Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

drray23

(7,991 posts)
Thu Oct 31, 2024, 05:44 PM Oct 31

Our little episcopal church is being rocked by this election.

The council of bishops issued a strong statement, actually a 16 page position document strongly condemning white supremacy and Christian nationalism. Of course I am grateful for this.

Our rector announced in the church bulletin ahead of last week that she would discuss it after service. She did so.

What an eye opener. Somehow 30 % of the congregation did not attend. Several outright left the church over this. Mostly, political leanings weren't discussed before but given that we are in the south and that congregation is older white people it was a likely outcome.

I think it's for the better. There is no place for this hatred if you pretend to be a person of faith and following the Bible's precepts.



22 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Our little episcopal church is being rocked by this election. (Original Post) drray23 Oct 31 OP
Good, I'm glad to hear the "Big Clean Out" has begun. Think. Again. Oct 31 #1
our church diocese( episcopa)l went through a split in 2007 AllaN01Bear Oct 31 #2
Sounds like your church SomedayKindaLove Oct 31 #3
Love thy neighbor wasn't conditional, like only if they're white. surfered Oct 31 #4
The Methodist church split over LGBT. surfered Oct 31 #5
do you even realize how ridiuclous that sounds Skittles Oct 31 #18
30% is about right across the board. live love laugh Oct 31 #6
yeah ok Skittles Oct 31 #7
Maybe there's other reasons people go to church Hieronymus Phact Oct 31 #8
nope Skittles Oct 31 #11
wow Hieronymus Phact Nov 2 #21
Chances are some people just didn't feel it needed any sort of discussion Warpy Oct 31 #9
We live in the middle of nowhere in a small town in the south. no megachurch there. drray23 Oct 31 #10
There will always be some sourpusses who only went there because it was closest Warpy Nov 1 #19
"Most likely the Klanners had departed .. Wednesdays Oct 31 #13
Your church wasn't rocked. People were rocked when confronted with the wickedness of their beliefs. usonian Oct 31 #12
Offending immorality is righteous! BaronChocula Oct 31 #14
Sounds like the 70% that aren't offended by condemning white supremacy will make a much nicer congregation. MLAA Oct 31 #15
The United Methodist Church went through this over the past few years. AverageOldGuy Oct 31 #16
I am pretty sure that many of you will look around and find that their leaving was a blessing. summer_in_TX Oct 31 #17
I'm so sorry wryter2000 Nov 1 #20
I know I'm a bit late in responding to this. Different Drummer Nov 23 #22

Think. Again.

(18,473 posts)
1. Good, I'm glad to hear the "Big Clean Out" has begun.
Thu Oct 31, 2024, 06:00 PM
Oct 31

Hopefully, every rightwinger will simply leave any and every social circle they belong to and hide out for the rest of their pathetic hateful lives in lonely, dark, shamed misery.

Skittles

(159,787 posts)
18. do you even realize how ridiuclous that sounds
Thu Oct 31, 2024, 09:22 PM
Oct 31

people should not care what any sanctimonious assholes think

Skittles

(159,787 posts)
11. nope
Thu Oct 31, 2024, 08:10 PM
Oct 31

I just try to be a good person because it is the right thing to do, not because I expect some kind of reward in the end.

Over and OUT.

Warpy

(113,131 posts)
9. Chances are some people just didn't feel it needed any sort of discussion
Thu Oct 31, 2024, 08:05 PM
Oct 31

especially because food and football were beckoning.

While a few sourpusses undoubtedly disagreed with the bishops, I'm going with "I got better things to do" to explain the high number of people who didn't stick around.

I sat tgat because it's a fairly liberal denomination. Most likely the Klanners had departed for megachurches and other places to hear false prophets before now.

In fact, I'm a little surprised 70% did stick around.

drray23

(7,991 posts)
10. We live in the middle of nowhere in a small town in the south. no megachurch there.
Thu Oct 31, 2024, 08:08 PM
Oct 31

It's possible that some people did not attend for other reasons of course. Some definitely left for good and notified the rector why. Thats how we know.

Warpy

(113,131 posts)
19. There will always be some sourpusses who only went there because it was closest
Fri Nov 1, 2024, 12:58 AM
Nov 1

You can bet there are other little churches scattered around that will be more to their liking, featuring hellfire preachers with little education and even less reading comprehension than education.

One thing the south has never lacked is churches.

Likely there will be a reshuffle, Harris voters becoming uncomfortable at the wingnut churches and coming to yours. Stranger things have happened.

Wednesdays

(20,315 posts)
13. "Most likely the Klanners had departed ..
Thu Oct 31, 2024, 08:17 PM
Oct 31

... for megachurches and other places to hear false prophets before now."

You'd be surprised to see the political makeup of churches in the boonies, even Episcopalian.

My church is made up of mostly Democrats, but there's one older man, who has a walker with an "Impeach Biden" sticker on it.

MLAA

(18,639 posts)
15. Sounds like the 70% that aren't offended by condemning white supremacy will make a much nicer congregation.
Thu Oct 31, 2024, 08:42 PM
Oct 31

But sad there 30% are either white supremacists or white supremacist adjacent.

AverageOldGuy

(2,120 posts)
16. The United Methodist Church went through this over the past few years.
Thu Oct 31, 2024, 08:44 PM
Oct 31

The UMC Book of Discipline says homosexuality is not compatible with our beliefs. For years the UMC has wrestled with this.

It’s a long story but eventually those who wanted to retain the prohibition could “disassociate” and go their way. Churches had to decide by Dec 31, 2023. My little rural UMC did not even discuss it, we stayed with the UNITED Methodist Church. Of the eight little Methodist churches in my rural VA county, five disassociated, thanks mainly to the efforts of one MAGAt in one church.

It’s not one year later and already we have gained 15 members from churches that disassociated while one of the disassociated churches has closed, could not afford to stay open, and two others are shaky.

Meanwhile, the UMC is changing the Book of Discipline.

summer_in_TX

(3,252 posts)
17. I am pretty sure that many of you will look around and find that their leaving was a blessing.
Thu Oct 31, 2024, 08:45 PM
Oct 31

My United Methodist Church found that with the pandemic-forced delay in the final decision about "divorcing" over the issue of full inclusion of LGBTQ people in all aspects of our membership and worship, plus being closed to in-person worship for many months over the pandemic, caused a walk-put by many of the old guard. They were also part of a faction who were mad at our then-pastor for a variety of reasons. After we reopened and started looking around, we found all the impediments to full inclusion had taken themselves out. I miss some of them (not all left because of the LGBTQ stance of the church) but am relieved God moved the obstacle out of the way.

That doesn't mean we don't have some financial struggles. We are still rebuilding. But new folks who believe God's love is for everyone, no exceptions, have found us in the last year and a half.

wryter2000

(47,514 posts)
20. I'm so sorry
Fri Nov 1, 2024, 11:33 AM
Nov 1

The national church is doing good things against Christian Nationalism. I hope you are able to hang together. It's been so hard for some folks in the south.

Different Drummer

(8,688 posts)
22. I know I'm a bit late in responding to this.
Sat Nov 23, 2024, 08:29 PM
Nov 23

However, being an Episcopalian myself, I felt the need to relate a similar experience from my parish

We went through a huge rift back in the days when the Episcopal Church in New Hampshire ordained a gay Bishop. We're in Georgia, so the happenings of the Episcopal Church in New Hampshire would seem to have little to do with us. The rector of our parish at the time had a different opinion, however. He was very upset about the ordination of the Bishop in New Hampshire--so much so that he established an Anglican Church in a town that's in the same county as ours. When he left, most of our congregation left with him, including some people who had been members of our parish long before he got there. His last Sunday there, we had over 100 members in attendance. On his first Sunday at his new church, we had 13 people for that day's service.

Time has past since then and our parish seems to be back to something resembling normalcy. For what it's worth, our current rector is gay...and no one is upset about it.

Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Religion»Our little episcopal chur...