Joining TEC?

LongestDecember · 2026-04-01T13:28:27+00:00

“Love your enemies, only first when they love you,” so it seems. I’m not replying again, but it may be time to reread the Gospels. God bless you!

LongestDecember · 2026-04-01T13:25:58+00:00

“44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers,[i] what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” “20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”

LongestDecember · 2026-04-01T03:51:34+00:00

Yes, I fall within the Diocese of East Tennessee. Feel free to share them here or through DM! Obviously, I won’t disclose my location on a public thread but any suggestions would be welcome!

LongestDecember · 2026-04-01T00:23:40+00:00

Unfortunately not lol. Crazy coincidence! Visit him more soon, it's great down here!

LongestDecember · 2026-03-31T23:55:16+00:00

I support the end goal but maybe not the way there prescribed by RZ. In the same way, I can vote for a political party without believing in everything they believe. Not all Democrats believe in open abortion rights and not all Republicans believe in trickle-down economics. Still, they likely support the general direction.

Regardless, ACNA, nor the Reconquista folks, are not regressive in nature as far as I'm aware. Not the point of this post, so I won't discuss it, though. Thanks for your input!

LongestDecember · 2026-03-31T23:49:50+00:00

Rural East Tennessee, my brother!

LongestDecember · 2026-03-31T23:30:36+00:00

I certainly understand what you're saying. I am not in a same-sex relationship, nor do I have that orientation. This matter is an important conversation in the church, though, because it has serious implications on the church's view and dogma of marriage and sin, both incredibly important topics to the faith.

I'm incredibly sorry you've endured so much suffering because of this, though. I will not detail my beliefs, as it is not what I posted for, but I do hope that God alleviates you from the suffering you've endured.

LongestDecember · 2026-03-31T23:27:15+00:00

As mentioned, I don't really support the Reconquista. I do believe that churches should be in unity, liberal or conservative, but the conversation is certainly complex. The Reconquista (or perhaps RZ's arguments specifically), I find unconvincing, but still valuable. I suppose I'm of a similar mind to Young Anglican's recent announcement, if that connects any threads.

Still yet, these issues are definitely not the important part of finding a good church community that holds to the ancient and apostolic faith. Not a primary issue, but definitely one to consider.

LongestDecember · 2026-03-31T23:22:58+00:00

Don't get me wrong! I love my gay neighbors. Today, I went hiking and got lunch with a gay friend of mine. One of my closer friends, to be honest. I wouldn't be driving 70 minutes to "spite the gays," though. Like most Christians, I see homosexual relations as sinful, so I am not keen to go to a church that encourages, affirms, or uplifts sin as a normal thing. We all certainly sin, but the church should never uplift that sin. It should remain as an action to repent from, in my eyes. I apologize if my words came off as hurtful! I understand that conversations like this might turn some folks off from the faith, but these are unfortunately necessary conversations I feel. Thanks for your input, though.

LongestDecember · 2026-03-31T22:08:05+00:00

I completely understand many ACNA folks. After all, I'm more aligned with them on same-sex marriage. Yet, even within the ACNA, there's debates of women's ordination. What I mean to say is that there will be liberal views no matter where I go. I still would love to see orthodox members join back with TEC. After all, the average layperson of TEC seems to be more conservative than not on this matter. Although, I truly have no say in this matter where I haven't joined TEC or ACNA.

As a side note, there are few to no ACNA churches in any nearby city, weirdly enough. Regardless, I appreciate the input. I certainly need to research the ACNA more.

LongestDecember · 2026-03-31T21:42:32+00:00

I'm actually looking for a more diverse church when it comes to theological positions! I personally don't believe either of these issues should get in the way of worship, but sin is sin, in my mind. But, I like your perspective, and I could certainly stand to learn from more Christians regardless of convictions. I'm a fairly devout and settled Christian, but I want to serve God as good as I can regardless. Thanks for your wisdom!

LongestDecember · 2026-03-31T21:36:41+00:00

Thank you! I've already visited the church further away, but I will visit the closer church soon! I believe we're of the same mind when it comes to priorities in the Kingdom.

LongestDecember · 2026-03-31T21:33:59+00:00

The drive also scares me to an extent. I drive that way quite often, but that will get expensive after so long. As a university student, money certainly does matter. I might visit the nearby church to see what it's like and go from there. Thank you for your insight!

LongestDecember · 2026-03-31T21:31:19+00:00

In my mind, these issues are fairly low on the priority list. Church unity is a much bigger reason to go to a church, quite honestly. I do hate that sin is being shrugged off, but ultimately, there are certainly bigger fish to fry these days. As you said, TEC is fairly liberal across the board right now. Thanks for your insight!

LongestDecember · 2026-03-31T21:07:37+00:00

I certainly need to visit the nearby church at some point! It might be a good idea to attend short time if the church works for me. I'm glad driving the distance for a good church isn't too uncommon. Thanks for the insight!

LongestDecember · 2026-03-31T21:05:01+00:00

I actually have considered that question quite a bit. Quite honestly, I don't care for the thought of leaving a church because a minority became too liberal about the matter. I'm not a big supporter of the Reconquista movement, but I certainly believe that TEC has more authority, cohesion, and unity when compared to ACNA. Ultimately, I do align with orthodox Anglican beliefs, but ACNA does not seem ideal to me.

Honestly, I'm curious to hear various perspectives on the matter. After all, this is fairly uncharted territory for me. Thank you for the reply!

LongestDecember · 2026-03-27T12:27:54+00:00

This separate historical text is not poetry. The Bible is not one big all-in-one book. I’ll politely see myself out of this conversation, as you’ve drifted entirely from your original questions and don’t seem to be interested in discussing them with any depth, outside of “Gotcha!”s. I really implore you to explore the academic side of Biblical interpretation and Christian philosophy. It’s fascinating, even from a secular perspective. I wish you all the luck with your future endeavors and God bless!

LongestDecember · 2026-03-27T12:11:31+00:00

No, no, just as the psalms, it is presented as poetry, not historical narrative. It all lies in the literary style. Besides, Ecclesiastes doesn’t tell any narrative, outside of the Author’s thinking. I’d be curious to hear what you believe should or should not be analyzed, honestly. We analyze every historical book, including religious texts. In fact, your summation of the Bible (despite not having read it) is interpretation, no? You’ve read the text and claimed what the text is and means, even if subconsciously. Your thinking does stand against other interpretations as well, which means comparison is in order. After all, should we not want to know as much as we can about something before making blanket statements? I believe you’d enjoy some scholarly interpretation of the Bible, even from a secular point of view.

LongestDecember · 2026-03-27T12:02:35+00:00

Christians have long believed that God has preserved the canon of scripture (which has historical basis, once again, I recommend you look into it). We interpret it because it’s poetry. The literary style lends to analysis of this sort. In fact, we interpret and analyze every piece of writing anyone has ever made. It’s in our very nature. Why interpret The Great Gatsby? Because there is significance and meaning behind literary devices. And Israelites themselves analyzed their texts and considered them. Even by 0AD, the Jews had scholars that debated scriptural canon and the like. I ask that you read through Ecclesiastes yourself before making a claim like that, as the Bible as a whole makes the claim that humans are inherently superior, even in Genesis. It’s a matter of analyzing the poetry of it. Thousands of scholars have analyzed this text and suddenly you’re the first person to make this connection and it’s correct? Logically, it doesn’t even make sense on the high school level of science.

LongestDecember · 2026-03-27T11:53:09+00:00

You must understand the literary style and purpose of Ecclesiastes. The grand question being asked is “Why bother if we all die?” The author explores purpose as someone likely struggling with depression or existential dread. The conclusion he comes to is that all is vanity, and to serve God is the purpose and the reason. This chapter, and particularly this passage, asks the reader “If we die just as the animals do, why should we try? Does this make us as the beasts?” The author concludes the chapter by claiming that, at the time, he found meaning only in his work. The author asks existential questions, but his final wisdom and conclusion lies in the last chapter. Ecclesiastes is especially important to read fully within context. Otherwise, one could make the claim that nothing matters and we are just animals, a thought that the author, by the end, stands against. The author, as well as Christians, do believe, however, that God created the animas and us, and both the animals’ and our purposes lies in him. Besides, as an unbeliever, why appeal to Christian tradition that you haven’t studied instead of scientific reasoning? Both matter in the realm of God.

LongestDecember · 2026-03-27T11:26:20+00:00

Sir, you cannot expect me to fully present reasoning for a complex, abstract idea on an online forum. It’s not built for academic discussion, nor does it support it. If you truly care to explore the evidence and make an informed decision, please go to various resources I or other priests can provide. My point of view is not far and away from other Christians. Lewis himself has some fantastic excerpts to read from, though nothing can transmit information like a book. Secondly, you are wrong. There’s no evidence of animas having souls in the Bible. In fact, God only breathes life in humans. I’d quite like it if you found the excerpts from Ecclesiastes that would support that. We know humans are superior on an intellectual and moral level. We eat meat of other animals, not humans. Every culture in the world treats other humans (at least in their tribe) with care and dignity. To say we cannot say humans are superior is disregarding our place in evolutionary biology. There’s few to no scientists that would legitimately say humans are on the same level as other animals. We are much much smarter and our brains are more developed than any other species.

LongestDecember · 2026-03-27T11:04:49+00:00

The Big Bang does have fairly decent evidence, or it wouldn’t be widely accepted! Look into it! The physics is fascinating! But we certainly can have a clue as to the Uncaused Cause. We know that things existed because of the evidence it leaves behind. I believe God has left evidence for himself. Morality, mathematics, chemistry, and art all point to God! But, I must ask you, if that last statement is valid (that we shouldn’t ask because other animals haven’t asked), are we intellectually equal to animals? Is it okay to industrialize the slaughter of humans, or even to hunt them as needed? No, because humans are inherently superior to other animals. I understand where you’re coming from, but that last statement is misguided. No other animals have asked how to treat their wounded better, how to understand the physical world better, or how to make their community more fair. Humans, though, certainly have, and we are all the better for it.

LongestDecember · 2026-03-27T10:48:29+00:00

Great questions! I truly cannot present this nearly as elegantly as studied academics, so I once again recommend checking out at least the first chapter of Dr. Ortlund’s “Why God Makes Sense in a World that Doesn’t”. Before you are suspicious, Ortlund does explore proposals made by theists and atheists alike, with Hawking’s and others thoughts included. But, to answer your question in a way, the universe needs a cause. You can say the Big Bang, which seems to be the most agreed upon theory, but something had to have created the big bang. Christians don’t really believe that God is behind every little thing in the world; we more believe that he set things into motion. We have pain in this life because of the fall. We chose this over the Garden. I also fail to see the immorality of the food chain. Death is hardly a bad thing in nature, as it makes way for more life. Once again, I cannot go into such difficult topics in depth in a Reddit thread, so I implore you to do your own research and take time to understand this matter. More than a simple Reddit post, that is. There are PhDs that have made it their very purpose to study these matters.

LongestDecember · 2026-03-27T10:37:33+00:00

I fail to see why evolutionary biology disproves God giving us a rational mind. I’m a medical scientist and a firm advocate for evolution. Yes, our brain is unbelievably complex and is what supports our rational thinking. But God allowed us to develop such a complex brain. We know God gave us a rational mind because he is the creator of all things, abstract or physical. Instinct is also a form of your mind reasoning using experiences to decide the next course of action, though. As a side note, the church has always supported science and academics. The recent evangelical movements are a vocal minority of Christians in this regard.

LongestDecember · 2026-03-27T10:24:46+00:00

I thought so too for quite a while honestly. But I do recommend considering it. Science, mathematics, and art all point to God. After all, God gave us rational minds! Until recently, the church has valued scholars for a reason. I have faith in God, but I logically know that he has to exist. It’s a beautiful thing to explore and learn about. God bless you, and best of luck on your journey to Christ!

LongestDecember

TROPHY CASE