Apocalypse Wow!: Father Matthew Presents

Father Matthew. the young Curate from Yonkers making good use of You Tube that I wrote about in an earlier post, has a new video that does the best job I have seen putting the book of Revelations in proper context. It take about 5 minutes, but is well worth a look:


Comments

Anonymous said…
Kudos for Greg at Espresso Pundit for pointing us to yor direction and kudos to you as well for sending us to Father Matthew's site.

I wanted to throw some random thoughts out there and see what your opinon was. Chuck, forgive me for not putting them in the proper post but I think I'm hitting on the overall gist of your blogging.

For most Christans, homosexuality is a sin. I don't think we want to look at our clergy as sinners (I know, the catholic's have been doing it quietly for years. That is another topic and cheap shot.) Yes we can get into the semantics that we are all sinners of one level or another, but a same sex relationship to most is a biggie.

I think the answer is pretty simple. So simple that it is overlooked. It's even in the Bible. "Love the sinner but hate the sin." Don't ask me to quote chapter and verse, I'm not a thumper and don't memorize.

That being said, I think that most people are ok with people being gay, they just aren't comfortable with clergy blatantly violating something in the Bible.

I also think that the whole approving of gay clergy and marriages within the church is a marketing ploy gone bad. Church attendance has seen a steady decline over the years. I think some of the people that run the business end of the church got hold of a graph that showed the decline in attendance and the secular acceptance of gay relationship increase and decided that if the church openly accepted homesexuality, attendance would increase and the coffers would fill up.

50 years from now the parishoners might be ready to accept gay clergy. But not today.
March 28, 2007 at 8:04 PM
Chuck Blanchard said…
Logical:

Thanks for the praise. I urge you to view as many of Father Matthews' videos as possible. They are real gems.

I certainly hope that the issue of gays and lesbians in the Church does not become the focus of this blog. As iu hope you see, i am trying to do much more. The fact remains, however, that within my denomination, this issue is front and center now. And that is why I am spending so much time on it.

I think we need to be precise about what the issue really is, at least in the current debate within my chuch: the issue is not whether all homosexual activity is per se "okay" and not sinful. Instead, the issue is whether same sex relationships that are long-term, exclusive, and committed are sinful. If yes, then your point about the clergy is well taken--we apply a high standard to our clergy. If, however, the answer is no, then there is no basis to deny access to the clergy to gays and lesbians.

A majority of the Episcopal Church has decided that same sex relationships that are long-term, exclusive, and committed are not sinful. Now is not the time to explain why. Indeed, I think it will take several posts for me to lay out the rationale--posts that I hope, at some point to write. I also recognize that a critical part of the argument will depend on a view of scripture that cannot be embraced by many Christian denominations (but one that is mainstream with the Episcopal Church).

In other words, keep coming back to this blog--there is more to come!
March 28, 2007 at 8:34 PM
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