Friday, August 19, 2005
What Does This Say About The Future?
Instapundit is linking to Lileks discussing the PCUSA's (yes the PCUSA of which I am an elder and lifelong member) move to apply financial pressure on Israel.
The stance the church took at the last General Assmebly on Israel, of which these actions are a part, is one of two issues that threaten to schism the church next summer when GA again convenes -- the other being gay ordination and/or same-sex marriage. It is probably stuff like this that threatens the church, well in decline, more than the theological and style issues I am so found of discussing.
One of the things that has held the church together this long are the extreme finacial complications created by schism. In the PCUSA system, the congregation does not own it's real property, the higher church bodies do -- makes revolt pretty hard. Which is why this story from Sheep's Crib is fascinating.
The stance the church took at the last General Assmebly on Israel, of which these actions are a part, is one of two issues that threaten to schism the church next summer when GA again convenes -- the other being gay ordination and/or same-sex marriage. It is probably stuff like this that threatens the church, well in decline, more than the theological and style issues I am so found of discussing.
One of the things that has held the church together this long are the extreme finacial complications created by schism. In the PCUSA system, the congregation does not own it's real property, the higher church bodies do -- makes revolt pretty hard. Which is why this story from Sheep's Crib is fascinating.
A judge has ruled that the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles cannot confiscate the property of a congregation that has broken with the diocese and national denomination to protest consecration of a gay bishop.Due to differences in how the churches are organized and managed, I don't know if the ruling can be applied to the Presbyterian case, but as they said on Laugh-in, "Here come da judge...Here come da judge."
