An Inclusion Too Far, Continues.

The Episcopal priest who became a Muslim - and remains in good standing as an Episcopal priest - got a bit more complicated. It seems she is not a priest in the Diocese of Olympia, Washington, but is canonically in the Diocese of Rhode Island. What the Rhode Island Bishop has to say about this remains to be seen. (The Bishop of Olympia had no problem with her, um.... apparent contradiction.) Since predictions seem all the rage, let me make another one: The Episcopal Church(tm) will take no substantive action with respect to this priest's new "spiritual journey". I mean, is there ANY discipline left in The Episcopal Church (tm)??? (Other than for those who oppose the "full inclusion" of women and gays, of course.) Kate+, please answer a question from a simple pew-sitter: If I was a devil worshiping, axe murdering, thief who cheated on my wife, could I still be an Episcopal Priest? If not, Kate+..... why not???

Here is a sermon by our "Muslipalian" priest, Anne Holmes-Redding. Note who she invokes:

"In fact, one of the historical positions in Christianity about Jesus's
relationship to God [held by Paul of Samosata, a 3rd-century bishop of Antioch] was that “Jesus was a man, but was sinless from his birth. The Holy Spirit was in him. He was united in will with God by his troubles and suffering. He overcame the sin of Adam and he grew in his intimacy with God”.

And who was this Paul of Samosata? Let's check Wikipedia:

"Paul was born at Samosata into a family of humble origin. He was elected bishop of Antioch in 260 but aroused controversy with his Monarchianist teachings. In 269, seventy bishops, priests and deacons assembled at Antioch, deposed Paul as bishop and elected Domnus as his successor."

In other words, Paul of Samosata was a heretic who was chucked out for saying that the Trinity was pretty much bunk, and that Jesus was not Divine - just a swell guy who was divinely inspired. And the Rev(?) Holmes-Redding invokes Paul of Samosata on......... Trinity Sunday.

The Rev. Richard Kew ruminates about this controversy far more eloquently than I can, so give it a read.