Anglican Church?

[teresahrc]

Hey, I was thinking about the current issues within the Anglican Church.

They seem to be split over the "Holiness" issues such as Gay (practicing homosexuality) Priest etc.

I'm not surprised that many of them are convert to the Catholic Church because we still have the "Holiness" they are looking for. That is why we are "one, holy, catholic and apostolic church"

If your church isn't holy, then obviously you're in the wrong place.

teresa

[redsoxfan]

yeah we're getting a lot of anglican converts now. I just wish there were more of them to convert.

[Cepha]

Anglicans and Episcopalians.

Did you ever notice this cycle?

The longer a non-Catholic Church is around,
the more "Catholic" it becomes?

Even when on their own outside of The Magisterium,
once they hit The Church Fathers, that's it.

In their attempts to emulate the "original" Church, they come full circle.

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Take Pentecostals for example.

First, it wasn't allowed for them to practice the Christian ritual of communion and they citicized us for that. Now, they do it. They changed the unleavened bread that Jesus used for crackers. They changed the wine that Jesus used for Welches Grape Juice.

Before, using a cross was considered idolatry. Now they use crosses (as jewelery, literally having idols of crosses in their churches, etc...).

There are some non-Catholic Christian churches that frown upon statues of "dead" Saints, yet they have statues of American figures and their founders in their churches and of Angels now.

They all start out the same. Somewhere, someone gets the idea that they can lead men in the name of God. They convince one or two people. They have these little meetings in someone's basement. Soon, it's like a Head & Shoulders commercial...then they tell two friends and they tell two friends and they tell two friends. Eventually, money is raised and they rent a vacant storefront or an abandoned movie theater and begin their "church". And eventually, with enough years, they end up with a megachurch.

And the guy who started it is raking in a millions of dollars in personal income. Of course, this is now his full time job so he buys a house, new cars, etc...with the church's money (but it is in his name).

So, he believes he must be right because he is so "blessed" financially (of course, so are pornographers, brothels, drug dealers, etc...).

Eventually, doctrinal differences develop and one very prominent leader in the church breaks off taking a number of congregants who agree with him. And they start a new church. And they grow. And he is justified in his own mind because he achieves financial success. So he grows, but then, someone disagrees with him and they go and start their own church based on a new doctrine.

And this cycle repeats itself over and over and over and over...The "house built upon sand". It collapses into many pieces.

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Meanwhile, there still remains one, holy, Catholic & apostolic Church that never falls down because it is "not" built upon sand, but upon Rock (Peter).

And those that have been around Christianity the longest see this...that one Church never changed. It never broke down. It has remained steadfast since it's inception.

Then the reason they once criticized this same Church for (for being so uncompromising, so rigid, etc...) now become attractive to them. And they want that "rock" steadiness. They want that security. Then, they peek into Catholic teachings with an open mind. They come unto The Church as little children...with a new found innocense. And all of a sudden what once seemed evil, seems glorious. What once seemed wrong, seems like the only thing that was ever truly right.

And they see that the strength of The Church isn't in perfection, it isn't in that everybody has to be without sin, but that we are made up "of" sinners. When we were criticized for being to down on ourselves and for being scrupulous, now, he sees it for the true humility that it is.

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Every non-Catholic Christian that is strong in their Anti-Catholic views should watch The Journey Home and see what intelligent people have to say about "coming home".

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There are many non-Catholic Christians who are "not" Catholic for no other reason than that they lover their church and that's a beautiful thing. I love to see people worship God with their hearts without having to criticize others. God bless them. I'm sure they please God. I believe that with all my heart.

[Cepha]

Here's a great example...

[Cepha]

[teresahrc]

So, was that guy an Anglican?