Pensieves
Episcopal News Service. September 25, 1980 [80334]
The Ven. Erwin M. Soukup, Editor of Advance, Diocese of Chicago
It is reported that Mormons teach that when Adam was offered the apple, he accepted it in order to join Eve in her transgression and so fulfill God's commandment to "be fruitful and multiply." It is not certain, but it is probable that Mormons would answer Paul's question, "Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?" with a resounding "yes!"
How interesting to note that the Christian Voice, a growing fundamentalist organization, gave its 100 percent moral voting rating to Congressman Richard Kelly of Florida who admitted taking $25,000 in the Abscam scandal. Apparently, Christian Voice approves morality only when it is on public record.
We are indebted to the Christian Ad Project of Minneapolis which points out that the electronic church has a short. "Have you ever seen a Sony that gives Holy Communion?" the Project asks.
Archbishop Runcie expressed some views on commitment and openness to a Roman Catholic interviewer recently. He said he was disappointed by "our attempt to combine the two, leading to flabby compromise." Flabby compromise is an English danger, he continued. "The English Church is one that I can defend with passion on paper, but often weep about in practice." And that's not a flabby statement!
A federal appeals court has ruled that a Motorist's Prayer, printed on a road map published by the state of North Carolina, violates the Constitutional separation of Church and state. First, St. Christopher, now this. Who, in heaven's name, will protect us from the nut behind the other wheel?
Lee Hickling of The Virginia Churchman passes along this item he discovered in a church bulletin: "The Following Note of Thanks Has Been Received. Mrs. A... is most grateful to the few people of St. B's who showed her any Christian concern during her long stay in the hospital." Nuff said.
Final thought: If Madelyn Murray O'Hare really practices the atheism she proclaims, does she refuse to take Sundays off?