Cal Thomas to new "heretic" head of Episcopal Church:

[Freedom_from_Chains]

'If homosexual practice is not sin," church should admit "unrepentant prostitutes, murderers, liars, thieves and atheists"


Sorry Cal, but I believe it is still the policy of the Episcopal church not to admit politicians into membership.

As a side note I took my family to an Episcopal church service last Sunday precisely because they did elect Katharine Jefferts as a bishop.



Summary: Cal Thomas characterized the newly elected leader of the U.S. Episcopal Church, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, as a "heretic[]" for asserting that "homosexual practice is not sin," adding that she might as well "let everyone into the church, including unrepentant prostitutes, murderers, liars, thieves and atheists."

In his June 22 syndicated column, Fox News host Cal Thomas characterized the newly elected leader of the U.S. Episcopal Church, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, as a "heretic[]" for asserting that "homosexual practice is not sin." Thomas also suggested that based on Jefferts Schori's " 'doctrine' of inclusion" -- that is, welcoming those guilty of "homosexual practice" into the church -- she might as well "let everyone into the church, including unrepentant prostitutes, murderers, liars, thieves and atheists."

Thomas criticized Jefferts Schori for "say she does not believe homosexuality is a sin and that homosexuals were created by God to love people of the same gender" and for saying that the Episcopal Church should "include the unincluded." He later suggested: "Maybe the question for Bishop Schori and her fellow heretics should be: if homosexual practice is not sin, what is?" He added: "With the bishop's 'doctrine' of inclusion, why exclude anyone? How about applying the religious equivalent of 'open borders' and let everyone into the church, including unrepentant prostitutes, murderers, liars, thieves and atheists."

(con't) http://mediamatters.org/items/200606270005

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I thought churches were supposed to welcome sinners,

because they are the people most in need of divine guidance. Or something like that. But then, Cal Thomas is one of those asshats who goes to church because he thinks it proves he's "saved."

[Freedom_from_Chains]

3. I always thought that was true also. n/t

[TallahasseeGrannie]

12. The key word is "unrepentant"

[Mz Pip]

2. Is Thomas an Episcopalian?

If not he should shut up. What a religion does that he does not belong to is of no concern to him.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[Freedom_from_Chains]

4. In the new era of Republican neo-conservatism

Everything you do is a concern of theirs. They have to think of how it might effect the children you know. Like during the Super-bowl debacle, can you just imagine how devastating it would be if the children found out that women had breast? Next thing you know they could find at that they have, well you know, and we just can't have that going on. :sarcasm:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

13. True, it seems that a lot of people who aren't Episcopalians take

great delight in bashing us for our inclusiveness.

We're inclusive, but we don't force anyone to join, so the people who don't like inclusiveness are free to go elsewhere.

[theoldman]

5. Cal Thomas is a religious nut.

I have never been able to understand how any newspaper would publish a column written by him. I only read his columns for laughs because they are so ridiculous.

[SPKrazy]

6. Cal Thomas Can Bite Me

who cares what that ugly idiot Feaux News has been has to say?

[JerseygirlCT]

7. The answer is simple: we don't exclude anyone.

Sinners are welcomed, since we are all sinners.

What a dolt!

[SPKrazy]

8. Yes He Is A Dolt

and all are welcome

[trotsky]

9. Yes, but where Thomas is coming from is that...

sinners are welcome in his church, but they must be repentant. The clash here is whether homosexuality is a "sin" that one must be sincere in repenting. Thomas thinks it is. Other Christians, like you, think it isn't. And neither of you can convince the other.

[JerseygirlCT]

10. Yes, I realize that

And just believe that time in on my side.

Seems as strange to me to ask someone to repent of blue eyes as to repent of homosexuality.

Or if they wish to cut it finely, to ask someone to repent of *using* those blue eyes...

[Freedom_from_Chains]

11. to ask someone to repent of *using* those blue eyes

LOL Gotta love that comment!! And yes I have blue eyes, they landed my wife.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

15. Bingo. Sometimes, Trotsky

in our haste to be politically correct we avoid saying the obvious...to the point where we forget the reality that there are a whole lot of folks out there who very sincerely believe homosexuality is a sin...and there is very little we can do to change that.

Call it bigotry, intolerance or whatever. It sure does exist and it doesn't appear to be going away.

[Rabrrrrrr]

14. Gosh, Cal, you mean, let in the same people that Jesus did?

Is that what you're saying? That if the church isn't going to condemn homosexuality, then it might just as well be like Jesus?

You are an asshole, Cal Thomas.

[saltpoint]

16. From what I can tell, Jesus included everybody. He didn't do litmus tests

for income, race, gender, or run background checks.

And I believe the Buddha also was very inclusive, admitting even a murderer ("Finger Necklace") to his fold.

It seems to me that exclusional faith isn't faith at all, not that I'm any kind of expert. But the wider the circle is drawn, the more people can be included within it.

[JerseygirlCT]

17. Exactly, O.C.

But I suspect those of Thomas' ilk aren't really interested in anything so inclusive. They're more interested in setting up "us" and "them" theologies, so that they can pat themselves on the back for being part of the in crowd.

[saltpoint]

18. I sense the same thing. Their fundamentalist beliefs serve as an

excuse for them to feel morally superior to others.

Cal Thomas has never been my favorite columnist. He seems really unstable to me, kind of a not-quite-so-far-gone-Howard-Hughes type.

[ChazII]

19. At St. Stephen's our rector

would say, "Afflict the comfortable, and comfort the afflicted."