For all the Roman Catholics saddened by today's news....

[dignan27]

Might I recommend the Episcopal Church? We're Catholic-Lite, all the ritual, half the guilt. We're still 'c'atholic, we're still apostolic. We've got all the stuff you know and love about the traditional church and we like women and gays to boot!

Did you know that a Roman Catholic priest can come over to our camp (say if he wanted to get married or something) without going through a reordination process? Yup! It's that easy. If a priest can do it, why can't you?

What's that you say? You like having a pope? Hey, we've got the Archbishop of Canterbury! Sure he holds no particular high authority, but he's conservative enough to make you feel bad when you need an extra shot of guilt. And we still give proper respect to the Bishop of Rome, so it's not such a big leap!

Give these sites a look, read up on your C.S. Lewis and you'll be good to go!

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/index_flash.htm

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/

[Sandpiper]

1. What's not to like about a church with John Shelby Spong

As one of its Bishops.

[TayTay]

2. Nah! Still too much work

I'm thinking UU. None of the guilt and lots of coffee. I dont' see how you can do better than that. (And lots and lots of conversations about individual conscience and personal view of religious beliefs.)

[dignan27]

4. Fair enough

To each their own.

See how understanding and accepting we can be? How could you refuse an offer like this?

Cash or charge?

[suziedemocrat]

11. After reading Michael Newton's Journey/Destiny of Souls -

no religion can compare. These books are a little "out there" and aren't for everyone - but I was raised Catholic - and these books blew my mind. I LOVED them. I wrote Larry King to ask him to interview Newton!! I would love to spend a few hours picking his brain!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1567184995/qid=1113946152/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/103-6522888-9079806

[Infomaniac]

26. Don't forget the cake

Gotta love a church that serves coffee and cake after services. My husband and I left the Catholic church 20 years ago and became UUs.

[mmonk]

3. I went to an episcopalian high school

Have a family member on my wife's side that switched. Being pretty agnostic myself, seems to be too much of a trouble for me though. Thanks though and if I did switch it would be that or Orthodox (just for the rites).

[dignan27]

5. Agnostic eh?

Talk to the average Anglican, the Church as a whole is the king of wishy-washy agnosticism! Think the world was created literally in six days? Okay, sounds good. Think the Genesis stories are meant to reveal truth but not taken as literal accounts? Great you're in too! If you can back up your belief with a reasonable argument with a few big words, you're in!

[UTUSN]

6. HaHa! Great Post. Nominated! Need One More Vote! n/t

[seabeyond]

7. kids got retarded with baptist, wanted to step into catholic

about easter. find a church that actually has a happy fun jesus......not a we are all sinners all the time jesus. then the last month or so all this yuk with catholic.

i am going to look into the churches around here in episcopal. thank you for sharing

[dignan27]

8. Come on Folks

I gotta make quota!

[UTUSN]

9. Kick, Recount the Votes (for Greatest) n/t

[eyepaddle]

10. I tell ya,

If I wasn't a deist I'd think about Episcopalian! I approve of their regard for reason. :)

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

12. Aren't the Episcopalian churches the ones that are usually

quaint and pretty little stone churches? I'm not looking for a religion myself, but I thought if those are the churches I'm thinking of, you should point that out to help your cause!

[dignan27]

13. You want quaint?

Then we got quaint!

Here's some quaint:

http://www.viamediaemu.org/parish.html

For those of you interested in a little flashier model might I recommend the world's largest gothic Cathedral:

http://www.stjohndivine.org /

We have what you're looking for.

[Kazak]

14. And they're not opportunistic in the least...

;)

[dignan27]

15. If only the Episcopal Church had stock.

I'd be loading up right now.

:D

[Chomp]

16. I'm an atheist...

...but I have an awful lot of time for Dr. Rowan Williams. I think he's a really top man...very smart, humorous, very cool, respectful, non-hectoring and a very good, if understanded, oral communicator.

If I were part of a religion I'd want someone like him to be head of it.

[CatholicEdHead]

17. I am sticking it out

I will not leave, but that does not mean I will be excommunicated in coming years for speaking my mind.

[dignan27]

18. We'll leave the light on for you...

Just in case.

[RPM]

19. ahem - the Lutherans are Catholic-lite

They beat you to it by a couple hundred years, IIRC.

[dignan27]

20. Hey and we love the Lutherans too

Just entered into communion with one group of them or another.

(Also I would argue that the average Episcopal service is closer to a Roman Catholic one than a Lutheran service. The whole Protestant thing.)

[dignan27]

30. Additionally.

It's actually closer to 15 years and Henry was so opposed to Lutherans that the Pope gave him the title of Defender of the Faith. That was just before the whole being excommunicated business...

[mcar]

21. I'm a lifelong Catholic and I love the Episcopalian church

However, I'm presently attending a Presbyterian church. We left the Catholic Church a few years ago because of the sex abuse situation and how immorally the church handled it. Our local Episcopalian church is very small. I expect that, across the country, a lot of Catholics will be moving to Episcopal churches.

My husband was raised Presbyterian (USA, not the holy roller one) and that church here has a wonderful Sunday School program. Thus, we are now Presbyterians.

Our 7 year old loves it. Our 17 year old already shares my cynicism for organized religion but also feels a bit torn, having been raised through Confirmation as a Catholic. Sometimes I feel guilty about that.

Have I mentioned I was raised Irish Catholic? The guilt is ingrained. :eyes:

[mcar]

22. A friend of mine was raised Church of God

Very fundamentalist.

He is in his 60s now and is from the south so you can imagine the upbringing -- especially for someone who knew he was gay from the time he was a little boy.

He found the Episcopal Church in his 20s when he went to a service with a friend one evening. Afterward, there was a cocktail party in the church Hall!

He thought: This is the church for me! and has been a member ever since.

[Az_lefty]

23. ...all the ritual, half the guilt.

I love it!
:rofl:

[Tweed]

24. Hmmmm.... I think I'll stay away from a religion that started because

some royal jackass wanted to get divorced. Now that's what I call divine inspiration.

[dignan27]

28. The Lord works in mysterious ways...

While it wouldn't hurt for you to read up a bit more on the whole of Anglican history, at a very basic level you are right. Is there no value in effects versus cause though? Can good things not rise from humble origins?

PS It's not a religion, it's a denomination. The religion started because some teenage girl got knocked up by someone who wasn't her husband.

[Az_lefty]

25. How do you go from being a S. Baptist to Episcopalian?

I haven't attended a Baptist church for some time due to the number of fundies that hang out there. I did attend an Easter service at a local Episcopal church and really enjoyed it. Your right in that it's sort of Catholic-lite.

[dignan27]

27. It's relatively easy...

As long as you've been baptized at any Christian church you're welcome to recieve communion. If you want to become a full member you can go through confirmation. On the whole the Episcopals seem very welcoming and accomodating. I know some (or all) Baptists believe you have to be re-baptized if you weren't baptized in their church. Not so with us.

[LibraLiz1973]

29. I'm episcopalian & I love it!!!!

We are open to everybody.