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???

I go to a church (non denominational) where we follow the Bible. We have a Minister, called Paul (for what it's worth). We do not have Deacons/Priests/Bishops or whatever else.

We try and spread the message of love and try and do what Jesus does. While we (the church) reject homosexuality, we love them we just don't love what they do, same as murderers/rapists/liars/alcoholics etc.

I tend to ignore Catholicism as I think it is wrong to pray to Saints...as the Bible says anyone who believes is a Saint....and Protestants as I don't believe you can be gay and preach a religion that condemns it.

It's all a bit much for my brain to be honest.

Here we are: books of the Bible:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books_of_the_Bible

Actually the key issue of the Reformation (which resulted in the protestant movement - literally "protest-ant") was of justification for sins of which transubstantiation is only a part.

Justification is the grounds on which people can be declared not guilty before a perfect and holy God. Martin Luther was plagued by guilt in his life as a monk and did everything he could find to make restitution yet nothing brought him assurance of forgiveness. Then reading the Bible - and particularly Romans - he realised that the promise God made was that full forgiveness was available through Christ's one, final sacrifice in our place and no further restitution was required.

He sought to persuade the church to offer this amazing news (against a backdrop of deep corruption in the contemporary church structures of money in exchange for dispensations) but was thoroughly opposed until eventually new denominations developed as a result which preached justification through faith alone in Christ alone.

It matters that the bread and wine are purely symbolic so that there is no need for further sacrifice, Christ's historical death was once for all, never to be repeated as full restitution was finished.

Phew, sorry that's long.

Opentolawsuits,
You don't really equate homesexuals to murderers, rapists, liars and alcoholics do you?

Open, it is all pretty confusing I think! But some of the differences have happened because people have been arguing for a couple of thousand years - it's not surprising really.

It always surprises me that following the Bible is such a recent development in Christian history, but it has had such a huge influence that people these days often think it is the absolute characteristic of Christianity - very powerful!

I think myself it is partly to do with the iconographic power of seeing a single book. I study Art History you see, and it's interesting how the image of a single book became very popular around the same time that the idea of the Bible as the only authority for Christians became popular.

tigger - why not trace the Reformation back to humanism? I think that the ad fontes movement had at least as much influence in the long term, as Lutheranism.

Scurry- I try not to judge with a worldy view, but a Biblical one...sin has no measure as far as the Bible is concerned. A sin is a sin is a sin...but that's another story for another time :)

worldly*

So can you answer the question then?

I just did.

Church of Scotland is very different from the Church of England. There are no priests or bishops etc, only ministers (men and women)in the Church of Scotland.

In CoS, the congregation does not kneel and communion is served by 'elders' of the church. Communion is not every Sunday either.

The reformation in Scotland was different to that in England.

Some nice explanations there, ta to LRD and tigger.

It's interesting that those of us who are UK-schooled have had all those years of compulsory RE foisted on us, and yet have only a vague idea of the difference between Protestant and Catholic beliefs and traditions...

Right, try again - do you believe that gay people are to be equally compared to murderers, rapists, et al?

Opentolawsuits that's shocking! I would ask you to chose your words more wisely but you've already mentioned the size of your brain.

OpenToLawSuits - I am appalled at your homophobia.

I said according to the Bible, if you read my post properly.

That is what the Bible teaches. This is a religious thread.

Scurry, I don't want to hijack, I was merely commenting on what the Bible teaches about sin being unmeasurable against one another. I suggest you Google it.

scurryfunge, OTLS' comments above seem to indicate she goes to a church with... refreshingly unreconstructed views. Reminds me a little of ian Paisley's preaching in fact. So I'm going to go out on a limb and say she probably would consider it a sin to do gay stuff, but not to be celibate and gay.

Hey hey hey ! I'm not homophobic, re-read what I wrote!

It's a thread about churches, and the point about Protestants allowing gay priests came up- I only said I don't see the point to preach a religion which condemns what they do. Gosh.

It'll be a huge shock for their wives. They will have to live outside of the parish and not set foot in their DH's church or be involved in church life eg Sunday school, church fetes- in any way. Basically they're required to be invisible.

Heathen - I find it interesting too. I learned most of this stuff either during my degree (where it's relevant), or because of my DH, who is Orthodox Christian (they consider themselves to be the oldest kind of Christianity - the Catholic and Orthodox Churches split from each other in medieval times, and Orthodox Christians are the second-largest Christian group in the world, after Catholics). I was never taught any of this at school!

I certainly don't believe what open does - and I wonder, open, does your faith take the whole Bible literally?

My DH's religion considers it a sin to engage in homosexual acts (but not a sin for men to be attracted to men, or women to women). They think that if you're gay, you're called to be celibate.

Personally I find it both odd and a pile of offensive tosh (and some people belonging to that religion also question the majority view). But it's not an unheard-of 'Christian' viewpoint, sadly.

Dress it up how you like. It's homophobia. But coming from a person who thinks a magic man made the world, I don't expect much sense.

Depends what you mean by literal... hmmm....

We're not as literal as J.Ws.

It says, not to lie...so I try my hardest not to so I'm guessing it's literal to an extent.

OTLS -you are clearly homophobic and are trying to backtrack.
"we love them we just don't love what they do, same as murderers/rapists/liars/alcoholics etc."

Offensive in the extreme.

Just vile.

It is a very Christian view though Scurryfunge.