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Ft. Worth Bishop Iker wins latest Property Legal Round* VA Bishop okays SS Blessings*SEWANEE University comes out for Pansexuality*Church & State Split Eyed in UK*Religion & Politics*

Since the mid-1970s, the United States has been embroiled in a culture war over the legacy of the sexual revolution. That war has split our politics -- social issues are what most deeply divide Democrats and Republicans, not economics or foreign policy -- just as it has split our churches. --- Damon Linker at TheWeek.com

The image of a Christian. I confess that I love to see a communicant kneeling at the rail. This is my brand image of a Christian. Not a soldier brandishing a sword, not an athlete stripped for the race, not a farmer braving wind and rain, with his hand on the plough and never looking back -- though all these are true. But a penitent sinner, with knees bent, head bowed and downcast eyes, but with open, empty hands uplifted to receive a gift. --- John R.W. Stott

"If you spend any time with Scripture you will see that God is not all that concerned with people dying physically, but He has a lot to say about avoiding "dying the death" (Gen 2:17) -- that is, the death of the soul. Killing the life of the soul prevents a person from entering Heaven." --- Lauren Hill (who suffers from inoperable brain cancer).

Our participation. We participate in Christ's sacrifice only in the sense that we share in the benefits of it, not in the sense that we share in the offering of it. --- John R.W. Stott

The scandal of clericalism. It is only against the backdrop of the equality and unity of the people of God that the real scandal of clericalism may be seen. What clericalism also does, by concentrating power and privilege in the hands of the clergy, is at least to obscure and at worst to annul the essential oneness of the people of God. Extreme forms of clericalism dare to reintroduce the notion of privilege into the only human community in which it has been abolished. Where Christ has made out of two one, the clerical mind makes two again, the one higher and the other lower, the one active and the other passive, the one really important because vital to the life of the church, the other not vital and therefore less important. I do not hesitate to say that to interpret the church in terms of a privileged clerical caste or hierarchical structure is to destroy the New Testament doctrine of the church. --- John R.W. Stott

Dear Brothers and Sisters
www.virtueonline.org
November 7, 2014

The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to review a Texas Supreme Court decision ordering a rehearing of a long-running dispute involving millions of dollars worth of property sought by two rival groups both claiming to be the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth.

Fort Worth Episcopalians, loyal to the U.S. Episcopal Church, had appealed the state high court's ruling. The decision Monday means that the case returns to the 141st state District Court for rehearing.

Bishop Jack Iker said in a news release: "We are very pleased that the Supreme Court has agreed with our position that the TEC [The Episcopal Church] petition for a review was without merit. We now move forward of this case under neutral principles of law as applied by the state of Texas.''

The split of the Fort Worth Episcopalians became official in 2008 when Bishop Iker and a majority of the 56 congregations in the 28-county diocese voted to leave the national church, saying its leadership had moved away from biblical and church tradition in many ways, including ordaining women and gay and lesbian priests.

Episcopalians loyal to the national church went to court, arguing that under the Episcopal Church's "Dennis Canon," diocese property should belong to those still loyal to the national church.

In 2011, state District Judge John Chupp agreed, ruling that because the Episcopal Church is a hierarchical body, property should be retained by the group still loyal to the national church.

Iker's group appealed, and the Texas Supreme Court ordered Chupp to rehear the case and to base his judgment on neutral principles of Texas law governing nonreligious groups.

The group loyal to the national church appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Bishop Rayford High, leader of the Fort Worth group loyal to the national church, said the U.S. Supreme Court's decision "was not by any means a loss or a defeat."

"We wanted to try it, because we felt there were some constitutional errors in the Texas Supreme Court's decision," High said.

Chupp's decision favoring High's group was based on "deferential principles" of law that had been use in Texas for more than 100 years to settle disputes in hierarchical churches. "What that means is that if it is a hierarchical church, the courts defer to canons and laws of that church," High noted.

Suzanne Gill, a spokeswoman for Iker's group, said that the Texas Supreme Court's order that the rehearing be done under neutral principles of Texas law is a key point.

"Texas is one of only a few states that says unless a trust agreement specifically states that the trust is irrevocable, it can be revoked," she explained. "In 1989 we expressly revoked that trust in our constitution and canons," stating that all property belongs to the local diocese and not the national church.

Attorneys for the national church argue that the "Dennis Canon" of the national church's governing rules implies an irrevocable trust, Gill said, but her group argues that it is not explicit.

"It's a disputed issue but is a question of interpretation and not fact," Gill said.

In March, the Supreme Court also declined to hear an appeal in a similar dispute among Episcopalians in northern Virginia. The justices rejected an appeal by Falls Church Anglican, one of seven Virginia congregations that broke away from the Episcopal Church in 2006.

*****

How religion played in Tuesday's election. Mark Silk, at Religion News Service, looks at the religious numbers of this week's electorate. Most numbers were similar to recent elections past, with one exception:

The one group that appears to have shifted significantly compared to the last midterm were members of "other religions" -- Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, etc. In 2010, three out of four voted Democratic, while this time around it was two out of three. And given that their proportion of the vote increased from 8 percent to 11 percent that was not a trivial number of votes.

VOL has said all along that social issues i.e. The Culture War, is more significant than either economic or immigration issues and the Democratic Party is on the wrong side of both. Religious-based values lie at the heart of all faiths, especially for Christians. Gay marriage, for example, is eschewed by the vast majority of Americans. Many Americans feel their values are being stomped on by a homofascist, pro-Islamic lobby that does not speak for them. Stay tuned.

*****

"On Friday, 7 October 2014, Virginia Bishop Shannon S. Johnston issued the enclosed Guidelines for Clergy and Congregations Regarding Marriage of Same-Sex Couples in the Diocese of Virginia...These Guidelines permit clergy to officiate at civil marriages of same-sex couples (as agents of the Commonwealth, not of the Church) and then to bless that civil marriage using a provisional-use rite approved by the 2012 General Convention of The Episcopal Church." And this is the GREAT reconciliation bishop noted by Archbishop Justin Welby in praising him and Truro priest Tory Baucom who have been meeting together for prayer and conversation for over a year.

"Bishop Johnston and I have become friends," said Baucum. "In spite of our significant theological differences, we care for and are committed to each other as brothers in Christ." I wonder what Mr. Baucom will say to Johnston when next the two meet together for prayer and coffee. Perhaps a note of congratulations from Archbishop Justin Welby will await them both at Starbucks for their marvelous reconciliation (read accommodation) skills.

*****
SEWANEE: University of the South celebrated National Coming Out Week with its pansexual agenda hailed as a great step forward for inclusivity. With the words "Pan[sexual] and proud" written on her back, one sophomore came out to her friends through Snapchat. "It's the most passive way I can think of doing it," she wrote. She had been trying to figure out when to come out for some time and decided National Coming Out Day was probably a decent opportunity.
The University of the South, the one and only university of The Episcopal Church, is now unofficially no longer a Christian university with Christian moral values, but a university that allows and recognizes those in the LGBTQA+ community, that is people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer, asexual, or non-binary sexuality, who can "come out to the community" (if they have not already done so), and celebrate their sexuality publicly.

One wonders if the parents of these kids know what is really going on or will they continue to pour millions of dollars into a university which does not reflect their own values all the time watching their kids graduate with sub-Christian views on human sexuality. You can read the full story in today's digest.

*****

In the latest skirmish between the faculty of General Theological Seminary, NY and its Dean Kurt Dunkle, seven faculty have returned to their jobs.

In a Dear Students letter, Dunkle said that seven former faculty members will be returning. He issued the following joint press release that explains this matter:

"The Board of Trustees, Dean, and Faculty of General Theological Seminary jointly announced that they have today reached an agreement regarding the immediate issues which have led to heated debates within and without the walls of the nation's oldest Episcopal seminary. The resolution involves an ongoing process of reconciliation, a reinstatement of all of the returning faculty members on a provisional basis, and a re-affirmation of the responsibilities of the Board of Trustees and the Dean. Spokespersons for all involved stated that they supported the resolution and looked forward to implementing together the mission of GTS to educate and form leaders for the changing church in a changing world, as it has successfully done for almost 200 years.

"Regarding chapel, we will continue for the time being with the present schedule and services. I will work with all concerned in the coming weeks to hear your views and suggestions on how each liturgy should develop over time.

"Reconciliation will require much of all of us. I encourage all to join in fully; I will walk with you on this with an open heart. You are not alone."

*****

In St. Louis, Missouri, Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral will hold a 24-hour vigil after the Michael Brown Grand Jury decision is given. Sometime between now and January, the news will break that Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson is or isn't charged with a crime for fatally shooting unarmed teen Michael Brown. For now, protests in Ferguson have calmed into small demonstrations, but if Wilson is released without any charges, those demonstrations could grow again into violence and looting, press reports say.

"If there isn't an indictment, we're going to see the same thing again," Antonio French, a St. Louis alderman who was on the front lines of Ferguson protests, told Daily RFT weeks after Brown's death. "That's predictable. It's going to get bad."

Christ Church Cathedral responded to the fear last week by announcing a 24-hour vigil once news about the grand jury investigation gets released.

The church's leaders say they're opening up the church for group and silent prayer, singing, reading, and counseling as a non-violent alternative for any experiencing what the church calls "deep brokenness" after Brown's death. People of any faith or background can stay the entire 24 hours or pop in and out for a few minutes at a time.

"We know this decision will be a crisis point for our region," says the cathedral's dean Mike Kinman. "Even the anticipation of it has put St. Louis in a place of fear, anxiety and high reactivity."

The church, at 1210 Locust Street, will open Bofinger Chapel, off the side of the cathedral nave, for people who want to talk to trained counselors, church leaders or facilitators about the grand jury's decision. It will be a place of non-violent reflection and healing, not debate, the church says.

*****

The Rt. Rev. Jonathan Baker has announced he will not stand for re-election as chairman of Forward in Faith UK. In an interview with The Church of England Newspaper, Baker revealed, "Being nearly at the end of a four-year term as Chairman of Forward in Faith, I informed colleagues at our last council meeting on 19 October that I will not be putting my name forward for election again in November when my term comes to an end. I feel privileged to have led Forward in Faith and look forward to its continued achievement."

On October 22 Bishop Baker -- the "Flying Bishop" for the Diocese of London and the southeast -- wrote to his clergy to say he had received a faculty from the Bishop of London and Archbishop of Canterbury to marry a second time, although his first wife is still living. A number of traditionalist clergy in London have expressed dismay over the news that Bishop Baker was remarrying after having been divorced, seeing his announcement as a betrayal of Catholic principles.

*****

More than four in 10 Anglican clergy would support loosening ties between church and state or severing them altogether, a major new study on attitudes in the pulpit in the UK shows.

The research also found that a significant minority of serving clerics would support breaking up the 80 million-strong worldwide Anglican Communion and even the Church of England itself along doctrinal lines amid disputes over issues such as homosexuality and the interpretation of the Bible.

Polling, commissioned by the organizers of the Westminster Faith Debates, also found that just over half of serving Anglican clergy believe Christians in Britain are suffering discrimination from the Government through the application of equality laws.

The findings suggest that clashes with the Government over issues such as gay marriage have boosted support for the idea of greater separation between Church and state as well as a divide between liberals and conservatives within the Church itself.

Polling for the study shows that, overall, one in seven clerics would support full disestablishment of the Church of England and three in 10 said it should retain only "some aspects" of its current status with formal ties to the state.

Just over half (54 per cent) of those polled said the Church of England should "retain its current established status", which includes having the Queen as head of the institution and an official voice in Parliament through bishops in the House of Lords.

At the same time, the polling found strong support for the traditional parish system and the idea of the Church of England being required to serve all the people of England.

"I think Anglicans want to have their cake and eat it -- to be 'prophetic', as they would say, while still being part of the establishment. Non-Anglican Christians would say that that is just not on."

But just over one in five (21 per cent) said it should "not be afraid of separating amicably "on the same grounds.

Significantly, almost three in 10 (28 per cent) thought the Anglican Communion should consider separating, while only one in 10 thought that the worldwide church should "seek greater uniformity"

It would seem that it is time for the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE) to kick into high gear.

*****

The Church of England can no longer play "happy families" over the deep divisions that exist on the gay issue, according to leading conservatives.

Andrew Symes of Anglican Mainstream, the conservative evangelical organization, said he was not surprised that the Reform grouping had pulled out of the "shared conversations" on human sexuality.

He accused the Church of England leadership of a "flawed, manipulative and dishonest process where the result appears to have already been decided."

The latest part of the process took place at a recent meeting of the Church's bishops, when gay and transgender clergy and laity shared their stories with the bishops who were then split into small groups and urged to open up about their own sexuality.

The Bishop of Buckingham Alan Wilson subsequently claimed in a new book that as many as one in ten bishops are secretly gay. The campaigner Peter Tatchell has threatened to "out" these bishops if they do not out themselves.

The latest statements from the evangelical wing show how deep the divisions go and how difficult, if not impossible, it will be to bring about reconciliation.

Symes commented, "When the facilitated conversations, now known as shared conversations, were first mooted, many Anglicans who take an orthodox and conservative position on sexual morality believed that this would be a good opportunity to express their views clearly, hear opposing views, and tease out the profound theological and philosophical differences underlying the approaches to the Christian faith."

He predicted that some kind of separation might need to occur within the Church of England, but said this could be done with "good disagreement", without the rancor and litigation that marked the process in North America.

He warned that the recognition of all different theological positions as equally valid for Christians was never going to work.

"The Conversations have as a clear aim the establishment of two integrities within the C of E, where those who believe same gender sexual relationships are sinful, and those who believe they are from God and should be celebrated, should learn how to live together in the same church with good disagreement," he noted.

"But given the pressure from Government, media and the prevailing culture it is very difficult to see how the conservative view on sexual ethics would continue to be tolerated if the C of E changed its policy to allow the blessing, and perhaps later, marriage of same sex couples in those churches that wanted to accept this."

Symes added: "What we need now is not pretend 'happy families', but an honest, serious discussion about the future of the Church of England given the unresolveable differences that exist."

*****

Muddled souls -- Britain is a non-religious, Christian-ish country. A new survey of British religious attitudes is out. It reveals a surprising degree of hostility to religion, and an unsurprising degree of muddle, according to British theologian Theo Hobson.

David Cameron's claim that Britain is a Christian country looks refuted, for more than 60 per cent of respondents said they are "not religious at all". Presumably, this must mean that less than 40 per cent call themselves Christian? Er, no -- 56 per cent say they are Christian. It seems that Britain has a strong contingent of nonreligious Christians, like secular Jews.

The most striking finding is that more than half of those polled believe that religion does more harm than good. The poll also shows that more people believe being an atheist is more likely to make you a good person than being religious. The atheist narrative has stuck. So it seems that our secular Christian contingent think religion makes people less moral, but they still can't deny that they are, sort of, on some level, Christian-ish. It sounds like they think they should probably be atheists, but can't quite make the leap of unfaith.

My reading of the muddle is that Britain splits three ways: One-third is religious or sympathetic to religion; one-third is atheist; and one-third is muddled, feeling that religion is probably harmful overall -- but also that it is part of their cultural identity.

A source in London told VOL that Theo Hobson is a very muddled individual, but the prevailing view of religion in the UK is indeed increasingly hostile for two reasons:

1. The adverse publicity generated against religion (rather than Islam) since 9/11 - politicians and the media consistently refuse to identify Islam as the problem, claiming that "Islam is the religion of peace" and that the terrorists are not true Muslims;

2. The damage done by the constant trickle of child abuse cases and clergy convicted of sex offences.

*****

The Vatican's doctrinal chief, Cardinal Gerhard Müller says that bishops have been "blinded by secularized society" and are being pulled away from the teachings of the Catholic Church. The prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith made his comments in an interview with the popular Polish website Nasz Dziennik, according to Breitbart.

He said that "unfortunately, representatives of the Church, including bishops," have been so influenced by secular society that they have been "pulled far from the central question of the faith and the teachings of the Church."

The prefect blamed the media, international organizations, and various governments for the growing crisis in the Catholic faith, saying they had been "sowing confusion in people's minds."

Müller added, "In many countries, relationships are destroyed, and this also applies to the Christian model of marriage and family. The truth of marriage and the family is relativized."

These trends, he believes, "have found their way into the church and among the bishops. We have Christ and the Gospel. This is our point of reference, and the foundation for the only correct teaching of the Church."

Müller noted that the Church "has no power to change that which comes from the teaching of Christ," Breitbart reported.

He added, "With respect to marriage, this is primarily defined by the words, 'What God has joined together, man must not divide.'"

What a far cry this is from The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada who have traded their theological souls for a mess of secular pottage on marriage and sex.

*****

Pope Francis wants to know what Rick Warren, Russell Moore, and N. T. Wright, Anglican scholar and author think about marriage. The opening by Pope Francis to a variety of Protestant and Anglican groups recently has been nothing short of mind-blowing. This trio has been invited to offer a Protestant perspective at a colloquium on marriage at a Vatican conference. Recently, Pope Francis met with a group of CEEC Anglicans who are not even recognized by the Anglican Communion!

*****

VOL received a message from a leading pastor in Kurdistan. The situation is grim. This past week the ISIS slave market for Yazidi women opened in Iraq. They are selling these girls and women for marriage and sex slavery. If you want to read more of their current plight, see http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/11/03/yazidis-face-genocide-by-isis-after-u-s-turns-away.html?via=desktop&source=email

Two ACNA missionaries are heading there for a two week stay. Please keep the Yazidi and the Kurdish refugees in your prayers.

"We have a window there where God is moving . . . and they are coming to know Jesus. Please press in with us during this critical time. Our little team (us and T & J) would appreciate your prayers as well. Yes, we can be bit scared a times . . . but this is the GO of the Gospel. We remain, J & S"

*****

ASSISTED SUICIDE. It is once again a hot button issue with the recent death of Brittany Maynard, who became the public face of the controversial right-to-die movement. She ended her own life Saturday at her home in Portland, Oregon. She was 29. Many Christians believe this is not the only way to look at end of life issues.

In this short but powerful video, Michael Wenham, who was diagnosed with Motor Neuron disease in 2002, explains why it is so important that assisted suicide be opposed. You can watch what he says here:
http://www.christianconcern.com/media/michael-wenham-explains-his-opposition-to-assisted-suicide?utm_source=Christian+Concern+List&utm_campaign=5aa0ab8b69-AA-2014-11-06&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9e164371ca-5aa0ab8b69-127446361

You can read Mike McManus's excellent article on this issue in today's digest.

*****

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In Christ,

David

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