The death of ecumenism

August 26, 2009
Grand Rapids Catholic Examiner
Christopher Nowak

“Ecumenism” has been the driving force in relations between the Catholic Church, those in Protestant communities, and those of other faiths for the past half-century. However, due to the continual surrender of mainstream Protestant communities to the culture and the reassertion by the Church that there is one path to salvation, this era appears to be coming to an end.

The Anglican/Episcopalian Communion has long led the way in retreating before an aggressive secularism. In 1930 the Lambeth Conference approved the use of contraceptives, defended this decision in 1958, admitted women to holy orders as deacons (1968), priests (1978), and bishops (by 1998). Now they are defending the acceptance of homosexuality, even among their clergy.

The ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) has just voted to join in the abandonment of biblical condemnations of homosexual acts. At the same time the UMC (United Methodist Church) must now decide whether to continue the recently approved moves toward full communion, or to likewise abandon Scripture as the core of their faith. the rest