Good article. Although I think one thing might be missing. When I was reading the paragraphs on the Episcopalian church, I thought for some bizarre reason about church discipline; before the 'doctrine' of gay 'marriage' and gay 'ordination' were entrenched, they were first accepted in practice. I think it needs to be pointed out that before even the practice was accepted in the parishes, there was a break-down in good, proper, old-fashioned evangelical church discipline. Afraid to act like the prophets of the OT in warning and rebuking and restoring, the clergy ignored sinful behaviour among laypeople before eventually tolerating it. So it is possible to oppose thoeretically or doctrinally a practice but at the same time be apathetic in applying the doctrine practically.
Good article. Although I think one thing might be missing. When I was reading the paragraphs on the Episcopalian church, I thought for some bizarre reason about church discipline; before the 'doctrine' of gay 'marriage' and gay 'ordination' were entrenched, they were first accepted in practice. I think it needs to be pointed out that before even the practice was accepted in the parishes, there was a break-down in good, proper, old-fashioned evangelical church discipline. Afraid to act like the prophets of the OT in warning and rebuking and restoring, the clergy ignored sinful behaviour among laypeople before eventually tolerating it. So it is possible to oppose thoeretically or doctrinally a practice but at the same time be apathetic in applying the doctrine practically.
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