OrthodoxChristianity.net
May 25, 2013, 04:43:42 PM *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
News: If you don't like the Lent theme or it's hard for you to read posts with it, feel free to revert back to the old theme in your profile on the left menu "Look and Layout Preferences."
 
   Home   Help Calendar Contact Treasury Tags Login Register  
Pages: 1   Go Down
  Print  
Author Topic: Episcopal cleric tries Islamic rituals for Lent  (Read 469 times) Average Rating: 0
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Jetavan
Most Humble Servant of Pan-Vespuccian and Holocenic Hominids
Taxiarches
**********
Offline Offline

Faith: Traditio Christiana (Proto-Catholic)
Jurisdiction: Dixie
Posts: 4,900


Barlaam and Josaphat


WWW
« on: March 14, 2011, 12:15:29 PM »

Quote
The Rev. Steve Lawler should have just given up chocolate or television for Lent.

Instead, Lawler, of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Ferguson, decided to adopt the rituals of Islam for 40 days to gain a deeper understanding of the faith.

On Friday, he faced being defrocked if he continued in those endeavors.

"He can't be both a Christian and a Muslim," said Bishop George Wayne Smith of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri. "If he chooses to practice as Muslim, then he would, by default, give up his Christian identity and priesthood in the church."
....
Lawler said he only planned to take his idea so far. For example, he did not intend to declare his belief in the oneness of God and to accept Muhammad as God's prophet. It's the first of the Five Pillars of Islam, which are obligatory for Muslims.
....
By Friday afternoon, Lawler learned that the Episcopal church is more rigid than he had thought. After hearing the objections of the bishop, Lawler reversed course, giving up the Islamic rituals.
If he isn't saying shahada, and if he is just praying in a different way, then I don't see a major problem.
« Last Edit: March 14, 2011, 12:19:39 PM by Jetavan » Logged

If you will, you can become all flame.
Extra caritatem nulla salus.
In order to become whole, take the "I" out of "holiness".
I'm not a witch.
Ἄνω σχῶμεν τὰς καρδίας
"Those who say religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion is." -- Mohandas Gandhi
Y dduw bo'r diolch.
Benjamin the Red
Recovering Calvinist
High Elder
*
Offline Offline

Faith: Orthodox Catholic
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America, Diocese of Dallas and the South ||| American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese
Posts: 1,594


Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.


« Reply #1 on: March 14, 2011, 06:48:46 PM »

I'm more surprised by the fact that the bishop cracked down, than the fact that the priest is "exploring" Islam.

Perhaps there is a sliver of hope for the Episcopal Church afterall. Wink
« Last Edit: March 14, 2011, 06:49:18 PM by Benjamin the Red » Logged

"Hades is not a place, no, but a state of the soul. It begins here on earth. Just so, paradise begins in the soul of a man here in the earthly life. Here we already have contact with the divine..." -St. John, Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco, Homily On the Sunday of Orthodoxy
GabrieltheCelt
Son of a Preacher man
Merarches
***********
Offline Offline

Posts: 6,277


Ol' Pap


« Reply #2 on: March 14, 2011, 07:23:16 PM »

Quote
The Rev. Steve Lawler should have just given up chocolate or television for Lent.

Instead, Lawler, of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Ferguson, decided to adopt the rituals of Islam for 40 days to gain a deeper understanding of the faith.

On Friday, he faced being defrocked if he continued in those endeavors.

"He can't be both a Christian and a Muslim," said Bishop George Wayne Smith of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri. "If he chooses to practice as Muslim, then he would, by default, give up his Christian identity and priesthood in the church."
....
Lawler said he only planned to take his idea so far. For example, he did not intend to declare his belief in the oneness of God and to accept Muhammad as God's prophet. It's the first of the Five Pillars of Islam, which are obligatory for Muslims.
....
By Friday afternoon, Lawler learned that the Episcopal church is more rigid than he had thought. After hearing the objections of the bishop, Lawler reversed course, giving up the Islamic rituals.
If he isn't saying shahada, and if he is just praying in a different way, then I don't see a major problem.


 The good professor is also going to start a program called "Giving Up Church For Lent."  What is it about this religion that attracts people who don't like it?  Seems to me that if you like something, you accept it rather than constantly testing its boundaries and trying to change it.    
Logged
Anastasia1
Born into pahklava
Sr. Member
****
Online Online

Faith: Oriental Orthodox
Jurisdiction: Occasionally traveling, Armenian.
Posts: 853



« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2011, 04:02:16 AM »

The good professor is also going to start a program called "Giving Up Church For Lent."  What is it about this religion that attracts people who don't like it?  Seems to me that if you like something, you accept it rather than constantly testing its boundaries and trying to change it.
When you know it's real, and you know you don't like it is when you know you need it?
« Last Edit: May 29, 2011, 04:02:36 AM by Anastasia1 » Logged

To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding.
Tags:
Pages: 1   Go Up
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.18 | SMF © 2013, Simple Machines Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
Page created in 0.044 seconds with 31 queries.