An interesting reflection

While I keep hitting refresh on StandFirm, I'm also browsing other blogs. Here's an interesting reflection from a new Anglican blogger:


A thought on Anglicanism

I try to avoid commenting on Anglican politics on my blog, since that is not really its purpose. But I have been considering why, in recent weeks, I remain an Anglican. The House of Bishops is meeting now. I, like most conservative Anglicans, expect The Episcopal Church to hold to its current stance on issues of sexual morality and biblical interpretation. What will follow from this is difficult to say with certainty, but the splits that already exist will be certainly be exacerbated, and I doubt that the damage done to the Communion will be repaired in my lifetime. So, I ask myself, Why do I feel an obligation to stick with a Church that seems to have hardly any coherent theology, and whose polity is vague and confusing both on the national and international levels?
Several bishops have already been spotted jumping ship and swimming with gusto in the general direction of Italy. They believe, no doubt, that it is better to trust in the Roman Church and the certainty of teaching provided by the hierarchy of that Church. The Roman Catholic Church is, after all, conservative and (somewhat) clear in its teachings - why not agree to say that Anglican orders are invalid or pretend that the reformation never happened? At least there wont be a pagans in quite so many pulpits. Still, while I cannot entirely blame those who have gotten tired of fighting over what seem trivial matters in the Anglican Communion, and simply wish to get on with being Christians, I yet bring myself to see that those who have left the Communion for some other church have made the right Choice. In particular, those bishops who have gone to Rome seem to have done nothing but exchanged one set of heresies for another. The Bishops of The Episcopal Church claims the authority to read scripture as they please, and so does the Bishop of Rome, although his interpretations may be more conservative Katherine Schori's; both claim a power not granted by neither reason nor faith.
I will not stop here to defend this critique of Roman Catholicism - that would amount to a very long rant.


The rest can be read here, at ZenAnglocatholic