Breaking Up Is So Hard To Do
As a complete outsider I have been watching a local Schism take place. Well, maybe not as a complete outsider--I do live in the community and have many friends in the churches. A local mainstream Bishop took as much of his congregation as were willing out of the national church , claiming that his groups was maintaining the true traditional faith and the national group was just a blasphemous watered down version of sin. The breaking point issue, at least as seems obvious from outsiders, is homosexuality and how to deal with the gay population (and of course the entire LGBT community). The split away group sees the Bible as clear in labeling homosexuality a sin while the national church takes a more inclusive non-judgemental stance. This has played out in many denominations across the country. The split-aways stress they still love gays but must point out their errant ways.
Compounding the debate about sin and love is the fact that property and money are involved. The spit-away group hoped to take the properties with them but has been faced with court rulings that return the property to the national church. This includes some very historical and wealthy churches that date to the earliest times of the state.
And of course the locals wish to point out that it's really a matter of loyalty to Biblical inerrancy and tradition that motivates the schism. The national church they say has abandoned true religion for a liberal satanic version. The nationals do this by being inclusive, opened minded to point of recognizing the value of other religions. In short they take a more ecumenical approach.
There have been many public letters back and forth from both sides. Each calls for reconciliation but more or less on their own terms. The locals battle on despite the court's rulings against them. They often stress the 3-2 vote of the state supreme court as if somehow that means it doesn't really count. And they indicated they will continue to find some issue to dispute in court even if it doesn't really involve the major properties any longer. For example who can use the seal and logo. I doubt eviction is a real concern. At most I could see the national church installing new clergy for what part of the congregation wanted to stay in the prodigal churches.
What does not seem to be a possibility at the moment is simply going your own way. It's often not just enough to believe you are right but you must also show the other wrong. It's like lots of marriages I've seen end. Or even business partnerships. It's hard to let go and live and let live.
It's nice to know nothing like this could happen the Cathedral House of Good. First of all there is hardly any tradition to follow and everyone in welcome. Furthermore there is no property. There are not even enough people to have a schism. Maybe when global warming floods out all the other churches, Good's Cathedral will see a schismatic influx.
As a complete outsider I have been watching a local Schism take place. Well, maybe not as a complete outsider--I do live in the community and have many friends in the churches. A local mainstream Bishop took as much of his congregation as were willing out of the national church , claiming that his groups was maintaining the true traditional faith and the national group was just a blasphemous watered down version of sin. The breaking point issue, at least as seems obvious from outsiders, is homosexuality and how to deal with the gay population (and of course the entire LGBT community). The split away group sees the Bible as clear in labeling homosexuality a sin while the national church takes a more inclusive non-judgemental stance. This has played out in many denominations across the country. The split-aways stress they still love gays but must point out their errant ways.
Compounding the debate about sin and love is the fact that property and money are involved. The spit-away group hoped to take the properties with them but has been faced with court rulings that return the property to the national church. This includes some very historical and wealthy churches that date to the earliest times of the state.
And of course the locals wish to point out that it's really a matter of loyalty to Biblical inerrancy and tradition that motivates the schism. The national church they say has abandoned true religion for a liberal satanic version. The nationals do this by being inclusive, opened minded to point of recognizing the value of other religions. In short they take a more ecumenical approach.
There have been many public letters back and forth from both sides. Each calls for reconciliation but more or less on their own terms. The locals battle on despite the court's rulings against them. They often stress the 3-2 vote of the state supreme court as if somehow that means it doesn't really count. And they indicated they will continue to find some issue to dispute in court even if it doesn't really involve the major properties any longer. For example who can use the seal and logo. I doubt eviction is a real concern. At most I could see the national church installing new clergy for what part of the congregation wanted to stay in the prodigal churches.
What does not seem to be a possibility at the moment is simply going your own way. It's often not just enough to believe you are right but you must also show the other wrong. It's like lots of marriages I've seen end. Or even business partnerships. It's hard to let go and live and let live.
It's nice to know nothing like this could happen the Cathedral House of Good. First of all there is hardly any tradition to follow and everyone in welcome. Furthermore there is no property. There are not even enough people to have a schism. Maybe when global warming floods out all the other churches, Good's Cathedral will see a schismatic influx.
