9/02/03

This posting is taken from :
http://another site.blogspot.com/

Reprinted here by permission. The Moravian author comments on  The willingness to pit the Spirit against the Scripture in the interest of ever-elusive cultural relevance. 

 Moravians are attempting to define who we are and what we believe as the "Visioning Process" begins again.  We should all take note of this observation.

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Shades of heresies past

Ottawa Citizen columnist David Warren announced in his August 31 piece (found here) that he was leaving the Anglican Church of Canada and becoming a Roman Catholic. I'm sure he's correct in saying that he won't "be the last rat through this particular plughole," as other desert the sinking ship that is Western Anglicanism.

In the course of his column he put his finger on one of the primary reasons why the ACC and the Episcopal Church USA have reached their current state. He says:

"I realized that our ship was no longer, as it were, sinking, but now, as it were, sunk, when I saw a statement from one of the hierarchy of Episcopal Church USA, 'reminding' Anglicans that their authority is not founded on Scripture, but rather on the operation of the Holy Ghost within the communion. This was a doctrine I had already detected, under layers of deceit, in the meandering verbiage of Dr. Rowan Williams, the new, fanatically liberal, Archbishop of Canterbury. It is the characteristic doctrine of utopian revolutionaries and violent heretics from many centuries -- this idea that God is speaking to them directly, and that they may now ignore scripture, history, and tradition, and do whatever feels good."

Exactly. In all the talk about the Holy Spirit bringing "new revelation" to the mainline churches, "revelation" that contradicts Scripture, we have echoes of ancient Montanism (see here), as well as some of the bizarre elements of modern Pentecostalism (think of Benny Hinn telling television audiences that the Spirit had informed him there are nine Persons in the Trinity). When the so-called "voice of the Spirit" is detached from the authority of Scripture, the result is the enthronement of the desires of the individual.

Or the crowd. A modern, Western twist on this old heresy is the wedding of it to democracy. Votes taken at denominational assemblies are equated with the "voice of the Spirit," at least when they provide the desired result. And of course when the desired result is not forthcoming (say at the 2000 General Conference of the United Methodist Church, which refused to allow same-sex blessings or the ordination of sexually active gays), then the majority is "refusing to listen to the voice of the Spirit."

The willingness to pit the Spirit against the Scripture in the interest of ever-elusive cultural relevance is a recipe for anarchy. I can understand David Warren's decision.
Comments by Squawkbox.tv - Comment
// posted by Athanasius @ 9/1/2003 03:42:22 PM

 

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Democracy - defined by a character in one of Kipling's stories as "a demon inhabiting crowds and assemblies." This definition might have been written for Minneapolis!

Posted 01/09/2003 10:18 PM by Edward 


- Finally!!

I am to see this observation made... that the Spirit is not in the business of making revelations that contradict Scripture. In the past I have argued that "a spirit" might lead persons to revelations/beliefs that contradict Scripture... but not "The Spirit!" No one that I have had discussions with has even made the attempt to argue against this point.

I haven't been here at EI for a while and this post came to my attention through the www.moravians.org website in the context of a new "Visioning Process" going on now within the Moravian denomination. I fear that the liberal elements of the denomination are going to try to subvert this process by arguing that "The Spirit" is leading us in a direction of "all inclusiveness" and that our denomination will stumble further down the path already cleared by the ECUSA.

Posted 03/09/2003 05:58 AM by Reepicheep 


- So what do we do now?

Maybe I'm being paranoid, but it seems to me that we're on a path of no return. The Northern Province will inevitably sanction gay marriage and/or actively gay clergy.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of a single denomination that has entered into a "study" of this matter, then concluded otherwise. I suppose the UMC has sortof dragged its feet a bit lately, but it hasn't issued it's last word on the issue either.

Posted 03/09/2003 11:42 AM by Greg Shumate 


- point of no return... pray it isn't so!

I dunno... I think the PCUSA has gotten closer than many to pulling themselves back from the brink. ... you know with the sound defeat of the whole "proposition A" thing. The startling part of this whole liberal swing is that it appears to be only a very vocal minorty that have pushed the Church in this heretical direction. The Northern Province is already starting to backpedal a little bit. Their PEC published a ridiculous explanation of what "celebrate" meant in the context of the NP Synod Resolution. I wonder if the rift forming in the ECUSA might make the NP think twice about doing this at their next synod. I think that the Southern Province is where this battle is going to be fought and won.

Posted 03/09/2003 03:24 PM by Reepicheep