Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." -PtB, Jesus demanding trial by jury?

Do churches proclaim "love one another"? Stop fighting!

Moses was not a model citizen! NUMBERS 31:13-19 Was Moses a witch doctor who performed magic to get approval and power Exodus 4:2-5 then had all competitors killed Exodus 22:17 so to remain in power. Egyptian magicians did the same tricks Exodus 7:8-13. Did God give them their powers?

Is someone allegedly calling the 10 commandments a negative document heresy?

If God truly exists then he/she/it is the most intelligent being to ever have existed is falsely teaching God's alleged word blasphemy?

What would returning Jesus say?

OMG you really didn't listen all that well did you? I spoke in parables to make it so so easy.

OMG how did you religious people and churches stuff my ministry?

He might say ... here I stand in sandals and a robe... and OMG look at you lot! What's with all these buildings? I said give all you own to the poor!

I said 'Do not judge others"!

Who told you to use these man made rules?

Why do you pick on homosexuals when you ignore the others of Moses' crazy laws?

Are you saying here that I, Jesus believe "a rapist should be allowed to pay the father of a rape victim 50 pieces of silver and gets the poor woman for life?" (Deuteronomy 22:28-29)?

or

Deuteronomy22:20-21 2 But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel:

Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house..."

Are you all nuts?

When's the next coming of Jesus... I've heard the "tableturning", "I'm absolutely disgusted" lectures, & gnashing of teeth and slow burn in the pitfires of hell finale will be very special.

All those who are first coming last!

Attending 'celebrations' at St Mary's with friends, I'm unimpressed and suggest the issues are more about the egos in 'control' at St Mary's than about faith? In joining an agnostics group and deciding I believe in God/Buddah (Fr Kennedy isn't sure which is his lord), I'd be unceremoniously thrown out of the group, what's the difference here? If I join the local footie-club and no longer like the rules, I cop it or leave, simple. The same applies to St Mary's. The author of the article should be writing on what he knows in the Uniting church, where rules are changed to suit the current fad. The Catholic Church is clear on homosexuality and a number of other issues raised, humans will err and can repent and change but to condone the practices as good and wholesome is to expect agnostics to change their 'rules' to allow for belief in God as a primary rite of membership.
As for the 'true believers' who appeared in media at St Mary's, I didn't hear ONE COMMENT from a regular or a Catholic. It seemed there were more representatives from the Gay and Lesbian MardiGras and similar groups who had very unChristian things to say about the Pope and the Church, so why were they there? The regular congregation is NOT 1500, so the rent-a-crowd was not representative of the regulars, many of whom did not attend in support of Fr Kennedy. He has a hide to put his 'flock' in such a position with their church to feed his ego! If he has such support, then raise the money from the rent-a-crowd to build his own church and make his own rules and see how much faith and support he can find in himself or his 'followers' then.
It's much easier to usurp buildings and the roof the Church has provided to shelter him, while kicking and screaming about injustice and truth. I guess God will judge all of us in the end, according to our real motives and our treatment of those who he has entrusted to our care.

Miranda Suzanne wrote: I don't understand why it is okay that there is any vengeance mentioned at all. And even if the proportions quotes here are accurate, the vehemence with which they are propounded comes into it too, as does the fact that god reckons it's okay to wreak his own vengeance on his whim. The bible is a dreadful book, filled with vindictiveness. There are lots of instructions to be harsh with the slaves or to hand young girls and women over to be raped or to kill naughty children. The main concern of the god in the bible seems to be whether people worship other deities, and being jealous and vindictive if they do. Maybe it's time to jettison this book and move on.

Dear Miranda,

I agree with you. I was addressing the perception that the OT is bad and the NT good. The NT has a sadistic god who allows his son to suffer great torments. His son is a bigot who states that one can enter the Kingdom of Heaven only by subscribing to his mumbo jumbo.

I was responding to the statement: "Isnt the "Old" Testament essentially a genocidal text altogether!" That denies the relationship of the two parts of the Bible, and the subtext can be: Christians = good. Jews = bad.

This can further Christian antisemitism which has already resulted in the massacres during the Crusades and other examples of Christian love, the Inquisition and the Holocaust. That was the reason for my post.

I heartily agree with getting rid of both

>> I can't offer a solution to Father Kennedy's problem, but it seems to me that St.Michael's,
>> if it wants to retain the services of Dr.McNab, should seriously consider whether it stays within the Uniting Church.

or, the uniting church might consider whether mcnab actually said anything that objectionable. what would UC lose by accepting mcnab, except a reduction in their stocks of snake oil?

Sorry Meg & other Christians.. You seem to be sitting in judgement of the egos of those concerned and of the people who attend.

Technically - You as a Christian aren't entitled to make judgements(Matthew 7:1-5). I'm sorry I didn't make the rules!

If you follow Paul's teaching I Corinthians 14:34-35 a woman having an opinion is doubtful.

Luckily I don't subscribe to Paul's misogynistic view so vent away - does your Church subscribe?

Now I can understand the kerfuffle but are any churches really following Jesus' word?

I can think of any number of ways that your church is outside Christ's teachings in the Bible.

Here is one - the confessional - Was it created so that the priests could keep abreast of any rumours within their congregations? Sort of the Blabbermouth News? People own up to sins allegedly.

See in the Bible Jesus said in the Lord's Prayer no less - "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" he didn't add "but only via a priest"!

So we don't need to go through a man (priest) we can go direct to God!

However, the Catholic Encyclopaedia http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11618c.htm says it was NEW LAW instituted by Christ and yet Jesus never mentions it as far as I know.

Furthermore Jesus said in John 3:16 "whosoever believeth" - He didn't say excluding gays - If a gay person believes in God then according to Jesus he will be saved.. unless you Christians know better than Jesus? Also a gay can go to the confessional if he worries it is a sin for total absolution.

These Churches don't bother me Do they have a "let's take over the world agenda"? Are church doctrines and teachings above the alleged word of Christ's teachings? If Jesus' primary teachings are to love one another then these Churches seem to be doing that to all comers..Maybe it's time to forgive those who your Church thinks) trespass against you.

I apologise if my attitude seems a bit like Jesus when he allegedly talked to the Pharisees. His annoyance showed as does mine.

RE: O2's 'sitting in judgement of the egos of those concerned and of the people who attend.' On the contrary, my comment defended those who were from the regular congregation of St Mary's and not present to support the stand by Fr Kennedy and I asked why the 1500 rent-a-crowd (who don't normally attend there or any other Catholic church by the sound of their comments) couldn't buy their own premises so Fr Kennedy can run a show and make rules to suit them, gays or any other, but it's much 'easier to usurp buildings and the roof the Church has provided to shelter him, while kicking and screaming about injustice and truth.' Rather hypocritical of him, don't you think?
The Catholic Church is clear on homosexuality and a number of other issues raised, humans will err and can repent and change (i.e., stop doing the wrong thing) but to condone the practices as good and wholesome is to expect agnostics to change their 'rules' to allow for belief in God as a primary rite of membership. People with tendencies to homosexuality don't have to act on those tendencies, any more than other sexual perversions have to be acted on – it is the act that is to be rejected, not the person.
As for the 'true believers' who appeared in media at St Mary's, I didn't hear ONE COMMENT from a regular or a Catholic. It seemed there were more representatives from the Gay and Lesbian MardiGras and similar groups who had very unChristian things to say about the Pope and the Church, so why were they there? The regular congregation is NOT 1500, so the rent-a-crowd was not representative of the regulars, many of whom did not attend in support of Fr Kennedy.
I guess God will judge all of us in the end, according to our real motives and our treatment of those who he has entrusted to our care.
The obsessive dictating from agnostics and non-Catholics (including the author), to the Catholic church is laughable – fix your own backyard, why the meddling in other's?