to think that your religion can't be that important to you

[theevildead2]

if you can just "switch to catholicism" when it suits you?

There is a bit on the news at the moment about women maybe being allowed to be bishops. Apparently some of our local priests will be leaving the church if women get this right???

YANBU

One of my aunts fell out with C of E when they wouldn't promote her beyond being a Deacon. She is now an Orthodox Russian.

Well it's not like switching from Christianity to, for instance, Judaism is it? It's switching to a branch of the faith that is more in keeping with your beliefs. Sorry you have no understanding of these things. Perhaps you could read up a little?

Switching from Anglicanism to Catholicism isn't such a big deal. TBH I can understand why purist Anglicans do want to move away from the Church of England, and the Catholic church is their obvious destination.

I think if you are high anglican you probably can switch to catholocism because the two are pretty intertwined.

Hmmm interesting thread.

The Bible speaks about women in authoritarian positions in the church, and how they cannot teach the congregation but if they need to head to the front of the church for a one off they need to cover their heads. Basically women shouldn't be leaders within a church-according to the Bible and not me before I get set alight by feminists.

It's sad that they will leave their positions to go and climb up the "social" ladder of the Catholic church. Says a lot for their faith. But I think denominational churches are a bit blah anyway.

YABU: it's a change of denomination, not religion.

I agree.

There are fundamental differences; I don't see how anyone could convert on the grounds of who can be a priest.

I fundamentally believe women should be able to be priests. I can't tell how far that belief is religious, and how far it is social/political.

But if I (a C of E woman) were to convert to Catholicism, I'd have to completely change my beliefs about Real Presence, the Sacraments, Confession, Intercession ... a huge amount!

Someone (beenbeta iirc) explained thoroughly the reasons why some anglicans opposed the promotion of women in the church. I don't agree with it at all (and am an atheist to boot) but I can understand their reasoning behind.

To be honest I don't care what they get up to in their religions, the only thing whioch bothers me is the influence of the church in every day english life.

The swappers are just trying to maintain power and control -that is what is important to them and I don't think they are fussed by which particular flavour, so long as it suits their fantasy.

Open - but the Catholic Church doesn't only go by the Bible! It is absurd to take a Protestant attitude to the Bible and use it to support a Catholic position.

Suni and Shia are the same then, yes?

I don't think it is about abanding one religion for another, they are both Christian faiths and High ( hope I have that right I'm not alglican) Anglican is very close to catholisisim.

I suppose it might be like someone changing schools becasue they child went to a single sex school that has now turned co-ed and they want their child to continue at a singel sex scgool ?? They still think education is important ect but they want their child to be educated in a particular way

Riven - no, not really.

My DH belongs to a Christian Church that doesn't believe the C of E is Christian, for example. This is quite common.

The point is, not everyone thinks it is the 'same' religion - to say so is a bit like saying it doesn't matter if you're Hindu or Sikh, given that Sikhism has a connection to Hinduism/Islam.

YABU. you don't seem to have the first clue about the various branches of the same religion.

If they don't "go by the Bible" then what on Earth do they teach?

Do you think all those married bishops and vicars and wotnots are going to give up their wives if they want to stay important and special leaders in the catholic church?
Or are they going to be ordinary church members?

Open - Holy Tradition.

Riven - 'High' is a term that originates in the Anglican Church. It refers to churches that use more ritual - eg., elaborate vestments, old-fashioned language, more formality, and perhaps even prayers to saints. Originally, 'high' Church Anglicanism and 'Anglo-Catholicism' meant similar things, but they've diverged. These days, many 'high' Anglican Churches are very (politically) liberal, but keep a sense of ritual and formality. However, they are likely to support women bishops and homosexuality. Anglo-Catholicism has turned the other way, and thought it is also formal and ritualistic (prayers to saints, incense, etc.), they tend to discourage women bishops and homosexuality.

Does that make sense?

So explain it to me.

If they are essentially the same religion, same rules etc. Why are now they considered two seperate religions? I was under the impressoin they were different, priest can be married in the Cof E etc. SO if you really belive your churches doctrines above all others how can you just swap?

LRD...What if the Anglican (high or otherwise) and indeed Catholics are teaching things that are wrong to the Biblical intent? Do they follow tradition or is the tradition built upon the Biblical teaching?

Goblinchild

Married anglican priests can reamin married if the covert to being catholic

Iirc, there's a charity for Anglican married priests who convert to RC to provide for their wives and families. Many years ago we had someone in to talk to the congregation and solicit donations.

Personally I think they're a bunch of chancers - what about Transubstantiation? That's a fairly major change in belief.

they are the same religion that branched off over ostensibly one set of religious things but more accurately for political reasons.

The practices are different, over-whelmingly the same doctrines. Same real substance anyway.