Why do people – well, bishops in this case – think lighting candles is a good idea when times are trying?
Come to think of it, Bishop Jane Alexander may be on to something. In the 17th Century, the Great Fire of London purged the city of the unsanitary conditions that spawned the Great Plague. Her eight o’clock diocesan fire hazard could do the same for Edmonton.
Anglican Primate Linda Nicholls has the following admonition to those of her flock worried about the prospect of contracting the COVID-19 virus: whatever you do, don’t call it the Wuhan virus. That would be racist, the only sin left in the Anglican Church of Canada.
We urge our member churches to reflect a compassionate, peace-seeking response to COVID-19 by:
….. Actively repudiating the racism and xenophobia that has shaped certain reactions to COVID-19;
So, wash your hands and watch you mouth.
Even worse, if you really slip up and call it the Chinese virus, your bigotry will probably invite heavenly retribution; just writing that had me sneezing faster than I could say “xenophobia”.
No doubt about it, the Cathedral clerics are practicing for the year 2040 when, according to recent projections, the Anglican Church of Canada will cease to exist. Something will take its place and it will probably be Islam, so the church might as well get a head start and turn the cathedral into a mosque now.
The event was billed as an attempt to “improve interfaith understanding and constructive engagement”.
Here is the Islamic call to prayer which, you will not be surprised to see, makes no mention of Jesus but makes much of Muhammad being the messenger of God, a contention which, if true, make nonsense of Christianity.
God is Great! God is Great! God is Great! God is Great!
I bear witness that there is no god except the One God.
I bear witness that there is no god except the One God.
I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Hurry to the prayer. Hurry to the prayer.
Hurry to salvation. Hurry to salvation.
God is Great! God is Great!
There is no god except the One God.
The Muslims attending the event were there to explain Jesus to the Christians who attended. An odd choice considering that Islam teaches that Jesus did not die on the cross, was not resurrected, was not the Son of God and did not make atonement for the sins of the world.
If that hasn’t irritated you enough, you can seek further irritation by reading the entire article here (page 13). Perhaps you will get the same impression as me: Cathedral Christians are ashamed of their own beliefs.
An open exhibition on Jesus from an Islamic perspective was set up in the Cathedral’s parish hall, where members of the Muslim community engaged with the congregation and shared their belief and love for Jesus. Imams from Vancouver Mosque were also available for any detailed questions.
[…..]
Islamic Call to Prayer was made from the Cathedral pulpit at 12:30pm with an English explanation. This call to prayer is similar to the Christian church tradition of ringing bells before important services. The attendees also witnessed the Noon Prayer at 1:15pm followed by an explanation about the concept and purpose of prayer in Islam.
I suppose the good news is, when the Cathedral completes its metamorphosis into a mosque, there will be no more same-sex marriages held there.
If you have any ideas that have not yet occurred to any of the 85,000 environmental scientists working on reversing anthropogenic global warming, then the Anglican Church of Canada will give you – 20 of you – $2500 each.
My submission is to ban Anglican Church of Canada sermons: the reduction in hot air would probably catapult us into the next ice age.
When I saw the submission date, the obvious thought occurred to me. I quickly came to my senses and discarded it, since the Anglican Foundation of Canada has no sense of humour or of the ridiculous and is blissfully oblivious of the irony that, even though it can’t solve its own problems, it thinks it can solve everybody else’s.
There is something about Ash Wednesday that brings out the the worst in those Anglican panjandra who are desperate to create a spurious aura of relevance in a culture that has no use for them.
Here we have Ashes to Go from the Diocese of Toronto, brought to you by three McDonalds ex-employees who found their way into the Anglican priesthood to continue their fast food vocation in another form:
And in the UK, climate zealots are using fake oil instead of ashes. Remember You are Dust and to Synthetic Oil You Shall Return:
This is one of the advertisements:
The article below describes the advertisements as “controversial”, in itself a sad indictment on a society that sees controversy in protecting the unborn and none in inviting drag queens into children’s libraries to spread “diversity” to infants.
Read it all here:
A controversial anti-abortion advertisement that had been running on Guelph Transit buses has been removed by the City of Guelph after a complaint was made by a member of the public.
Lifelong Guelphite Fiona Douglas recalls seeing anti-abortion advertising by Guelph & Area Right to Life on Guelph Transit buses since she was a child. Now 27, Douglas has been campaigning for the past few years to have the advertisements removed from public property.
The nub of the problem is the phenomenon that was unheard of before 2010: triggering. The notion is that if a person is exposed to an idea which runs contrary to his conditioning, it might upset – trigger – him. And obviously, since my generation’s children seem to have inadvertently bred a crop of fragile snowflakes, we can’t have that.
“It’s triggering for me as someone who has never had an abortion. It upsets me that people are able to make other people question what is right for them and their health care through the lens of human rights,” said Douglas.
Before anyone jumps to the conclusion that the woman filing the complaint is against free speech, she hastens to assure us that she is all for it. As long as it doesn’t upset anyone:
Douglas said she believes strongly in freedom of speech and acknowledges Right to Life has every right to advertise, but doesn’t want to see messages that are misleading or could be upsetting to some people.
When is the Anglican church, which loves social action so much it has swapped saving souls for banning pipelines, going to do something socially positive and support groups like the Guelph & Area Right to Life?
Canadian Anglican bishops like nothing better than to protest oil and gas pipelines in spite of the fact that the fossil fuel carried in the pipelines is the only thing stopping their heads freezing to their mitres.
The latest protest against the Coastal GasLink Pipeline has a new twist. It introduces the 2SLGBTQQIA element. Yes, I know this is a few more letters than we are used to but the Anglican Church of Canada prides itself on its inclusion, so the effect of a pipeline on 2SLGBTQQIA people (you know who you are) is a real concern.
My worry in all this is, why is there no “N” in 2SLGBTQQIA? For the necrophiliac community. Surely Anglicans should include those who are in a stable monogamous relationship and given to such affections: “till decomposition us do part” has a distinct liturgical ring to it.
Our ongoing concern is for the safety of all involved in this conflict, and particularly the unarmed, peaceful Wet’suwet’en land and water protectors and their allies. We share the concern that the MMIWG Final Report Calls for Justice 13.1-13.5 have not been addressed in the planning and implementation of the Coastal Gaslink Pipeline. We call on the governments of Canada and British Columbia, along with Coastal Gaslink to “complete gender-based socio-economic impact assessments on” this project and “include provisions that address the impacts of projects on the safety and security of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people.”
The rector, Rev. Yme Woensdregt, of Christ Church Anglican in the Diocese of Kootenay, thinks this is “quite wonderful” whereas, in reality for today’s Canadian Anglican church, it is rather common-place and mundane. There is no wonder in it at all.
What is interesting about it is that it is billed as same-gender marriage not same-sex marriage. Sex is, of course, determined by chromosomes but gender, we are told, is a social construct. The church has already moved on – as I knew it would – from same-sex marriage to the marriage of a biological man who identifies as a woman to a biological woman who identifies as a man. Or any possible permutation thereof. If you are not confused yet, I expect you soon will be when the ACoC concocts its next yet more inclusive and improved marriage ménage.
From here:
Christ Church Anglican in Cranbrook has officially received permission from Bishop of Kootenay Lynne McNaughton to perform same-gender marriages.
“It’s quite wonderful,” said Rev. Yme Woensdregt of Christ Church, “and our congregation is — as I say, three or four years ago it was almost unanimous [in support of same-gender marriage] and that has not changed. For most of us, we don’t see why that ought to be a problem.”
Woensdregt explained that in 2016 they received permission from previous Bishop of the Diocese of Kootenay, John Pivett, to bless a civil marriage of same-gender people.
It’s easy to see why: first, it’s a Trump proposal and the ACoC loathes Trump, second the ACoC is biased against Israel almost to the point of being anti-Semitic.
If only the primate were as interested in the salvation of souls as she is in hating Trump, perhaps fewer souls would be fleeing her church.
From here
Dear Prime Minister Trudeau:
Greetings to you from The Anglican Church of Canada.
I write today to urge Canada to maintain a principled policy position in accordance with international law, and to strongly, publicly oppose President Trump’s “Peace to Prosperity” plan for Israel and Palestine announced January 28th, 2020. Your confirmation in 2017 that Canada’s embassy in Israel will remain in Tel Aviv, affirming the open, international status of Jerusalem as a city of two peoples and three faiths, and your 2019 vote at the UN General Assembly affirming the right of the Palestinian People to self-determination, clearly demonstrate Canada’s commitment to principled leadership.
We commend to you the spirit of the Statement of the Patriarchs and Heads of the Holy Land Churches on January 30, 2020, on the “Deal of the Century”, urging instead “a just and lasting peace in the Middle East based on the international legitimacy of relevant UN resolutions, and in a manner that guarantees security, peace, freedom and dignity to all of the peoples of the region.”
We lament with global and Canadian ecumenical partners that the Trump administration’s plan is far from being a “win-win” for Israelis and Palestinians. Rather, we recognize, with many others including Canada, peace with justice will not come by discounting or ignoring Palestinian rights and aspirations. For solutions to be based upon equality, human rights and self-determination for all, the occupation of Palestinian lands must first end and Palestinians be meaningfully involved in planning processes from the beginning.
In 2013, The Anglican Church of Canada General Synod adopted a resolution calling on our church to support the goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East. The resolution recognizes the legitimate aspirations, rights and needs of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace, with dignity within sovereign and secure borders. It condemns the use of violence of all kinds, especially against civilians, calls for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, and upon Israel, as the occupying power, to respect the Fourth Geneva Convention, which forbids the transfer and settlement of its own citizens in the occupied territories.
The Anglican Church of Canada commends your “commitment to a safe and secure homeland for the Jewish people, and to a lasting peace between all peoples in the Middle East”. We pray with the Holy Land Patriarchs and Heads of Churches that, for their part, all Palestinian political parties, factions and leaders end their internal conflicts and adopt a unified stand towards state building based on plurality and democratic values.
With this letter comes the assurance of our respect for your leadership and prayers for you and the Government of Canada. I look forward to supporting Canada’s efforts with other international leaders in denouncing the notion that President Trump’s “Peace Plan for the Middle East” offers a framework through which peace could be negotiated.
Yours in Christ,
The Most Reverend Linda C. Nicholls
Archbishop and Primate
The Nicene Creed has it wrong. Rather than:
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven
It should say:
For us men and to rebuild our relationship with the planet
he came down from heaven
Because, you see, being reconciled with the planet is more important than being reconciled with God the Father. If you worship Gaia, that is.
From here:
Church of England’s first ever green Lent campaign launches
Launching the resources, Archbishop Justin Welby said: “We urgently need to rebuild our relationship with our planet. To do this, we need to change our habits – in how we pray and how we act.“Lent is not just about discipline. It’s about allowing Christ to show us what’s keeping us from loving and serving Him – and joyfully letting it go.
“Whatever age you are, this Lent I hope you’ll engage with God’s plea for us to care for His creation, and that these campaign resources will help you on that journey.”
Just some of the questions posed during the series are:
‘How much water goes into making a pair of jeans?’
‘Could you twin your toilet?’
‘When was the last time you gazed at the night sky?’
‘What was the carbon footprint of the meal I just ate?’
If you don’t have a relationship with the planet – I must admit, I don’t – then pull yourself together, twin your toilet, feel guilty about the carbon footprint of your dinner and google how much water was used in making your trousers. That should do it.
And bishops wonder why people are leaving the church of England.
Sorry, I see I used “men” above. I meant “members of the non-binary, gender fluid, LGBT+, androgynous community; (aka a CofE vicar).”
