religious foo: More on the Episcopalians

[alpharaposa]

A state judge in Virginia has ruled that conservative congregations that broke away in 2006 from the Episcopal Church and affiliated with the Anglican Church of Nigeria may keep their church properties.

This is a wonderful thing for those congregations, who will continue to have a place to meet and worship. However, I can't help feel sad that things reached a point where a secular judge had to be called in to adjudicate. Schism is ugly and sad, even when it's necessary.

Comments

[aefenglommung.livejournal.com]

Following the splits caused by divisions over slavery in the 19th Century, several denominations -- the Methodists, especially -- rewrote their constitutions to explicitly avoid ever having the secular courts decide on such issues again.

I'm happy for the congregations that broke away, as I am for certain UM congregations in California that achieved much the same thing, but let's not kid ourselves. Even if "our side" wins these cases, we all lose in this kind of thing, since the secular courts have arrogated to themselves the power to define the meaning and application of our most basic religious covenants -- based not upon what our constitutions, canons, and bylaws say, but by whatever standards they hold in their own fat little heads.

Schism is always a terrible thing, but schism that gives such power to the State is an even greater cause for mourning. As St. Paul said, "To have lawsuits at all with one another is defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?" (1 Cor. 6:7)