I really wanted this to be more of a comment on a post and not a whole new rant but for some reason blogger isn't allowing me to comment (!) I'm not sure what is up with that. I tried to post the following in the comments on my post on the #MarkNoReligion campaign:
I noticed that this article states that I am an Anglican ministers, but just to clear things up: I am not.
I regularly attend an Anglican church and I am quite involved in it (lead a weekly bible study at my house, service lead ever now and again, attend church meetings etc) but sadly I am not paid by or ordained by the Anglican (or any other) church.
I am currently studying theology at C.S.U which is run out of St Mark's who are the training organisation for the Anglican church in Canberra, but at this point in time ordination is not on the table at the moment.
I do hope that the tag line at the top of this blog: (I have very little qualifications to speak on anything, yet since this is the Internet I'll do it anyway) and the message on the footer (I am just a random guy on the Internet, try not to get yourself too worked up over this blog) would give some weight as to how much my comments reflect the Anglican church or any other organisation.
Australian Daily Prayer now with Catechism
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The time had come again for my apps to get updated to the latest minimal
standard (targetSDK 34). While I was updating these libraries, I found an
Australi...
2 months ago
I did have an "about me" section on the right, but it seems when I changed to the darker theme that dropped off somewhere. I have now created a page at the top of the blog called "About &rew" that links to my blogger profile. It doesn't have much info there, but it does say my job is a PC Nerd (which is funny as today I am struggling with this blog and commenting - hopefully this will post when I press the button...)
ReplyDeleteyou've just admitted to being involved in ministry...you may not be ordained but it seems to be splitting hairs!
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting.
It may seem like splitting hair but to be an Anglican minister (at least in Canberra, if not Australia) you have to jump few a few hoops such as attending a year long Anglican orders class, get a degree, be vetted by the powers to be and then you can be ordained as a deacon. A while after that you can then jump through a few more hoops and vetting processes to be a priest.
A simple analogy for this case I think is of a law student who volunteers at a law firm who is then quoted as a lawyer or a partner for that firm. The student is not admitted to practice law nor are they paid by that law firm.
I am happy to be called an "Anglican layperson", and "Anglican volunteer" or even an "Anglican student". I just don't want my ideas to be considered to represent an insinuation that I have not been accepted into nor am paid by them.
I also think impersonating both a lawyer or a minister would be frowned upon.
Hi, you are now an "engaged Anglican". Hope you like it better. Sorry for the mixup. I didn't want to get you into trouble. But you spoke with so much authority. Or Charisma as it is known in Christian theology.
ReplyDeleteI agree that you do not need to go to church on a weekly basis to be considered a "Christian". Different Churches have different traditions. I'm myself am a recovering catholic, so I can probably best speak from that experience. As Catholic there are a few things that the church wants you to believe, otherwise, you are automatically excommunicated, at least if you would speak your mind. Among these are the infallibility, the bodily assumption of Mary, and immaculate conception. I would bet that many Catholics, or other Christians, wouldn't even know who was conceived in the immaculate conception. At any other time but the census, the Church considers these to essential beliefs to be a Catholic.
Other Christian groups are a bit more fluid, but also they have some basic tenets. If you do not believe that Jesus literally rose from the dead, would the Anglican church consider you an Anglican? Same if you do not believe that Mary was a virgin. Or if you believe that Jesus was a simply a human who was inspired by god, but not god himself. Would these people, qualify as Anglican? And should they claim to be Anglican in the census?
The litmus test that I usually use when people claim to be Christian is whether they know what Pentecost is, when it is (in relation to Easter), and whether they actually celebrated it. If you don't know one of the most important Christian holidays, you are probably not that involved. Interestingly, my spell checker doesn't know it either.
Hi Ansgar,
ReplyDeleteI'm happy with the title "engaged Anglican", its fine about the mix up. My friends have joked to me about it to me already :) To be fair my "about me" page dropped off this blog which lists me as a computer nerd.
You are right about basic tenets of faith, in that in order to be defined as something you have to at least hold to some key points, otherwise the meaning of your religion/faith could be defined as anything. I do like that the #MarkNoReligion campaign used the Nicene Creed as test, I think that holds up as a good indication about Christian belief.
I think if you want to identify with a certain denomination and not just "Christian" you should at least attend that denomination. (like in the Penrith Panthers analogy in the comments of the #MarkNoReligion campaign post) I don't want to put hard numbers like you must attend at least two times a month to be considered an Anglican, but I have a feeling that the 5,700 who identify themselves as an Anglican in our local area have not popped into our Anglican church in a long time (if ever).
I would bet that many Catholics, or other Christians, wouldn't even know who was conceived in the immaculate conception. At any other time but the census, the Church considers these to essential beliefs to be a Catholic.
I would like to put a clause in this sentence to say: I bet that many who call themselves Catholics, or any other Christian.... which I think is my point about people been honest on the census form about what they really believe and not just put down what their family historically has put down.
Interestingly, my spell checker doesn't know it either.
I laughed at my screen when I read this :) I am pretty sure the spell checker isn't a Christian.