What denomination are you?
By ByronEA
@ByronEA (109)
United States
September 18, 2010 3:08pm CST
What denomination are you, and what sets your denomination apart from the rest?
I am an Anglican/Episcopalian. There are a couple things that set us apart from the majority of Christian denominations. First one is our reputation of being "via media" between the Protestant denominations and the Roman Catholic Church. When the church of England broke away from Rome under King Henry VIII, there was much controversy on how far the reforms in the church should go. The first century after the English Reformation was like the Church of England was on a pendulum. One decade we would be at the opposite end of the spectrum from the Roman Catholic Church, and the next decade we would be on the same side of the spectrum as the Roman Catholic Church. At the end of that first century, however, we found ourselves in the happy medium between the two. We are not quite Roman Catholic, and not quite Protestant. Many Anglicans like to fondly describe our church as "Catholic, yet Protestant". Our rituals and theology tends to be a blend of Roman Catholic and Reformation rituals and theologies.
The second thing that sets us apart is that we encourage people to think for themselves. We have two creeds we like our members to subscribe to (the Apostles' creed and the Nicene Creed). Anything that is not explained in those creeds, we allow personal interpretation of. Thus, within the Anglican Communion you find conservatives and liberals, universalists and exclusivists. I think the diversity actually makes us a stronger church. :)
3 responses
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
18 Sep 10
I am a Roman Catholic, the Church the protestants deviated from. I believe in the Apostles' Creed and the Catholic Church allows no diversity in thought and perception. Everything is absolute is and infallible. No loophole at all.
@urbandekay (18278)
•
19 Sep 10
Well the Roman Church is also a new Church, splitting away from the Orthodox Church in the 11th century.
And what of the novel, non-scripturally authorised dogma introduced by the Roman Church?
all the best urban
@ByronEA (109)
• United States
19 Sep 10
The view of the Anglican church (I am saying this to be informative, not insulting. Please forgive me if I do insult) is that the papacy had become corrupt (at the time of the 16th century) and so the church of England broke ties with Rome.
I believe that to have diversity in a church makes us more like the first century church. It wasn't until the 300s at the Council of Nicaea that the Church began to establish orthodoxy. Before that, it was allowed that you believe whatever the Spirit led as long as you professed Jesus Christ crucified for our sins and resurrected and ascended to prepare a place for us.
@urbandekay (18278)
•
19 Sep 10
Not sure that is not true, Byron. Before the Council of Nicaea there were other councils of the Bishops of Rome, Constantinople, etc. Authority lay with this assembly and divergence was punished and could lead to excommunication.
All the best urban
@6precious102 (4043)
• United States
20 Sep 10
Though I'm not a member of the Episcopal church, I go to services there every Sunday and afterward to the Christian church. I love both congregations, but the Christian church is home for me.
I know some will think this a bigoted statement, but when you allow people who willfully go against the teachings of Scripture to be spiritual leaders of the church, you have compromised your believe in God for the sake of political correctness. All of us need to remember that we cannot serve two masters. Either what the Bible teaches is the truth and we following it's teachings or it's a lie and then what's the point. This is a problem I see in the Episcopal church and in some of the other more liberal denominations. I believe what makes a church strong is telling the truth in love.
@ByronEA (109)
• United States
20 Sep 10
The Biblical case against homosexuality isn't as clear cut as the Conservatives would have you believe. Sure, in our mainstream English translations it may be. But when someone uses the Bible to promote prejudice and hate, I think it warrants taking a closer look at. I believe, as well as many other mainstream Protestant Christians (not speaking of Conservatives here), that these homophobic prejudices are based upon mistranslations and/or misinterpretations.
Try taking a look at http://www.gaychristians101.org. On their navigation menu to the side, it has a section called "What the Bible Says". It covers everything from "Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" to 1 Cor 6:9.
On a side note, is the "Christian Church" you go to an a cupella church, or instrumental?
@ByronEA (109)
• United States
21 Sep 10
I agree that someone who is in willful sin should not be in a leadership position. But I do need to make one clarification on the statement: In order for it to be "willful", the sin has to be deliberate and intentional. That is going by the very definition of "willful". If they don't think its a sin, then by definition its not "willful". At that point, only the Holy Spirit can convict them, because no amount of arguing with them will change their mind. After all, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth, not other people leading us into truth...
@6precious102 (4043)
• United States
21 Sep 10
It's not what Conservative Christians have said that convinces me that a sin is a sin, whether it's homosexuality, committing adultery, or any other act Scripture says we're not to do. What convinces me is what's written in God's word. But I will take a look at the link you posted. I don't want you to think I'm a hater of homosexuals or that I think they're the only sinners, I'm not and I don't. However, I don't believe anyone who willfully sins should be in a position of spiritual leadership. I do believe they should all be in a Bible believing church where, one hopes, they'll hear the truth spoken in love.
The "Christian Church" I attend is instrumental. We use to be a part of the Disciples of Christ, but several years ago we decided to become independent. I believe the denomination broke away from the Presbyterian Church back in the 1800s, and I think the break away had something to do with having Communion every Sunday, which we do, and baptism by immersion, which is how we baptize, but I'm not sure if my history of the church is correct.
