Ad Orientem John Nails It

In response to the “marriage” of two lesbians by a “bishop” of The Episcopal “Church”, John of Ad Orientem says something of import better than I could:

I think it was Perry Robinson who came up with the great line that in Christianity, you are who you are in communion with. With that in mind, you do know that you belong to the same church as these people, right? And that you are in full communion with the bishop who just blessed this "marriage," right? I am slow. So please indulge me and explain how anyone who self identifies as a Christian can in good conscience belong to a church that is by any reasonable standard utterly apostate. And yes, a church that does these things and ordains and promotes clergy who call abortion a blessing has ceased to be Christian. Do you call sinners into the Episcopal Church for their salvation? Do you in all honesty believe that the Episcopal Church is truly a branch of the catholic church spoken of in the ancient creeds? Do you seriously doubt for even an instant that if any of the Fathers of the Church walked the Earth today, that they would shout "ANATHEMA!" at the Episcopal Church?

Exactly. Now as I’ve said before, I respect those orthodox who feel they should endure in The Episcopal Church. But I think their position untenable.

What John posted could be applied to other mainline Protestant denominations as well. Looking back at my post-college church searches, I rejected churches in most mainline denominations out of hand for the reasons John spells out, although my ecclesiology was not so well developed as to think in John’s terms. I did know that I did not want to be in any denomination in which outrages against The Faith were committed, tolerated, and even promoted. And that ruled out the mainline Presbyterian Church in which I grew up, among others. I was tired of The Faith being undermined and my conscience outraged by my own church.

I could say more. But, like the title says, John nails it.

And thanks to the Good Professor for bringing this to my attention.