AIBU to swap from a catholic church to a Church of England Church

[fishfacedcow]

For services and such?

Is it a big deal?

Jenny Do you have links or more information about Anglican clergy supporting the death penalty for homosexuality? The information I have says that they opposed the death penalty.

There is no C of E outside the UK. There are many Anglican churches, who historically had links and similar beliefs to the C of E, but things like women bishops has created differences.

There is no C of E outside the UK. But there are other Anglican Communion churches in the UK, for example, the Scottish Episcopal Church.

I think that the major difference in beliefs lies in transubstantiation, so when you take the bread and the wine. If you think it's a symbol then you're a protestant (C of E is one of many denominations) and if you think it is literally the blood and body then you're a Catholic.

Then there's sacraments. Catholics have 7, Lutheran churches (like C of E) have 3 and churches that follow Calvin/Knox (Church of Scotland) have 2. I cannot remember what they all are though.

Might be wrong but isn't the Church of England the one that HenryV111 invented to allow him to keep getting married, therefore a made up one?

I was thinking of Luke Oromb, Seneca.

I think you might be right, and that many bishops support imprisonment of gay people rather than the death penalty.

I was brought up Catholic but am an atheist. I still like churches though and some services like at Christmas so just pop to my local COfE. They'd be happy to have you.

This is what Anglicans believe, as stated on the C of E website:

The Scriptures and the Gospels, the Apostolic Church and the early Church Fathers, are the foundation of Anglican faith and worship in the 44 self-governing churches that make up the Anglican Communion.

The Church of England is part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. It worships the one true God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

It professes the faith that is uniquely revealed in the Bible and set forth in the Catholic Creeds (the statements of faith developed in the Early Church that are still used in the Church's worship today). The Church is called to proclaim that faith afresh in each generation. Led by the Holy Spirit, the Church of England bore witness to Christian truth in historic texts that were developed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries: the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal (services for ordaining bishops, priests and deacons).

The bishops, priests and deacons of the Church of England and also some laypeople (Readers and certain lay officers) are required to declare their loyalty to this inheritance of faith as their 'inspiration and guidance under God in bringing the grace and truth of Christ to this generation and making Him known to those in [their] care'. They do so by making a Declaration of Assent. The version for bishops, priests and deacons reads:

"I, [name], do so affirm, and accordingly declare my belief in the faith
which is revealed in the Holy Scriptures and set forth in the catholic
creeds and to which the historic formularies of the Church of
England bear witness; and in public prayer and administration of the
sacraments, I will use only the forms of service which are authorized
or allowed by Canon."

The Declaration and its Preface (on which the text on this page is based) are set out in Canon C 15 of the Canons of the Church of England. They are also printed in Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England (page xi).

I've always thought communion was a symbol of Christ, not actually Christ!

gosh it seems that i was a rubbish catholic!

The CofE, and all churches in the Anglican Communion, claim apostolic succession from Peter. The Anglican position is that the succession was not broken when Henry VIII separated the church from Rome. "Protestant" is a bit controversial as a descriptor for many reasons. The US Episcopal Church dropped using that part of its name several years ago. "High" churches tend to emphasize "catholic" and low churches are more comfortable with calling themselves Protestant.

The whole point of the Anglican Church is that it is meant to be a middle way between the Catholic and Protestant denominations. That is why it describes itself as both Catholic and Reformed.

The best way to understand what the Anglican Church is would be to go and read the C of E website.

Sorry, that was to the OP, not you Seneca. I agree with what you are saying.

You can also get pretty impartial explanations on things like the Anglican Sacraments, Anglican theology etc on Wikipedia.

The middle way is a good way to put it as jenny described. It's catholic but not as Catholic as the Catholic Church and reformed but not as Reformed as say, the Presbyterian churches.

The only difference, officially, is whether you're in communion with the Pope. And knowing the current Pope, I doubt anyone's brave enough to say who he would and wouldn't offer communion to.

Individual churches, of either tradition, vary, as do how nice their priests are.

Might be wrong but isn't the Church of England the one that HenryV111 invented to allow him to keep getting married, therefore a made up one?

Aren't all religions "made up", though?

Might be wrong, but isn't the Catholic Church the one that Pope Leo III invented to allow him to chose a 'Holy Roman Emperor' to give him power, therefore a made up one?

If you look at all organisations within any religion, they all come down to some ancient willy waving in the old days about who gets to make the rules.

why not. Your not barred from any religion just because you were raised in one certain religion. Surely attending a different type of church can give you a different experience of religion and let you explore your own religious beliefs. I find it madness that people have to be boxed into one religion.

and not all churches of the same religion are equal - some c of e are more liberal (happy clappy - mum calls them lol) others are more traditional, to be its about finding the right fit of church for each individual

i know someone who did just this.
i don't think it was difficult for her to swap.
but she very much underestimated the amount of time she has to give on sundays - between sunday school, church and social stuff etc.
being C of E is a lot more involved than being catholic IME.

Some people will try and make it a Big Deal. But, in my experience, they usually don't have a clue about the other tradition, what the laity actually believe day to day, or what the actual rules are.

It's not a Big Deal, unless you want it to be. I've known people throw a huge party when going from one side to the other, because it makes them happy. I've known people fall out from making assumptions based on prejudice. I've known people quietly slip in to the other tradition, and no one ever find out they weren't a 'Cradle' sort.

It's between you, your family, and God. You may chose to involve a priest in that, if you wish, but some can be guilty of prejudice and ignorance, too, and may be best avoided.

He goes on to start a new church.com

www.stpixels.com/wp/. Saint pixels

(It's a real church, not a pisstake BTW)

I've basically done this. Not a big deal in any way. I didn't formally convert - and never will, but have been welcomed with open arms in my new C of E congregation. You are, after all, baptised into the Christian church - not the denomination.

The church I go to now is very high. And the service is virtually indistinguishable from a catholic mass. Apart from whether you believe in the literal truth of transubtantiation. Do you? Does anyone?