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From: wmk@ptsfa.UUCP (Bill Klein)
Newsgroups: net.religion.christian
Subject: Re: WChurches saying they are the ONE TRUE CHURCH
Message-ID: <474@ptsfa.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 12-Feb-85 15:12:32 EST
Article-I.D.: ptsfa.474
Posted: Tue Feb 12 15:12:32 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 13-Feb-85 19:03:50 EST
Expires: Fri, 1-Mar-85 00:00:00 EST
References: <319@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP> <469@ptsfa.UUCP> <3141@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Reply-To: wmk@ptsfa.UUCP (Bill Klein)
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Organization: Pacific Bell, San Francisco
Lines: 69
Keywords: Doctrine Church Priesthood
Summary: The official doctrine of the Episcopal Church

In article <3141@umcp-cs.UUCP> mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate) writes:
>
>>> To the best of my knowledge the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Baptist
>>> Presbyterian and a variety of other "churches" ALL state in their
>>> official doctrine that they are the ONE TRUE CHURCH. (They either
>>> excommunicate or damn each other.) I appreciate that many are moving
>>> toward reconciliation but what are they move from?
>
>This is almost totally wrong.  All of them claim to part of the ONE TRUE
>CHURCH, but of those listed, only the Catholics lay claim to being the sole
>representative of Christ on earth.  The Anglicans recognize practically
>everyone claiming to be Christian, and generally allow all baptized
>christians to partake of communion.  In the USA, most of the various Lutheran
>churches and the Episcopal Church are linked together much more strongly.
>Even the Eastern churches and the protestants have some ties.  About the
>only groups for which the above statement is really true are the hyper-
>schismatic groups like the Jehovah's Witnesses or the "heretical" (in the
>sense that their theology disagrees violently with that of the principal
>denominations) churches such as the Mormons.
>
>I don't want to go off at great length, but the above statement shows a need
>for some education as to the true tenets of the various denominations.  Next
>we'll be hearing comments like "All Baptists are fundamentalists" or "All
>Episcopalians support homosexuality."
>
>Charley Wingate   umcp-cs!mangoe

The following reflects the Official doctrine of the Episcopal Church in
America. Although many Episcopalians like to ignore the Articles of
Religion many (most?) diocess still require a candidate to affirm them
before being ordained.

XIX. Of the Church
The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in which the
pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered according
to Christ's ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite 
to the same.
As the Church of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch, have erred; so also the
Church of Rome hath errred, not only in their living an manner of Ceremonies,
but also in matters of Faith.

XXXVI. Of Consecration of Bishops and Ministers
The Book of Consecration of Bishops, and Ordering of Priests and Deacons, 
as set forth by the General Convention of this Church in 1792, doth contain
all things necessary to such Consecration and Ordering; neither hath it any
thing that, of itself, is superstitious and ungodly. And, therefore,
whoever are consecrated or ordered according to said Form,
we decreee all such to be rightly, orderly, and lawfully consecrated
and ordered.

 * * * * 
As mine was the original quotation, let me say that although many denominations
in practice accept each other, their doctrine either has in the past, or still
states that the others are in "ERROR". The Episcopalians state that Rome and
the Orthodox are in error and that the protestants who have no Priests
and Bishops are "invalid".  This doesn't mean that most current diocess
and parrishes deny communion to those baptised in other denominations;
it only means that their theory denies the other denominations.
As for homosexulatiy, the general convention has made it abundatly clear
that homosexuality is not, per se, a deterient to either membership
in the Church or Eternal Salvation. I would be the first to agree
that not ALL Episcopalians accept or believe this.

Bill Klein            (...!ucbvax!dual!ptsfa!wmk)
 Pacific Bell