Those who guessed James Joyce’s Ulysses are probably correct, but the more relevant answer is…… The Bible.
I was delighted to discover that, since it explains much of what appears in the rag.
But, fear not! This summer, Stuart Mann decided to read all the New Testament; the newspaper is in danger of becoming unrecognisable.
From here (page 5):
This summer I decided to read the New Testament. I’ve read the gospels and Acts before but never Paul’s letters and the other epistles. This time would be different, I told myself. I would read it all the way through.
I read and pondered the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Then I decided to take a break. I knew Paul’s letters were coming up and I just couldn’t face them. Something about his letter to the Romans had always stopped me from reading further.
Perhaps he has a personal problem with verses 24 through 32:
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Well that’s odd — he doesn’t want to read St. Paul? How very, very strange.
Speaking of which, you’ll have to forgive me for borrowing your excellent “Hiltz with Monkey” portrait.
My pleasure.
It is a sad state of affairs when church authorities, admit that the Holy Scriptures are just not their cup of tea. How can this person be a leader in the Church and not read the Scriptures?
Does this person worship regularly? Does this person tithe? Does this person even have the simple piety of a child like saying their prayers before bed at night and before meals? This boggles my mind.
Knowledge of the Scriptures is not an option for thinking Christians in this postmodern age. We need their timeless messages just as much today, as when they were first put to paper (or papyrus or parchment or whatever).
The EDITOR – of the Toronto Anglican – has never read St. Paul’s epistles? I was stunned when I pulled up the paper and saw Stuart Mann’s job title. I wonder if he’s read the Old Testament. And what he would make of it if he did.
Never mind the editor….what about the bishop?
He’s a great man. A visionary, leader, bridge builder and holy. If you don’t believe me ask the clergy at St. Paul, Bloor Street; Little Trinity; Trinity, Streetsville; St. Bride, Clarkson; Church of the Resurrection; St. Paul, Pickering, and on and on and on. I bet they would not say otherwise.
How do you explain that he has missed one of the four Gospels. But than why should we be surprised about that. The book of alternative services has pretty much also left out one of the four Gospels (with its three year cycle, concentrating on one Gospel in each year).
The BAS beats the worm theology of the BCP any day.
Well I do have to admit that when-ever I hear the bas eurcharist prayer #4 I do feel inspired. Inspired to whip out my communicator and call up Captain Kirk and Chief Engineer Scotty and ask them to beam me up.
But aside from the tongue in cheek, when one considers that Micheal Ingham was one of the committee members that put together the bas I am left having serious doubts about the entire thing. Perhaps you could explain why the bas lectionary leaves out every passage from the Holy Bible that makes any reference to homosexual behaviour being sinful? Also, please explain why it also leaves out the passage from Revalations that specifically warns us to not add anything, nor take away anything from the Holy Bible?
Perhaps you could explain what you mean by “worm theology” and give your reasons why you think that this is what is in the Book of Common Prayer? Because if you cannot (or will not) than all you have done is resort to a childish act of “name calling”. Surely you are better than such juvenile behavour.