hatred and self-righteousness.Although I do not share her beliefs,I do share her values.She was raised in another denomination,and had tried several others before she went to an Episcopal Church.She said that it was "like falling in Love",and has been with the Episcopal Church ever since.

Another fine legitiamte church.

Here is another nausiatingly, liberal, Laodicean type church which has opened its doors to homosexuality, and like other WWC and NCC "churches" is in the "inclusion" business, and is trying to "unite" all churches and of course cozy up the the catholics.

They Episcopal church in America has lost its way it has split its self in half with the gay issue. It has also forgotten what is most important, which is teaching the word and reaching out. This is not to say that they are alone in this but I think the mind set has regressed to the medievil time when clergy did what they wanted and the the church amassed worldly goods and cash.

The Episcopal Church is the greatest Christian Church, living out the mission of Jesus Christ. Where else is anyone taken, as they are, to worship the Lord, with all of the majesty of God's Holy Church, and therefore God's Holy Grace? In one place one can have what the ancient Church offered. The Church of the Apostles, and a community of loving real people, with all of their faults, all loving God, everyone. Why is that so scarce? Why is anything else even considered to be Christian? In too many places named Christian the Lord Himself could not feel welcome. He would be loved in an Episcopal Church!

I was raised an episcopal. As far as I could tell it means you play golf, drink martinis and tell jokes during an incredibly dull sermon. In short, probably as good as xianity gets.

Any church claiming to be of Christian faith that would allow someone in their hierarchy to be an open, practicing homosexual is not only hypocritical of what the Bible teaches (Lev. 20:13), but it also takes the focus of the church off of what's really important. I honestly can't even understand how the people of this church can see nothing wrong with this and let it go on. I mean for a guy to be in a high position of the church, supposedly teaching people to live by the word of God while he himself is proudly practicing something that the Bible blatantly teaches against is just completely absurd to me.