A useful project my parish has been doing is a traverse of the catholic epistles. As is often the case, people need more reminding than new instruction, and seeing these letters through the very capable eyes of our guide has been - striking.
From II Peter:
In the past there were also false prophets among the people, just as you also will have false teachers among you. They will introduce their destructive views, disowning the very Master who redeemed them, and bringing swift destruction on their own heads. They will gain many adherents to their dissolute practices, through whom the way of truth will be brought into disrepute.
Sound familiar?
These men are springs that have no water, mists driven by a storm; the place reserved for them is blackest darkness. They utter empty bombast; they use sensual lusts and debauchery as a bait to catch people who have only just begun to escape from their pagan associates. They promise them freedom, but are themselves slaves of corruption; for people are the slaves of whatever has mastered them.
Ouch.
From Jude:
Certain individuals have wormed their way in, the very people whom scripture long ago marked down for the sentence they are now incurring. They are enemies of religion; they pervert the free favor of our God into licentiousness, disowning Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord.
And
They are shepherds who take care only of themselves. They are clouds carried along by a wind without giving rain, trees fruitless in autumn, dead twice over and pulled up by the roots.
Over-the-top rhetoric? Obsolete world-view? Doubtful authorship? Uncertain in date? Or just too apposite for those on the EpiscoLeft?
I am minded of this in connection with the EpiscoLeft’s (note. Henceforward, I decline to use the term “liberal” to anyone of those opinions. “Liberal” is a noble word, denoting an interest in liberty and freedom, but it’s been hijacked by people whose interests are diametrically opposed to the same. It’s now a meaningless word) fury over the Anglican Communion Institute’s latest attempt to save the Episcopal Church from itself. Since the ACI’s effort is to attempt to make effective the episcopal visitor scheme, to curb the lawless usurpation of power by the presiding bishop, and thus to provide a way for more conservative parishes to remain in TEC and thus limit the growth of the ACNA, one would think that EpiscoLefties would at least play along with it. They seem unable to think of this. Instead, this initiative is being drowned in a sea of invective, in which “tawdry” seems to be the most moderate epithet, and “cretin” is not considered out of bounds. Big surprise, that.
