Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Saving The Apostle Paul From the Religious Right and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Archbishop of Constantinople

It seems over the heated issue of gay marriage among some Christians the need to save to the scriptures from the " religious right " is often mentioned. I see more and more some  American Christians are more explicit and wish to save the Apostle Paul from the " religious right " .

I always found this phrasing unusual. First even if you perhaps has a imperfect low Church Protestant view of Church there is still some viewpoint that you are are part of some one World Wide Christian body called the Church. So using  this American terminology seems limiting .

Further for about 1900 years there was a good bit of agreement at the very least that marriage was between a man and a woman . That included Catholic , Coptic ,  Orthodox , Protestant ,  Left , Right , Conservative, Moderate , Socialist ,. Republicans , Monarchists , and Red Communist Anglicans.

I was thinking about that today when I read a recent homily by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople and New Rome on this subject that he did earlier this month.

The ancient Church of the East , the second of the Lung of the Church as John Paul II called it , is speaking though one of it more prominent voices on Earth currently. And gasp he is using the Apostle Paul.

It is a good reminder that we don't need to ignore a good many Christians and a Tradition that can trace it Bishops to the Apostles.




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