Muslims are burning churches in Egypt and Ethiopia. Muslims are killing Christian converts in Pakistan. Because of terror/murder, most Christians abandoned Lebanon which at one time was 75% Christian. For the same reason Christians are abandoning Iraq.
And this man decides to abandon his religion and follow Allah for Lent.
But why stop here? Lawler could practice all kinds of religions during the Lenten season. Next year he can worship Baal and sacrifice infants by tossing them into a furnace. In the years to follow there's Zeus, Odin, Ohrmazd, Nammu, Dagon, Horus, Buddha, Brahma - just to name a few.The Rev. Steve Lawler should have just given up chocolate or television for Lent.
Instead, Lawler, of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Ferguson, decided to adopt the rituals of Islam for 40 days to gain a deeper understanding of the faith.
On Friday, he faced being defrocked if he continued in those endeavors.
"He can't be both a Christian and a Muslim," said Bishop George Wayne Smith of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri. "If he chooses to practice as Muslim, then he would, by default, give up his Christian identity and priesthood in the church."
Lawler, a part-time rector at the church, didn't foresee such problems when he came up with the idea. He merely wanted to learn more about Islam, he said, especially in light of the ongoing congressional hearings on the radicalization of the faith.
On Wednesday, the first day of Lent, he began performing salah five times a day, by facing east, toward Mecca, and praying to Allah. He also started studying the Quran and following Islamic dietary restrictions by abstaining from alcohol, pork and fish.
I do not understand such thinking. His belief must be on pretty shaky ground if he thinks the observance of idolatry pleases the God of Abraham and Isaac. A holy, righteous God cares neither for political correctness nor vain observances. In John 14:15 Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments" and no where in the Old or New Testament does this include waving your ass in the air five times a day.
14 comments:
I suspect that Bishop Seabury is spinning in his grave at the present state of the church he birthed on this side of the pond.
At least he's trying to learn other religons rather than just blindly say that they're evil for simply not following his own views.
This guy needs a refresher course in Christianity. This is yet another retreat from doctrine in the name of Diversity and Fairness. Where is King Richard when you need him?
Andy - I suspect so. I am curious as to the opinion of other lay members of his parish. Are they as clueless?
I am quite positive from the human reaction to this vulgarity practiced by this "reverend" that God Himself will not be pleased with this decision of his.
Just what part of NOT worshiping Satan does this man NOT understand?
Lone - I suspect you are also unformed (not necessarily uninformed - but you are still young) in your beliefs. You do not learn the beliefs of another by abandoning your own. There are plenty of resources available for you to do that without going to such extremes as praying to a diety that, if he is a Christian, is a demonic presence. His worship to the demon Allah is an insult to God and a direct violation of God's commandments against idolatry.
I also suspect that Lawler may like to make grandiose gestures more to draw attention to himself than to increase his knowledge base.
Vicar - he may need more than a refresher course. I doubt he is a Christian at all. But that is for God to decide.
Chris - amen.
I left that church for such reasons. I will not bother to look back, save to hope the other faithful also leave. Much like I left Iowa, some things are probably not salvageable. Until that church chooses God, not feminism, not egalitarianism, not gayism, not lesbianism, not anything else, and puts measures in place to get rid of the clergy and such who are not a part of God, they will remain God-less.
I know, 40 days is nothing in the measure of time by God. I also know that a moment is enough to separate us from Him (the other way is not possible). Does this man know that he is damning himself? Yeah, maybe. And he embraces it along with the rest of his "refreshing" vices. I will pray for him.
Doom - the changes to the church have troubled so many people as the theology accepts more and more liberal dogma. I know this must have been very hard for you but you can't remain on the fence and be a good Christian. Christ didn't allow himself such luxuries either.
I didn't leave the Church, I left that church. But not without extensive discussions with my priest. That and lots of prayers. I am on no fence, I just refuse to be on the front lines of what appeared to me to be a war that could not be won, in that place, at that time, if that helps?
"But why stop here? Lawler could practice all kinds of religions during the Lenten season."
Yes, he could strap a bomb to himself and blow up a police station :>)
Seriously... just joking.
Doom - no, I didn't mean it in that context. You refused to sit on the fence. You saw something wrong and decided to act on it.
Sometimes removing yourself from a situation where your conscience is involved is the only course of conduct that makes sense. I hope that it worked out for you.
And yes, I bang back and forth between individual comments and generalizations a bit...
John - "Seriously... just joking."
Notifications to the proper authorities have been made.
Seriously, just joking.
But apparently Obama's good buddy, Bill Ayers' - one of the founders of the terrorist organization Weathermen Underground, liked his women on the wild side whether or not Lent was involved. The San Francisco police still consider his wife, Bernardine Dohrn, a suspect in the bombing of one of their precincts in 1970. Ayers admits to trying to bomb a Fort Dix dance but the charges were dismissed because the feds did not get a surveillance warrant. Ayers boasted '"Guilty as sin, free as a bird. America is a great country."
Ayers helped Obongo launch his political career. It shows just what a radical f**k Obongo is.
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