There is no freedom of religion in Canada

[The Laughing Man]

Anglican Bishop Orders Church Closed for Opposing Same-Sex Unions

• TORONTO – An Anglican bishop in British Columbia has ordered a church closed after it refused to support same-sex unions and declared itself independent, Canada's National Post newspaper said Tuesday.
  
  Despite the decision by Bishop Michael Ingham to close Holy Cross Church in Abbotsford, the Rev. James Wagner said his congregation would celebrate Mass on Christmas as planned.
  
  "As far as the diocese is concerned, we do not exist. We are a non-entity," Wagner was quoted as saying, "but I will not abandon these people. I will continue to pastor and pray for them in the midst of this crisis."
  
  He said Ingham's decision to close the church was a surprise because "it's so close to Christmas."
  
  Ronald Harrison, executive archdeacon of the Diocese of New Westminster, was quoted as saying Holy Cross brought the closure upon itself by seeking episcopal oversight from another bishop.
  
  By declaring itself "independent," the church lost its funding from the archdiocese, and eventually Ingham had to close it, Harrison said.
  
  Ingham's decision to sanction same-sex unions and related issues involving homosexuality have caused deep divisions in the worldwide Anglican Communion.
  
  Two months ago Anglican leaders met in London at a crisis conference called largely because of dissension over the choice of an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire and Ingham's approval of same-sex unions.

Can you imagine this happening in the States? It very likely might! Scary.

[DivineOb]

Praise Jesus

[The Laughing Man]

Thank you for the mocking, Ob. It's nice that you display such a tolerant attitude here. Just what one would expect from an atheist, yes?

[DivineOb]

Today @ 12:23 AM post located here
Jinx72:

Thank you for the mocking, Ob. It's nice that you display such a tolerant attitude here. Just what one would expect from an atheist, yes?

I'm hardly representative of all atheists. I'm open about the fact that I really *would* like to see christianity destroyed. But that is hardly a reason to assume that all atheists are like me because I think most aren't.

[The Laughing Man]

Wow. Irony.

[seer]

I'm open about the fact that I really *would* like to see christianity destroyed. But that is hardly a reason to assume that all atheists are like me because I think most aren't. cool,

Some honesty. And I will have to be honest - I want to see all atheism destroyed.

"Come Lord Jesus and destroy the sinner DivineOb. Create in him a new heart. Make him one of yours forever. By what ever means you feel necessary."

[Bob Jenkins]

"There is no freedom of religion in Canada"

I see no loss of freedom here - I see a church free to leave the organizational structure without any interference from the government of Canada or the "episcopal oversight" . I see the freedom to make a choice in matters of faith.

[Bob Jenkins]

"And I will have to be honest - I want to see all atheism destroyed."

We know!!!

I guess I'm in a real disadvantage here. Seer will destroy me and my identity but I recognize his faith for him.

It's pretty sad actually.

[geochron]

Yesterday @ 10:36 PM post located here
Jinx72:

Anglican Bishop Orders Church Closed for Opposing Same-Sex Unions

• TORONTO – An Anglican bishop in British Columbia has ordered a church closed after it refused to support same-sex unions and declared itself independent, Canada's National Post newspaper said Tuesday.
  
  Despite the decision by Bishop Michael Ingham to close Holy Cross Church in Abbotsford, the Rev. James Wagner said his congregation would celebrate Mass on Christmas as planned.
  
  "As far as the diocese is concerned, we do not exist. We are a non-entity," Wagner was quoted as saying, "but I will not abandon these people. I will continue to pastor and pray for them in the midst of this crisis."
  
  He said Ingham's decision to close the church was a surprise because "it's so close to Christmas."
  
  Ronald Harrison, executive archdeacon of the Diocese of New Westminster, was quoted as saying Holy Cross brought the closure upon itself by seeking episcopal oversight from another bishop.
  
  By declaring itself "independent," the church lost its funding from the archdiocese, and eventually Ingham had to close it, Harrison said.
  
  Ingham's decision to sanction same-sex unions and related issues involving homosexuality have caused deep divisions in the worldwide Anglican Communion.
  
  Two months ago Anglican leaders met in London at a crisis conference called largely because of dissension over the choice of an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire and Ingham's approval of same-sex unions.

Can you imagine this happening in the States? It very likely might! Scary.

Hard to see what this has to do with freedom of religion. Given how many different shades of baptist there are, how can anyone see a split in Anglicanism as that serious? (Unless they're Anglicans. Though technically I'm an Anglican, and even I don't care.)

Or are you saying Canadians are forced to be Anglican and go along with whatever the heirarchy dictates?

[Darwin]

More telling than anything is Jinx's gross misrepresentation. I have to wonder if he even knows what

"There is no freedom of religion in Canada"

implies, which is that Canada itself, as a duely constituted government, or the Canadian public in general, is somehow responsible for the church's closing. How much easier to just let the truth speak for itself, rather than try to put some kind of secular Christian-opressing spin on it. But we probably shouldn't expect any less from Jinx.

[The Laughing Man]

Today @ 07:17 PM post located here
Darwin:

More telling than anything is Jinx's gross misrepresentation. I have to wonder if he even knows what

"There is no freedom of religion in Canada"

implies, which is that Canada itself, as a duely constituted government, or the Canadian public in general, is somehow responsible for the church's closing.

Aren't they? Wasn't it the "duely constituted" Court of Appeals in Ontario that ordered the Toronto city clerk to immediately start issuing marriage licenses to homosexual couples? And wasn't it the "duely constituted" Prime Minister Jean Cretin who agreed not to challenge the ruling?

How much easier to just let the truth speak for itself, rather than try to put some kind of secular Christian-opressing spin on it.

But "secular" and "Christian-oppressing" are exactly what is happening in this situation.

But we probably shouldn't expect any less from Jinx.

I see you've picked up the "bash Jinx" lingo in the few short days you've been registered. You use it like you've been here for months.

[Bob Jenkins]

Jinx
"But "secular" and "Christian-oppressing" are exactly what is happening in this situation."

How foolish can Jinx get!. The article is about a church people that left their parent diocese and asked to belong to another. It is about church politics Doen't he read his own articles?

Does he fail to rememebr that the issue and these actions were the result of a church ordaining a gay bishop, all this entirely within the Christian family. There is no "secular" anything involved.

[Darwin]

Aren't they? Wasn't it the "duely constituted" Court of Appeals in Ontario that ordered the Toronto city clerk to immediately start issuing marriage licenses to homosexual couples? And wasn't it the "duely constituted" Prime Minister Jean Cretin who agreed not to challenge the ruling?

Oh! excuse me, I thought that when a person posts a headline above an issue that the headline referred to THAT issue. Silly me to think there was any logic in your posts.

I see you've picked up the "bash Jinx" lingo in the few short days you've been registered. You use it like you've been here for months.

Didn't really realize there was some kind of "bash Jinx lingo" floating around here. I simply respond to posts as I see fit. That my comments evidently mirror those made by others should probably be taken as a wake up call, or at least a sign that something is amiss in your posts.

[Undomiel]

Canada is a scary place these days.

Look down the road, if this becomes the norm, do you see a future where church is once again, dictated by government, and that church must teach and support only government approved curriculum/standars/morals or be removed from the support of the main body of the organization? And if the government approved curriculum requires the people who minister or attend to accept moral standards contrary to their faith system, they will be excommunicated if they don't comply? No one sees anything wrong with this?

[The Laughing Man]

Today @ 10:53 PM post located here
Undomiel:

Canada is a scary place these days.

America is too. Consider the news not too long ago where members of the U.S. Supreme Court admitted to looking to laws and court decisions in other countries in order to formulate their rulings.

Look down the road, if this becomes the norm, do you see a future where church is once again, dictated by government, and that church must teach and support only government approved curriculum/standars/morals or be removed from the support of the main body of the organization? And if the government approved curriculum requires the people who minister or attend to accept moral standards contrary to their faith system, they will be excommunicated if they don't comply? No one sees anything wrong with this?

In light of this story, that is a future that is not so hard to see for either Canada or the U.S.